Japan’s 500 Series Shinkansen had a maximum operating speed of 300 km/h.
The 500 Series was developed by West Japan Railway Company for the Nozomi services on the Tokaido and Sanyo Shinkansen. It entered service in 1997 and was Japan’s first production Shinkansen designed for regular operation at 300 km/h. Its long, pointed nose helped reduce aerodynamic pressure waves in tunnels.
The train’s high performance came with a high construction cost, so only a limited number of full 16-car trainsets were built. Later, some sets were shortened and reassigned to slower services such as Kodama.
The 500 Series is often confused with newer trains that have higher design or operating speeds. Its 300 km/h figure describes the regular maximum operating speed of the original train, not a test record or a future design capability.