Many innovations and improvements have been made since the first Shinkansen trains, the 0-series Hikari and the Kodama trains, were unveiled. In 1985 the 100-series, which included the first double-decker trains and the first ones with private cabins, went into operation on the Tokaido route. In 1992 came the 300-series trains, whose bodies were made with a lightweight aluminum alloy that enabled them to reach speeds of up to 270 kilometers per hour. This series was used for some of the Nozomi (meaning hope) trains that can cover the distance between Tokyo and Osaka in two and a half hours. And in 1997, the 500-series began running on the Shinkansen's San'yo route. This route has especially good track conditions, allowing the 500-series trains, with their 15-meter-long noses, to operate at speeds of up to 300 kilometers per hour. In 1999 the newest Shinkansen trains, the 700-series, went into operation. The 700-series represents the pinnacle of railway technology, offering an exceptionally comfortable ride at speeds of up to 270 kilometers per hour.

Other countries have been inspired by the success of Japan's bullet trains. In 1981 France launched its TGV rail system, whose trains could travel at 270 kilometers per hour. At the time, this was even faster than the Shinkansen. Germany's ICE and Italy's ETR500 are among the other high-speed trains now capable of traveling at nearly 300 kilometers per hour. Other Asian countries are moving ahead with plans to build their own high-speed train systems, too, and some may use the technologies that went into the Shinkansen. Taiwan has already begun constructing a high-speed train system that is modeled after Japan's bullet train.

Photos: JR West (top, second); JR Central (third, bottom)