End of the line

Today, we took our last ride on the wonderful Shinkansen trains in Japan. Shinkansen simply means new main line, and fittingly our last stretch from Take-Onsen to Nagasaki is the newest of the new, having opened in 2022.

Overall, they may need a new name since the main parts of the network were already running in the early 90s when I first visited. What doesn't need to change is the exceptional speed, reliability, and comfort of the services. I have no idea why anyone bothers with Green (=1st) class, as the standard class is all anyone could need.

For visiting kids and I suspect adults, the train engine designs are innovative and exciting and seem to take their design cues from Marvel comics and science fiction. That is for all train types, not just the Shinkansen.Read more