Redefining Japanese popular culture

Japanese Culture

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The Shinkansen: Japan's Bullet Train

The Shinkansen, or "bullet train," started as one line in 1960s Japan but has since expanded to several lines running the length of Honshu, Japan's main island, as well as part of Kyushu, the third largest island located to the southwest. The bullet train connects Tokyo with other major cities. The cost is comparable to air travel within Japan but more convenient for many travelers. The Shinkansen is fast, safe and comfortable. The trains are famous for their punctuality and most trains depart on time to the second. The cars are spacious and quiet. The trains run at speeds averaging three hundred miles per hour and yet have an excellent safety record, with no fatal accidents in the trains' history (Japan-Guide.com, 2011). The Shinkansen represents the development of Japanese technology with an emphasis on quality service, for which the Japanese are well-known.

The 1964 debut of the bullet train, which linked Tokyo with Nagoya, Kyoto, and Osaka, represented, along with the Tokyo Olympics, Japan's recovery from World War II (Siebert 112). Japan was devastated by the war, both physically and culturally, and it became important to establish itself as a major force in the global economy. Centuries-old traditions had to come after twentieth-century innovations. In his book about the history of the bullet train, author Christopher Hood asserts that the train was built at the behest of powerful politicians (Siebert 113). The train has become an important cultural symbol for Japan as well as an economic boon.

Within Japan, travel has changed. The Shinkansen connects Japanese and foreigners throughout the island nation, enabling them to more readily conduct business and avail themselves of consumer-related activities including shopping and tourism. Japan also wants to begin exporting its expertise in high-speed railroad travel (Tabuchi & Inoue 3). The U.S. is particularly interested in the technology, particularly as oil prices continue to climb in an increasingly volatile market. Whereas Japan once looked to the United States for knowledge and aid in modernizing the country, the Japanese are now able to set the standard for the U.S. And the rest of the world with respect to high-speed rail.