5:15 Kinda glossed over how there's a very good reason why train tracks were traditionally bolted together with tiny gaps, instead of being long stretches of seamless rail. The big innovation of Shinkansen rails wasn't the idea of making the rail seamless. It was how they managed to prevent such a seamless rail from warping and bending from temperature cycles and ruining the whole track.
@@danguee1 I don't actually know how they solved the problems with solid rail pieces warping either, only that there were very good reasons for the gaps to exist and how making rail tracks seamless has a serious physics problem to solve. It's the reason I'm miffed by not just the omission in the video, but the misleading suggestion that Shinkansen was innovative just because they decided to make their rails one solid piece instead. As if the existence of gaps in rail tracks was some kind of mistake or accident that was trivial to fix.
@martenkahr3365 one reason continuous welded rail cam be used in Japan is the climate there is much less extreme so the track is stressed much less on the hottest or coldest days. The video fails to show the truth: that all trains are crap compared to aircraft and cars - even in Japan. The Japanese Railway (JR) system is the only rail system in the world that recovers its own operating expense, but can't provide enough profit to even pay the inflation of the capital cost let alone retire any debt. Meanwhile in Japan cars and aircraft are punished by government taxation on roads and fuel that is double to tripple the actual cost (this is the only reason trains get such high use in Japan).
@@tonycrabtree3416 Unless the system transports you, emotionally and then physically to new and beautiful locations. If it did so, effortlessly, it would enhance the whole experience and become a shining feature of the entire trip. What is depressing is that in 2.5 words you can out yourself as a real jerk. You could work on that.
@@Bushlore1 I used two words and it’s still depressing to visit a country and the crowning activity being the public transportation system. U cry more now?
I would say apart from daily current affairs, videos, entertainment, jokes, science (study of a Process), mainstream narratives, propaganda, lies, etcetera if you're interested in Theology / Purpose/ Reason for Creation/ Existence even a slightest bit then you should have a look at this - First thing which should be considered is that THERE has to be one Absolute Truth/ Objective Reality (100%) [regardless of what different scientists, ph.ds, doctors, philosophers, societies, religions, cultures, individuals, etcetera believe]. The rest could be either - 1.) Some Truth with some Falsehood mix in it (no matter in what ratio/ percentage it is in) or 2.) Complete Falsehood/ Delusion (100% Wrong). Its something like this - [If Analogy is to be used our Body is like a Hardware of the Computer and our Soul is like a Software. Just as Computer's Hardware is Useless without a Software, similarly, a Body is also Useless /Lifeless without a Soul.] We go through 5 Phases in our Life :- 1. The Realm (outside of this material Universe) where we took an oath & chose to be granted free will and want to be get Tested (The Testimony of believing in Only One God by our soul), 2. In our mother's womb (9 months) - The soul is breathed into the body, which gets created from a single molecule through a unique DNA🧬 (An Instruction Manual/ A Program/ Code) fashioned/ programmed by Creator. And, as the soul enters a body that's from where our consciousness and conscience comes (it happens with a lightning speed i.e. in a fraction of a second which Scientists/ Doctors couldn't able to capture it), 3. On Earth 🌎 (On an average of about 60-70 years) [Commencement of Test with the Development of Conscience], 4. In the Grave (The time frame from our death till the Day of Judgment/ Resurrection) & 5. In Paradise or Hell (Eternal Life). All are Temporary except after the Resurrection. So, the consciousness in brain 🧠 gets activated when soul enters the body & through soul the conscience (sense of right and wrong) of heart gets activated (including feelings like joy, peace, pain, anger, etc.).
There's another lesson that other train companies could learn from Japanese National Railroads. They had a station in a rural village that only one person using it. So they decided to shut it down. Until they found out that one passenger was a school girl, and the train was her only way to get to school. Her village didn't have one. They kept the station open, and ran it at a loss until she graduated from highschool. I believe Thoughy made a video about it, but I could be wrong.
As a teacher I love this tiny story of Japan's collective dedication to education. Besides knowing many other Japanese people who embody it, I also lived for four years in S. Korea, so I know it transcends that one nation. I miss the status learning broadly and educators in particular are afforded throughout east Asia. Instead of being political pawns, educators there are usually listened to, and extremely deserving of their status. Entry to the field is highly competitive and very much based on merit. We saw zero nepotism during our four years there. If a teacher wants their own child to be a teacher, they encourage them to work hard--and pray they have the natural abilities and disposition to accomplish it. The only exception I saw to this anti-nepotism rule in S. Korea occured between private after-school academies who became profit driven to the point of subordinating academic excellence to making money.
That seems like a great story on paper, but that’s the exact reason that JNR were in unfathomable amount of debt, got dessolved, and Japanese citizens have been repaying the debt through taxes ever since
@@ginyah781 Not everything is about making profits. Successful transportation systems benefit everyone and benefit the economy in every way. So them losing money and people paying that money from their taxes is not an issue. By that logic schools should close because they don't make profits either!
@@yasmin7903 Profit is so alluring. It’s the root of so much corruption. I anticipate US schools to follow in the footsteps of corrective institutions, contracting services. And all such private companies (in high-risk settings) are generally free to arm their employees, so no more school massacres!
I'm from the UK and I was only talking about this with my Nan today, how I wholeheartedly admire Japanese culture, I'm not financially well off, but if I ever get the opportunity I'm absolutely going to Japan, even if just to sit on a park bench and watch, everything just seems to work they don't seem bogged down with "left-wing" or "right-wing", everything just works, love it
I've lived in Japan for over 16 years and I can say that I wholehearted recommend coming for a visit. It's a fascinating place, with many problems just like anywhere, but the people do their best to respect each other which is something I love.
The difference between bullet trains in Japan and other countries is that in Japan the system was designed to actually be usefull for the population and helped stimulating economical growth, while in a lot of other countries these trains are just vanity projects, you know, to show the world that we can do it as well!
Very important point. With fast direct connection to/from local lines and no airport security, it's much easier to utilize shinkansen than other countries' high-speed rail. Also, with the platform and train cabin floored at the same height, there are no steps between the platform and the train cabin. Some European trains are tall with low station platforms, so there are steps inside the train to raise you from platform height to cabin height, inconvenient if you have luggage. (There are still stairs within a train station to get to the platform from the ticket gate, but there are also escalators and elevators.) The only thing that is "inconvenient" is not being allowed to use IC cards, but the ticket's cost would otherwise quickly drain an IC card empty, anyway.
I think it's also a matter of necessity. America went with roads and personal cars. We've got the wide open spaces (particularly when we decided to go with that strategy in the 1940s). That's not an option in Japan. With most of their land mountains, building the roads necessary for all those people to travel by car would be a nightmare if not straight up impossible. Not to mention, where everyone would park those cars in the cities. And while Japan's overall size isn't huge, it is very long, so speed is vital.
@@ressljs Cars in America still only make sense in the rural areas. In urban areas - at least in the densest cities, if not the suburbs - it's most efficient to build everything close together, which means moving away from this excessive car use
A timely video. I'm watching this 2 hours before travelling on the Shinkansen from Himeji to Hiroshima 250km away. The trip will take 50 minutes. The software that links reserved seats on complex journeys on-line is also good, but sometimes you have to literally run with your bags from one platform to another to make the next train before the doors close! Everything said here is true. I have been using these trains daily on a 3 week pass costing $30 (Australian) dollars per day. Also I visited the Japan Rail museum in Kyoto which was really extensive and well done. All signs and announcements at every stop are in both Japanese and English. I speak no Japanese and have had no problems getting around.
I love variety of your videos. Learned a lot from them. Clearly, you do massive amount of research for them. Also, the way you narrate, makes them interesting! I'm joining your Parteon!
Europe should daughter the Japanese Bullet trains when they complete the Mag-Lev line throughout the country, and actually build the necessary lines with redundant routes to important places while taking a different path, yo insure that even in case of natural disasters, there is a path to safety, in a 2+2 setup, 2 main lines (that are separated in routes but simmilar in arrival time) with 2 auxiliary lines that are way slower, but are alternatives that can be taken in case of emergency.
It was both a game changer and unifier. My mom remembers when they first came online as a teen and how much things changed. Considering how long a trip to Tokyo was back then before the shinkansen (it was easily an overnight trip) From the ashes of defeat (and literal firebombed Tokyo metro area) to a marvel of modern tech in 20 years.
Its a amazing train. I managed to use it this summer and it feels more like being on a plane its that spacious. The Japanese rail network overall is amazing. Regular trains that run on time. The Shinkansen also has a smoking room, for a quick puff as its frond upon in public spaces.
Having reverently ridden France commuter rail on both TGV and SCNF, I can attest that Japan is still not threatened by at least one European country’s rail efforts.
100% agree. I live in France and have taken both multiple times, and let me tell you that the TGV from Bordeaux to Paris was the rickitiest track I've ever ridden 😂 And the SNCF delays have just become a staple of French culture at this point
China has beaten Japan years ago, the Chinese have High speed train Fuxing, 435km/h record, fastest train on rails in the world! with passengers! also China has the biggest railway in the world! almost 50,000 kilometres. Nothing comes close to what china has achieved.
THANK YOU DEAR ARRAN LOMAS❣️ 13:32 For me this marks the beginning of the best portion of a speech I've heard Arran share in my many years of following. I heartily agree that nations and its citizens can benefit if they followed this example of success.
Currently watching this vid while riding AVE (Spanish High-speed railway) and recently started working on European CTC's, Cool to see where it all began :))
You didn't miss it. A big part for why trains rarely are delayed is the structured getting on getting off process. The train stops only for a short short time and the platform is marked so you know exactly where the door you should enter will appear. First time you ride shinkansen it can feel a bit stressful and intimidating. Cause Shinkansen waits for no man!
Can the key to Japan's success be that they have a mono culture? Everyone working together towards a goal that everyone agrees is the way to go? Without any wasting of resources trying to encourage other cultures to work together, not against?
The real one trick, not mentioned in the video, is that they build time in the schedule to be late. Trains routinely run at a little less than top speed, and dwell at stations a little longer than they really need to, so that they can work with small hiccups and not have them blow the national schedule for the rest of the day.
10:18 The extension from Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto to Sapporo is currently under construction and isn't scheduled to be complete until 2030. You also missed a new Nishi-Kyushu Shinkansen opened in September 2022 and goes from Nagasaki to Takeo-Onsen. The western extension from Kanazawa to Tsuruga is nearly complete and is scheduled to open in March 2024.
He did point it goes from Hokkaido to Kagoshima, effectively connecting most of the country. That in and of itself is outside the main point which was that the train line was developed to solve actual identified problems rather than stoke egos and thus it works. As for nitpicking: Kanazawa-Tsuruga is merely an extension of the line originally created for the 1998 Olympics. The problem with Tsuruga is that while it’s great to get to Fukui from Tokyo, it’s not helpful for Osaka/Kyoto or Nagoya to get to Kanazawa. There’s been talk of the Shirasagi/Thunderbird trains stopping at Tsuruga but we’ll see.
@@Trollllium Nitpick it may be, I feel that it's our duty as viewers to point out inaccuracies as we see them. Although to someone like me who actually does travel by rail in Japan, it's not an insignificant mistake.
Absolutely awesome ! I love Japan so much ! I've been there 3 times. I lived 11 months next to Lake Biwako near Kyoto, what an incredible amazing place, I highly recommend it ! I Also spent time snowboarding in Nagano and Niigata, and another trip in Kyushu was equally amazing ! After watching your video I can't wait to go back. I still want to visit Shikoku, Tohoku, and Hokkaido. Arriving at first in Shizouka prefecture in the futuristic city of Hamamatsu it was so stimulating it felt like being on drugs without being on drugs, more like the best happy natural high. Yeah arriving at Tokyo the first time at night in the shinkansen was truly epic. I remember sitting inside the bullet train ( shinkansen ) as it was taking off during the day once and pulling my headphones off because the sound of the engine or propulsion unit or whatever sounded soo good. So many heartwarming experiences to be had in Japan for sure. Definitely my favorite country to go to. PS The west does not need to impose harsh de-growth measures, we just need to start living a little bit more like the Japanese perhaps and start using glass or metal instead of plastic. In my community we can recycle some of the glass bottles and jars back at the store. Which is satisfying . We have to stop using single use plastic. Duhh!! Plastic is capitalism. Or why not recyclable hemp cartons and packaging ? Anyway Thanks 42 ! Go Japan !!
The thing is, Japan uses a heck ton of plastic. I came back from there less than a week ago and I was already aware of how much plastic they use - mostly plastic bags and bottles, which is surprising considering how strict their recycling system is. And we sadly know that only about 10% of what is supposed to be recycled truly is. They do sometime use aluminum bottles, I'm surprised it isn't the rule rather than the exception. Having said that, Japan is an incredible country.
I spent a year living in Japan, great experience. In that time the train I was on was delayed no more than 3 times, unfortunately because someone had jumped onto the tracks in fromt of another train. On one occasion the train overshot the door marks on the platform by around 12 inches. Rather than jsut open the doors and carry on, the driver "reversed the train" to make sure the doors were properly aligned. I'm happy if the train stops at the same platform every day, forget about marks on the platform edge for door alignment. That's the local trains. Another time the train I was on developed a fault. Stopped at the next stations where a replacement train was waiting to continue the journey. We still arrived on time! The bullet trains, as stated in the video, have an average lateness measured in fractions of a minute over the year. Long delays make the news. The UK invented trains but have long since forgotten how to run and build them. Perhaps we should look to our past industrial history and start doing things well again.
I just wanted to say thank you for your videos. I have learned so much with your sound doctrine, and it gave my family what it needs the most, laughter. I truly can not stress enough that what you do is exactly your calling, meaning you are where you belong for now. I don't know what the future holds for anyone, but I'm glad I found your channel. Thank you.
Vacationing Japan, their rail system, from the high speed network to small trains serving rural areas where the stops are little more than a loading ramp, was awesome. Bonus that it was cheaper for tourists to get a high speed train pass than the natives.
Impeccable (almost comedic) timing to mention our awful transportation infrastructure considering the current speculation of Sunak scrapping the northern HS2 route lad
Instead of throwing away 100 billion on a shiny super fast train, why not introduce an integral pulse timetable? It vastly improves the travelexperience and is way less expensive. Further more it is more simple to justify expansions
What i find most facinating about Japan is that it truly blends the ancient with the futuristic advancements. Something that America completely fails at.. it's so frustrating the direction America is going. Turning every town into the same unaffordable repetitive place.
I like watching this type of stuff because it gives me a staunch reminder that the Amtrak/Acela is amateur and I can't wait to visit these countries and experience something better.
The Thing that's really embarrassing is that the Track the Acela uses was some of the First electrified track in the world and had cab signaling in the 1920s as it was part of the Standard Railroad of the world or the Pennsylvania Railroad which helped to pioneer the technology that would enable high speed rail however that was in 1934 and the Pennsylvania railroad merged with several other failing railroads in the 1960s to form the infamous Penn Central which was one of the largest bankruptcies in the country it was so bad the federal government stepped in to create Amtrak and Conrail
I love your videos, they always make me laugh, and I learn something at the same time - best combination, I always look forward to the next one. . Not only are the bullet trains fast - they are 99.9 percent on time, "late" being maybe one or two minutes. Why can't we learn to tell time like this? Thanks.
As an American who has traveled to Europe and Asia, had the pleasure of riding high speed trains; I am thoroughly annoyed by the fact we dont have these in the US. Legal Bribery called "lobbying" has basically killed any chance of us ever having a train system like this. Bah humbug.
I feel same. I think the USA has 1 high speed train that connects DC to New York or some place. But there are a ton of commuter flights that could be supplemented with high speed rail....LA to Vegas?
In the 1950s and 1960s car companies bought up railway lines in LA, Michigan etc and demolished them, building roads instead with the complicity and co-financing of the government.
The US still relies on extremely polluting flying for most of its transport. Its not even an efficient form of transport, with all the delays and nonsense security at the airports. With all the money the country has, spending even a 10th of its military budget on a good train system would be enough, if they keep it going for enough years during construction. Just connecting all the major cities would be a feat by itself that is probably just worth it, allowing more people an alternative to flying that is just as fast, safer, and can run on electrical power. It also is potentially cheaper, both to operate and maintain, which will lower travel prices and increase economic output.
Another point of note as it tends to be different in Europe, Shinkansen don't only have dedicated lines, they have dedicated platforms too. Each platform will always have trains going in a given direction (they might go somewhere else later on eventually but will have the same next stop at least). If you take a train every day, it will always be in the same place, unlike Europe where you might have no idea until 3 min before it shows up. This helps greatly with having a smooth schedule. The reason it's not possible in Europe is most train stations just can't be made bigger because of everything already built around them, which isn't a problem when you just build them huge in the first place when you build the shinkansen. Also a lot more use of verticality for extra platforms.
This is the HARSHEST critical video I have EVER SEEN you do..... AND I LOVED IT! As an American who loves trains but lives in a country running on rails like yours, I would look both east (across the pond) at your accomplishments (to a point) and then west to Japan for their amazing successes with the "Bullet Train". I can only say THANK YOU for possibly the best video, to me at least, that you have ever done! I felt the pound of flesh you had to give for this, but I am better as a viewer for it. Keep this as your touchstone for future videos Thoughty2 Here.
I expand this comment by also saying you could have added 10 minutes more by detailing the man who fought for this train. I am sure you Thoughty2 of it also (get it - thought=thoughty2??? I digress... sigh) Add an addendum video to this for this or another video! I would absolutely love a comparison between him and Richard Branson (another pound of flesh but worth it)
I feel your pain talking about the British rail. Over here in Sydney, we have unions protesting against the installation of security cameras on trains - for fear of making security guards redundant. Meanwhile, other advanced countries are doing this stuff to their trains.. decades ago.
What? Why not both camera and security guards on the train? More security and camera hardly cost money after first installation. Never thought that Australia would be so backwards minded
I live in a country with very few operational railways left, and whatever little existed before has either been dismantled or left in a state of disrepair due to the government’s neglect. (We had a decent railway system before the 90’s, but our new government couldn’t maintain it to save their lives). As a 27-year-old, I have never had the opportunity to ride on a train, so seeing this video almost brought a tear to my eye. Knowing that my country could have had a decent working railway system and travelling would’ve been much less of a hassle and much safer is honestly heartbreaking. Just one more reason for me to visit Japan whenever I get the chance.
Mrs Richards: "I paid for a room with a view !" Basil: (pointing to the lovely view) "That is Torquay, Madam ." Mrs Richards: "It's not good enough!" Basil: "May I ask what you were expecting to see out of a Torquay hotel bedroom window ? Sydney Opera House, perhaps? the Hanging Gardens of Babylon? Herds of wildebeest sweeping majestically past?..." Mrs Richards: "Don't be silly! I expect to be able to see the sea!" Basil: "You can see the sea, it's over there between the land and the sky." Mrs Richards: "I'm not satisfied. But I shall stay. But I expect a reduction." Basil: "Why?! Because Krakatoa's not erupting at the moment ?"
I was in Japan in 2006 and we had a JR pass (which native Japanese are not allowed - or weren't at the time). A story I always tell to anyone who'll listen is waiting at Tokyo station to catch the Shinkansen to Kyoto. There were parallel lines painted every so often along the platform at right angles to the edge of the platform. We noticed people were queuing up in these lines; nowhere else. We thought "Oh, it's just the Japanese being polite". That was true, but the real reason was as the train came in, the doors lined up EXACTLY with these lines. Amazing. Then, the driver got out of his cab, stood on the platform, turned to all the people boarding and bowed to us. We were blown away. Also, whenever somebody came into the carriage with a trolley of drinks or snacks, they bowed to us all before proceeding. When they were leaving to go to the next carriage they did it again! What a country! Although it must be one of or the most non-divergent (race wise) country. Some might say that this eliminates tribal / racial squabbling and lets them got on with more important things.
Having just returned from Japan, we were very impressed with their transportation system including light rail, metro, buses, etc.The full system is easy to use, even if you don't speak Japanese. We got around in the cities and from city to city for 5 weeks without a car. The Shinkansen is fantastic - fast and quiet. Europe has a great network of trains too. We always come back to the US and can't understand why we still don't have high speed trains here.
with smartphones you can also just follow your location on the map app, if the train doesn't have in-car station displays (Keihin express to Haneda was the worst offender here)
While there haven't been any accidents with the Shinkansen, there have been accidents with the local trains. The Amagasaki derailment killed over 100 people when the train slammed into a building on a turn. The driver was speeding, trying to make up for being 90 seconds behind schedule. I remember because that was the train I took to work. My station was the next one, the one he was on his way to. While it wasn't the Shinkansen, I did dodge the bullet that time. (Sorry for a pun)
It wasn't just that he was running late, but he also had an emergency brake penalty from earlier on and another one would mean his punishment would be cleaning the rails with a toothbrush for several weeks. Thankfully this kind of idiotic behaviour is no longer tolerated by JR. Edit: I have to say my wife also dodged a bullet with this train as the crashed service was one she frequently took to work. This happened to be her day off. The next day, she took the Hankyu line permanently.
I spent two years living in Japan in the early 2000's and I rode on the Shinkansen traveling from Hiroshima to Tokyo and back, it was a very impressive ride with stewardesses going up and down the train to serve its customers with beverages including beer and food stuffs. I have to say though, as right as you were to say they are on time, they are not the only train services to be on time. Normal commuter trains in my experience were almost always punctual. Once traveling from Kure to Hiroshima a conductor came into our carriage and I assume every other carriage, bowed, and was visibly upset to announce that our train would be two minutes late arriving in Hiroshima. I was so impressed with their entire train services and there is no comparison between our English train services and Japan’s. Thank you for this video.
In the 1950s and 1960s car companies bought up railway lines in LA, Michigan etc and demolished them, building roads instead, with the complicity and co-financing of the government
The most interesting part of this video is the fact that Japan built it's Shinkansen (literally: new main line) because it needed capacity and to separate fast long distance services from slower local services. This is also the primary argument for HS2 in England, which answers for the most part capacity issues. Similarly with HS1 (Eurostar) the primary competitor was Channel ferries. In France, the TGV was simply an upgrade of an existing train network which was already reasonably fast in places. Yet here in Australia we don't have high speed rail. Why? Because we got obsessed with high speed rail as a replacement for intercapital air travel. So much so we've not noticed that we're the only country in the world with this particular obsession. And not noticing that where high speed rail is popular, it is actually competing with cars. We are totally obsessed with Melbourne to Sydney (a route totally dominated by air travel). Yet the routes that actually make sense for high speed rail are much shorter - car dominated corridors between Newcastle, Sydney and Wollongong and between Brisbane and the Gold Coast. We need to get this simple message to politicians. And we need to explain to them that in these car dominated corridors, the price of not building high speed rail is simply spending a similar bucket of cash on augment existing motorways.
The camera segment brought something to mind. When I was younger, I encountered a young oriental boy, that may or may not, have been Japanese. He was always saying take a picture, it lasts longer. And then there were the Japanese tourists with their cameras!
The Japanese have always had lack raw resources but done great job of adding value to things. It’s truly a marvel to look at great video I’d go so far to say this is why the swords they make are so legendary in history
@breadandcircuses8127 well connected, punctual, smooth and fast rides, relatively cheap, trains stations well stocked with food, signs making it easy to navigate. The public transport in each city though.....
First of all, I'd like to say, "Thank you" for all the great UA-cam content and your books! I've been watching this channel for several years now, and I always enjoy it when you release a new video! I have 2 of your books, which I thoroughly enjoy, as well! Okay so - great video; however, sound issues? Is that just my internet or something, maybe? I'm not sure, but I watched it on 2 of my devices and noticed a bit of a choppy, grainy audio quality, more towards the beginning of the video than at the middle or end. Again though: great video, interesting content (as always!), and a worthwhile use of my time, lol. Thank you! Please don't stop producing great videos!
Interesting. Japan is a country much longer than it is wide, but the trains "squared" it, that is, long-way travel times are much closer to short-way travel times.
"...and that's because our trains are so old, the tracks are made from the bones of Victorian children." I nearly spat my tea everywhere, bloody good joke old chap.
The digital watch is also a good example of the Japanese embracing a technology invented by another country, the Swiss. The Swiss did not appreciate the technology because they were at the time the number one producer of watches, all analog at the time. They could not fathom why anybody would want a digital watch and just produced them as an exotic, and expensive, novelty. After Texas Instruments bought the rights to manufacture them and started making them dirt cheap(Hamilton watch was $2100, TI was $20), they ended up losing the market in around ten years and ended up selling off to Seiko. The rest is pretty much history.
The craziest shit is this shinkansen’s track is through the mountains full of curves and up-down hills. Almost no straight line. And still manages to go over 200kph
Japanese railway staff have a procedure called "point and name" for every action they take. It cut accidents by 85%! My family uses it just to help us remember where we put things, like eyeglasses. When you get older, Point and Name really works!
One of the most talented persons I have ever witnessed on UA-cam. His topics are well chosen and meticulously explained in such a way that it leaves you submersed in the topic and leave a astonishing lasting after thought. Excellent Thoughty2!!!!!!
Just want to point out 2 things. Before shinkansen, Japan already had a vast network of electric powered rail and the fastest trip from Tokyo to Osaka took relatively short at 6 hours. It's not like japan suddenly change from steam train to shinkansen overnight. Although shinkansen is very safe and convenient, one must be really rich to take shinkansen as a daily commute because Shinkansen ticket price is much more expensive than HSR in other places.
Of course steam wasn't that bad either, despite what the video says the C62 class 4-6-4s could put on a decent turn of speed with 129 kmh (80 mph) recorded on the Tokaido Main Line.
Also, rents aren't that high in Japan so there isn't much of a barrier to live in big cities. A big reason this is, though is that the Shinkansen made Japan so interconnected that living in a smaller city isn't that inconvenient, unlike the US or the UK where the economy is concentrated into a few (or even one, London) expensive cities. You probably won't commute from Shizuoka to Tokyo but you can easily go to Tokyo to a concert or embassy if you need to
@@krisstopher8259 Same deal here in Norway. They run modern Stadler FLIRT sets, but 97 percent of the network is so out of date it's not even funny. Most of it is single track with too few passing loops. And curvy. And with gradients too. With the exeption of a few modern stretches of rail with 200 km/h line speed near Oslo, it's all ancient. And since the capacity in the network is over utilized, it actually takes longer for the regional train between- say- Oslo and Bergen today than in the early 70s... It's a ruddy disgrace, is what it is!
What makes it worse in Britain is back in Victorian days Brunel designed his broad gauge GWR railway from London to Bristol. It's still the best piece of track in Britain, very straight and fast and broad gauge was much more efficient and gave a smoother ride. Sadly none of our other track was built to his high standards.
I never understood why people think that all trains must be 100% perfect with 0 delays at all? Even if they upgrade the rails, they would still be some delays, due to rail maintenance, derailed train, leave fallen onto the tracks. Are you people really that impatience? What wrong waiting 2 minutes for a fucking train? I love how people get annoyed and impatient waiting for than 5 minutes for a train, yet never seem get impatient waiting 9 months until their wife or girlfriend gives birth.
Have been to Japan 4 times and lived there for 6 months. I've taken the Shinkansen several times. The first time I took it was from Kyoto to Tokyo in 1981 and whilst on the line there was a small earthquake which slowed us down by 30 seconds. When we arrived in Tokyo the rail staff were so apologetic that we were delayed by 30 seconds, they refunded our full fare. 🙂
people slam German trains but I actually like them a lot. They might be late but the experience is consistent and the stations are in the middle of cities
We ran the "Bullet Train" from Osaka to Tokyo a few weeks ago. The trained pulled away on the second. Then 2 hours to Tokyo. It was immaculate and staff were so professional and lovely. Then back in Scotland.....you get the picture. 😢😢
Hi @Thoughty2, something very very important missed there. It appears you explained that they moved from the steam engine directly to high speed electric powered trains.
You can easily buy shinkansen tickets from a vending machine at any Japan Railway (JR) station. So convenient. But remember, there are 2 fares: the Basic Fare is a ticket to get on the train; the Reserved Seat fare is a ticket to sit in a reserved seat (the Green Car). Without the latter, you could find yourself standing in the aisles for the duration of the trip.
As a kid, my family live just outside of Tokyo in the early 70s. I was a ble to ride the _Bullet Train_ several times and it was an amazing experience each time. Come to think of it, the British rail system is also a good representation of what the country has become.
Same, but i had to stop subscription after those inbuilt adverts, the YT as platform itself only makes it worse by using brute force to shove adverts into consumers faces. I don't mind adverts, but i do despise abuse of power over people who still pay with their time/bandwidth etc.
Its almost a case of if you invented a revolutionary thing then you're less likely to innovate as the argument then becomes "we've always done it like this". They still use "chains" as a distance measurement despite none of the general public knowing how long it is..with train spotters being the likely exception to this. In the UK they only retro actively introduced safety systems after horrific rail crashes, "train protective warning systems" were only introduced around 2000 unlike the early adoption from scratch in japan.
5:15 Kinda glossed over how there's a very good reason why train tracks were traditionally bolted together with tiny gaps, instead of being long stretches of seamless rail. The big innovation of Shinkansen rails wasn't the idea of making the rail seamless. It was how they managed to prevent such a seamless rail from warping and bending from temperature cycles and ruining the whole track.
And how did they? It's always more useful to enlighten the rest of us rather than complaining about the omission in a video's content.
@@danguee1 I don't actually know how they solved the problems with solid rail pieces warping either, only that there were very good reasons for the gaps to exist and how making rail tracks seamless has a serious physics problem to solve. It's the reason I'm miffed by not just the omission in the video, but the misleading suggestion that Shinkansen was innovative just because they decided to make their rails one solid piece instead. As if the existence of gaps in rail tracks was some kind of mistake or accident that was trivial to fix.
@martenkahr3365 he did mention that they basically built a roller coaster.
@martenkahr3365 one reason continuous welded rail cam be used in Japan is the climate there is much less extreme so the track is stressed much less on the hottest or coldest days. The video fails to show the truth: that all trains are crap compared to aircraft and cars - even in Japan. The Japanese Railway (JR) system is the only rail system in the world that recovers its own operating expense, but can't provide enough profit to even pay the inflation of the capital cost let alone retire any debt. Meanwhile in Japan cars and aircraft are punished by government taxation on roads and fuel that is double to tripple the actual cost (this is the only reason trains get such high use in Japan).
Went to Japan in June with a group of friends. We unanimously agreed that the greatest experience we had were the transportation system.
Why don't you jerks become engineers and built one here in America? Huh?!
That’s depressing…
@@tonycrabtree3416 Unless the system transports you, emotionally and then physically to new and beautiful locations. If it did so, effortlessly, it would enhance the whole experience and become a shining feature of the entire trip. What is depressing is that in 2.5 words you can out yourself as a real jerk. You could work on that.
@@Bushlore1
@@Bushlore1 I used two words and it’s still depressing to visit a country and the crowning activity being the public transportation system. U cry more now?
At this point thoughty2 should be marked as an addictive channel
only by this point?
I would say apart from daily current affairs, videos, entertainment, jokes, science (study of a Process), mainstream narratives, propaganda, lies, etcetera if you're interested in Theology / Purpose/ Reason for Creation/ Existence even a slightest bit then you should have a look at this -
First thing which should be considered is that THERE has to be one Absolute Truth/ Objective Reality (100%)
[regardless of what different scientists, ph.ds, doctors, philosophers, societies, religions, cultures, individuals, etcetera believe].
The rest could be either -
1.) Some Truth with some Falsehood mix in it (no matter in what ratio/ percentage it is in) or
2.) Complete Falsehood/ Delusion (100% Wrong).
Its something like this -
[If Analogy is to be used our Body is like a Hardware of the Computer and our Soul is like a Software. Just as Computer's Hardware is Useless without a Software, similarly, a Body is also Useless /Lifeless without a Soul.]
We go through 5 Phases in our Life :-
1. The Realm (outside of this material Universe) where we took an oath & chose to be granted free will and want to be get Tested (The Testimony of believing in Only One God by our soul),
2. In our mother's womb (9 months) - The soul is breathed into the body, which gets created from a single molecule through a unique DNA🧬 (An Instruction Manual/ A Program/ Code) fashioned/ programmed by Creator. And, as the soul enters a body that's from where our consciousness and conscience comes (it happens with a lightning speed i.e. in a fraction of a second which Scientists/ Doctors couldn't able to capture it),
3. On Earth 🌎 (On an average of about 60-70 years)
[Commencement of Test with the Development of Conscience],
4. In the Grave (The time frame from our death till the Day of Judgment/ Resurrection) &
5. In Paradise or Hell (Eternal Life).
All are Temporary except after the Resurrection. So, the consciousness in brain 🧠 gets activated when soul enters the body & through soul the conscience (sense of right and wrong) of heart gets activated (including feelings like joy, peace, pain, anger, etc.).
Controlled substance
I thought of a way to contradict you but decided it's way better to just say, I agree.
True! I've watched almost all of his videos
There's another lesson that other train companies could learn from Japanese National Railroads. They had a station in a rural village that only one person using it. So they decided to shut it down. Until they found out that one passenger was a school girl, and the train was her only way to get to school. Her village didn't have one. They kept the station open, and ran it at a loss until she graduated from highschool. I believe Thoughy made a video about it, but I could be wrong.
As a teacher I love this tiny story of Japan's collective dedication to education. Besides knowing many other Japanese people who embody it, I also lived for four years in S. Korea, so I know it transcends that one nation. I miss the status learning broadly and educators in particular are afforded throughout east Asia. Instead of being political pawns, educators there are usually listened to, and extremely deserving of their status. Entry to the field is highly competitive and very much based on merit. We saw zero nepotism during our four years there. If a teacher wants their own child to be a teacher, they encourage them to work hard--and pray they have the natural abilities and disposition to accomplish it. The only exception I saw to this anti-nepotism rule in S. Korea occured between private after-school academies who became profit driven to the point of subordinating academic excellence to making money.
That seems like a great story on paper, but that’s the exact reason that JNR were in unfathomable amount of debt, got dessolved, and Japanese citizens have been repaying the debt through taxes ever since
@@ginyah781 Not everything is about making profits. Successful transportation systems benefit everyone and benefit the economy in every way. So them losing money and people paying that money from their taxes is not an issue. By that logic schools should close because they don't make profits either!
@@yasmin7903 Profit is so alluring. It’s the root of so much corruption. I anticipate US schools to follow in the footsteps of corrective institutions, contracting services. And all such private companies (in high-risk settings) are generally free to arm their employees, so no more school massacres!
Just give her a handcar, you know, a rail cart propelled by hand pump.
I appreciate your mention of how the Design wasn't a speed contest but even better, improved the getting to and from work.
It‘s the Japanese mindset. They learn to do things perfectly, carefully and achieve a mastery (and speed) which is incomparable. Amazing.
Lmao why white supremacists have so much love obscession pet-like with Japan
I'm from the UK and I was only talking about this with my Nan today, how I wholeheartedly admire Japanese culture, I'm not financially well off, but if I ever get the opportunity I'm absolutely going to Japan, even if just to sit on a park bench and watch, everything just seems to work they don't seem bogged down with "left-wing" or "right-wing", everything just works, love it
Great comment👌👌
Sincerely wish you can make your dream come true. You'll never regret visiting Japan, lived there for around four years.
I've lived in Japan for over 16 years and I can say that I wholehearted recommend coming for a visit. It's a fascinating place, with many problems just like anywhere, but the people do their best to respect each other which is something I love.
Good luck with your dream.
Of course they have their positives, but their work culture leaves a lot to be desired... the suicide rate in Japan is high for a reason.
The difference between bullet trains in Japan and other countries is that in Japan the system was designed to actually be usefull for the population and helped stimulating economical growth, while in a lot of other countries these trains are just vanity projects, you know, to show the world that we can do it as well!
Technically the Northeast corridor (what inspired the Shinkansen) but the northeast corridor is over a century old and in need of refurbishment
Very important point. With fast direct connection to/from local lines and no airport security, it's much easier to utilize shinkansen than other countries' high-speed rail. Also, with the platform and train cabin floored at the same height, there are no steps between the platform and the train cabin. Some European trains are tall with low station platforms, so there are steps inside the train to raise you from platform height to cabin height, inconvenient if you have luggage. (There are still stairs within a train station to get to the platform from the ticket gate, but there are also escalators and elevators.) The only thing that is "inconvenient" is not being allowed to use IC cards, but the ticket's cost would otherwise quickly drain an IC card empty, anyway.
I think it's also a matter of necessity. America went with roads and personal cars. We've got the wide open spaces (particularly when we decided to go with that strategy in the 1940s). That's not an option in Japan. With most of their land mountains, building the roads necessary for all those people to travel by car would be a nightmare if not straight up impossible. Not to mention, where everyone would park those cars in the cities. And while Japan's overall size isn't huge, it is very long, so speed is vital.
@@ressljsamerica going for a car centric society must be the biggest blunder they’ve done
@@ressljs Cars in America still only make sense in the rural areas. In urban areas - at least in the densest cities, if not the suburbs - it's most efficient to build everything close together, which means moving away from this excessive car use
A timely video. I'm watching this 2 hours before travelling on the Shinkansen from Himeji to Hiroshima 250km away. The trip will take 50 minutes. The software that links reserved seats on complex journeys on-line is also good, but sometimes you have to literally run with your bags from one platform to another to make the next train before the doors close! Everything said here is true. I have been using these trains daily on a 3 week pass costing $30 (Australian) dollars per day.
Also I visited the Japan Rail museum in Kyoto which was really extensive and well done. All signs and announcements at every stop are in both Japanese and English. I speak no Japanese and have had no problems getting around.
I love variety of your videos. Learned a lot from them. Clearly, you do massive amount of research for them. Also, the way you narrate, makes them interesting! I'm joining your Parteon!
Europe should daughter the Japanese Bullet trains when they complete the Mag-Lev line throughout the country, and actually build the necessary lines with redundant routes to important places while taking a different path, yo insure that even in case of natural disasters, there is a path to safety, in a 2+2 setup, 2 main lines (that are separated in routes but simmilar in arrival time) with 2 auxiliary lines that are way slower, but are alternatives that can be taken in case of emergency.
It was both a game changer and unifier.
My mom remembers when they first came online as a teen and how much things changed. Considering how long a trip to Tokyo was back then before the shinkansen (it was easily an overnight trip)
From the ashes of defeat (and literal firebombed Tokyo metro area) to a marvel of modern tech in 20 years.
I'm in the US, our "leaders" can really learn from this
@@trebor6v418 dunno if it can work in the US...for one, defeat helped ignite that hungry-spirit
@@trebor6v418 A very different political landscape.
Hmmm
Its a amazing train. I managed to use it this summer and it feels more like being on a plane its that spacious. The Japanese rail network overall is amazing. Regular trains that run on time. The Shinkansen also has a smoking room, for a quick puff as its frond upon in public spaces.
100% agreed. I was there this summer and its basically an airplane on wheels.
Trains are usually more spacious than planes haha. Calling it a plane is an insult
@@superhenkable Looking at photos from a shinkansen... not by much if at all.
You think a plane is spacious?
@Blueknight1960 commercial airplanes are... some even have 3 whole floors In them not counting the cargo area!! That's bigger than my house!!
Having reverently ridden France commuter rail on both TGV and SCNF, I can attest that Japan is still not threatened by at least one European country’s rail efforts.
100% agree. I live in France and have taken both multiple times, and let me tell you that the TGV from Bordeaux to Paris was the rickitiest track I've ever ridden 😂
And the SNCF delays have just become a staple of French culture at this point
@@iphiko9638 What a shame, when a train ride gives you rickets.
@@davidanderson_surrey_bc What are rickets ?
China has beaten Japan years ago, the Chinese have High speed train Fuxing, 435km/h record, fastest train on rails in the world! with passengers! also China has the biggest railway in the world! almost 50,000 kilometres. Nothing comes close to what china has achieved.
And what benefit has going super fast if you miss the connection?
THANK YOU DEAR ARRAN LOMAS❣️
13:32 For me this marks the beginning of the best portion of a speech I've heard Arran share in my many years of following. I heartily agree that nations and its citizens can benefit if they followed this example of success.
Thoughty 2 is absolutely goated at this point he is in my top5 youtube creators currently.
Sounds like you’re calling him a farm animal. 🤨
No moustache 42 is disappointing me
Currently watching this vid while riding AVE (Spanish High-speed railway) and recently started working on European CTC's, Cool to see where it all began :))
Did I miss it? What is the key to Japan's
You didn't miss it. A big part for why trains rarely are delayed is the structured getting on getting off process. The train stops only for a short short time and the platform is marked so you know exactly where the door you should enter will appear. First time you ride shinkansen it can feel a bit stressful and intimidating. Cause Shinkansen waits for no man!
Can the key to Japan's success be that they have a mono culture? Everyone working together towards a goal that everyone agrees is the way to go? Without any wasting of resources trying to encourage other cultures to work together, not against?
There is no delay (besides act of Gods), because nobody wants delay.
Came here to say this exactly. I literally clicked the video for the title. Definite clickbait. Will not recommend channel.
The real one trick, not mentioned in the video, is that they build time in the schedule to be late. Trains routinely run at a little less than top speed, and dwell at stations a little longer than they really need to, so that they can work with small hiccups and not have them blow the national schedule for the rest of the day.
10:18 The extension from Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto to Sapporo is currently under construction and isn't scheduled to be complete until 2030. You also missed a new Nishi-Kyushu Shinkansen opened in September 2022 and goes from Nagasaki to Takeo-Onsen. The western extension from Kanazawa to Tsuruga is nearly complete and is scheduled to open in March 2024.
Was about to comment this too. Some nitpicks on information accuracy
He did point it goes from Hokkaido to Kagoshima, effectively connecting most of the country. That in and of itself is outside the main point which was that the train line was developed to solve actual identified problems rather than stoke egos and thus it works.
As for nitpicking: Kanazawa-Tsuruga is merely an extension of the line originally created for the 1998 Olympics.
The problem with Tsuruga is that while it’s great to get to Fukui from Tokyo, it’s not helpful for Osaka/Kyoto or Nagoya to get to Kanazawa. There’s been talk of the Shirasagi/Thunderbird trains stopping at Tsuruga but we’ll see.
@@Trollllium Nitpick it may be, I feel that it's our duty as viewers to point out inaccuracies as we see them. Although to someone like me who actually does travel by rail in Japan, it's not an insignificant mistake.
@@iPlayOnSpica Yeah I was gonna say, his line shows the Kamome connecting to Fukuoka/Hakata but it definitely does not!
I try to live a simple life. I see a new thoughty2 post, I snap it up.
This was weirdly emotional and heavy. Fantastic video
Brilliantly written episode. Very very entertaining.
Paid for an all access pass to the shenkens for 3 weeks and managed to see the entire japan. Was the best experience ever
Absolutely awesome ! I love Japan so much ! I've been there 3 times. I lived 11 months next to Lake Biwako near Kyoto, what an incredible amazing place, I highly recommend it ! I Also spent time snowboarding in Nagano and Niigata, and another trip in Kyushu was equally amazing ! After watching your video I can't wait to go back. I still want to visit Shikoku, Tohoku, and Hokkaido. Arriving at first in Shizouka prefecture in the futuristic city of Hamamatsu it was so stimulating it felt like being on drugs without being on drugs, more like the best happy natural high. Yeah arriving at Tokyo the first time at night in the shinkansen was truly epic. I remember sitting inside the bullet train ( shinkansen ) as it was taking off during the day once and pulling my headphones off because the sound of the engine or propulsion unit or whatever sounded soo good. So many heartwarming experiences to be had in Japan for sure. Definitely my favorite country to go to. PS The west does not need to impose harsh de-growth measures, we just need to start living a little bit more like the Japanese perhaps and start using glass or metal instead of plastic. In my community we can recycle some of the glass bottles and jars back at the store. Which is satisfying . We have to stop using single use plastic. Duhh!! Plastic is capitalism. Or why not recyclable hemp cartons and packaging ? Anyway Thanks 42 ! Go Japan !!
The thing is, Japan uses a heck ton of plastic. I came back from there less than a week ago and I was already aware of how much plastic they use - mostly plastic bags and bottles, which is surprising considering how strict their recycling system is. And we sadly know that only about 10% of what is supposed to be recycled truly is. They do sometime use aluminum bottles, I'm surprised it isn't the rule rather than the exception. Having said that, Japan is an incredible country.
Just back from a fabulous experience - but I have never seen sio much throw away plastic: virtually every item is plastic shrink wrapped.
I spent a year living in Japan, great experience. In that time the train I was on was delayed no more than 3 times, unfortunately because someone had jumped onto the tracks in fromt of another train.
On one occasion the train overshot the door marks on the platform by around 12 inches. Rather than jsut open the doors and carry on, the driver "reversed the train" to make sure the doors were properly aligned. I'm happy if the train stops at the same platform every day, forget about marks on the platform edge for door alignment. That's the local trains.
Another time the train I was on developed a fault. Stopped at the next stations where a replacement train was waiting to continue the journey. We still arrived on time!
The bullet trains, as stated in the video, have an average lateness measured in fractions of a minute over the year. Long delays make the news.
The UK invented trains but have long since forgotten how to run and build them. Perhaps we should look to our past industrial history and start doing things well again.
Very few videos in UA-cam achieve to be so informative, entertaining, and inspiring at the same time. Well done!
I just wanted to say thank you for your videos. I have learned so much with your sound doctrine, and it gave my family what it needs the most, laughter. I truly can not stress enough that what you do is exactly your calling, meaning you are where you belong for now. I don't know what the future holds for anyone, but I'm glad I found your channel. Thank you.
Vacationing Japan, their rail system, from the high speed network to small trains serving rural areas where the stops are little more than a loading ramp, was awesome. Bonus that it was cheaper for tourists to get a high speed train pass than the natives.
yup, I managed to book ¥70,000 worth of travel on my ¥50,000 2-week train pass. With the price increase I'll probably "pass" on it next time.
In Japan right now and have found travelling by Shinkansen to be a most excellent experience. Thanks for the story!
Impeccable (almost comedic) timing to mention our awful transportation infrastructure considering the current speculation of Sunak scrapping the northern HS2 route lad
Instead of throwing away 100 billion on a shiny super fast train, why not introduce an integral pulse timetable? It vastly improves the travelexperience and is way less expensive. Further more it is more simple to justify expansions
Really good video, thoroughly enjoyed it
I do hope you never stop being so “punny “ ❤
What i find most facinating about Japan is that it truly blends the ancient with the futuristic advancements. Something that America completely fails at.. it's so frustrating the direction America is going. Turning every town into the same unaffordable repetitive place.
I like watching this type of stuff because it gives me a staunch reminder that the Amtrak/Acela is amateur and I can't wait to visit these countries and experience something better.
The Thing that's really embarrassing is that the Track the Acela uses was some of the First electrified track in the world and had cab signaling in the 1920s as it was part of the Standard Railroad of the world or the Pennsylvania Railroad which helped to pioneer the technology that would enable high speed rail however that was in 1934 and the Pennsylvania railroad merged with several other failing railroads in the 1960s to form the infamous Penn Central which was one of the largest bankruptcies in the country it was so bad the federal government stepped in to create Amtrak and Conrail
I always smile like a little girl when I see this mans face and when he says "Heyyy, 42 here!" 😂😊
I love your videos, they always make me laugh, and I learn something at the same time - best combination, I always look forward to the next one. . Not only are the bullet trains fast - they are 99.9 percent on time, "late" being maybe one or two minutes. Why can't we learn to tell time like this? Thanks.
yes, why can't the rest of the developed world copy japan? we would get a global utopia. not even kidding
I assume it is because RAID SHADOWLEGENDS 💀
as well as YTs AD POLICY *cough-cough*
Absolutely fantastic. Thank you
As an American who has traveled to Europe and Asia, had the pleasure of riding high speed trains; I am thoroughly annoyed by the fact we dont have these in the US. Legal Bribery called "lobbying" has basically killed any chance of us ever having a train system like this. Bah humbug.
I feel same. I think the USA has 1 high speed train that connects DC to New York or some place. But there are a ton of commuter flights that could be supplemented with high speed rail....LA to Vegas?
In the 1950s and 1960s car companies bought up railway lines in LA, Michigan etc and demolished them, building roads instead with the complicity and co-financing of the government.
The US still relies on extremely polluting flying for most of its transport. Its not even an efficient form of transport, with all the delays and nonsense security at the airports. With all the money the country has, spending even a 10th of its military budget on a good train system would be enough, if they keep it going for enough years during construction.
Just connecting all the major cities would be a feat by itself that is probably just worth it, allowing more people an alternative to flying that is just as fast, safer, and can run on electrical power. It also is potentially cheaper, both to operate and maintain, which will lower travel prices and increase economic output.
This is what happens with your country spent all their money on new highways.
That is what happens when your states are the size of many of those countries, it's a completely different scale.
Another point of note as it tends to be different in Europe, Shinkansen don't only have dedicated lines, they have dedicated platforms too. Each platform will always have trains going in a given direction (they might go somewhere else later on eventually but will have the same next stop at least). If you take a train every day, it will always be in the same place, unlike Europe where you might have no idea until 3 min before it shows up. This helps greatly with having a smooth schedule.
The reason it's not possible in Europe is most train stations just can't be made bigger because of everything already built around them, which isn't a problem when you just build them huge in the first place when you build the shinkansen. Also a lot more use of verticality for extra platforms.
So much good information summarized brilliantly and entertainment-ly. Thank you for making good content.
This is the HARSHEST critical video I have EVER SEEN you do..... AND I LOVED IT! As an American who loves trains but lives in a country running on rails like yours, I would look both east (across the pond) at your accomplishments (to a point) and then west to Japan for their amazing successes with the "Bullet Train". I can only say THANK YOU for possibly the best video, to me at least, that you have ever done!
I felt the pound of flesh you had to give for this, but I am better as a viewer for it. Keep this as your touchstone for future videos Thoughty2 Here.
I expand this comment by also saying you could have added 10 minutes more by detailing the man who fought for this train.
I am sure you Thoughty2 of it also
(get it - thought=thoughty2??? I digress... sigh)
Add an addendum video to this for this or another video! I would absolutely love a comparison between him and Richard Branson (another pound of flesh but worth it)
I feel your pain talking about the British rail. Over here in Sydney, we have unions protesting against the installation of security cameras on trains - for fear of making security guards redundant.
Meanwhile, other advanced countries are doing this stuff to their trains.. decades ago.
What? Why not both camera and security guards on the train? More security and camera hardly cost money after first installation. Never thought that Australia would be so backwards minded
I live in a country with very few operational railways left, and whatever little existed before has either been dismantled or left in a state of disrepair due to the government’s neglect. (We had a decent railway system before the 90’s, but our new government couldn’t maintain it to save their lives). As a 27-year-old, I have never had the opportunity to ride on a train, so seeing this video almost brought a tear to my eye. Knowing that my country could have had a decent working railway system and travelling would’ve been much less of a hassle and much safer is honestly heartbreaking. Just one more reason for me to visit Japan whenever I get the chance.
Mrs Richards: "I paid for a room with a view !"
Basil: (pointing to the lovely view) "That is Torquay, Madam ."
Mrs Richards: "It's not good enough!"
Basil: "May I ask what you were expecting to see out of a Torquay hotel bedroom window ? Sydney Opera House, perhaps? the Hanging Gardens of Babylon? Herds of wildebeest sweeping majestically past?..."
Mrs Richards: "Don't be silly! I expect to be able to see the sea!"
Basil: "You can see the sea, it's over there between the land and the sky."
Mrs Richards: "I'm not satisfied. But I shall stay. But I expect a reduction."
Basil: "Why?! Because Krakatoa's not erupting at the moment ?"
Fawlty Towers with the OG 'Karen'! Lol 😂😂
@@Miss-Anne-Thrope YOU WANT ROOM 16 FOR HIM ?
I was in Japan in 2006 and we had a JR pass (which native Japanese are not allowed - or weren't at the time). A story I always tell to anyone who'll listen is waiting at Tokyo station to catch the Shinkansen to Kyoto. There were parallel lines painted every so often along the platform at right angles to the edge of the platform. We noticed people were queuing up in these lines; nowhere else. We thought "Oh, it's just the Japanese being polite". That was true, but the real reason was as the train came in, the doors lined up EXACTLY with these lines. Amazing.
Then, the driver got out of his cab, stood on the platform, turned to all the people boarding and bowed to us. We were blown away.
Also, whenever somebody came into the carriage with a trolley of drinks or snacks, they bowed to us all before proceeding. When they were leaving to go to the next carriage they did it again! What a country! Although it must be one of or the most non-divergent (race wise) country. Some might say that this eliminates tribal / racial squabbling and lets them got on with more important things.
U are doing great...well done...very intelligent to the core
Very well done. Thanks for sharing!
“And as a result, Japan exploded.”
Yikes. Well, in a roundabout way, I guess that’s how it happened…
Having just returned from Japan, we were very impressed with their transportation system including light rail, metro, buses, etc.The full system is easy to use, even if you don't speak Japanese. We got around in the cities and from city to city for 5 weeks without a car. The Shinkansen is fantastic - fast and quiet.
Europe has a great network of trains too. We always come back to the US and can't understand why we still don't have high speed trains here.
with smartphones you can also just follow your location on the map app, if the train doesn't have in-car station displays (Keihin express to Haneda was the worst offender here)
While there haven't been any accidents with the Shinkansen, there have been accidents with the local trains. The Amagasaki derailment killed over 100 people when the train slammed into a building on a turn. The driver was speeding, trying to make up for being 90 seconds behind schedule. I remember because that was the train I took to work. My station was the next one, the one he was on his way to. While it wasn't the Shinkansen, I did dodge the bullet that time. (Sorry for a pun)
It wasn't just that he was running late, but he also had an emergency brake penalty from earlier on and another one would mean his punishment would be cleaning the rails with a toothbrush for several weeks.
Thankfully this kind of idiotic behaviour is no longer tolerated by JR.
Edit: I have to say my wife also dodged a bullet with this train as the crashed service was one she frequently took to work. This happened to be her day off.
The next day, she took the Hankyu line permanently.
I spent two years living in Japan in the early 2000's and I rode on the Shinkansen traveling from Hiroshima to Tokyo and back, it was a very impressive ride with stewardesses going up and down the train to serve its customers with beverages including beer and food stuffs. I have to say though, as right as you were to say they are on time, they are not the only train services to be on time. Normal commuter trains in my experience were almost always punctual. Once traveling from Kure to Hiroshima a conductor came into our carriage and I assume every other carriage, bowed, and was visibly upset to announce that our train would be two minutes late arriving in Hiroshima. I was so impressed with their entire train services and there is no comparison between our English train services and Japan’s. Thank you for this video.
Good job bro, You're teaching me more than my history teacher
In the 1950s and 1960s car companies bought up railway lines in LA, Michigan etc and demolished them, building roads instead, with the complicity and co-financing of the government
So, if I raise an ant colony on a bullet train, can I call them “bullet ants?”
😅 I’ll see myself out!
😂👍
LMAO!!! 🤣
😂😂😂😂😂😅😅😅🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
🐜
The most interesting part of this video is the fact that Japan built it's Shinkansen (literally: new main line) because it needed capacity and to separate fast long distance services from slower local services. This is also the primary argument for HS2 in England, which answers for the most part capacity issues. Similarly with HS1 (Eurostar) the primary competitor was Channel ferries. In France, the TGV was simply an upgrade of an existing train network which was already reasonably fast in places.
Yet here in Australia we don't have high speed rail. Why? Because we got obsessed with high speed rail as a replacement for intercapital air travel. So much so we've not noticed that we're the only country in the world with this particular obsession. And not noticing that where high speed rail is popular, it is actually competing with cars.
We are totally obsessed with Melbourne to Sydney (a route totally dominated by air travel). Yet the routes that actually make sense for high speed rail are much shorter - car dominated corridors between Newcastle, Sydney and Wollongong and between Brisbane and the Gold Coast. We need to get this simple message to politicians. And we need to explain to them that in these car dominated corridors, the price of not building high speed rail is simply spending a similar bucket of cash on augment existing motorways.
Took the Shinkansen from Tokyo to Hiroshima and back, it was simply remarkable, never experienced anything like it.
The camera segment brought something to mind. When I was younger, I encountered a young oriental boy, that may or may not, have been Japanese. He was always saying take a picture, it lasts longer. And then there were the Japanese tourists with their cameras!
The Japanese have always had lack raw resources but done great job of adding value to things. It’s truly a marvel to look at great video I’d go so far to say this is why the swords they make are so legendary in history
That’s how good Thoughty2’s storytelling is. Even a story about high speed railway sounds captivating.
As someone who missed a train by a minute in Japan. The train system is amazing.
@breadandcircuses8127 well connected, punctual, smooth and fast rides, relatively cheap, trains stations well stocked with food, signs making it easy to navigate. The public transport in each city though.....
First of all, I'd like to say, "Thank you" for all the great UA-cam content and your books! I've been watching this channel for several years now, and I always enjoy it when you release a new video! I have 2 of your books, which I thoroughly enjoy, as well!
Okay so - great video; however, sound issues? Is that just my internet or something, maybe? I'm not sure, but I watched it on 2 of my devices and noticed a bit of a choppy, grainy audio quality, more towards the beginning of the video than at the middle or end.
Again though: great video, interesting content (as always!), and a worthwhile use of my time, lol. Thank you! Please don't stop producing great videos!
Interesting. Japan is a country much longer than it is wide, but the trains "squared" it, that is, long-way travel times are much closer to short-way travel times.
excellent point! on my Japan trip Hiroshima to Shin-Yamaguchi was ~50 minutes, an the express bus from Shin-yamaguchi to Hagi was about that
"...and that's because our trains are so old, the tracks are made from the bones of Victorian children." I nearly spat my tea everywhere, bloody good joke old chap.
The digital watch is also a good example of the Japanese embracing a technology invented by another country, the Swiss. The Swiss did not appreciate the technology because they were at the time the number one producer of watches, all analog at the time. They could not fathom why anybody would want a digital watch and just produced them as an exotic, and expensive, novelty. After Texas Instruments bought the rights to manufacture them and started making them dirt cheap(Hamilton watch was $2100, TI was $20), they ended up losing the market in around ten years and ended up selling off to Seiko. The rest is pretty much history.
Technically the Railroad Electrification used and the cab signals were invented by American railroads but that was before world war 2
The craziest shit is this shinkansen’s track is through the mountains full of curves and up-down hills. Almost no straight line. And still manages to go over 200kph
I hope they become the 1st to fully adopt MagLev technology across the country.
bro the L-0 maglev is already failed
Japanese railway staff have a procedure called "point and name" for every action they take. It cut accidents by 85%! My family uses it just to help us remember where we put things, like eyeglasses. When you get older, Point and Name really works!
I've seen it so often but never knew it was called "point and name"!
And how's Britains HS2 coming along?🤣🤣🤣
I hate you! 😂😅😭
01:45 Don’t feel too bad. I’m from the United States and have had to endure the shame of riding efficient high-speed trains in Asia and Europe.
This video felt like it had way more sass than usual, and i'm all for it. good stuff :)
High speed rail is currently a heated political topic in England, especially in The North and Midlands. These barbs were well placed.
the highly pun-worthy content made it all the more better :)
Excellent subject choice and presentation. Top man.
Only thoughty2 can make me feel so passionate about something I’ll never see lol
One of the most talented persons I have ever witnessed on UA-cam. His topics are well chosen and meticulously explained in such a way that it leaves you submersed in the topic and leave a astonishing lasting after thought. Excellent Thoughty2!!!!!!
I'm just waiting for them to invent the Gundam.
There actually are Japanese companies trying to build bipedal robots you can pilot. They're a bit a ways off from Gundams though.
i actually thought he said "Gundam rollercoaster" and had to skip back to check...."goddamn rollercoaster"
Just want to point out 2 things. Before shinkansen, Japan already had a vast network of electric powered rail and the fastest trip from Tokyo to Osaka took relatively short at 6 hours. It's not like japan suddenly change from steam train to shinkansen overnight.
Although shinkansen is very safe and convenient, one must be really rich to take shinkansen as a daily commute because Shinkansen ticket price is much more expensive than HSR in other places.
Of course steam wasn't that bad either, despite what the video says the C62 class 4-6-4s could put on a decent turn of speed with 129 kmh (80 mph) recorded on the Tokaido Main Line.
Also, rents aren't that high in Japan so there isn't much of a barrier to live in big cities. A big reason this is, though is that the Shinkansen made Japan so interconnected that living in a smaller city isn't that inconvenient, unlike the US or the UK where the economy is concentrated into a few (or even one, London) expensive cities. You probably won't commute from Shizuoka to Tokyo but you can easily go to Tokyo to a concert or embassy if you need to
Arran's frustration with the British railways was quite funny. I am still wondering why the British couldn't let Thomas the train go.
the trains here in sweden are pretty slow too. they're very modern and they look nice but the rails are too old to handle super high speeds
@@krisstopher8259 Same deal here in Norway. They run modern Stadler FLIRT sets, but 97 percent of the network is so out of date it's not even funny. Most of it is single track with too few passing loops. And curvy. And with gradients too. With the exeption of a few modern stretches of rail with 200 km/h line speed near Oslo, it's all ancient. And since the capacity in the network is over utilized, it actually takes longer for the regional train between- say- Oslo and Bergen today than in the early 70s...
It's a ruddy disgrace, is what it is!
What makes it worse in Britain is back in Victorian days Brunel designed his broad gauge GWR railway from London to Bristol. It's still the best piece of track in Britain, very straight and fast and broad gauge was much more efficient and gave a smoother ride. Sadly none of our other track was built to his high standards.
@@Innerspace100 yep. that sux
I never understood why people think that all trains must be 100% perfect with 0 delays at all?
Even if they upgrade the rails, they would still be some delays, due to rail maintenance, derailed train, leave fallen onto the tracks.
Are you people really that impatience? What wrong waiting 2 minutes for a fucking train? I love how people get annoyed and impatient waiting for than 5 minutes for a train, yet never seem get impatient waiting 9 months until their wife or girlfriend gives birth.
Have been to Japan 4 times and lived there for 6 months. I've taken the Shinkansen several times. The first time I took it was from Kyoto to Tokyo in 1981 and whilst on the line there was a small earthquake which slowed us down by 30 seconds. When we arrived in Tokyo the rail staff were so apologetic that we were delayed by 30 seconds, they refunded our full fare. 🙂
Back during the period of explosive growth, I can see that. Nowadays, it's hard to fathom a full refund from a 30s delay on a shinkansen.
I literally see and feel the appreciation you have for this remarkable innovation.
Manifest content as usual.
How, though??🤔
Can't you only appreciate what you experience (in some way)?
I love your channel. Best episode yet! Most ancient and most advanced country at the and time.
Thoughty's brains, sexy voice, and handsome face make him the complete package 😉
Hecklefish will not be pleased with this statement. #fearthecrabcat
Yeah, I'm straight but jealous. He's so obviously all that.
I love Hecklefish too 😂😂😂
#lizzidpeople
But he should totally wear that mustache.
@@ZombiePanda1776 Aren't hecklefish the ones who keep interrupting clownfish during their comedy routines? "Take off your scales!"
I was lucky enough to ride this train a couple times. It was awesome when another passed in the opposite direction. Just a 5 second blur.
The reliability and precision of that train system is insane…
I fr have watched every single video since 2016. This is my comfort channel!
Japan, the only country that can rival German engineering
You haven't seen an ICE in real life. That totally breaks your expectations in German engineering.
people slam German trains but I actually like them a lot. They might be late but the experience is consistent and the stations are in the middle of cities
We ran the "Bullet Train" from Osaka to Tokyo a few weeks ago. The trained pulled away on the second. Then 2 hours to Tokyo. It was immaculate and staff were so professional and lovely. Then back in Scotland.....you get the picture. 😢😢
yeah you just can't wander onto a Shinkansen. You gotta get into position and move fast, the trains are on a tight schedule!
Hi @Thoughty2, something very very important missed there. It appears you explained that they moved from the steam engine directly to high speed electric powered trains.
You can easily buy shinkansen tickets from a vending machine at any Japan Railway (JR) station. So convenient. But remember, there are 2 fares: the Basic Fare is a ticket to get on the train; the Reserved Seat fare is a ticket to sit in a reserved seat (the Green Car). Without the latter, you could find yourself standing in the aisles for the duration of the trip.
If there was an award similar to the Oscars but for puns, this guy would dominate constantly
yes
KNOWLEDGE is BLISS ❤
Shinkansen might be the first High speed train but ICE will always be the coolest.
"Unicorns shitting coins in weatherspoons." 😂😂 I love the memorable humour 👍🤣😊
Such an ispiring story. Thank you Thoughty2 team.
Fascinating story. I used the Shinkansen this summer and it was a very nice ride. Back in Belgium 90% of the trains have between 5 and 20min delays
As a kid, my family live just outside of Tokyo in the early 70s. I was a ble to ride the _Bullet Train_ several times and it was an amazing experience each time.
Come to think of it, the British rail system is also a good representation of what the country has become.
Incredible train system for an incredible people and country!
Educational, informative and fun to listen too. Thank you for making a good tube for us masses
Been watching you over a decade, and it’s been great to watch your production get better and better. Thanx for doing what you do.
Same, but i had to stop subscription after those inbuilt adverts, the YT as platform itself only makes it worse by using brute force to shove adverts into consumers faces.
I don't mind adverts, but i do despise abuse of power over people who still pay with their time/bandwidth etc.
Its almost a case of if you invented a revolutionary thing then you're less likely to innovate as the argument then becomes "we've always done it like this". They still use "chains" as a distance measurement despite none of the general public knowing how long it is..with train spotters being the likely exception to this.
In the UK they only retro actively introduced safety systems after horrific rail crashes, "train protective warning systems" were only introduced around 2000 unlike the early adoption from scratch in japan.
Thank you for making me laugh so hard. Learning while having fun... what a concept.
That Fukoka bit was BRILLIANT! haha 😆😆7:21
very Very VERY WELL DONE!!!! EXCELLENT WORK!