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Hokuriku has most modern JR Shinkansen bogies/suspension for smoothest ride in world. HSR in EU or China focus on pure speed. Hokuriku suspension meanwhile feels like Bentley Rolls Royce was HSR. And interior is very sharp. 😊
On the other hand, I will say that doing this requires the windows to be annoyingly small. I use high speed rail (among other reasons) very specifically because i do NOT want to get an experience that resembles an airplane. I want a window, not a porthole. In my view the Swiss have the right idea, many of their trains simply have enough window that seat alignment is not an issue - not sure if it's quite as easy at 300 km/h, but the technology is certainly there. Also, I want to point out that if your seat layout is an exact multiple of the window size, you SHOULD be able to provide an equivalent or better window-per-seat.
@@Blaze6108I actually thought the smaller windows were nothing to do with seats but speed and aerodynamics ? To achieve faster speeds, a more stable train and a smoother adherence to the track. I could be wrong.
@@xr6lad I think there might be specific safety concerns in Japan (EG earthquakes), but in general you don't need them to be small for rail at any speed. The limiting factor to window size in airliners for example is pressurization, which is not an issue for trains.
What a great train system JR is. As is that train. Coincidentally I was just watching an Australian channel last night where he travelled on Gran Class on a Shinkansen that had at seat service.
Now instead of just swiping an individual item a thief hits the jackpot by swiping the AICase. Sorry Eurotrip, the AICase is a terrible idea because it presents an easy and highly visible target. Better to stick with a money belt.
Loved this video ....very clean ,very high class coaches, very good speed ..... ticket price a bit costly ,but for Japanese ppl its not costly bcz your per capita income is good 👍, love and respect from India.
’I WANT TO WIN’ also pretty amazing video, i wish i could go back to tokyo, i miss the vibe and all the beautiful spots and food places, will definetly come back as soon as possible
I use shinkansen and hsr in china frequently, and I have to say that the interior of a shinkansen, cleaness, how the window matches the seats, is unmatched! However, the E7 ride quality isn't really that great, with non-stop shakes and pressure changes when going through tunnels, I don't think I can stay on one for more than 5 hrs. Fortunately, the route is much shorter than that.
The incompatible voltage is a myth.the train you are riding on is dual voltage.the main reson is the tokaido line runs almost as capacity.though that may change in the future when the maglev line starts service.there have always been some plans about this.
I believe it's more of operation efficiency and line ownership. Even tho the service was created by the same company (JNR), during the 90s it got split and to be run similar to an EU rail system. (they got split into 5 companies; 4 regional “commuter” companies, 1 commercial cargo company.) There's local third party rail companies, but it's more of the local council running it as a “service” than any profitable venture. Tho, there are tourist facing train services offered by those companies.
As someone who traveled 4000km on the Japan Rail Pass in one week, the green car seat on these beats out the Tokaido Shinkansen by a mile. Lately there’s been talking about sending the Hokuriku Shinkansen to Nagoya instead.
The one feature I truly want is through service across Japan. I hope someday there can be a 350km/hr non-stop (aside from Tokyo to change power supply) journey from Sapporo to Kagoshima
350km/h will only ever become achievable in some sections of Tohoku Shinkansen, which is blessed with flat, straight tracks. The Tokaido line is capped at 270km/h, and the Sanyo line at 300km/h, while the Kyushu line is capped at 260km/h, in spite of being built this century, because JR Kyushu opted to lower the speed requirement in order to save construction cost. The Hokuriku line in this video is also limited to 260km/h for the same reason. And then there's the killer section between Tokyo and Omiya, where the Shinkansen lines are restricted to 130km/h due to noise concerns. (Even this is an improvement: the limit was 110km/h until 2021!)
I'd like to point out that there is complementary meal service in GranClass on the Hokuriku Shinkansen, but only for the fastest Kagayaki service. This is the same as on the Tohoku Shinkansen where meal service is only offered on the fastest Hayabusa service.
There's no such thing as 'British' or 'American' gauge. And both countries use the same 'Standard' gauge too. Also all electric voltage in Japan is the same too, it's the frequency that's different. I suggest you actually watch the video before commenting in the future as all of this is in there.
Nice video. The train looks squeaky clean. Recently took a trip on the AP from Lisbon to Porto . Top speed was around 200 kmph and the train moved quite a bit from side to side. My daughters didn't like that at all. Also rode on the IRYO Renfe train from Cordoba to Madrid. Much better ride quality and top speed hit 269 kmph.
Another great post from you. Do you know how you can use the Japan Rail Pass in conjunction with the GranClass? Can you upgrade to it on the train? As a passenger, who can you identify as the train manager? How are tickets checked on the train? Can you move freely between carriage classes on the train? Thank you for your feedback.
Yes, there no upgrade as such, the JR pass covers the base fare and then you must purchase a full gran class super express supplement. You can move freely also gbthe trains and tickets are checked by conductors but only if your not sat in your reserved seat. Hope this helps! ☺️
Actually you can use any reservation machine to change a reservation right up to departure. Just book a new reservation and it removes the old one automatically. I did it several times last week between Kanazawa and Tokyo on this very line. The Hokuriku Shinkansen I found to be very poor in ordinary class with narrow seats that aren't particularly comfortable and tiny windows compared to other high speed trains. They also have urinals in between the coaches with WINDOWS so everyone can see in who walks past! Also, the fact most on this route are reservation only often means they run around empty whilst the slower ones that aren't reservation only are packed. In addition they are stupidly expensive and have terrible connections with the local trains and even at Tsuruga with the Thunderbird. The other let down is that the journey time is so slow as you crawl out of Tokyo at 40mph for the first 25 mins and even after that you mainly run at around 240kph at best apart from a bit of 260kph running. Compared to China's high speed trains the Shinkansen are now soooooo far behind in price, quality, speed and comfort and connections to the rest of the network are truly awful. Also, luggage cannot be stored at the back of the coach behind the seats unless you reserve those seats and book the luggage space.
I tried with the tickets, it wouldn't let me because I'd colleced them. You can otherwise.. China is obviously with quantity, but not always necessarily quality
@@NonstopEurotrip I picked up my reservation that I'd made online for the 1012 from Kanazawa to Tokyo at the JR office in Haneda and then the night before travel went to the reservation machine at Kanazawa. I inserted my pass and then selected new reservation (not change). It let me reserve on the 0818 instead and so I thought I'd just have duplicate reservations but but the on screen message said that it would output my new reservation and cancel my old one which it did. I did the same a couple of other times without issue too even though the guidance says you can't! One frustration is the seat reservation machines are switched off in stations from 10pm to 5am (approx) which means you can't reserve a seat during that time on a train which is reservation only and may leave right before they are turned back on! Not sure what would happen if you travelled on a reservation only train with a pass and just stood. I know the guard would find you but would they kick you off?
Now that you mention it, it is true that Japanese Shinkansen are the only high-speed trains in the world that I know they use individual windows except for some 0, 100, 200 and E2 series alongside with the 400, E1 and E4 series.
I see countless slobbering videos about these trains. Yet airliners go three times faster, but nobody is making slobbering videos about them. In fact most of the press about air travel is negative.
The cheapest way is not the JR Rail Pass at the moment since they had jacked up the prices since last October by 69% (not nice). Instead, check out their regional rail passes instead, although that would take more time for you to research on what passes would be the best for your trip, and it doesn't help save cost if you're taking the "golden route" (Tokyo to Kyoto/Osaka) afaik. Only take the Rail Pass for the convenience, or if you think you'd be taking at least 4 Shinkansen rides within your 7 days.
Oh my god, I, as an Austrian, become jealous when I see those high quality trains! Not because of the speed (that would not be possible in Austria) but because of the train-quality! In Austria we where used to have very good trains in previous times, but since years "it goes down"! Of course, we do get new trains, but those trains are mostly a "downgrade" compared to their forerunners! I am so sad about this! Hopefully once it will be much better!
Come on, Austria does have high quality trains and an excellent train operator (OBB). But I do agree that Japanese trains have that extra attention to detail which makes them special. In my country, we're building a high speed line with Japan's collaboration, I hope our railways can inculcate some of JR's quality and customer service.
3:53 Actually E7 is one of the Shinkansen trains that can adapt to both AC frequencies and it occurred on your way! Between Karuizawa and Toyama there are 3 AC frequencies crossovers, when it cross from the east to the west.
i was wondering when he said the plan was to make it go to osaka cus im pretty sure they use a different freq than tokyo so that’s why they used the E7 on this line
@@mrtbts they can also use E2-0 series for this line as E2-0 series can adapt to both AC frequency but E2-0 are too old for Japanese standards and they are already scrapping it.
@@NonstopEurotrip They use 50Hz in the north and 60Hz in the south (associated with a voltage of 1500, 20k or 25kV), vestiges of the old rivalry of the country's two first electricity companies, based in Tokyo and Osaka. The Shinkansen lines are “isolated” from the rest of the network to avoid too many changes. Because the demarcation line between 50 and 60Hz is located on a line, roughly speaking, which goes from Fuji (the town at the foot of the eponymous summit, more precisely at the level of the Fuji river, which means that part of the town is at 50hz and the other at 60hz) on the south coast, at Itoigawa (west of it)...
I took the E7 years ago when the Hokuriku Shinkansen was still relatively new, during my trip to Kanazawa. I took standard class, and as you have said, it's indeed narrow. Another complaint was that the heating system was too warm (travelled during winter) to the point that I sweated. I'd like to try green class next time though. A great balance between those who want more space, yet don't want to spend a high price for Granclass. Fun fact about Ueno station, since you mentioned it as a junction. Decades ago when shinkansen weren't in existence yet, it used to be more than that. It was the terminus for trains from the northern regions (Tohoku). There was a stereotype that inside the station it does not feel like Tokyo at all because one can hear the Tohoku dialect all over the place (which is unintelligible to Japanese from other places). Homesick natives from the north would tend to hang out in that station because it is the only place in the capital thay feels close to home as they would hear their own distinct dialect. However, with the advent of the Tohoku shinkansen and regular trains' going through to Tokyo station, Ueno's role as a hub has been significantly reduced (but still, it's damn big). There's a nice park just outside of the station which houses several national museums. On the other side, there's a famous market and street food place called Ameyoko
Yes, Japan loves heating its trains during winter. Many are heated to 28C (82F) which makes the difference between inside and outside temperatures much more noticeable and you are constantly taking jackets/coats on & off.
I can't resist making a petty pedantic point (sorry!). All Shinkansen use electricity at 25kV AC - however, its at 50hz for the JR East lines to the North, and 60hz for the JR Central/West Tokkaido shinkansen to Osaka and beyond. This isn't an insuperable problem if they did want to run through trains from Hokkaido to Kyushu, but running such trains would cause other issues, especially given how crowded the Tokkaido line is. There is only a single track connection between the two systems at Tokyo.
It's definitely possible with modern VVVF drive trains without much fuss at all. I imagine at the time of line planning and construction this was an actual issue however. But as you say through service skipping Tokyo would have been unlikely anyway and probably unwanted now given capacity limits. But passengers would not need a transfer if the system was fully connected that would be a minor advantage. Probably not worth spending a lot of money and time on now.
You are wrong about the connection. There is not a single track or piece of rail connecting the two Shinkansen networks at Tokyo station. They are completely separated. It seems like tracks 18 & 19 were supposed to be a through tracks between north and south, but they are leading to a dead end just a couple meters north of the platform and are used solely for the Tokaido Shinkansen running south.
As mentioned by others, the E7 trains on the Hokuriku Shinkansen are dual-frequency trains which can operate on power of either frequency. The reason that trains don't run through Tokyo is that trains are operated by different companies with different train frequencies (the number of trains per hour, not the electrical frequency), patronage, train lengths, train types etc; and the demand for through travel isn't sufficient to do so.
Frequency is not really an issue with modern inverter based traction converters (the same reason why your phone can use 120V 60Hz or 240V 50 Hz). The real reason is probably something different.
@@kc3302 Of course, some of the 'E7' units are actually 'W7' which are owned by JR West, with a view to when the Hokuriko line is extended to Osaka, so I guess they'd have to handle both frequencies if they used both JR East and West lines!
I have tried NOZOMI Shinkansen twice early June 2024. 🙂 We traveled with max speed of 285 km/h. I was siting in row 2, so it was a little shaky from time to time. Trains were on time, very clean, service was nice, but stations too busy with too many signs. Overall amazing experience. Kyoto station was stunning piece of architecture. The Japanese are polite perfectionists, no one can match them in the World. 😍
I tried Hayabusa Shinkansen from Tokyo to Hokkaido, it can reach 320km/h top speed but lil bit shaky. After many times experiencing Chinese HSR, you will obviously notice how shaky Shinkansen is.
Did a recent trip to Japan and snagged my first ever Shinkansen rides on the Nozomi super express between Hakata and Hiroshima, and Hiroshima and Shin-Osaka. Both rather busy with business travellers but nothing stands in the way of JR on-time efficiency with speeds of nearly 300 km/h during some sectors. Also did a day trip to from Asakusa to Tobu-Nikko with one leg on the aptly-named Spacia X train, and the return leg on the Revaty Kegon train. Both extremely comfortable.
You should try the Komachi/Hayabusa next time, can´t go any faster by train in Japan. Personaly I prefered the 800 series on the Sakura services while traveling the western regions, more room with the 2+2 seatings and that is very important as a taller and slightly broader European when traveling over 7700km by train
Those waffle things are FIRE btw I ate so many on my trip to Japan you can get them in various brands from 711s which are everywhere there and super popular.
huge fan of Shikansen and yes JR Rail passes are the way to do it - in 2019 i bought the Sanyo-Sanin JR Rail pass for 7 days and was able to cover a lot in the western region including Osaka, Hiroshima, Fukuoka, Kyoto, Nara and Okayama
@@bluejay313 I was coming here to post that. Unless you're going to be doing a lot of long-distance train travel, it's hard to see how you're saving any money. For example, a Tokyo-Kyoto-Osaka-Hiroshima-Tokyo itinerary would cost ¥48,100 vs a 7-day pass which costs ¥50,000 (and, IMHO, visiting those 4 cities is too much to cover in a week). Plus, for me at least, having a rail pass makes you feel you have to USE your rail pass, so I'm less likely to spend a leisurely day kicking around, say, Osaka, and instead finding myself thinking "Well, I've got this rail pass burning a hole in my pocket, so maybe I'll go to Kobe or Nara". I spent way too much time on trains during my last visit trying to get the most value out of my pass, and that was in March 2023. Since Japan rail prices (unlike the US or Europe) don't increase closer to departure, it's much easier to buy point-to-point tickets as needed and increases your flexibility options. The good old days of cheap rail passes appear to be gone. It was sure nice while it lasted
Fastest Safest Cleanest Most stable Always on time Best service What else could we ask for? Japan’s railways are the closest to perfection. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Japanese views Europe just like how the Europeans views America.
I also love E7/W7 series, whereas you should try 700 series Hikari rail star car 7 and 8, it’s used as each stations stop Kodama(こだま)in Sanyo Shinkansen ( 山陽新幹線)these days. I think that’s the best Shinkansen.
If you find Tokyo station busy, you have to try Shinjuku. As a Swiss, used to on-time trains during busy hours, I was shocked and impressed by the efficiency and crowd management. And all the arguments we are provided on why we cannot have trains at higher frequency in Switzerland are proven wrong in Japan. Amazing country.
I've ridden in almost all of the routes except for the one heading towards Akita. Almost everything was perfect, and I didn't mind riding the ordinary cars because the seats were still quite comfortable. When I moved to Japan in mid-2018, I wasn't expecting to be able to ride the West-Kyushu Shinkansen at all as I had only planned to stay for no more than three years, maximum. When I finally moved back home to Australia, I had ridden it around five times or so.
After riding different HSR, I feel Hokuriku is best. Also it does not use Platypus nose like all HSR. Not sure why. Maybe JR tunnels in that area negate need. So Hokuriku really does look like good looking train.
To me what is so special in its design is the secret capabilities to be comfortable while climbing in high speed towards the Mountains… I think the highest point is around Ussui-pass probably around 700M to 1000M from sea level
The E7-type Shinkansen trains have high power output compared to other Shinkansen trains, as they run through mountainous areas on the Hokuriku Shinkansen line. The Shinkansen is the world's first high-speed train, built in 1964. The meaning of "Shinkansen" is that "Shin" represents "New" and "Kansen" means “Main line”.
Theoretically, they could make an E7X series of 4 cars long if the demand warrants it - to fill in the length of the Joetsu Shinkansen which used to use double decker 16 car MAX trains.
But alas, the E7 Series is only limited to a top speed of 275 km/h (171 mph). This isn't the E5/H5 models with a top speed of 320 km/h (199 mph) or its planned successor with a top speed of 360 km/h (224 mph).
Came here just after watching Simon Anderson's GWR IET video. The contrast is very stark. It baffles me that Hitachi is the manufacturer of both trains, and yet the quality difference is vast. I know a lot of it comes down to the DFT forcing TOCs to order cheap hard seats, but even the bodyshell looks so much better on the Shinkansen trains. I wonder if it's a case of Hitachi designing to a low budget for us vs Japan. Clearly it's not a skill issue.
I have once reserved this expensive deep blue seat, because all the regular seats were sold out. Also once I have experienced the 2 story shinkansen, which are no longer in operation. As Hokuriku Shinkansen is relatively new, it's good that almost all seats are equipped with electric power outlets.
When the japan railpass was cheaper (the price was increased by almost +70% in 2023) I would travel on the shinkansen every day from Tokyo with day trips even to Aomori. But the new shinkansen lines have so many tunnels and you don't see much from the window. Now I'd prefer to stay in one area and take slower local trains.
Between Tokyo, Kanazawa and Tsuruga, they have a faster service, "KAGAYAKI", which takes 2.5 hours between Tokyo and Kanazawa and 3+ hours between Tokyo and Tsuruga. But bear in mind that all seats on the "KAGAYAKI" are reserved, so you'll need a seat reservation beforehand.
@@NonstopEurotrip Agreed. Whenever I travel to Japan, a Japan Rail Pass is mandatory for me. I prefer to reserve my seat at least a few days beforehand, just to ensure I can get my desired window seat.
Geez don’t come to Australia. That 450 km takes 3 hours. My 130 km Melbourne to Bendigo on what passes for a fast train here (100-160kmph) takes 2 hours.
I recommend taking Hokuriku Shinkansen in spring！Because in Toyama Prefecture you'll see Japanese North Alps beautifully covered with white snow on mountains tops, making a good contrast of the deep blue mountains and the white snow. In summer the snow is gone, and in winter mountains are entirely covered by white snow.
Have you ever tried Kyushu Shinkansen? That was a unique experience, and the interiors were more in Japanese style. The back of seats were made of wood with its original wooden colour. But I'd like to try the recently started Nishi (Western) Kyushu Shinkansen which was not yet in operation when I visited the region.
When you next visit India make sure that you visit during the monsoon season and travel in Konkan railway from Mumbai to Kanyakumari. It's a lifetime experience.
I just wish our trains here in the U.K. were like this - the only way that it can ever happen is for an external body from Japan, CCP or Taiwan to come in and take complete, direct and unfettered control of the U.K. railways and directly improve things, backed by Parliament laws to facilitate this
Thank you for an extremely interesting and informative video. The first three minutes will be particularly useful (and reassuring) to anyone visiting Japan for the first time. One thing slightly worries me. Japan (rightly) has compulsory seat reservations on all its high speed trains. But you seemed to be saying that if you want to change your reservation to an earlier or later train you have to queue up. I am sure that fifteen years ago I changed an SNCF TGV seat reservation at a machine designed for that purpose.
You're very welcome 🤗 And *most* Shinkansen do have unreserved coaches/seating and you can use them with the JR pass, but as reservations are free, I found it best to make them anyway, to guarantee a window seat. And I only needed to change a couple throughout the whole week 😀
I like the E7 too. I think the styling and colours are much better than the E5, which had that weird head shape for aerodynamics. Shinkansen always does a good job of avoiding the wall-facing view. And that green car seat looks quite similar to the Superior First Class in CR's new CR400-BS series.
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Hokuriku has most modern JR Shinkansen bogies/suspension for smoothest ride in world. HSR in EU or China focus on pure speed. Hokuriku suspension meanwhile feels like Bentley Rolls Royce was HSR. And interior is very sharp. 😊
Thanks for sharing!
Unlike far too many European and UK trainsets, the Shinkansen always aligns its seats with the windows. Good job JR!
Absolutely 💯
Just imagine German ICEs that turn their direction twice during one ride (Munich -> Stuttgart -> Frankfurt -> Berlin).
On the other hand, I will say that doing this requires the windows to be annoyingly small. I use high speed rail (among other reasons) very specifically because i do NOT want to get an experience that resembles an airplane. I want a window, not a porthole.
In my view the Swiss have the right idea, many of their trains simply have enough window that seat alignment is not an issue - not sure if it's quite as easy at 300 km/h, but the technology is certainly there. Also, I want to point out that if your seat layout is an exact multiple of the window size, you SHOULD be able to provide an equivalent or better window-per-seat.
@@Blaze6108I actually thought the smaller windows were nothing to do with seats but speed and aerodynamics ? To achieve faster speeds, a more stable train and a smoother adherence to the track. I could be wrong.
@@xr6lad I think there might be specific safety concerns in Japan (EG earthquakes), but in general you don't need them to be small for rail at any speed. The limiting factor to window size in airliners for example is pressurization, which is not an issue for trains.
Everything in Japan is high quality
What a great train system JR is. As is that train. Coincidentally I was just watching an Australian channel last night where he travelled on Gran Class on a Shinkansen that had at seat service.
Check out my video too :)
Japantastic
😂😂
I wanna go to Japan so much! I’m gonna go next year! I have to use the Shinkansen 🚄! Hope your keeping well mate
You definitely should mate, you won't regret it 😉
Need to get the Lock Picking Lawyer to check out that AICase
Putting all your values in just one location is a HUGE mistake.
Now instead of just swiping an individual item a thief hits the jackpot by swiping the AICase. Sorry Eurotrip, the AICase is a terrible idea because it presents an easy and highly visible target. Better to stick with a money belt.
He just needs to look at it and the thing will open. And then lock it back up to do it once more to ensure it was not a fluke.
@@PureAlbaniaagree. I’d use this at home for a variety of purposes but never travelling.
Loved this video ....very clean ,very high class coaches, very good speed ..... ticket price a bit costly ,but for Japanese ppl its not costly bcz your per capita income is good 👍, love and respect from India.
Thank you very much!
’I WANT TO WIN’ also pretty amazing video, i wish i could go back to tokyo, i miss the vibe and all the beautiful spots and food places, will definetly come back as soon as possible
Entered! And thanks :-)
@@NonstopEurotrip anytime, its really an amazing video. Enjoyed every second of it
Never heard it being called a bum gun but that's pretty accurate.
😂😂😂
@@NonstopEurotripI am so calling a bidet a bum gun from now on
there is a series 0 shinkansen at the NRM in York, England. I was surprised at just how wide it is compared to the UK "high speed train"
I know, I live right near it and that's what started my fascination 😂
In fact the train clips from the sponsor section were filmed at York station 👀
I use shinkansen and hsr in china frequently, and I have to say that the interior of a shinkansen, cleaness, how the window matches the seats, is unmatched! However, the E7 ride quality isn't really that great, with non-stop shakes and pressure changes when going through tunnels, I don't think I can stay on one for more than 5 hrs. Fortunately, the route is much shorter than that.
I disagree. I went on most and it was the best, for me
The incompatible voltage is a myth.the train you are riding on is dual voltage.the main reson is the tokaido line runs almost as capacity.though that may change in the future when the maglev line starts service.there have always been some plans about this.
Let's hope!
I believe it's more of operation efficiency and line ownership. Even tho the service was created by the same company (JNR), during the 90s it got split and to be run similar to an EU rail system. (they got split into 5 companies; 4 regional “commuter” companies, 1 commercial cargo company.) There's local third party rail companies, but it's more of the local council running it as a “service” than any profitable venture. Tho, there are tourist facing train services offered by those companies.
As someone who traveled 4000km on the Japan Rail Pass in one week, the green car seat on these beats out the Tokaido Shinkansen by a mile.
Lately there’s been talking about sending the Hokuriku Shinkansen to Nagoya instead.
Absolutely, 💯 agree 👍🏻
Great video !!
Thanks!
The one feature I truly want is through service across Japan. I hope someday there can be a 350km/hr non-stop (aside from Tokyo to change power supply) journey from Sapporo to Kagoshima
Completely agree 💯
350km/h will only ever become achievable in some sections of Tohoku Shinkansen, which is blessed with flat, straight tracks. The Tokaido line is capped at 270km/h, and the Sanyo line at 300km/h, while the Kyushu line is capped at 260km/h, in spite of being built this century, because JR Kyushu opted to lower the speed requirement in order to save construction cost. The Hokuriku line in this video is also limited to 260km/h for the same reason. And then there's the killer section between Tokyo and Omiya, where the Shinkansen lines are restricted to 130km/h due to noise concerns. (Even this is an improvement: the limit was 110km/h until 2021!)
I'd like to point out that there is complementary meal service in GranClass on the Hokuriku Shinkansen, but only for the fastest Kagayaki service. This is the same as on the Tohoku Shinkansen where meal service is only offered on the fastest Hayabusa service.
Thanks for the information ℹ️
「あるケース」
と、読んでしまいました😂
👀
will you be doing a japan trip report? how long where you there, what did you do? I was there for 3 weeks last month and loved it!
I loved it too! There's many Japanese videos already on the channel 😁
Japan has two guages, British and American. Electricity voltages are two as well.
There's no such thing as 'British' or 'American' gauge. And both countries use the same 'Standard' gauge too. Also all electric voltage in Japan is the same too, it's the frequency that's different. I suggest you actually watch the video before commenting in the future as all of this is in there.
13:19. Thanks great to have my Quest 3 on hand to game or watch movies etc. Laurie. NZ. 😊
😂😂😂
No Shinkansen service is available which runs thorough Tokyo station although the most of commuting trains runs through the station.
May I suggest a trip to Mexico? Transístmico, El Chepe, Tren Maya, Tren Suburbano. Haven't seen much on them yet
I go in 3 weeks 😊
Nice video. The train looks squeaky clean. Recently took a trip on the AP from Lisbon to Porto . Top speed was around 200 kmph and the train moved quite a bit from side to side. My daughters didn't like that at all. Also rode on the IRYO Renfe train from Cordoba to Madrid. Much better ride quality and top speed hit 269 kmph.
Oh nice! The Iryo frecciarossa is by far the best train in Spain now!
@@NonstopEurotrip Thanks. Will try it one of these days.
Well I'm confused!
I rode E7 shinkansen to Nagano back in November 2018, so how is E7 still brand new?
Am I missing something?
It's still the newest full size, all new Shinkansen. I never said 'brand new'
Another great post from you. Do you know how you can use the Japan Rail Pass in conjunction with the GranClass? Can you upgrade to it on the train? As a passenger, who can you identify as the train manager? How are tickets checked on the train? Can you move freely between carriage classes on the train? Thank you for your feedback.
Yes, there no upgrade as such, the JR pass covers the base fare and then you must purchase a full gran class super express supplement. You can move freely also gbthe trains and tickets are checked by conductors but only if your not sat in your reserved seat. Hope this helps! ☺️
将来、敦賀から新下関間に、山陰新幹線が出来た
ら、北海道新幹線から東北新幹線大宮でスイッチ
バック北陸新幹線を通って西に進めば、鹿児島中
央まで直通が可能です。
車両は、H７ｗ7を使用出来ます。
Thanks for the information 🙂ℹ️
'I WANT TO WIN'
commeting on every new vid untill he goes on the blue bzmot
You'll be commenting for a while then 😂
Japan's Shinkansen is great, and China's high-speed rail is also very good. Welcome to visit China and experience China's high-speed rail.
ua-cam.com/video/f5wG0eU3NM4/v-deo.html
Actually you can use any reservation machine to change a reservation right up to departure. Just book a new reservation and it removes the old one automatically. I did it several times last week between Kanazawa and Tokyo on this very line. The Hokuriku Shinkansen I found to be very poor in ordinary class with narrow seats that aren't particularly comfortable and tiny windows compared to other high speed trains. They also have urinals in between the coaches with WINDOWS so everyone can see in who walks past!
Also, the fact most on this route are reservation only often means they run around empty whilst the slower ones that aren't reservation only are packed. In addition they are stupidly expensive and have terrible connections with the local trains and even at Tsuruga with the Thunderbird. The other let down is that the journey time is so slow as you crawl out of Tokyo at 40mph for the first 25 mins and even after that you mainly run at around 240kph at best apart from a bit of 260kph running.
Compared to China's high speed trains the Shinkansen are now soooooo far behind in price, quality, speed and comfort and connections to the rest of the network are truly awful.
Also, luggage cannot be stored at the back of the coach behind the seats unless you reserve those seats and book the luggage space.
I tried with the tickets, it wouldn't let me because I'd colleced them. You can otherwise.. China is obviously with quantity, but not always necessarily quality
@@NonstopEurotrip I picked up my reservation that I'd made online for the 1012 from Kanazawa to Tokyo at the JR office in Haneda and then the night before travel went to the reservation machine at Kanazawa. I inserted my pass and then selected new reservation (not change). It let me reserve on the 0818 instead and so I thought I'd just have duplicate reservations but but the on screen message said that it would output my new reservation and cancel my old one which it did. I did the same a couple of other times without issue too even though the guidance says you can't! One frustration is the seat reservation machines are switched off in stations from 10pm to 5am (approx) which means you can't reserve a seat during that time on a train which is reservation only and may leave right before they are turned back on! Not sure what would happen if you travelled on a reservation only train with a pass and just stood. I know the guard would find you but would they kick you off?
Not on the Japanese bullet train, been on TGV service from Geneva to Paris and back.
Ohh 😮
@@NonstopEurotrip experienced best train service in Europe with Swiss pass.
Your ticket dates to Nov. 2022?
The date of filming is always in the description
I'm honestly not a fan of its design. It ain't a plane, it's a train so it should have bigger windows. Apart from that it looks good.
Now that you mention it, it is true that Japanese Shinkansen are the only high-speed trains in the world that I know they use individual windows except for some 0, 100, 200 and E2 series alongside with the 400, E1 and E4 series.
I'd rather have smaller windows that ALL perfectly lined up with the windows any day
This is a good thing
Kitetor. Namestaj. Vexbija
Dano. Alibasic.
Skody. Oketijy. Ukredeny.
Prediije.saerijevo
I WANT TO WIN!
I WANT TO WIN
I see countless slobbering videos about these trains. Yet airliners go three times faster, but nobody is making slobbering videos about them. In fact most of the press about air travel is negative.
you can't fly on this route
I WANT TO WIN.
The cheapest way is not the JR Rail Pass at the moment since they had jacked up the prices since last October by 69% (not nice). Instead, check out their regional rail passes instead, although that would take more time for you to research on what passes would be the best for your trip, and it doesn't help save cost if you're taking the "golden route" (Tokyo to Kyoto/Osaka) afaik. Only take the Rail Pass for the convenience, or if you think you'd be taking at least 4 Shinkansen rides within your 7 days.
Also, doesn't work for the whole country. JR pass is still by far the best for that
@@NonstopEurotrip Yup, only if one values convenience or taking at least 4 Shinkansen rides within the 7 days pass.
@@hermdude I think I took 15 😂
Oh my god, I, as an Austrian, become jealous when I see those high quality trains! Not because of the speed (that would not be possible in Austria) but because of the train-quality! In Austria we where used to have very good trains in previous times, but since years "it goes down"! Of course, we do get new trains, but those trains are mostly a "downgrade" compared to their forerunners! I am so sad about this! Hopefully once it will be much better!
I hope so too, but Austria is FAR from the worst!
@@NonstopEurotrip Yes, thats right too! Have a nice weekend.
Come on, Austria does have high quality trains and an excellent train operator (OBB).
But I do agree that Japanese trains have that extra attention to detail which makes them special.
In my country, we're building a high speed line with Japan's collaboration, I hope our railways can inculcate some of JR's quality and customer service.
@@Chopper153where are you from? from India?
_Muricans looking at this comment_
3:53 Actually E7 is one of the Shinkansen trains that can adapt to both AC frequencies and it occurred on your way! Between Karuizawa and Toyama there are 3 AC frequencies crossovers, when it cross from the east to the west.
Thanks for the information ℹ️☺️
i was wondering when he said the plan was to make it go to osaka cus im pretty sure they use a different freq than tokyo
so that’s why they used the E7 on this line
@@mrtbts they can also use E2-0 series for this line as E2-0 series can adapt to both AC frequency but E2-0 are too old for Japanese standards and they are already scrapping it.
@@NonstopEurotrip They use 50Hz in the north and 60Hz in the south (associated with a voltage of 1500, 20k or 25kV), vestiges of the old rivalry of the country's two first electricity companies, based in Tokyo and Osaka.
The Shinkansen lines are “isolated” from the rest of the network to avoid too many changes.
Because the demarcation line between 50 and 60Hz is located on a line, roughly speaking, which goes from Fuji (the town at the foot of the eponymous summit, more precisely at the level of the Fuji river, which means that part of the town is at 50hz and the other at 60hz) on the south coast, at Itoigawa (west of it)...
@@Lodai974 thank you!!!
Just a hint, when using vending machine. You don’t need to tap IC card first. Just select the drink you want and then tapping the sensor.
It's good to see your balance first 😁
@@NonstopEurotripuse your phone for your ic cards, you can check balance at any time and it functions the exact same as a physical ic
I took the E7 years ago when the Hokuriku Shinkansen was still relatively new, during my trip to Kanazawa. I took standard class, and as you have said, it's indeed narrow. Another complaint was that the heating system was too warm (travelled during winter) to the point that I sweated. I'd like to try green class next time though. A great balance between those who want more space, yet don't want to spend a high price for Granclass.
Fun fact about Ueno station, since you mentioned it as a junction. Decades ago when shinkansen weren't in existence yet, it used to be more than that. It was the terminus for trains from the northern regions (Tohoku). There was a stereotype that inside the station it does not feel like Tokyo at all because one can hear the Tohoku dialect all over the place (which is unintelligible to Japanese from other places). Homesick natives from the north would tend to hang out in that station because it is the only place in the capital thay feels close to home as they would hear their own distinct dialect. However, with the advent of the Tohoku shinkansen and regular trains' going through to Tokyo station, Ueno's role as a hub has been significantly reduced (but still, it's damn big). There's a nice park just outside of the station which houses several national museums. On the other side, there's a famous market and street food place called Ameyoko
Very interesting, thank you Luke 🙂
Yes, Japan loves heating its trains during winter. Many are heated to 28C (82F) which makes the difference between inside and outside temperatures much more noticeable and you are constantly taking jackets/coats on & off.
I can't resist making a petty pedantic point (sorry!). All Shinkansen use electricity at 25kV AC - however, its at 50hz for the JR East lines to the North, and 60hz for the JR Central/West Tokkaido shinkansen to Osaka and beyond. This isn't an insuperable problem if they did want to run through trains from Hokkaido to Kyushu, but running such trains would cause other issues, especially given how crowded the Tokkaido line is. There is only a single track connection between the two systems at Tokyo.
It's definitely possible with modern VVVF drive trains without much fuss at all.
I imagine at the time of line planning and construction this was an actual issue however.
But as you say through service skipping Tokyo would have been unlikely anyway and probably unwanted now given capacity limits.
But passengers would not need a transfer if the system was fully connected that would be a minor advantage. Probably not worth spending a lot of money and time on now.
You are wrong about the connection. There is not a single track or piece of rail connecting the two Shinkansen networks at Tokyo station. They are completely separated. It seems like tracks 18 & 19 were supposed to be a through tracks between north and south, but they are leading to a dead end just a couple meters north of the platform and are used solely for the Tokaido Shinkansen running south.
As mentioned by others, the E7 trains on the Hokuriku Shinkansen are dual-frequency trains which can operate on power of either frequency.
The reason that trains don't run through Tokyo is that trains are operated by different companies with different train frequencies (the number of trains per hour, not the electrical frequency), patronage, train lengths, train types etc; and the demand for through travel isn't sufficient to do so.
Frequency is not really an issue with modern inverter based traction converters (the same reason why your phone can use 120V 60Hz or 240V 50 Hz).
The real reason is probably something different.
@@kc3302 Of course, some of the 'E7' units are actually 'W7' which are owned by JR West, with a view to when the Hokuriko line is extended to Osaka, so I guess they'd have to handle both frequencies if they used both JR East and West lines!
I have tried NOZOMI Shinkansen twice early June 2024. 🙂 We traveled with max speed of 285 km/h. I was siting in row 2, so it was a little shaky from time to time. Trains were on time, very clean, service was nice, but stations too busy with too many signs. Overall amazing experience. Kyoto station was stunning piece of architecture. The Japanese are polite perfectionists, no one can match them in the World. 😍
Thank you for sharing 🙏🏻☺️
I tried Hayabusa Shinkansen from Tokyo to Hokkaido, it can reach 320km/h top speed but lil bit shaky. After many times experiencing Chinese HSR, you will obviously notice how shaky Shinkansen is.
You mean Nozomi
You mean the Nozomi service on the Tokaido Shinkansen…
@@lameowizard Corrected , thank you :)
Yeees I love japan train videos, can't get enough of them! Looking forward to going there in April next year, finally, been wanting to for ages.
Hope you enjoy it! 😁
Did a recent trip to Japan and snagged my first ever Shinkansen rides on the Nozomi super express between Hakata and Hiroshima, and Hiroshima and Shin-Osaka. Both rather busy with business travellers but nothing stands in the way of JR on-time efficiency with speeds of nearly 300 km/h during some sectors. Also did a day trip to from Asakusa to Tobu-Nikko with one leg on the aptly-named Spacia X train, and the return leg on the Revaty Kegon train. Both extremely comfortable.
Thanks for sharing!! 🙏🏻😊
It's basically high speed train running at commuter train frequency - a train every 10-15 mins for the big cities, up to 3¾ mins during rush hour
You should try the Komachi/Hayabusa next time, can´t go any faster by train in Japan. Personaly I prefered the 800 series on the Sakura services while traveling the western regions, more room with the 2+2 seatings and that is very important as a taller and slightly broader European when traveling over 7700km by train
Japanese...1960 build bullet train
World....Japanese is insane
Now...All over the World build Bullet train
yes from Tokyo to Sendai new Subscriber
Welcome onboard 🤗
@@NonstopEurotrip come to Japan in 2027 the Maglev or THE Chuo Shinkansen Maglev will be operational from Shinagawa to Nagoya.😇
Tokyo really is an amazing city, I hope to get back there someday. Great video once again.
It really is Curt 😁👍🏻
Those waffle things are FIRE btw I ate so many on my trip to Japan you can get them in various brands from 711s which are everywhere there and super popular.
Absolutely 💯😁
huge fan of Shikansen and yes JR Rail passes are the way to do it - in 2019 i bought the Sanyo-Sanin JR Rail pass for 7 days and was able to cover a lot in the western region including Osaka, Hiroshima, Fukuoka, Kyoto, Nara and Okayama
Yes the regional passes are also very good!
Check out JR rail prices in 2024 ... ouch!
@@bluejay313 I was coming here to post that.
Unless you're going to be doing a lot of long-distance train travel, it's hard to see how you're saving any money. For example, a Tokyo-Kyoto-Osaka-Hiroshima-Tokyo itinerary would cost ¥48,100 vs a 7-day pass which costs ¥50,000 (and, IMHO, visiting those 4 cities is too much to cover in a week). Plus, for me at least, having a rail pass makes you feel you have to USE your rail pass, so I'm less likely to spend a leisurely day kicking around, say, Osaka, and instead finding myself thinking "Well, I've got this rail pass burning a hole in my pocket, so maybe I'll go to Kobe or Nara". I spent way too much time on trains during my last visit trying to get the most value out of my pass, and that was in March 2023.
Since Japan rail prices (unlike the US or Europe) don't increase closer to departure, it's much easier to buy point-to-point tickets as needed and increases your flexibility options.
The good old days of cheap rail passes appear to be gone. It was sure nice while it lasted
Japan is the inventor of true high-speed rail and unsurprisingly, they are still the best. This is just amazing!
Fastest
Safest
Cleanest
Most stable
Always on time
Best service
What else could we ask for? Japan’s railways are the closest to perfection.
I wouldn’t be surprised if the Japanese views Europe just like how the Europeans views America.
God knows what Japan thinks about American trains 😂
I also love E7/W7 series, whereas you should try 700 series Hikari rail star car 7 and 8, it’s used as each stations stop Kodama(こだま)in Sanyo Shinkansen ( 山陽新幹線)these days. I think that’s the best Shinkansen.
Thanks! I have tried this already and loved it 😍
Japan travel is amazing 😍
Isn't it just!
If you find Tokyo station busy, you have to try Shinjuku. As a Swiss, used to on-time trains during busy hours, I was shocked and impressed by the efficiency and crowd management. And all the arguments we are provided on why we cannot have trains at higher frequency in Switzerland are proven wrong in Japan. Amazing country.
@@Kogemate I have, as stated in the video
Loved the editing in this one! great vid
Thanks so much dude 😎❤️
I've ridden in almost all of the routes except for the one heading towards Akita. Almost everything was perfect, and I didn't mind riding the ordinary cars because the seats were still quite comfortable.
When I moved to Japan in mid-2018, I wasn't expecting to be able to ride the West-Kyushu Shinkansen at all as I had only planned to stay for no more than three years, maximum. When I finally moved back home to Australia, I had ridden it around five times or so.
Thanks for sharing!
僕は出身地も関わるがE7系よりかはW7系のほうが好きかも。良い動画でした
Max speed on Hokuriku Shinkansen is 260kph....not 220
It reminds me when i took Shinkansen in 2019.It was Tokaido/Sanyo Shinkansen
Thanks 😊
After riding different HSR, I feel Hokuriku is best. Also it does not use Platypus nose like all HSR. Not sure why. Maybe JR tunnels in that area negate need. So Hokuriku really does look like good looking train.
Absolutely 😁💯
I WANT TO WIN
Thanks for your videos. I'm gonna travel to Japan next year and can't wait to ride Shinkansen!
Have fun!
To me what is so special in its design is the secret capabilities to be comfortable while climbing in high speed towards the Mountains…
I think the highest point is around Ussui-pass probably around 700M to 1000M from sea level
12:18 bum gun 😂
😂😂
The E7-type Shinkansen trains have high power output compared to other Shinkansen trains, as they run through mountainous areas on the Hokuriku Shinkansen line.
The Shinkansen is the world's first high-speed train, built in 1964.
The meaning of "Shinkansen" is that "Shin" represents "New" and "Kansen" means “Main line”.
E7 and e4 are my favourite
Theoretically, they could make an E7X series of 4 cars long if the demand warrants it - to fill in the length of the Joetsu Shinkansen which used to use double decker 16 car MAX trains.
You think that would be viable?
@@NonstopEurotrip if the capacity warrants it. The MAX trains were full during peak season
@@NonstopEurotrip I also meant for the 4 car trains to be connected to the existing E7 12 car trains to make the trains 16 cars long
@@nich-nk2cr ok I understand!!! 😀
The E7 is also built by Hitachi. Better he better than any of the Hitachi trains you’ve been on! 😂
Ah damn your set seems to be built by Kawasaki instead! 😂😂😂😂
The UK could never 😂
Japanese trains are on an insane level. Would love to go one day.
Totally agree 👍🏻💯
But alas, the E7 Series is only limited to a top speed of 275 km/h (171 mph). This isn't the E5/H5 models with a top speed of 320 km/h (199 mph) or its planned successor with a top speed of 360 km/h (224 mph).
I dare to say that the N700S is newer since the first was delivered to JR Central in 2020. And yes it was seen on the beginning of this video ....
Maybe ;-) But it's more an evolution of the OG N700
@@NonstopEurotrip yeah ☺️ anyway I always like videos from Japan. So can’t wait for some more soon.
@@teme82 I'm going again soon 🙂
And the N700S is much better than the E7~
Once ridden from Tokyo to Kanazawa and it was not a good idea 🥲
Came here just after watching Simon Anderson's GWR IET video. The contrast is very stark. It baffles me that Hitachi is the manufacturer of both trains, and yet the quality difference is vast. I know a lot of it comes down to the DFT forcing TOCs to order cheap hard seats, but even the bodyshell looks so much better on the Shinkansen trains. I wonder if it's a case of Hitachi designing to a low budget for us vs Japan. Clearly it's not a skill issue.
Welcome aboard! And yes, I agree 👍🏻💯
На вашем канале есть субтитры на русском языке... Расскажите, пожалуйста, о JR и Синкансэн! Что эти компании объединяет и что разъединяет?..
You have Google?
11:27 holy crap look how long those skis are! 😂 I'm surprised they don't have much curve on them at all
Ski jumping 🎿
6:57 As a Japanese person, I am very happy. The interior and seats of this train are also very beautiful.
Absolutely agree 💯👍🏻
I hope Indian High speed Railway choose this stunning e7.
Me too!!! 😀
Great video I want to win 👍
There are 777 likes, so even if I wanted to press it, I can't...
You can now :)
I have once reserved this expensive deep blue seat, because all the regular seats were sold out. Also once I have experienced the 2 story shinkansen, which are no longer in operation. As Hokuriku Shinkansen is relatively new, it's good that almost all seats are equipped with electric power outlets.
When the japan railpass was cheaper (the price was increased by almost +70% in 2023) I would travel on the shinkansen every day from Tokyo with day trips even to Aomori. But the new shinkansen lines have so many tunnels and you don't see much from the window. Now I'd prefer to stay in one area and take slower local trains.
The regional passes are also exceptional!
ちなみに
今現在の日本の最新新幹線はE8系です
It's not a full sized train, as mentioned
Between Tokyo, Kanazawa and Tsuruga, they have a faster service, "KAGAYAKI", which takes 2.5 hours between Tokyo and Kanazawa and 3+ hours between Tokyo and Tsuruga. But bear in mind that all seats on the "KAGAYAKI" are reserved, so you'll need a seat reservation beforehand.
Indeed
@@NonstopEurotrip Agreed. Whenever I travel to Japan, a Japan Rail Pass is mandatory for me. I prefer to reserve my seat at least a few days beforehand, just to ensure I can get my desired window seat.
I mean "only 50.000 ¥" for the 7-day JR Pass is a sad way to put it, considering it was way cheaper just a year ago :(
Yes, but it was overly cheap before
Geez don’t come to Australia. That 450 km takes 3 hours. My 130 km Melbourne to Bendigo on what passes for a fast train here (100-160kmph) takes 2 hours.
Don't worry, I won't 😂
Isn't E8 in service ..?? ...being the newest.
E8 isn't full size, as stated.
Hey, just wondering, is the ride quality of the e7 shinkansen better than the chinese counterpart? (cr300 series)
They're very similar. I'd say the E7 is *slightly* better, but it's close!
デザインに関しては、E7系は内外装ともに今の新幹線で一番洗練されててかっこいいと思う
Absolutely 💯😁
I recommend taking Hokuriku Shinkansen in spring！Because in Toyama Prefecture you'll see Japanese North Alps beautifully covered with white snow on mountains tops, making a good contrast of the deep blue mountains and the white snow. In summer the snow is gone, and in winter mountains are entirely covered by white snow.
I'll check it out!
It's "Hokuriku", not "Hokoroku" :)
Glad you enjoyed the trip
That's what I said
I've always wanted to go to Japan
It's definitely worth a visit!
Bom dia trem bala no Japão Boa viagem ai
Thank you! 😊
Great video, but the E7 is not the newest anymore. The E8 is it now.
It's not a full sized Shinkansen, as I stated in the video.
Have you ever tried Kyushu Shinkansen? That was a unique experience, and the interiors were more in Japanese style. The back of seats were made of wood with its original wooden colour. But I'd like to try the recently started Nishi (Western) Kyushu Shinkansen which was not yet in operation when I visited the region.
I hope to soon!
When you next visit India make sure that you visit during the monsoon season and travel in Konkan railway from Mumbai to Kanyakumari. It's a lifetime experience.
I hope too 🙏🏻
I just wish our trains here in the U.K. were like this - the only way that it can ever happen is for an external body from Japan, CCP or Taiwan to come in and take complete, direct and unfettered control of the U.K. railways and directly improve things, backed by Parliament laws to facilitate this
You suggest that then 😂
Thank you for an extremely interesting and informative video. The first three minutes will be particularly useful (and reassuring) to anyone visiting Japan for the first time. One thing slightly worries me. Japan (rightly) has compulsory seat reservations on all its high speed trains. But you seemed to be saying that if you want to change your reservation to an earlier or later train you have to queue up. I am sure that fifteen years ago I changed an SNCF TGV seat reservation at a machine designed for that purpose.
You're very welcome 🤗 And *most* Shinkansen do have unreserved coaches/seating and you can use them with the JR pass, but as reservations are free, I found it best to make them anyway, to guarantee a window seat. And I only needed to change a couple throughout the whole week 😀
I like the E7 too. I think the styling and colours are much better than the E5, which had that weird head shape for aerodynamics. Shinkansen always does a good job of avoiding the wall-facing view. And that green car seat looks quite similar to the Superior First Class in CR's new CR400-BS series.
Yeah I agree 💯
Welcome! To Hokuriku!
I often ride from Shin-Takaoka.
The E7 Shinkansen is also very snow resistant!
That's great news 😺