Bullet train speed

We have purchased some tickets from Tokyo to Omiya on the bullet train to experience the high speed but now think it may not reach maximum speed until in the country ... is this correct please? What is the closest stop to experience the high speed travel? Thanks very much.

Yes, the shinkansen trains accelerate to full speed only beyond Omiya!

What is the closest stop to experience the high speed travel?

Kumagaya on the Joetsu Shinkansen or Oyama on the Tohoku Shinkansen. Or Odawara on the Tokaido Shinkansen south of Tokyo.

Thanks Uji! You've been a great help! :D

Michelle,

Just to add that the ride from Tokyo to Omiya is very slow - with a maximum speed of just 120 km/h.
I would second Uji's suggestion of taking a trip to Odawara, west of Tokyo

You may be a bit disappointed. I have used the Shinkansen, the French TGV and the French-English Eurostar quite a few times and it is hard to experience the difference between 200 km and 260 - 280 . It is even hard to notice how much faster electric poles go by at one speed or another. I took a lot of photos at my camera medium-high speed and they were sharp enough. Even walking around the train is quite smooth. .

I have to agree with Monkey see

I had a 3 week railpass

When I traveled from Kyoto to Hakata with the shinkansen we reached a speed of 295 Km/hour

But you won't notice anything of it.
Just that the landscape goes by real fast .. that's it.

Just take the shinkansen for it's comfort and ability to get somewhere fast.
Else it's a waste of money

And if you plan to travel a lot a railpass can be a cheap deal and a real comfort.

I agree with the two previous posts, I love riding the Shinkansen (Especially the N700 series) because it's so comfortable and convenient. I've never really looked out the window for an extended period though because it really isn't anything special.

If anything, I always have a better time just standing on the platform and watching a few Shinkansen departing in opposite directions. (And no... I'm not a “S‚Á‚¿‚á‚ñ if you're wondering haha)

Thanks Kevin for the reminder! indeed the best way to have an idea of the speed of a shinkansen is to stay on the platform a few meters by the front of the train. It will start slowly but by the time the last carriage goes by you it will be a blur! unfortunately these platform are only for shinkansen ticket holders- I think--

haha glad to be of service! Actually, you can go to the Shinkansen platform if you purchase a “ü�ꌔ (Nyu jyou ken) which is just an entrance fee. If I remember correctly, it's about 200yen max. If you don't get a chance to actually ride, I strongly suggest you just visit the platform and check out the great system that is Shinkansen!

There's usually an option on the regular ticket machine to buy one of these passes.

You can get a "platform ticket", thats what us railfans do.

And the best way is to be at a station a Shinkansen skips or goes by at full speed, though you won't really find much of that in the Tokyo area. Maybe Shin-Yokohama at times when trains skip it.

It's true, if you are on a Shinkansen you won't have the feeling of high speed, because , as said, it's very convenient, not noisy and relaxed at a Shinkansen. However, if you go to a small Shinkansen station with a Kodama (this kind of Shinkansen stops at every station), and gonna watch the really fast ones passing by like the N700, wow, that kicks *** ! Shin Yokohama is OK for this Shinkansen watching, but most of them already slow down, Odawara is so-so, because of the tunnels just after the station, and many Hikari's also make a stop at these stations, blocking the view. The best spots near Tokyo are Atami and Mishima. My favorite spot is Maibara (between Nagoya and Kyoto), because this station is in a bend and a little uphill.

Hi,

Such a nice stuff to know about. I just love traveling in Bullet trains. I'm from India, we don't have such trains in India. I wish, we'll definitely have such stuff in future.

CSK

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There are no trains that pass through Shin-Yokohama station non-stop these days.

Since March 2008 every shinkansen trains stop at Shin-Yokohama.
Odawara would be OK for experience high speed train pass throught.

For you armchair enthusiasts who would like to take a ride via YouTube on the new maglev test train:
Go to YouTube and type into the search line "Japanese Maglev Train". The first entry on the list should be a 6 minute video entitled "Linear Motor Car...".
Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BqqKA_HI-O8&feature=channel_p...

and this is a video at Atami station:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c1S4vsYDlaw

Having been on many a shinkansen myself. I agree with most what people said here. you cant really experience the speed on the train. You have to experience off it. Go to a small station and stand on the platform, and see them go by at top speed. The best one I've ever experienced was at Himeji. The whole station shakes if you are under the tracks (in the waiting area) But that would be too far for you to go just to get an experience of it. I guess, Odawara would be the best option for you.