I was just about 6 years old when this revolutionary train service began to operate in Japan in earnest. It “only took me 50+ years” to finally be afforded the opportunity to ride on this high speed rail line from Tokyo to Kobe. Excitement ran high all morning as our group navigated our way to the station and platform before finally boarding train service 65 at 9:48am.
To spare us a long journey on foot from tge hotel to the station with all our luggage, we elected to take traditional Tokyo Taxi vehicles. These purpose-built carriages are a modern interpretation of a London cab with Toyota Hybrid technology which made for an excellent short ride to Tokyo Central station. We all want to buy one!
Best of all, the taxi ride does not require a special App or credit card account, you simply use the Tokyo transit Suica card on your phone and ride it. Fast, efficient, and reliable.
For a Sunday morning, we were all amazed at how packed with travelers the station was. Successive waves of the trains coming and going created a cacophony of activity that is a “must see” for anyone visiting Japan.
Our service was booked on a Nozomi 700s rolling stock, launched in 2020 to upgrade its overall comfort. We rode in first class “Green car” with luxurious adjustable seats and a cabin attendant. One feature I particularly like is that all seats swivel to face in ride direction. No arguing over who rides backwards as is the case on European trains. Another peculiar setup are the bathrooms featuring a urinal for men and a toilet for women with a shared handwashing station.
Our route from Tokyo central to Shin-Kobe took 2hrs and 35 minutes covering the 545 km/338miles at 285kph/177mph. It was a wonderful experience to zip through Japanese landscapes in smooth comfort.
Stay tuned for more adventures in the coming days from aboard Azamara Pursuit as we cruise along Japan’s islands.
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