Quiz, myth or fact, and the journey dial

1. 1 When did the Tokaido Shinkansen open?

   1 October 196410 October 19641 April 19871 March 1992
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   1 October 1964. The Tokaido Shinkansen opened on 1 October 1964, just 10 days before the Tokyo 1964 Olympic Games began. Embassy of Japan

2. 2 What does ‘Shinkansen’ mean?

   Bullet trainNew main lineFast roadEastern Sea Road
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   New main line. Shinkansen means ‘new main line’. Science Museum Group

3. 3 What was the Series 0’s top speed in passenger service?

   160 km/h210 km/h285 km/h320 km/h
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   210 km/h. The first trains, the Series 0, were the first in the world to run in passenger service at a top speed of 210km/h. Embassy of Japan

4. 4 Which bird’s beak inspired the 500 Series nose?

   The owlThe heronThe kingfisherThe swift
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   The kingfisher. A kingfisher dives from air into water without a splash. Tests showed the best nose shape was almost the same as a kingfisher’s beak. JFS, 2005

5. 5 Which bird’s feathers helped make a quieter pantograph?

   The owlThe eagleThe penguinThe pigeon
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   The owl. Owls fly almost silently, and the saw-toothed edges of their feathers inspired a quieter pantograph, the arm that collects electricity from the wires. JFS, 2005

6. 6 About how many people have used the Tokaido Shinkansen since 1964?

   70 million700 million7 billion70 billion
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   7 billion. About 7 billion people have used the Tokaido Shinkansen since 1964. JR Central

7. 7 What was Doctor Yellow’s job?

   Carrying VIPsInspecting track, wires and signalsCarrying postClearing snow
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   Inspecting track, wires and signals. ‘Doctor Yellow’ is the nickname of the yellow Shinkansen trains that inspect the track, the overhead wires and the signals. Asahi, 2025

8. 8 How fast did the L0 maglev go on 21 April 2015?

   320 km/h430 km/h500 km/h603 km/h
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   603 km/h. On 21 April 2015 a Series L0 maglev of JR Central reached 603km/h (374mph) on the Yamanashi Maglev Line, the fastest maglev train on record. Guinness

9. 9 Where in Britain can you see a Series 0 bullet train?

   Science Museum, LondonNational Railway Museum, YorkRiverside Museum, GlasgowLocomotion, Shildon
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   National Railway Museum, York. The National Railway Museum in York has Series 0 power car 22-141, built in 1976 and withdrawn in October 2000. Science Museum Group

10. 10 Who oversaw the Shinkansen project as chief engineer?

    Eiji NakatsuHideo ShimaSeiichi YajimaRoderick Smith
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    Hideo Shima. In 1955 Japanese National Railways asked Shima to oversee the Shinkansen project as chief engineer. NRM

11. 11 How long does the fastest train take from Tokyo to Shin-Osaka today?

    1 hour 7 minutes2 hours 21 minutes3 hours 10 minutes4 hours
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    2 hours 21 minutes. The Tokaido Shinkansen’s top speed today is 285km/h, and the fastest trains take 2 hours 21 minutes from Tokyo to Shin-Osaka. JR Central

12. 12 Which island did the Shinkansen reach in 2016, through the Seikan Tunnel?

    KyushuShikokuHokkaidoOkinawa
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    Hokkaido. A line from Aomori through the Seikan Tunnel to Hakodate, on Hokkaido, opened in 2016. Britannica

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1. 1 The Shinkansen opened 10 days before the 1964 Tokyo Olympics.

   MythFact
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   Fact. The Tokaido Shinkansen opened on 1 October 1964, just 10 days before the Tokyo 1964 Olympic Games began. Embassy of Japan

2. 2 Every Shinkansen line is standard gauge.

   MythFact
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   Fact. Unlike earlier Japanese trains, the Tokaido Shinkansen and every Shinkansen line since have been standard gauge. Science Museum Group

3. 3 Shinkansen trains run on diesel.

   MythFact
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   Myth. The trains are electric multiple units, powered from overhead wires, and can seat 1,000 passengers or more. Britannica

4. 4 JR Central published Doctor Yellow’s timetable.

   MythFact
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   Myth. Seeing one is said to bring good luck, because they run only once every 10 days and their times are never published. Asahi, 2025

5. 5 The Chuo Shinkansen maglev is already carrying passengers between Tokyo and Osaka.

   MythFact
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   Myth. The Yamanashi Maglev Line is still a test line. Guinness The extension to Osaka is planned for 2037, and the line is planned to run at 500km/h. Britannica

6. 6 A Series 0 power car is in a museum in York.

   MythFact
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   Fact. The National Railway Museum in York has Series 0 power car 22-141, built in 1976 and withdrawn in October 2000. Science Museum Group

7. 7 The first line, from Tokyo to Osaka, was more than 500km long.

   MythFact
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   Fact. The first section, between Tokyo and Osaka, was 515km (320 miles) long. Britannica

8. 8 Per seat, the Shinkansen uses more energy than a plane between Tokyo and Osaka.

   MythFact
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   Myth. JR Central says that per seat, Tokyo to Osaka uses about one-eighth of the energy of a plane, and produces about one-twelfth of the carbon dioxide. JR Central

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