新幹線しんかんせんの旅たび

The Shinkansen is a high-speed railway linking Japan's major cities. Even without flying, you can travel to a distant town in a short time.

The Shinkansen is known for being exactly on time. Even when it is a few minutes late, an announcement is made on board so that passengers worried about their connections get the information.

Stations are often right in the centre of town, so getting around after you arrive is easy too. The seats are wide, and some people work while watching the scenery outside the window.

One of the pleasures of the trip is the "ekiben", a boxed meal sold at stations. Ekiben are made with ingredients from the local area, so the contents differ from region to region. On some stretches you can see Mount Fuji from the window, and quite a few passengers take out their cameras.

However, seats become hard to get during long holidays and at the end of the year, so it is better to book early. They say that if only non-reserved cars are left, you may have to stand for the ride.