The Shinkansen Japan's Pride

We raced across Japan in its iconic bullet train.

- Riaan Jacob George 

In the minds of international travellers, nothing symbolises Japan better than its culture of high technology. That said, Japan’s legendary bullet train — Shinkansen — has been etched in the world’s collective consciousness as one of the best symbols of Japan. Growing up, I had seen countless cliché images of the Shinkansen cutting through the Japanese countryside, at breakneck speed, with Mt. Fuji in the background. But during a recent trip to Japan, I enjoyed the Shinkansen experience between Shin-Osaka station and Tokyo Shinagawa station. The Shinkansen, as I learnt, has a vast network of different lines connecting the major Japanese cities. I am on the Tokaido Shinkansen, which operates between Osaka and Tokyo, and happens to be one of the mos