The Shinkansen bullet train of the newest E5 series, operated by Japanese railway company JR East, will start its regular service next spring in 2011.

The new sleek train will speed on the existing Tohoku Shinkansen Line from Tokyo to Shin-Aomori in Aomori prefecture in the northeast of the Japanese main island of Honshu. JR East says that despite the maximum speed of 320 km/h (199 mph), the train will be running at “only” 300 km/h (186 mph) until 2013. The entire trip will take exactly 3 hours and 10 minutes.

Much of the new technology that the train will introduce has been implemented in the areas of comfort, noise reduction and safety. There are many improvements in comparison to the existing Shinkansen trains which are already regarded as some of the most advanced trains in the world.

Each train will have 10 cars and there are currently 59 trains under construction — a total of 590 cars. Looking at this number, it’s no surprise that bullet trains in Japan run every few minutes, even on distances of 3 hours or more!

The Shinkansen trains are known by their names, like the existing Nozomi, Hikari, Kodama, Komachi and others. At this time, the name for the newest train is still unknown. JR East has held a public naming contest this March. There are some rumors that the new name could be Hatsune but this has not been confirmed.

Interior and exterior of Shinkansen series E5.

Exterior and interior

The futuristic design of the exterior is essentially based on the experimental train Fastech 360S and uses color combinations called Tokiwa (green top part of body) and Hiun (white bottom part) which are separated with a pink stripe Hayate.

According to JR East, the spacious interior will allow for a very comfortable ride for everyone, including people on wheelchairs. Each train will be divided in three classes: Standard (or Economy), Green and “Super Green”. The pitch between the seats measures from 1040 mm (60 mm more than in previous E2 series) in Standard class and up to 1160 mm in Green class and 1300 mm in Super Green class.

Long nose

What really stands out in this train is the sleek and smooth long nose which measures 15 m (49 ft). This special design will improve noise reduction in tunnels and reduce vibrations during travel.

Full bogie covers

Full bogie covers feature the latest technology to reduce noise.

Pantographs

New technological solutions have also been implemented in pantographs on the roof of the train.

Full active suspension

To allow for a smoother and more comfortable ride, each car features full active suspension with actuators of a new type and vibration sensors.

Car body tilting system

With air cushions installed underneath each car, the passengers will be able to ride in better comfort during high speed turns. According to the maker, the train can run at a maximum speed in a 4 km (2.5 miles) radius turn without passengers feeling much of a tilt at all.

Brake system

The brake system has been improved to be more easier and safer even when the train is running at maximum speed. Previous systems allowed braking only up to 275 km/h (170 mph).

Comfortable seats

A 3 hour train ride really calls for some decent seats! The incline seats with cushions are wider than before. The pitch between the seats has also been increased. All seats in Green class also have incline leg supports.

A lot of space

The new Shinkansen is a lot more spacious than all previous ones. Large bathrooms allow for easier access by people on wheelchairs and also feature an intercom system to talk with staff in emergencies. The eco-friendly LED lighting will reduce energy usage.

Main technical and other data of the Shinkansen series E5

Construction completed: 2009
Service start: from spring 2011
Cars in construction: 590 (59 trains)
Formation: 10 cars for 1 train
Capacity: 731 passengers (658 in Standard, 55 in Green and 18 in “Super Green” class)
Operator: JR East
Line: Tohoku Shinkansen
Car body construction: aluminum alloy
Car length: from 25 m (82 ft) to 26.5 m (87 ft)
Width: 3.35 m (11 ft)
Height: 3.65 m (11.98 ft)
Maximum speed: 320 km/h (199 mph)
Power output: 9960 kW

–

The official Shinkansen E5 web site by JR East can be seen here (watch the Flash version!).

Planning to travel around Tokyo? Here’s a tip that will save you a lot of grief trying to find the right train. With all the city’s 121 rail lines a decent map is essential but if you want to plan ahead, an online train route finder is a very reliable way of scheduling your trip.

Japanese people often use this train route planner from Yahoo! Japan but it’s useful only if you understand Japanese. So how can an average gaijin find his way around?

Tokyo Transfer Guide is a very handy tool in English that lets you plan your trip by station number or station name within the Greater Tokyo metropolitan area. The results which you can print out can be viewed by travel time, cost of fare and number of transfers.

Similar train planners in English are TrainRouteFinder by Jorudan Co. and Hyperdia.

If you know of any other train route planners for Tokyo or elsewhere in Japan, feel free to share them in the comments below.

Bus stops don’t have to be boring! In the Japanese town of Konagai, part of Isahaya City in Nagasaki Prefecture, along the road you’ll find some juicy bus stops, built in the shape of strawberries, melons, watermelons, oranges and tomatoes. There are a total of 16 stops that look like this:

The five different types of bus stops. Photo source: http://www.city.isahaya.nagasaki.jp/topics/burari/no004/burari.htm

A total of 16 stops along Route 207 (map from the Isahaya City web site).

What’s the story behind this? The stops were built for the Travel Expo show in 1990 with the intent to serve as an attractive gateway for travelers entering the Nagasaki Prefecture. According to the Isahaya City web site, the creators got the idea for these unusual shapes from the famous story of Cinderella where the carriage turns into a pumpkin.

For all lovers of healthy food, here are a few more photos:

A strawberry...

...watermelon...

...melon...

...orange...

...and tomato.

Photo source: http://ameblo.jp/love2strawberry/entry-10094286716.html

Isahaya City official web site: http://www.city.isahaya.nagasaki.jp/topics/burari/no004/burari.htm

Remember this article about Hachiko, Japan’s most famous dog? Throughout years, the dog has become a real trademark of Shibuya. He’s even being used as a mascot on Hachiko buses that run in the Shibuya area.

The Hachiko Bus runs on 3 lines:

-  Jingumae-Sendagaya | Route & Schedule
-  Honmachi-Sasazuka (Haruno Ogawa Route) | Route & Schedule
-  Ebisu-Daikanyama (Yuyake Koyake Route) | Route & Schedule

The ticket costs a flat price of ¥100.

Even though public transit in Tokyo is usually very crowded, I haven’t really noticed any kind of uncivilized or otherwise problematic behavior. In general, people seem very polite and considerate to one another. Still, Tokyo Metro last year started a campaign with a series of manner posters that remind passengers of good manners in trains and stations. Every month they design a new poster that is displayed on Tokyo’s subway stations. The posters are bilingual in Japanese and English.

This one here reminds you not to exercise on train handles, in case you get such an idea… :D

On the official Tokyo Metro web site you can see more of these posters that were displayed so far.
What do you think about this idea with posters for good manners?