Interesting facts about Japanese high-speed trains.

The Shinkansen is Japan's high-speed rail system, operated by four companies of the Japan Railway Group, primarily serving the main island and Kyushu. The train can reach speeds of 581 km/h, setting a world record in 2003. Photo: Wasabi.

According to a 2012 report, Shinkansen trains have an astonishing level of punctuality. The average delay compared to the scheduled time was 36 seconds, including uncontrollable factors such as natural disasters. Photo: Japan Times.

The Shinkansen was invented by railway engineer Hideo Shima with the desire to provide an experience "like being on an airplane." After leaving the railway industry, he became the head of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASDA) of Japan, where he devoted himself to developing hydrogen engines and electric rockets. Photo: Youtube.

The train has two classes of seats located in separate compartments. The green compartment has large seats and plenty of legroom, comparable to business class seats on an airplane. Each row has two seats. Hygiene on the train is always a priority, making public transportation in Japan considered among the cleanest in the world. Photo: Wasabi.

The seats are usually smaller but still comfortable for passengers. Shinkansen trains have an almost perfect safety record. In 49 years of operation, carrying 10 billion passengers, Japan has never recorded a single injury, despite frequent earthquakes and typhoons. Photo: Wasabi.

Shinkansen trains offer both reserved and free-riding compartments. However, trains to Hayabusa, Hayate, and Komachi are always fully booked. Photo: Wasabi.

Shinkansen passengers should sit in their assigned seats, turn off their phone ringtones, refrain from speaking loudly in public, avoid placing luggage in the aisle, stand below the designated line and wait for passengers to disembark, and not recline their seats if someone below them is eating… Photo: Wasabi.

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