Anniversary of the Tkaid Shinkansen

[Tibbs]

I like to read Wikipedia every day and saw that it's the anniversary of the Tōkaidō Shinkansen line, started in 1964 in time for the Tokyo Olympics.

Article:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tōkaidō_Shinkansen

I went to Japan a few years ago and got a 3 week travel pass for the princely sum of £108. This allowed me unlimited travel on all JR trains, except for the Nozomi Superfast Shinkansen. I paid to upgrade and travelled on that train from Osaka to Tokyo.

I have never been on a more eerily quiet (both actual train or passengers) or efficient railway. If you didn't look out of the window you'd never know you were moving. I have the requisite picture of Mount Fuji, and of course I loved the Bento boxes they sell in the station - a serious step up from Burger King or Delice de France!

I think it's been my favourite rail journey so far.

 

[upnorth71]

There are two big timetable revisions in Japan, one in March and the other in October. New trains and services (as well as discontinuances/closures) are typically instituted concurrently with these revisions, though typically more often in March, being that is just before the start of the new fiscal year. I expect the big anniversary will be in two years time, when it'll be the 50th.