one of the fastest commercial trains in the world, danny was pretty pumped to take a ride on japan’s shinkansen n700 bullet train. it’s not cheap, but it’s fast, convenient and there’s a certain novelty that comes along with riding a bullet train in japan. so we bought two one-way tickets for the going rate of $130USD each, and in just 2.5 hours we made the 300-mile journey from kyoto to tokyo.
i’ll be honest. the most fun part of the bullet train is its arrival at the station. it looks like something out of the future with its long white beak. but after boarding, it’s pretty much just your standard train. in fact, i got annoyed with danny when he looked at me with an eye roll and said, “don’t seem like we’re going that fast.” but honestly, 200+mph just doesn’t.
the very formal conductor like man keeping awaiting passengers in order.
two tickets to tokyo!
space age train
some tips about japan’s train system
there are tons of trains in japan and they’re super reliable and efficient.
if you’re going to be in japan for a while and moving from city to city, a JR Rail Pass is the way to go.
most likely the JR Rail Pass won’t cover the bullet trains, but most everything else.
the rail pass must be purchased weeks in advance of arrival. click here. plan accordingly.
a handy website for japan train timetables and pricing is hyperdia.com