Her white-gloved, waistcoated uniform impeccable, 22-year-old Hazuki Okuno boards a bullet train replica to rehearse the strict protocols behind the smooth operation of a Japanese institution turning 60 Tuesday.
High-speed shinkansen trains began running between Tokyo and Osaka on October 1, 1964, heralding a new era for rail travel as Japan grew into an economic superpower after its World War II defeat.
The service remains integral to the nation's economy and way of life -- so keeping it dazzlingly clean, punctual and accident-free is a serious job.
At a 10-story, state-of-the-art staff training center, Okuno shouted from the window and signaled to imaginary colleagues, keeping her cool when a video screen down the platform shows a flailing passenger stuck in a door.
The live-in facility southwest of Tokyo offers what rail operator JR Central describes as an "intense education" for future conductors, drivers and other team members.
"Thank you for riding," Okuno practiced saying, bowing deeply after checking the time on her watch.
Each day nearly a quarter of a million passengers ride the Tokaido Shinkansen line, which stretches from Tokyo past Mount Fuji to Hakata around five hours away.
One top-speed Nozomi train arrives up to every five minutes.
JR Central says it has never had an accident resulting in death or injury on the bullet train, even in a country where earthquakes, typhoons and heavy snow are common.
Safety is "our top priority", Daisuke Kumajima, the company's PR officer, told AFP. "We take our education and training of our employees very seriously."
This month for the first time, on another line run by the company JR East, two linked bullet trains uncoupled, resulting in an emergency stop but no injuries.
With routes spanning the country, the shinkansen's top speed of 320 kilometers per hour is no longer the world's fastest, having been outpaced by China.
But the original high-speed locomotive's streamlined nose and spacious interiors remain a symbol of Japanese engineering prowess and attention to detail.
It's also a tourist must-do and pop culture mainstay -- such as in Brad Pitt's 2022 blockbuster "Bullet Train".
A meticulous maintenance schedule means the trains are gleaming outside and in, with cleaners adjusting headrests and using brushes to ensure the seats are free of crumbs.
In some countries, train delays mean there is little time for such primping, said Christopher Hood who authored the book: "Shinkansen: From Bullet Train to Symbol of Modern Japan."
On the bullet train network, however, the average delay is less than a minute.
The growth of cities along shinkansen routes over the decades shows its impact on the economy in Japan, where "face-to-face business is very, very important", added Hood, a researcher at Britain's Cardiff University.
In tandem the train has played a role in speeding up depopulation in rural Japan, according to Hood, leaving many elderly people isolated.
"People would rather live in the big cities... and then use the shinkansen to go and visit relatives out in smaller cities if they need to," he told AFP.
At a JR Central site, an engineer taps the inner machinery of a bullet train, listening closely for any unusual sounds that could reveal a loose part.
With aging Japan increasingly facing labour shortages, the company is also researching a new digital inspection system that can analyze images of a train to spot dangers.
JR East, meanwhile, has said driverless bullet trains could be introduced from the mid-2030s.
There is also a huge project underway to build a high-speed maglev -- magnetic levitation -- line in Japan, long-delayed due to environmental opposition.
Maglev trains, which can run at 500 kilometers per hour, were meant to begin service between Tokyo and Nagoya in central Japan in 2027, but JR Central has pushed this back to 2034 or later.
The aim is to create a "dual system" with the Shinkansen, said Kumajima, to respond to demand and keep operations stable in the case of maintenance work or a big quake.
It's easy to take the shinkansen for granted in Japan, which is a good thing, according to Hood.
But when Japanese people travel overseas, particularly in Europe or the United States, "they soon appreciate that 'yeah, the shinkansen is a little bit special'," he said.
© 2024 AFP
15 Comments
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garypen
We've got a trip planned to Yokohama later this month. Looking forward to riding the Shinkansen again. It's been almost 7 years since my last Shinkansen ride. Maybe we'll do the Green Car this time. I've always wanted to do that. Gonna miss the snack cart ladies. (For my first Shinkansen ride, they still had a restaurant car. I had a steak dinner!)
NCIS Reruns
A transfer at Shin-Yokohama requires lugging baggage up and down stairs to a local commuter line, usually followed by another change at to what used to be called the Toyoko Line (now I think it's called Minato Mirai Line) at Kikuna. So many Shinkansen travelers are required to go from heaven to hell in order to get to their destinations.
Sanjinosebleed
Love the Shinkansen such an integral part of Japan and Japanese culture!
kohakuebisu
The user experience is great, much better than internal flights. The seats are more generous and way nicer, there is no messing about security or check in, and even stations that are located away from city centers, like Shin Osaka, are better located than airports.
The main minus is that many sections of the Shinkansen are on elevated concrete bridges, which at best aren't nice, and at worse look terrible. The Hokuriku line passes over central Itoigawa way up in the air above people's houses. It looks awful.
luthierinseattle
I remember, in 5th grade, in rural East Tennessee, Ms. White, our social studies teacher, telling us about Japanese bullet trains and showing us pictures of them. What a dream. Fast forward decades and I am taking my picture in front of that very same engine at the Kyoto Railway Museum. Trains are cool. I love them, especially in Japan. Here's to another 60 years of safe rail travels at speed for Japan, and with hope that the USA realize the usefulness and value of it.
Mirchy
Whenever I go to a concert, I take the train. Mostly Austria and Germany from Slovenia. And yes, the Shinkansen is really special. In August I even had the honor of seeing Doctor Yellow pass me at the station. Off guard (to slow for video take) :))
Halk
Japan’s train system is fantastic and reliable, but it comes at a steep human cost, with workers facing enormous pressure to keep things spotless and punctual. The expectations can be both inhuman and inhumane, and while we all value these services, it’s worth questioning whether this cost is really necessary. I’d much rather see standards loosened in line with other developed countries to give Japanese staff a little less stress and a more reasonable work life balance.
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Wasabi
From where does this nonsense is coming? Are you working from JR? What human cost?
quercetum
I wouldn't be surprised if these bullet trains are in the same condition 50 years from now. The standards are very high in Japan.
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Wasabi
I am not "your dear" but I would like to ask, have you any experience working in a Japanese company?
Also, you were speaking about the JR working condition... your key words are not relevant.
NCIS Reruns
He was not inferring that you are. To native English speakers, Oh dear is an expression of consternation or disappointment that is not directed at any listener in particular.
Peter14
I had a Green carriage card for 3 weeks when visiting Japan and used it 6 or 7 times up to Niigata and as far down as Osaka. Loved each ride it was such a pleasure. One integral part was the purchase of ekiben's for the journey with so many delicious offerings it would take quite a while to settle on a choice.
Great scenery of Japans cities and smaller towns and countryside along the way. All the things you miss if you fly rather than ride the shinkansen.
So sad to see the large price hikes for the travel cards. Glad I did it when I did.
spidersenses
Give it up Halk, too high-brow bud for most JT commenters
You're right that all the great service we enjoy on the Shinkansen and anywhere else in Japan comes at a human cost but most on here have a limited at best understanding of Japanese work culture.
pogogo
The super speedy trains always give me chills.
Nothing anywhere comes close to Japan's rail precision, execution and reliability, safety.
But I still smile at a Yellow One Man diesel.
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starpunk
The San Francisco Bay Area has the famous BART system. Boston has a similar one too. And in Canada the metro systems for Toronto and Montreal are quiet, fast and clean.