JNR (the public precursor to today’s private regional Japan Rail companies) promoted the high-speed railway as a solution to the problem of transportation bottlenecks that were threatening the growth of Japan’s industrial economy. Opening day was undoubtedly a more somber occasion for those who had been evicted from their homes, had been pressured into selling their land, or were coping with damage to their livelihoods, local environments, and communities. The bullet train connected distant cities at unprecedented speed, but it also tore through a region dense with people, industry, agriculture, and history. Even those who were not able to participate in person could join in the celebration from a distance: television and radio audiences experienced the pomp of the opening ceremony and the speed of the world’s fastest train vicariously through descriptions and footage of its two-toned blue and ivory cars leaving the station and dashing across the countryside.īut not all observers saw the same thing that morning.
People along the tracks stopped what they were doing to wave at the passing train, both witnessing the event and becoming part of the spectacle via the news helicopters that raced alongside it. Bands played rousing marches specially composed to mark this triumphant moment, as local leaders and officials of Japanese National Railways (JNR) gathered to congratulate themselves for their part in building the world’s fastest train.
At every station, the inaugural bullet trains were greeted by flag-waving crowds and children presenting bouquets to the drivers. AT PRECISELY SIX in the morning on October 1, 1964, two sleek new trains glided simultaneously out of stations in Tokyo and Osaka to capture attention and imaginations across Japan.