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Shinkansen (新幹線, shinkansen) refers to Japan's high-speed rail system, which is also the first in the world, as well as the trains that run on it. In English it is also referred to as the bullet train.
The Tōkaidō Shinkansen (東海道新幹線), between Tokyo and Osaka, was the first line to open, back in 1964 as Japan celebrated its first modern peacetime Olympics. Due to its success, the Shinkansen network began to expand to this day. There are now 8 Shinkansen lines spanning the length of Japan. The latest line to open was the Nishi Kyūshū Shinkansen (西九州新幹線) to the city of Nagasaki. 3 extensions to existing lines are under construction, and prefectures are campaigning for at least 3 more lines to be built.
Shinkansen trains run on fixed tracks, but the Chūō Shinkansen (中央新幹線), from Tokyo to Nagoya in central Japan, will use trains that float using magnets instead. This line, still under construction, is based on technology which has been under development for decades, called SCMaglev. Previously, a test SCMaglev train achieved the world speed record of 603km/h.
There has never been an accident on the Shinkansen so far. Shinkansen technology has been exported to Taiwan as Taiwan High-Speed Rail, and will be exported to Texas (USA) among other countries.
