BLOG POST 15
After the Miyajimo shrine visit we drove to the Hiroshima Shinkansen station in Minami -ku as our next step was Numazu as a base for a visit to Mount Fuji
Outside the station we found a restaurant selling Momiji manju cakes
And in the plaza we saw lovely statues sculptured in copper, one was a Japanese soldier
And the other was that of two semi naked ladies and a naked boy blowing a small trumpet , the area in and around Hiroshima Station was bustling with shops, restaurants and hotels.
We entered the Hiroshima Station which was the terminal station for several lines and found a large number of cafes, restaurants and souvenir shops including an Italian restaurant with outdoor seating.
The whole look was like that of an airport to us with people frantically rushing in and out on their way
Japan is well known for its super fast bullet trains. One of the first of these trains was the Shinkansen train meaning a new trunk line, it debuted at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics with speeds up to 199 miles per hour.
It was originally built and operated by the government-owned Japanese National Railways and has been part of the private Japan Railways Group since 1987.
The nickname originated as it resembled a bullet and sped like one.
Several hundred trains operate daily on the Shinkansen system. The most-frequent service is between Tokyo and Ōsaka with trains departing at intervals of 10 minutes or less in peak hours
The electric multiple-unit usually 16 cars trains, can seat 1,000 to 1300 passengers and derive their power from an overhead wire system and achieve maximum speeds between 150 and 185 miles per hour.
Such high speeds require elaborate safety features like brakes consisting of cast-iron discs and metallic pad linings designed not to distort under emergency braking. 452,000 passengers use Japanese trains per day
All trains are monitored and controlled by a central computerized facility in Tokyo. As the shinkansens regularly shoot across the country at stunning speeds, the main system in Tokyo that connects them all can freeze every single one of them in their tracks at the first sign of an earthquake.
Shinjuku Station is the world’s busiest train station servicing around 3.6 million passengers daily and it is said that regular commuters also get lost in it sometimes, 45 of the 51 busiest train stations in the world are located in Japan
As we had our tickets pre booked and had taken regular tickets we were at ease , ordinary seats on shinkansen are generally comfortable and offer a generous amount of foot space. They usually come in rows of 3+2 seats.
We waited for the ticket slips and went to our assigned platform ,though there were boards in English without our guide’s help we would have been lost
We observed smoking rooms separately allocated on the platforms where people were stepping in for a puff as smoking is prohibited on the Shinkansen, except for designated smoking cars
As soon as we reached the designated area on the platform as per our seat numbers ,we were briefed in the Shinkansen manners like we have to line up on platform before boarding the train ,we should not block aisles with luggage ,we should keep our voices low while conversing ,should recline seats keeping the person sitting behind us, set mobile phones on silent mode ,we had to take our trash with us and discard it in nearest garbage bin
Soon our bullet train flashed in smoothly and our coach was just adjacent to the designated area to the inch
The cabin had high ceilings, wide aisles, big windows and surprisingly plenty of leg room and every seat had a tray and cup holder
We formed a double line and stepped in, found our seats and settled in
Each row had electrical outlets too, and seats could lean back to nearly a 45-degree angle.
Apparently next better class was green Car which was comparable to business class on airplanes, seats are larger and more comfortable with more foot space.
The seats are arranged in rows of 2+2 seats and tend to be less crowded than ordinary cars, some have heated seats specially comfortable in winter
Within no time the train started and picked up speed ,running at speeds of up to 320 km/h, the shinkansen is known for punctuality most trains depart on time to the second ,all the seats face forward for comfort and the train had no noise whatsoever
I observed the other occupants who settled their luggage in the overhead cabins and were napping or working on their laptops Japanese people often work ridiculously long hours and taking the train is often a time to rest before they begin their day, or when their day is over.
There were multiple toilets some by gender and were Western-style,maintained spick and span, outside the toilets wash corners with sinks and large mirrors were there.
The only time where eating and drinking on trains is acceptable in Japan is on regional long-distance trains. We saw people eating their food or buying snacks from trolleys,
The guards were frequently coming and checking the cars and leaving with a bow
I sat looking at the scenery flashing by, suddenly to my delight I sighted the famous Mount Fuji very clearly and pointed it to our group members.
Our guide asked us to get up and move forward as our alighting station was approaching, the train was packed and people are quick to get on and off.
Japan's shinkansen network is one of the safest rail systems in the world, with zero passenger fatalities since bullet trains began operation in 1964, and accidents of any kind are reassuringly rare. However, there have been a number of suicides resulting from people throwing themselves in front of passing trains.
So we reached our destination and got into our van ,we were about to go for our dinner in an Indian restaurant ,our guide took as to a shopping centre ,where what impressed me were colorful commode seat covers ,may be of use in winter I thought
In the restaurant we met an Indian dancer settled in Japan for the past 20 years ,she said she loves Japan
After the Miyajimo shrine visit we drove to the Hiroshima Shinkansen station in Minami -ku as our next step was Numazu as a base for a visit to Mount Fuji
It was originally built and operated by the government-owned Japanese National Railways and has been part of the private Japan Railways Group since 1987.
Several hundred trains operate daily on the Shinkansen system. The most-frequent service is between Tokyo and Ōsaka with trains departing at intervals of 10 minutes or less in peak hours
The electric multiple-unit usually 16 cars trains, can seat 1,000 to 1300 passengers and derive their power from an overhead wire system and achieve maximum speeds between 150 and 185 miles per hour.
Such high speeds require elaborate safety features like brakes consisting of cast-iron discs and metallic pad linings designed not to distort under emergency braking. 452,000 passengers use Japanese trains per day
All trains are monitored and controlled by a central computerized facility in Tokyo. As the shinkansens regularly shoot across the country at stunning speeds, the main system in Tokyo that connects them all can freeze every single one of them in their tracks at the first sign of an earthquake.
Shinjuku Station is the world’s busiest train station servicing around 3.6 million passengers daily and it is said that regular commuters also get lost in it sometimes, 45 of the 51 busiest train stations in the world are located in Japan
As we had our tickets pre booked and had taken regular tickets we were at ease , ordinary seats on shinkansen are generally comfortable and offer a generous amount of foot space. They usually come in rows of 3+2 seats.
We waited for the ticket slips and went to our assigned platform ,though there were boards in English without our guide’s help we would have been lost
We observed smoking rooms separately allocated on the platforms where people were stepping in for a puff as smoking is prohibited on the Shinkansen, except for designated smoking cars
As soon as we reached the designated area on the platform as per our seat numbers ,we were briefed in the Shinkansen manners like we have to line up on platform before boarding the train ,we should not block aisles with luggage ,we should keep our voices low while conversing ,should recline seats keeping the person sitting behind us, set mobile phones on silent mode ,we had to take our trash with us and discard it in nearest garbage bin
Soon our bullet train flashed in smoothly and our coach was just adjacent to the designated area to the inch
The cabin had high ceilings, wide aisles, big windows and surprisingly plenty of leg room and every seat had a tray and cup holder
We formed a double line and stepped in, found our seats and settled in
Each row had electrical outlets too, and seats could lean back to nearly a 45-degree angle.
Apparently next better class was green Car which was comparable to business class on airplanes, seats are larger and more comfortable with more foot space.
Within no time the train started and picked up speed ,running at speeds of up to 320 km/h, the shinkansen is known for punctuality most trains depart on time to the second ,all the seats face forward for comfort and the train had no noise whatsoever
I observed the other occupants who settled their luggage in the overhead cabins and were napping or working on their laptops Japanese people often work ridiculously long hours and taking the train is often a time to rest before they begin their day, or when their day is over.
There were multiple toilets some by gender and were Western-style,maintained spick and span, outside the toilets wash corners with sinks and large mirrors were there.
The only time where eating and drinking on trains is acceptable in Japan is on regional long-distance trains. We saw people eating their food or buying snacks from trolleys,
The guards were frequently coming and checking the cars and leaving with a bow
I sat looking at the scenery flashing by, suddenly to my delight I sighted the famous Mount Fuji very clearly and pointed it to our group members.
Our guide asked us to get up and move forward as our alighting station was approaching, the train was packed and people are quick to get on and off.
Japan's shinkansen network is one of the safest rail systems in the world, with zero passenger fatalities since bullet trains began operation in 1964, and accidents of any kind are reassuringly rare. However, there have been a number of suicides resulting from people throwing themselves in front of passing trains.
So we reached our destination and got into our van ,we were about to go for our dinner in an Indian restaurant ,our guide took as to a shopping centre ,where what impressed me were colorful commode seat covers ,may be of use in winter I thought
In the restaurant we met an Indian dancer settled in Japan for the past 20 years ,she said she loves Japan
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