Japan pioneered the Shinkansen bullet train, which first operated in 1964.
The original Tokaido Shinkansen connected Tokyo and Shin-Osaka, opening on 1 October 1964, shortly before the Tokyo Summer Olympics. Its first trains reduced the journey between the two cities to about four hours, compared with roughly six hours on conventional rail.
The name Shinkansen means “new trunk line.” The system was designed with dedicated tracks, separated from slower services, allowing high speeds and reliable schedules. Japan’s railway engineers also developed technologies for safe high-speed operation, including automatic train control and earthquake-related safety systems.
The Shinkansen is often called a bullet train in English, but “bullet train” describes the train concept rather than one single model. China later developed the world’s largest high-speed rail network, while South Korea and Taiwan also operate high-speed railways. Japan remains the country most closely associated with the technology’s origin.