Shinkansen Shinkansen The , meaning "new trunkline," but colloquially known in English as the bullet train, is a network of high-speed railway lines in Japan. Initially, it was built to connect distant Japanese regions with Tokyo, the capital, in order to aid economic growth and development. Beyond long-distance travel, some sections around the largest metropolitan areas are used as a commuter rail network. It is operated by five Japan Railways Group companies. Starting with the Tōkaidō Shinkansen () in 1964, the network has expanded to currently consist of of lines with maximum speeds of , of Mini-Shinkansen lines with a maximum
800 Series Shinkansen 800 Series Shinkansen The is a Japanese Shinkansen high-speed train type operated by Kyushu Railway Company (JR Kyushu) on the Kyushu Shinkansen high-speed rail line. Built by Hitachi, the trains were introduced on the "Tsubame" services from March 2004. The 800 series has a maximum speed of in service, although its maximum design speed is . It was one of the two recipients of the 45th Laurel Prize awarded by the Japan Railfan Club in 2005. It abandoned the 700's "duckbill" nose in favor of a sharper nose. The livery is white, with a red stripe. Following the opening of