Shinkansen is 50 years old!
Shinkansen, the train which made Japan the high speed rail pioneer, is celebrating its 50th anniversary today!
On October 1, 1964, that is 50 years ago, the very first Shinkansen was launching itself on the rails from Tokyo, in front of his majesty Emperor Hirohito. For a few weeks, Japan became the world’s center of attention. Shinkansen then was the fastest train in the world, linking Tokyo to Osaka within 2 hours and a half at 210 km/h. The trip in itself allowed many people to discover the country including a sight of Mount Fuji.
Today, the latest Shinkansen, with its flat duck-bill nose, allows to go across the archipelago at 320 km/h. The network has spread to the whole of Honshu island and towards Kyushu island. Within 50 years, Shinkansen has been carrying safely – there’s never been a single accident – billions of passengers (about 324 million a year these days).
Have you ever travelled with Shinkansen? Leave a comment to tell us! (log in or sign up)
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