First bullet train introduced in Japan
The first bullet train was introduced in Japan in 1964. It traveled between Tokyo and Osaka with the average speed of 160km/h.
Zipping cross-country in a super-high-speed train has become commonplace in many countries these days, but it was unheard of when Japan launched its bullet train between Tokyo and Osaka 50 years ago Wednesday.
Symbol of Pride for Japan, the Shinkansen, Turns 50 in 2014
The Shinkansen, as it's called in Japan, gave a boost to train travel in Europe and Asia at a time when the rise of the automobile and the airplane threated to eclipse it. It also was a symbol of pride for Japan, less than two decades after the end of World War II, and a precursor of the economic "miracle" to come.