Japan/Hokkaido: Hokkaido Shinkansen
Shinkansen is the Japanese bullet train and the latest and most modern is the Hokkaido Shinkansen line that opened just two years ago in 2016 and connected the Hokkaido island to the “mainland” of the Honshu island. The trains run at around 300km/hr or close to 200m/hr. It’s only 150km connecting Hakodate and Aomori but it’s all a deep underwater tunnel and took 11 years to construct. The tunnel runs 100m below the ocean floor which itself is 140m deep. Shinkansen is like stepping into a futuristic movie – the slick train, it’s precise operation, and ear-clogging speed. Compare this to the clunky American Acela that is neither futuristic nor enjoyable and generally-speaking belongs on the 19th century.
