The 0 Series was the first-generation Shinkansen train introduced in Japan in 1964.
Its rounded white-and-blue design became the visual template for Japan’s early high-speed railway. The trains were built for the Tokaido Shinkansen, the first route in the Shinkansen network, linking Tokyo and Shin-Osaka. Their original maximum operating speed was 210 km/h, a remarkable figure when the service began.
The name “0 Series” was applied later, after newer numbered Shinkansen types appeared. Early railway documents often referred to the trains simply as Shinkansen electric multiple units. The trains were retired from regular Japanese service in 1999, although preserved examples remain in museums and railway collections.
A common mix-up is confusing the 0 Series with the later 100 Series, which had a different nose shape and entered service in the 1980s. The 0 Series is significant because it established the recognizable Shinkansen family rather than merely being an early model.