8 ms·

The Shinkansen Story [video]

113 points by dsego 8y ago

bostonpartee 8y ago
It seemed interesting, but narration is very slow. :(
- bitpush 8y ago
  2x speed doesnt help?
Animats 8y ago
Aw. Some of the Shinkansen technology came from BART, which was being built around the same time. Active suspension, all wheel electric drive with electronic controls, and automatic train control all started with BART. Now everybody has those features.
- innocenat 8y ago
  Can I have source? According to Wikipedia BART began construction in 1964, the year Shinkansen open. Sanyo Shinkansen, the extension to Hakata, open in 1972, months before BART open.
throwawsay32434 8y ago
Really cool! I like it that the Japan generally is not given to the BS-till-you-make-it attitude of SV. The spiritual successor to the 60s pioneering project, the Chuo Shinkansen, which is the result of proven technology developed over 30-40y continues to chugging away slowly and silently, at an estimated cost of $80B to connect Tokyo with Osaka (in '2037). Musk's Hyperloop's on the otherhand is what you get from SV. BS vaporware, which would magically connect LA and SF at a mere $6B, with technology which hasn't even been invented yet! Even the current Shinkansen costs twice as much as this valuation (in India!).
- innocenat 8y ago
  The Chuo is Tokyo-Nagoya in 2027 and Tokyo-Osaka in 2045. Could they make it earlier? Of course yes, but the amazing thing about Chuo Shinkansen is that it's 100% private (JR Central) money. The government did offer no-string-attached money to make it to Nagoya in time for 2020 Olympic and Osaka in 2025 [Expo] (this was back in '13), but JR Central declined. Japan population is declining so I guess nobody want to invest too much in case the return isn't as expected.
- JKCalhoun 8y ago
  Agree that Hyperloop is ... hype. But you otherwise paint SV with too broad a brush with your "BS-till-you-make-it" comment.
  - dear 8y ago
    I would go even further to say it's not even broad enough to reflect the general culture in the US.
jokoon 8y ago
Crazy to know this train appeared so early. I'm also quite curious about the recent US regulation that was dropped about wagon weight. Could not understand how this regulation made sense.
mrunkel 8y ago
Just rode the Shinkansen last month from Kyoto to Tokyo. Very enjoyable trip, except (like everything in Japan) at my height and size (190cm/6'3") it was a tick too small. Even in the green car. That, and the annoying foot rest which takes up most of the space in front of you whether you need it or not were the only negatives. Awesome train (although the styling of the modern noses doesn't appeal to me at all) ride. Super smooth. If you're going to be riding, don't dawdle getting off. You're expected to be at the door ready to get off when the train stops, if you wait, you'll be encountering passengers getting on, and the train doesn't stop long at the station. p.s. Please don't get offended that I said Japan was a tick too small for me. It doesn't have to fit me, I don't live there. I was just making an observation. :)
- mrunkel 8y ago
  Here's a short video of a train going through the station in Odawara. https://www.dropbox.com/s/qc4nlf6p9fhbdi0/IMG_1450.m4v?dl=0 https://www.dropbox.com/s/qc4nlf6p9fhbdi0/IMG_1450.m4v?dl=0
- thanosnose 8y ago
  > p.s. Please don't get offended that I said Japan was a tick too small for me. It doesn't have to fit me, I don't live there. I was just making an observation. :) Why would anyone be offended? If you are 6'3", no place is accommodating for you. No train, bus, airplane, car or homes are built for you since you are not close to the average anywhere. This goes for whether you are too short or too tall or too fat or too skinny. Everything nowadays is built for the average. So you wouldn't feel comfortable anywhere.
  - mrunkel 8y ago
    People get offended (even here) at the drop of the hat... Just wanted to clarify that I wasn't being a western imperialist or that I expected the country to adapt to me. :)
- robin_reala 8y ago
  I guess that’s the threshold then because at 188cm I found the shinkansen perfectly comfortable, even on long journeys (e.g. Tokyo to Hakodate). Maybe it’s because the foot rest folds up if you don’t want it by your feet :)
xixixao 8y ago
Both Mustard and Brilliant look really cool. In fact in this video I wasn't sure at times whether the footage was CGI or real, testament to how good rendering is these days.
- Geee 8y ago
  I think it's rendered in a game engine, possibly Unity. The whole video appears to be put together in a game engine.
ragebol 8y ago
The Shinkansen is just so awesome. GF an I toured Japan last October and we did all inter-city travel by the Shinkansen, using a Japan-Rail pass, so you can just walk through the entry gates. The punctuality is also unparalleled. On a different train, we arrived well in time for departure, only to find the train was delayed! Oh noes! The guy at the counter walked up and off the walkway to our platform to personally excuse himself for the 15 minute delay. Of course, the train was exactly 15 minutes late. I wish Europe would have this level of high-speed rail. I'm starting a remote job next year, traveling to the office twice month. That trip will cost me ca. 6hrs one-way but with a Shinkansen, maybe 3 hours. The continent would be so much more close-knit with such train service.
- ianbooker 8y ago
  Europe could have that tomorrow, if it would really put its act together and regulate its train system more tightly. I did both a super-long distance commute (900km) bi-monthly and a regular daily commute (100km) using German trains for two years each. It was horrible. But with some proper coordination the network could become viable overnight: For example: Deutsche Bahn knows it unreliable even using their own weird definition of delays, but still they do noting to work with this information. Every time you book a train they will offer a journey with a time to switch trains below 5 or 10 Minutes, although the probability of reaching that is below two thirds.
- melling 8y ago
  I wish the US could have the level of European HSR. We’ve spent 50 years explaining why it won’t work here and widening highways. Now to even acquire the land is incredibly expensive. Now our dream is to go 700 mph so we can take the long way over cheaper land instead of directly at slower speeds.
  - lozenge 8y ago
    Huh? A comfortable ride means the track needs to be straight - especially at high speeds.
    - 8y ago
wallace_f 8y ago
Imagine if the US had leaders obligated to resign when projects ran overbudget.
- ericdykstra 8y ago
  Politics needs more skin in the game overall.
nlh 8y ago
Anecdote: I was just in Japan and w/ a train-loving buddy, and he found the fastest in the country for us to take a ride (The Hayabusa line between Tokyo <-> Sendai). Super fun! It tops out just over 200mph for a few stretches (obligatory screen cap from whatever GPS speedometer app I happened to download at the moment)[1] We rode coach up to Sendai and First Class on the way back after a long day of wandering around. 1000% worth the experience if anyone is considering the adventure as part of a Japan trip. [1] https://m.imgur.com/a/WBtSgJ6 https://m.imgur.com/a/WBtSgJ6
- kurthr 8y ago
  If you know you're traveling to Japan and want to ride the Shinkansen, then definitely get a JR rail pass. They are good for a week (upto 3) of travel, but can pay for themselves in 1 or 2 rides. They're even good for travel within Tokyo on Yamanote and Chuo lines (and if your flight arrives in time for you to validate for the Narita Express or Haneda Monorail). There are lots of places on-line to purchase, but the ticket must be delivered/picked-up outside of Japan and you must have a foreign passport/residence. Also, the pass is only valid on the Kodama/Hikari (echo/light) trains, but not Nozomi (hope) which have fewer stops. The real advantage of Green/1st class is that you can more easily book last munite at busy times without fear of the train being full.
  - kaybe 8y ago
    Actually, they have a trial right now where you can buy the JR passes inside Japan. The cost is a little higher compared to buying abroad. The foreign passport and short-term visa requirements still remain.
  - SmellyGeekBoy 8y ago
    I actually framed my JR Pass when I got home.
2bitencryption 8y ago
small self-deprecating anecdote: after I landed in Narita for the first time, I rode the Narita Line into Tokyo. I, coming from the US, was absolutely amazed at the cleanliness and super-fast speed of the train, which I assumed must be a bullet train because we were traveling so much faster than I had ever traveled by train before. Imagine my surprise when I found out it was just the regular train line, and the bullet train is a whole different beast...
- Symbiote 8y ago
  "Maximum speed 130 km/h (80 mph)" (Wikipedia) That's slower than the airport express trains for several European airports I'm familiar with (London Heathrow, London Gatwick, Stockholm, Oslo), which is unexpected. However, it's probably a lot cheaper than any of them.
  - innocenat 8y ago
    Narita Express is among the expensive train in Japan though. Narita Airport to Tokyo station cost JPY2820 (~$25). 130km/h is the maximum speed any train can operate on a line with level crossing designated by Japanese law. But in Japan a lot of train can maintain near maximum speed throughout its journey, unlike what I have seen in the Europe.
pasbesoin 8y ago
There are a couple of high def web cams of busy Japanese lines just outside stations, that stream live on YouTube (with good sound, as well). (Unfortunately, the recent typhoon took out the one by the Italian Park in Tokyo.) I've found I can watch those for hours. I've thought of putting a TV in my office and just leaving one or the other on as background. They also remind me a bit of one or two domestic market contemporary Japanese films that have featured trains prominently. I guess it's probably mostly just a one-off amalgam of experiences that exists in my head. But enjoyable. P.S. You watch one of these, and -- as a foreigner -- you realize just how many of the high speed trains are running each hour, each day.
- atonse 8y ago
  Can you please link to these? I'd love to say my kid would enjoy these, but who are we kidding? I'd love them too.
  - pasbesoin 8y ago
    Yeah, I didn't, in my first comment. I guess I was a bit afraid if they got popular they'd "go away" or something -- even though they are "buffered" by YouTube. -- This one is still working: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H8LY9oqqzXM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H8LY9oqqzXM looking SE towards the north end and east side of Shin Osaka station: https://goo.gl/maps/LqVgRHNWu7H2 https://goo.gl/maps/LqVgRHNWu7H2 -- The following one has been down since the typhoon. I haven't tried reaching out -- I don't make comments on YouTube -- but if it's a matter of the cost of replacement, I wonder whether the person it belongs to would be interested in donations to pay for its replacement. I rather enjoyed it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0F-Aw9t1VC8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0F-Aw9t1VC8 Located across the street and tracks (and the other street) from Italy Park, looking to the SE: https://goo.gl/maps/2154UmjBYu72 https://goo.gl/maps/2154UmjBYu72 -- P.S. For the Osaka location, once in a while you'll see a commercial jet's shadow approach and cross the forefield. 2 pm local time, or sometimes an hour either way of that, has seemed to be the time for that, this fall.
    - atonse 8y ago
TravelAndFood 8y ago
Here's another nice video about Shinkansen origin story from a video series I enjoy ("Begin Japanology"): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tHCl8z47bL0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tHCl8z47bL0
dredds 8y ago
The next generation Shinkansen will begin testing around May next year (2019). The ‘Alfa-X’ is expected to travel faster than 400 km/h (360 km/h with passengers) note: The fastest commercial train in the world is Shanghai’s maglev train (431km/h) which uses magnetic levitation. - https://plus.google.com/117929795458007747856/posts/iVaesHMcLav https://plus.google.com/117929795458007747856/posts/iVaesHMc... - https://www.jrailpass.com/blog/alfa-x-shinkansen-bullet-train https://www.jrailpass.com/blog/alfa-x-shinkansen-bullet-trai...
tokyodude 8y ago
What love about the Shinkansen, at least Tokyo <-> Osaka is that it leaves every 5-10 minutes so I never make reservations. I just casually go when I feel like it, shop outside for a snack, then go in and get a ticket at a machine and hop on the next train. This is something I can't do with planes as well as you have to book in advance, get there early, check in, get inspected, line up to board. Filling plane seems to take 15 to 30 minutes. Filling the train takes 2-3 mins. And of course the train drops me off in the center of town, not 30 to 90 minutes outside of town like most airports. There's a couple of seasons where getting a seat or getting 2 seats together might take more planning but most of the time taking the Shinkansen feels no different than taking any local train or subway in terms of prep which makes it super easy to use. It's a little expensive, $240-$350 round trip (free seating->reserved seating->1st class) but I've still made impulse trips for various events deciding on the same day that, yea, ok, let's go! I will say China's bullet trains are amazing as well but booking/tickets are not nearly as smooth.

113 points by dsego 8y ago

bostonpartee 8y ago

It seemed interesting, but narration is very slow. :(

bitpush 8y ago
2x speed doesnt help?

Animats 8y ago

Aw. Some of the Shinkansen technology came from BART, which was being built around the same time. Active suspension, all wheel electric drive with electronic controls, and automatic train control all started with BART. Now everybody has those features.

innocenat 8y ago
Can I have source? According to Wikipedia BART began construction in 1964, the year Shinkansen open. Sanyo Shinkansen, the extension to Hakata, open in 1972, months before BART open.

throwawsay32434 8y ago

Really cool! I like it that the Japan generally is not given to the BS-till-you-make-it attitude of SV. The spiritual successor to the 60s pioneering project, the Chuo Shinkansen, which is the result of proven technology developed over 30-40y continues to chugging away slowly and silently, at an estimated cost of $80B to connect Tokyo with Osaka (in '2037). Musk's Hyperloop's on the otherhand is what you get from SV. BS vaporware, which would magically connect LA and SF at a mere $6B, with technology which hasn't even been invented yet! Even the current Shinkansen costs twice as much as this valuation (in India!).

innocenat 8y ago
The Chuo is Tokyo-Nagoya in 2027 and Tokyo-Osaka in 2045. Could they make it earlier? Of course yes, but the amazing thing about Chuo Shinkansen is that it's 100% private (JR Central) money. The government did offer no-string-attached money to make it to Nagoya in time for 2020 Olympic and Osaka in 2025 [Expo] (this was back in '13), but JR Central declined. Japan population is declining so I guess nobody want to invest too much in case the return isn't as expected.
JKCalhoun 8y ago
Agree that Hyperloop is ... hype. But you otherwise paint SV with too broad a brush with your "BS-till-you-make-it" comment.
- dear 8y ago
  I would go even further to say it's not even broad enough to reflect the general culture in the US.

jokoon 8y ago

Crazy to know this train appeared so early. I'm also quite curious about the recent US regulation that was dropped about wagon weight. Could not understand how this regulation made sense.

mrunkel 8y ago

Just rode the Shinkansen last month from Kyoto to Tokyo. Very enjoyable trip, except (like everything in Japan) at my height and size (190cm/6'3") it was a tick too small. Even in the green car. That, and the annoying foot rest which takes up most of the space in front of you whether you need it or not were the only negatives. Awesome train (although the styling of the modern noses doesn't appeal to me at all) ride. Super smooth. If you're going to be riding, don't dawdle getting off. You're expected to be at the door ready to get off when the train stops, if you wait, you'll be encountering passengers getting on, and the train doesn't stop long at the station. p.s. Please don't get offended that I said Japan was a tick too small for me. It doesn't have to fit me, I don't live there. I was just making an observation. :)

mrunkel 8y ago
Here's a short video of a train going through the station in Odawara. https://www.dropbox.com/s/qc4nlf6p9fhbdi0/IMG_1450.m4v?dl=0 https://www.dropbox.com/s/qc4nlf6p9fhbdi0/IMG_1450.m4v?dl=0
thanosnose 8y ago
> p.s. Please don't get offended that I said Japan was a tick too small for me. It doesn't have to fit me, I don't live there. I was just making an observation. :) Why would anyone be offended? If you are 6'3", no place is accommodating for you. No train, bus, airplane, car or homes are built for you since you are not close to the average anywhere. This goes for whether you are too short or too tall or too fat or too skinny. Everything nowadays is built for the average. So you wouldn't feel comfortable anywhere.
- mrunkel 8y ago
  People get offended (even here) at the drop of the hat... Just wanted to clarify that I wasn't being a western imperialist or that I expected the country to adapt to me. :)
robin_reala 8y ago
I guess that’s the threshold then because at 188cm I found the shinkansen perfectly comfortable, even on long journeys (e.g. Tokyo to Hakodate). Maybe it’s because the foot rest folds up if you don’t want it by your feet :)

xixixao 8y ago

Both Mustard and Brilliant look really cool. In fact in this video I wasn't sure at times whether the footage was CGI or real, testament to how good rendering is these days.

Geee 8y ago
I think it's rendered in a game engine, possibly Unity. The whole video appears to be put together in a game engine.

ragebol 8y ago

The Shinkansen is just so awesome. GF an I toured Japan last October and we did all inter-city travel by the Shinkansen, using a Japan-Rail pass, so you can just walk through the entry gates. The punctuality is also unparalleled. On a different train, we arrived well in time for departure, only to find the train was delayed! Oh noes! The guy at the counter walked up and off the walkway to our platform to personally excuse himself for the 15 minute delay. Of course, the train was exactly 15 minutes late. I wish Europe would have this level of high-speed rail. I'm starting a remote job next year, traveling to the office twice month. That trip will cost me ca. 6hrs one-way but with a Shinkansen, maybe 3 hours. The continent would be so much more close-knit with such train service.

ianbooker 8y ago
Europe could have that tomorrow, if it would really put its act together and regulate its train system more tightly. I did both a super-long distance commute (900km) bi-monthly and a regular daily commute (100km) using German trains for two years each. It was horrible. But with some proper coordination the network could become viable overnight: For example: Deutsche Bahn knows it unreliable even using their own weird definition of delays, but still they do noting to work with this information. Every time you book a train they will offer a journey with a time to switch trains below 5 or 10 Minutes, although the probability of reaching that is below two thirds.
melling 8y ago
I wish the US could have the level of European HSR. We’ve spent 50 years explaining why it won’t work here and widening highways. Now to even acquire the land is incredibly expensive. Now our dream is to go 700 mph so we can take the long way over cheaper land instead of directly at slower speeds.
- lozenge 8y ago
  Huh? A comfortable ride means the track needs to be straight - especially at high speeds.
  - 8y ago

wallace_f 8y ago

Imagine if the US had leaders obligated to resign when projects ran overbudget.

ericdykstra 8y ago
Politics needs more skin in the game overall.

nlh 8y ago

Anecdote: I was just in Japan and w/ a train-loving buddy, and he found the fastest in the country for us to take a ride (The Hayabusa line between Tokyo <-> Sendai). Super fun! It tops out just over 200mph for a few stretches (obligatory screen cap from whatever GPS speedometer app I happened to download at the moment)[1] We rode coach up to Sendai and First Class on the way back after a long day of wandering around. 1000% worth the experience if anyone is considering the adventure as part of a Japan trip. [1] https://m.imgur.com/a/WBtSgJ6 https://m.imgur.com/a/WBtSgJ6

kurthr 8y ago
If you know you're traveling to Japan and want to ride the Shinkansen, then definitely get a JR rail pass. They are good for a week (upto 3) of travel, but can pay for themselves in 1 or 2 rides. They're even good for travel within Tokyo on Yamanote and Chuo lines (and if your flight arrives in time for you to validate for the Narita Express or Haneda Monorail). There are lots of places on-line to purchase, but the ticket must be delivered/picked-up outside of Japan and you must have a foreign passport/residence. Also, the pass is only valid on the Kodama/Hikari (echo/light) trains, but not Nozomi (hope) which have fewer stops. The real advantage of Green/1st class is that you can more easily book last munite at busy times without fear of the train being full.
- kaybe 8y ago
  Actually, they have a trial right now where you can buy the JR passes inside Japan. The cost is a little higher compared to buying abroad. The foreign passport and short-term visa requirements still remain.
- SmellyGeekBoy 8y ago
  I actually framed my JR Pass when I got home.

2bitencryption 8y ago

small self-deprecating anecdote: after I landed in Narita for the first time, I rode the Narita Line into Tokyo. I, coming from the US, was absolutely amazed at the cleanliness and super-fast speed of the train, which I assumed must be a bullet train because we were traveling so much faster than I had ever traveled by train before. Imagine my surprise when I found out it was just the regular train line, and the bullet train is a whole different beast...

Symbiote 8y ago
"Maximum speed 130 km/h (80 mph)" (Wikipedia) That's slower than the airport express trains for several European airports I'm familiar with (London Heathrow, London Gatwick, Stockholm, Oslo), which is unexpected. However, it's probably a lot cheaper than any of them.
- innocenat 8y ago
  Narita Express is among the expensive train in Japan though. Narita Airport to Tokyo station cost JPY2820 (~$25). 130km/h is the maximum speed any train can operate on a line with level crossing designated by Japanese law. But in Japan a lot of train can maintain near maximum speed throughout its journey, unlike what I have seen in the Europe.

pasbesoin 8y ago

There are a couple of high def web cams of busy Japanese lines just outside stations, that stream live on YouTube (with good sound, as well). (Unfortunately, the recent typhoon took out the one by the Italian Park in Tokyo.) I've found I can watch those for hours. I've thought of putting a TV in my office and just leaving one or the other on as background. They also remind me a bit of one or two domestic market contemporary Japanese films that have featured trains prominently. I guess it's probably mostly just a one-off amalgam of experiences that exists in my head. But enjoyable. P.S. You watch one of these, and -- as a foreigner -- you realize just how many of the high speed trains are running each hour, each day.

atonse 8y ago
Can you please link to these? I'd love to say my kid would enjoy these, but who are we kidding? I'd love them too.
- pasbesoin 8y ago
  Yeah, I didn't, in my first comment. I guess I was a bit afraid if they got popular they'd "go away" or something -- even though they are "buffered" by YouTube. -- This one is still working: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H8LY9oqqzXM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H8LY9oqqzXM looking SE towards the north end and east side of Shin Osaka station: https://goo.gl/maps/LqVgRHNWu7H2 https://goo.gl/maps/LqVgRHNWu7H2 -- The following one has been down since the typhoon. I haven't tried reaching out -- I don't make comments on YouTube -- but if it's a matter of the cost of replacement, I wonder whether the person it belongs to would be interested in donations to pay for its replacement. I rather enjoyed it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0F-Aw9t1VC8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0F-Aw9t1VC8 Located across the street and tracks (and the other street) from Italy Park, looking to the SE: https://goo.gl/maps/2154UmjBYu72 https://goo.gl/maps/2154UmjBYu72 -- P.S. For the Osaka location, once in a while you'll see a commercial jet's shadow approach and cross the forefield. 2 pm local time, or sometimes an hour either way of that, has seemed to be the time for that, this fall.
  - atonse 8y ago

TravelAndFood 8y ago

Here's another nice video about Shinkansen origin story from a video series I enjoy ("Begin Japanology"): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tHCl8z47bL0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tHCl8z47bL0

dredds 8y ago

The next generation Shinkansen will begin testing around May next year (2019). The ‘Alfa-X’ is expected to travel faster than 400 km/h (360 km/h with passengers) note: The fastest commercial train in the world is Shanghai’s maglev train (431km/h) which uses magnetic levitation. - https://plus.google.com/117929795458007747856/posts/iVaesHMcLav https://plus.google.com/117929795458007747856/posts/iVaesHMc... - https://www.jrailpass.com/blog/alfa-x-shinkansen-bullet-train https://www.jrailpass.com/blog/alfa-x-shinkansen-bullet-trai...

tokyodude 8y ago

What love about the Shinkansen, at least Tokyo <-> Osaka is that it leaves every 5-10 minutes so I never make reservations. I just casually go when I feel like it, shop outside for a snack, then go in and get a ticket at a machine and hop on the next train. This is something I can't do with planes as well as you have to book in advance, get there early, check in, get inspected, line up to board. Filling plane seems to take 15 to 30 minutes. Filling the train takes 2-3 mins. And of course the train drops me off in the center of town, not 30 to 90 minutes outside of town like most airports. There's a couple of seasons where getting a seat or getting 2 seats together might take more planning but most of the time taking the Shinkansen feels no different than taking any local train or subway in terms of prep which makes it super easy to use. It's a little expensive, $240-$350 round trip (free seating->reserved seating->1st class) but I've still made impulse trips for various events deciding on the same day that, yea, ok, let's go! I will say China's bullet trains are amazing as well but booking/tickets are not nearly as smooth.