Passengers who were on the same platform at JR Tokyo Station 60 years ago got a sense of deja vu when seeing off a departing Nozomi No. 1 Shinkansen on Oct. 1.

In a similar ceremony as held then, JR Tokai officials were on hand to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Shinkansen's inauguration with the departure of the Hikari No. 1 train on Oct. 1, 1964.

The Tokaido Shinkansen connecting Tokyo and Shin-Osaka stations marked the world’s first high-speed rail service.

Over the decades, the bullet train's top speed has increased from 210 kph to 320 kph.

Initially, the 0 Series Shinkansen traveled at a maximum speed of 210 kph, making it the first train to operate at over 200 kph.

However, since the Tokaido Shinkansen line was constructed in a rush for the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, it initially took four hours for the Hikari to travel between Tokyo and Shin-Osaka stations until the roadbed was solidified.

The following year, the time was shortened to three hours and 10 minutes.

HIGHER SPEEDS TO COMPETE WITH AIR TRAVEL

In 1992, Central Japan Railway Co. (JR Tokai) launched the 300 Series Shinkansen, capable of reaching speeds up to 270 kph.

Operating as the Nozomi, it reduced the Tokyo to Shin-Osaka travel time to just two and a half hours, which was seen as a competitive alternative to air travel.

In 1997, West Japan Railway Co. (JR West) introduced the 500 Series Shinkansen, which operated on the Sanyo section at speeds of 300 kph, making it the fastest in the world at the time.

It is still in service as the Kodama, making it the oldest active train in Japan.

Currently, the fastest bullet train is the E5 and E6 Series running in the Tohoku region at 320 kph.

The Maglev Chuo Shinkansen L0 Series, which is now under construction between Tokyo’s Shinagawa and Aichi Prefecture's Nagoya stations, utilizes magnetic levitation to travel at speeds of up to 500 kph.

As speeds increased, so did the trains’ “noses,” designed mainly to reduce air resistance.

Early models such as the 0 Series and the 200 Series had rounded fronts, earning the nickname “dango-nose” because they resembled the shape of “dango,” a Japanese dumpling. These noses were less than 4 meters long.

To reduce the micro-pressure waves caused by compressed air when entering tunnels, the noses of the trains grew longer, reaching 10.7 meters on the N700S Series on Tokaido and Sanyo Shinkansen lines and around 15 meters on the E5 Series, the fastest train in Japan, running in the Tohoku region.

East Japan Railway Co.’s (JR East) experimental train ALFA-X, which aims to reach speeds of 360 kph, has a front nose on car No. 1 that stretches around 16 meters, resembling the E5 Series.

The nose on the rear car No. 10 extends around 22 meters, taking up more than 80 percent of the car’s length. This leaves space for only a few rows of seats.

“Longer noses are effective in reducing micro-pressure waves, but they limit the number of seats,” a JR East official said. “We are conducting experiments to determine which is better.”

IMPROVED COMFORT OVER THE YEARS

The evolution of the Shinkansen is also evident in its seating arrangements.

Initially, the 0 Series, which was second class at the time, had transverse flip seats without a reclining function.

These seats were designed so that the backrest could be flipped forward or backward to change the seat’s direction to match the train’s travel direction. At the time, the seat spacing was too narrow to allow the three-seat rows to rotate fully, JR Tokai said.

As passenger numbers grew, so did demands for increased comfort.

In 1981, reclining seats were introduced in standard class cars. But the direction of the three-seat rows was fixed in each of the first half and the second half of the car, leading to complaints from passengers who were seated facing backward.

Currently, the seat pitch on the N700S Series and E5 Series is 1,160 millimeters in the premium green car and 1,040 mm in the standard class.

Compared to the 0 Series from 60 years ago, the green car, formerly first class, remains unchanged, but the standard class has gained 10 cm in pitch.

Thanks to this, starting with the 100 Series in 1985, the three-seat rows could be rotated to face the direction of travel.

The advancement of reclining seat technology has been remarkable.

While the backrest in the 0 Series standard class could recline only about 5 degrees, current models can recline to nearly 30 degrees.

In addition, some models, such as the E5 Series, feature seats that slide forward as the backrest reclines, while others, including the N700S and E7 Series, have seats that sink down as they recline.

Over the years, certain features have disappeared from train interiors.

Sixty years ago, smoking was permitted in all seats with ashtrays located on the armrests and beneath the windows.

In 1976, one car of the Kodama became the first to go non-smoking, and since then, the trend has steadily expanded.

As of March, smoking rooms on the Tokaido and Sanyo Shinkansen lines were abolished, making all bullet trains completely non-smoking.

Instead, armrests are now equipped with power outlets for charging smartphones and other devices on the N700S, E7 and E8 Series.

Additionally, the small tray tables that used to pull out from the armrests have been redesigned to fold down from the seat backs and have increased in size.

The tray tables on the N700S Series are more than five times the size of those on the 0 Series, making them convenient for using laptops.

SAFETY FEATURES ENHANCED

The core of the Shinkansen’s safety system is the Automated Train Control (ATC) system.

Unlike conventional railways, where conductors check ground signals to ascertain the speed limits and apply the brakes, the ATC-equipped trains automatically display speed limits based on factors such as curves and the distance to the train ahead.

If the train exceeds the set speed, the system automatically applies the brakes.

The basic structure of the ATC has remained unchanged, and it continues to maintain a sterling record of zero passenger fatalities in train accidents.

Earthquake detection systems have also evolved, with the UrEDAS system introduced in 1992, which is now capable of halting trains within two seconds after detecting an initial tremor to mitigate damage.

During the 1995 Great Hanshin Earthquake, eight elevated bridges collapsed between Shin-Osaka and Himeji in Hyogo Prefecture.

Fortunately, the collapses occurred before the first train of the day, preventing any loss of life. Consequently, structural reinforcements, including wrapping support pillars with steel plates, were implemented.

In the 2004 Niigata Prefecture Chuetsu Earthquake, the Toki bullet train derailed while traveling at 200 kph due to a brief interval between the initial tremors and stronger shaking.

Since then, Japan Railway companies have enhanced safety measures, introducing derailment prevention guards and devices to stop trains from overturning or running out of control.

Snow countermeasures have progressed from initial neglect to advanced systems to tackle the challenges of the heavy snowfall in the Sekigahara area in Gifu Prefecture.

High-speed trains would kick up snow, which adhered to the underside and then fell onto the tracks, displacing ballast and damaging equipment and windows.

Railway operators began spraying water on the tracks to prevent snow buildup and clearing snow clumps at stations.

The 200 Series designed for the Tohoku and Joetsu regions are equipped with a snow plow at the front car to clear snow and steel plates covering the undercarriage to prevent snow accumulation.

The Joetsu Shinkansen line has implemented a system that automatically sprays warm water when it detects snowfall.

But the Hokkaido Shinkansen line uses compressed air to blow away snow at switch points because using water in that region would lead to freezing and dangerous ice buildups.