Running its first-ever route in October of 1964, the Tokaido Shinkansen has paved the way for commercial travel in Japan. Traveling at a speed of 270 km/h, the revolutionary transportation system travels between Tokyo and Shin-Osaka in a time as short as just two hours and 25 minutes. Needless to say, the commercial travel network has reimagined Japanese travel for both tourists and citizens alike, much like railways have done in the US. Only in Japan, they’ve done it better.

Currently, the system offers three varying types of Tokaido Shinkansen services: The Nozomi, Hikari and the Kodama – and they’ve even specialized and specified two types of rolling stock, the Series 700 and the Series N700, for commuters to travel by.

For information on ticketing costs and usage, the Central Japan Railway Company offers a detailed, thorough and translated how-to guide to purchasing.

• Website
• Map