A 500-series shinkansen departing Hakata stationAn E4-series shinkansen south of Omiya stationA 700-series shinkansen passing Lake HamanaAn 800-series shinkansen at the Hitachi factory
Figure 1.1
A 300-series shinkansen passing tea fields in Shizuoka Prefecture – one of the most popular sites for photographs by railway enthusiasts along the Tokaido Shinkansen
Figure 1.2
A 100-series shinkansen passing Hamanako
Figure 2.1
Commemorative plaque at Tokyo StationA 100-series shinkansen entering the platform at Tokyo next to the plaque of SogoTokyo station in the eveningCleaners (in pink) waiting for a shinkansen to arrive at the platformThe 40th anniversary shinkansen departs Tokyo stationA display – including a model of the N700-series shinkansen at the front – celebrating 40 years of the Tokaido Shinkansen
Figure 2.3
A sign showing the distance from Tokyo to Shin-Aomori with a diagram behind showing what the future station, which will completely transform the area, may look likeA conventional train arrives at the current Shin-Aomori stationA view along the current Shin-Aomori platform, which will cross underneath the platforms of the Tohoku Shinkansen terminal in the futureA van goes over a level crossing shortly after a tokkyu passes by along the single-track line at Shin-Aomori
Figure 2.4
On the left is the space where the shinkansen rail will be installed by JR Kyushu at Shin-Yatsuhiro in the future – showing the difference in gauge between the conventional line and the shinkansen lineEnd of the line at Kagoshima-Chuo with Sakurajima in the distance A viaduct – to be used by the Kyushu Shinkansen in the future – near Hakata-Minami station (shinkansen access to which is visible below the viaduct)
Model cranes on the conventional line platform at Izumi and origami-style cranes in the roof of the shinkansen station
On the right the conventional line curves away from Shin-Yatsushiro to go to join the original Kagoshima Line, on the left the route which shinkansen will take in the future when the Kyushu Shinkansen is completedA 0-series-renewal waiting at the narrow Hakata-Minami station – the space to the left will become part of the Kyushu Shinkansen in the futureThe sail-inspired design of Shin-Minamata station
Figure 2.6
An E3-series shinkansen battles through the snow near TazawakoAn E3-series shinkansen in the ‘snow country’An E3-series shinkansen preparing to join up to an E2-series shinkansen at Morioka stationAn E3-series shinkansen joined to an E2-series shinkansen travelling next to the Saikyo Line (on left) south of Omiya
Figure 2.7
A 0-series shinkansen near Higashi-Hiroshima. Note how although this service is only 6 carriages long rather than 16 as in the past, it has more pantographs (three) than are found on newer shinkansen
Figure 3.1
The familiar rounded ‘bullet’ shape front of the original shinkansen – here in its ‘renewal’ design – at Fukuyama station, with Fukuyama Castle in the background
Figure 3.2
An E1-series shinkansen in its original colours at Gala-Yuzawa towards the end of the skiing season An E1-series-renewal shinkansen in its livery based on the colours of the ibis (‘toki’) which provides the name of the service the train primarily operates under
Figure 3.3
A 700-series shinkansen passing a speed-boat racing (one the few forms of legalized gambling in Japan) stadium near HamanakoA 700-series shinkansen passing an exhibition hall in ShizuokaInside the cab of the 700-seriesThe smart profile of the 700-series
Figure 3.4
A 300-series shinkansen passing Mount Fuji
Figure 3.5
A child plays with a range of shinkansen toysExamples of Sanrio’s range of shinkansen goodsJR East’s shinkansen characters representing the E4-series, E2-series and E3-series shinkansen – note that the Komachi figure is feminine in keeping with the origins of its nameThe image of the shinkansen being used to promote ‘World Citizenship Day’ in Taiwan
Figure 4.1
Statue of Ono Banboku and his wife outside Gifu-Hashima station, where a 300-series shinkansen is waiting for a faster service to passStatue of Tanaka Kakuei outside Urasa station
Figure 4.2
A sign outside Kikonai station calling for the construction of the Hokkaido ShinkansenA sign outside Hokkaido Prefectural Government calling for the construction of the Hokkaido ShinkansenA sign on a platform of Kasumigaseki underground station calling for the construction of the Nagasaki ShinkansenA sign outside Aomori station calling for the quick completion of the Tohoku Shinkansen
Figure 5.2
A 700-series shinkansen passes alongside the monorail that connects to Haneda Airport and the mass of conventional lines in Tokyo
Figure 5.3
An E3-series shinkansen passing a level crossing and station served by wide-gauge-conventional trains along the Yamagata ShinkansenA 400-series shinkansen at Yamagata Station
Figure 5.7
A 700-series shinkansen at Nagoya station. In the background is JR Tokai’s impressive Central Towers development that has completely transformed the station and the surrounding area
Figure 5.8
A double-decker E4-series arriving at the popular commuter city of UtsunomiyaAn E4-series linked with a 400-series passing Kita-Yono station in Saitama – note how the windows on the lower deck of the E4-series are almost totally obscured by the sound-protection wall in this area where there was much opposition to the construction of the shinkansen lineThe E4-series in profile reveals some of its links to the 700-series design Two E4-series shinkansen joined together – the highest capacity high-speed train service in the world
Figure 5.9
A linear shinkansen on display during one of the public open days, which continue to attract people, although not in the numbers perhaps hoped forThe route of the test track disappears into one of the many tunnels (this one, unlike some, has a noise-reducing hood) at the point where a station may be constructed in the future for easy transfer to the private Fuji-Kyuko line, which crosses beneath the line, that would provide a link to the Chuo conventional line at Otsuki and to the tourist destinations of Kawaguchi-ko and Mt. Fuji. Naturally the Fuji Kyuko company is keen to seen the construction of the Chuo Shinkansen as it is likely to significantly boost their business as this area would become a suburb of Tokyo. Visible on the right is the enormous electricity transformer station – the variation in sound pitch, which is audible from some distance, reflects changes in the speed of the train
Figure 5.10
A 500-series shinkansen crossing a river in Okayama prefectureThe speedometer of a 500-series shinkansen doing 300km/hThe cab of the 500-series shinkansenA 500-series shinkansen passing Odawara station
Figure 5.11
A 300-series passing the RTRI large-scale low-noise wind tunnel facility in Maibara, outside of which three experimental trains are housed300XStar 21WIN350
Figure 6.1
The T4 Dr Yellow at Kokura station – a video camera for recording the track is visible in the area beneath the headlightsViewing points in the roof of the train allow first-hand observations of the connection between the pantograph and overhead power cables – a live video feed is also provided to a screen in one of the carriagesStaff monitoring information on board Dr Yellow
Figure 6.3
An E2-1000-series shinkansen at Tokyo Station. Triangular markings along the platform edge show where the doors of certain shinkansen, depending on the series, etc., will be. Two dark lines (to the right of the column) show passengers where to queue if taking the first train, to its left are two more lines for those passengers queuing for the following trainAn E2-series shinkansen passing an E4-series shinkansen at Takasaki station
Figure 6.4
Having checked their clocks against the ‘standard’ in the foreground, the crew confirm their orders for their next journeyA driver confirms that he has acknowledged the change in ATC limit on an E2-series shinkansenA new JR Tokai recruit practices on a shinkansen simulatorThe conductor checks along the platform that there are no problems
Marks on the platform show where the train should stop – the dot in between the numbers relating to the series of shinkansen should be in the middle of the cab door, as in this case
Figure 6.7
A 100-series-renewal shinkansen – the familiar blue stripe of old has been replaced by grey and green stripes, with further improvements made to the seating as JR West tries to encourage people to use its regular Kodama services
Figure 6.8
A 200-series shinkansen during the campaign promoting Tokyo DisneylandA 200-2000-series shinkansen, which was based on the 100-series design rather than the 0-series design as used for the 200-series
Figure 6.9
A 200-series-renewal shinkansen passing typical Tokyo landscape – a commuter train, an expressway with its high noise-reducing walls, interesting as well as bland architecture, and a golf-driving-range with its enormous nets
Figure 6.10
A 700-series shinkansen with the Ambitious Japan! livery passes a school in TokyoCommuters using the new Shinagawa station
The Ambitious Japan! Logo on a 300-series shinkansen
Checking the platform at Shinagawa station shortly before a train arrives
Figure 7.2
Sprinklers in action at Echigo-Yuzawa – note how the main line appears to disappear into a river in the distanceAn E1-series shinkansen at Gala-Yuzawa station, where gondolas take passengers direct from the station to the ski slopes
An E1-series shinkansen at Gala-Yuzawa station with the impressive mountains of the region in the background
Figure 7.4
A 700-series shinkansen exits a standard tunnel designA 300-series shinkansen exits a tunnel with a noise-reducing-hood installed. Given the location of the newly constructed house, one can assume the hood has had some positive impactNoise is clearly not an issue for all in Japan – this house is surrounded by the taxi-ways at Narita Airport
Figure 7.6
An 800-series shinkansen passes the patchwork of a concrete-reinforced cuttingA 400-series joined with an E4-series shinkansen travel along an elevated section south of OmiyaA 100-series-renewal shinkansen passing the once-beautiful coastline of the Seto Inland Sea, now blighted by oil refineries near Tokuyama stationA 500-series shinkansen passing factories and rubbish near the foot of Mt. Fuji
Figure 7.7
An 800-series shinkansen near Shin-Minamata station
Bamboo window covers, traditional patterns and wooden seats on the 800-series shinkansen
Figure 7.8
On the left hand side of the picture staff confirm their orders for their next shinkansen service. On the right hand side, one of JR Tokai’s first female shinkansen drivers, Umeda Yasuko, confirms the details of the service that she has just completed.
Figure 7.9
A 700-series Hikari Rail Star shinkansen passing a bridge near OkayamaA Hikari Rail Star at Hakata stationA computer information screen on-board a Hikari Rail StarA Hikari Rail Star at Shin-Osaka station
Figure 8.1
A 300-series shinkansen passing cherry blossom and office buildings in TokyoA 300-series shinkansen passing through the historically important town of SekigaharaA 700-series shinkansen passing HamanakoA 400-series shinkansen approaches Tokyo station, with the new elevated section for the Chuo Line, built due to the expansion of shinkansen platforms, aboveA 0-series-renewal near Higashi-HiroshimaThe Osaka shinkansen depot
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Christopher P. Hood 