During the Shinkansen ride, I was pleasantly surprised by the behavior of the conductors, who bow out of the train compartment to passengers. Shinkansen trains look like bullets and are commonly called "bullet trains". The analogy with the bullet also results from their speed. It was the Japanese Maglev train that broke the world speed record. It was traveling at a speed of 603 km/h. In addition, bullet trains are incredibly punctual. Their maximum annual delay is only 36 seconds. Before leaving for Japan, I knew that I would want to travel with Shinkansen and that it would be one of the attractions of the trip. Japan is a big country, the most famous cities are apart several hundred kilometers away. For example, the route from Tokyo to Kyoto is around 450-490 km (279-304 miles) (depending on which way you go). It takes 8h 38 minutes to travel by train. Shinkansen needs just 3h 38 minutes.
To be able to travel shinkansen you need to buy a one-time ticket, or popular among foreigners (and only available to them) Japan Railway Pass (commonly called JR Pass). It is a ticket, depending on the option chosen - a weekly or biweekly ticket, which allows you to travel with shinkansen on different routes. JR Passy differ in class, there are two versions - green and ordinary. The first, more expensive, allows you to travel with all shinkansen, the latter, only with some, but this is a sufficient option. If you would like to visit Japan, I strongly encourage you to buy JR Pass. It is not cheap, because the price of a 7-day is about 350$ (328 Euro), and a 14-day price of 560$ (524 Euro), but the prices of shinkansen rides are very expensive. For example, for a ticket from Tokyo to Kyoto (one way) you have to pay about 121$ (113 Euro). JR Pass can be used on some ordinary trains, buses and also in the Tokyo railway line, which runs around the city (i.e. it is an alternative to the subway, which also costs a lot).
JR Pass can be obtained via the Internet, and then in a selected place in your country a cool graphic voucher is received, which authorizes you to exchange it for a real JR Pass. This can only be done on the spot, in Japan, in selected places. A full list of exchange points can be found on this page: https://japanrailpass.net/en/exchange.html Voucher on JR Pass can also be delivered by post.
JR Pass looks like a small folded book. On the first page you can see Mount Fuji and a part of the cherry tree.
Inside you will find a map with routes and a description of the conditions for using JR Pass, and on the last page enter your data, including the number passport and the date for which you can use JR PASS is pasted and sealed.
At Japanese railway stations, despite the crowds, people line up and everyone enters calmly into the appropriate train car. Colored lines, painted on the platforms, help in the right arrangement.
The shinkansen drivers are dressed in navy blue suits. This profession enjoys high prestige in Japan. Moped train before departure looks out the window. There are also so-called Passanger pushers - Oshiya, i.e. employees who primarily help passengers fit in the train. They operate during rush hour, in Tokyo.
In Japan, pushers are known as oshiya (押し屋). The term is derived from the verb osu (押す), meaning "push", and the suffix -ya (屋), indicating "line of work." Oshiya ensure every passenger has boarded and does not get caught in the doors.
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passenger_pusher
The windows in the bullet trains look a bit like windows from planes. They are not round, but their size is much smaller than the windows, which I know from other trains. Despite all this, it is great to see through, the windows are clean. The numbering of places also resembles this of airplanes. There is one more analogy with the planes I find, personal. I often clogged my ears while driving shinkansen. I have similarly during plane changes altitude.
As elsewhere, also in shinkansen you can meet doorstep salesmen with prams. They are elegantly dressed - in white blouses. They have so good that shinkannes, although very fast, pride themselves on the fact that the passenger does not feel too much vibration due to speed. When you place a drinking cup on the extendable table in front of the seat, you should not spill anything from it.
However, they have a lot of competition in the form of ready-made dinner sets sold at stations - bento. Bento charmed me. These are boxes with several compartments that contain a variety of food. Most often - rice, different types of meat (e.g. several types fish) and additions - i.e. sliced ginger, vegetables, egg, etc. The selection is amazing, the look is amazing - vegetables are often cut into interesting shapes - e.g. stars, flowers. There are also versions for vegetarians. Most importantly, such a dinner is tasty and filling, and prices vary - you can buy both a cheaper set and a great one - mega expensive. Everybody will find something for themselves.
At the end, I invite you to a Japanese train ride.
