Riding Japan’s Fastest 320km/h Bullet train | Shinkansen Hayabusa

Riding Japan’s Fastest 320km/h Bullet train | Shinkansen Hayabusa

We took Japan’s fastest Shinkansen “Hayabusa” from Tokyo to Iwate Prefecture Its speed is an incredible 320km/h! Let’s head off on this two-and-a-half-hour journey that flies by! Our journey begins at Tokyo Station The retro-style station building is so stylish This time, I bought the ticket in advance, so I go straight through the gate As always, Tokyo Station is bustling with people Speaking of Shinkansen trips, this is the first stop! We’ve arrived at the station bento shop There are so many choices and they all look delicious! So many tempting bentos, I could spend an hour deciding Today I’m in the mood for lemon steak I’ve decided on the Kobe lemon steak bento I also bought some healthy black soybean tea—I’m all set! Now heading to the Shinkansen platform Passing through the Shinkansen-exclusive gate When riding the Shinkansen, you go through both the regular and Shinkansen gates The Shinkansen we’re riding today (Track 20)
seems to be a combined Hayabusa and Komachi train Hayabusa goes to Shin-Aomori
Komachi goes to Akita—they split partway through [Today’s Route]
From Tokyo Station, transfer at Sendai,
and finish at Shin-Hanamaki Station in Iwate Prefecture We’ve come up to platform 20. There are Shinkansen trains on both sides! The one in front with the green and purple line is the H5 Series The red train in the back is the E6 Series,
both with a top speed of 320km/h! The red color representing Akita’s traditions looks so cool The green symbolizing speed is cool too The sleek and stylish coupled Shinkansen
has departed A bow from the staff greets the arriving
blue-faced Shinkansen The metallic white is so pretty This is the “Toki” Shinkansen,
coming from Niigata Prefecture Cleaning inside the train begins immediately It’s ready quickly and then departs Heading off toward Niigata Prefecture Even just being on the platform is fun
with so many Shinkansen to see Bon voyage Next to arrive is… Finally, it’s time to board today’s Hayabusa! The green E5 series with a pink stripe The streamlined body gives a strong sense of speed A train with Japan’s fastest 320km/h right before us! Thinking that I’ll be boarding this soon, I can’t stop getting excited! A red train was coupled at the back Current time: 11:48, Departure time: 11:56
Departure in 8 minutes All seats are reserved, and this time I’m in the last car, Car 1 Waiting for the cabin inspection and cleaning to finish The doors have opened I’m excited to see what kind of journey this will be. From Tokyo Station to Shin-Hanamaki Station in Iwate,
the fare was 13,730円/$95 Here’s what Car 1 looks like inside 11:56 Departed on time This time, we’ll transfer to another Shinkansen at Sendai Station Is transferring a hassle? Nope! Getting to ride two types of Shinkansen is lucky! Seat spacing is roomy Plenty of legroom to stretch out There’s also a hook at the front for hanging items And here’s the table Easily opens and even with a magazine on it,
there’s plenty of space At the window seats, there’s a power outlet at your feet Great for charging PCs or smartphones There’s also a drink holder Time for the black soybean tea I bought earlier ……OK. There’s Wi-Fi too.
It’s not that fast though About 20 minutes after departure, we arrived at Omiya Station in Saitama Prefecture. Shinkansen speeds are set by section, and after Omiya Station it increases to 275km/h The top speed of 320km/h comes a bit later
after Utsunomiya Station Let’s check the speed It gradually increases It reached 290km/h! So fast! You can see the pillars whipping past We’re zooming through the rice fields at this speed I can faintly see mountains in the distance I think that’s Mt. Takahara in Tochigi Prefecture. This kind of scenery is a highlight of Shinkansen travel! There’s a Shinkansen stopped on the opposite track This is Koriyama Station in Fukushima Prefecture,
but the Hayabusa passes through without stopping A sea of houses stretches out, And the silhouette of mountain ranges is visible in the distance Let’s explore inside the train a bit Here is the men’s restroom There’s also space to place belongings Next, the sink area can be closed with a curtain Nice that it offers privacy From the left: soap, hand wash, dryer This one is a unisex restroom The inside is kept very clean There’s a solid lock, so it feels safe A diaper-changing table and handrails An SOS button and flush switch Even a dedicated hand-washing station Let’s also check out the passenger cabin There’s a space for large luggage in the back The seat layout is 2 on the left, 3 on the right I’d say the occupancy rate is about 70% It feels moderately crowded Walking inside a Shinkansen going 290km/h
is such a strange feeling The peaceful countryside scenery continues Ohh! Before I knew it, we were almost at
the top speed of 320km/h This is the view from a Shinkansen running
at Japan’s fastest speed Despite the speed, the ride is incredibly smooth
—amazing We’ve started slowing down bit by bit We’ll soon arrive at Sendai Station for our transfer At Sendai Station, we’ll transfer from the Hayabusa
to the Yamabiko It took only an hour and a half to reach Sendai
from Tokyo Station That long nose really is the secret to the speed The Hayabusa I rode continues on
to the next stop, Morioka Next, I’ll board the Yamabiko departing at 13:38 It’s a 10-car train with non-reserved seats,
but I’ve got a reserved one A Shinkansen is approaching from the light in the distance Looks like it’s the same green E5 series as before Even if it’s the same train,
the name changes depending on the stops—Hayabusa or Yamabiko It’s departing soon, so let’s hurry onboard This time, I’m in Car 6 I reserved the window seat at the very back on the left side The train is the same as earlier,
so the facilities are identical Oops, no need for the bottle holder anymore Let’s check out the seat The recline is controlled by this black button The default position is almost upright,
so it’s best to lean it back a bit Departed from Sendai Station on time at 13:38 Our destination, Shin-Hanamaki Station,
is the 6th stop from here—a one-hour ride Very clean and spacious seats Plenty of space to stretch out and relax In the 3-seat row on the right,
the middle B seat is slightly wider I prefer the window seat for the view,
even if the seat’s a bit narrow The headrest can be freely adjusted A nice feature for a comfortable journey Adjust it to the position that feels best for you From my seat at the very back, Here’s the full view of Car 6 Since we’re going so fast,
the light keeps changing beautifully ⤴REPLAY
The moment we enter a tunnel is the best part
Let me replay it for a second It had a cool, futuristic vibe So once again, here’s the 3-seat row
with the slightly wider B seat There’s a large luggage area in the back Oh! Before I knew it, the Yamabiko had surpassed 300km/h! Even with so many stops, it still reaches this speed Now it’s finally time for the moment I’ve been waiting for After much deliberation, I chose
the Kobe Lemon Steak Bento Opening it up…! But before that, we arrived at Furukawa Station,
then quickly departed again Alright, let’s get back to the bento Starting with the main steak A bit tough… but delicious! There’s just something picturesque about
Shinkansen and ekiben together Now let’s try the side of pumpkin The rice is like a Western-style pilaf Full of flavor Time for the paprika As for the lemon—should I squeeze it, spread it, or bite it? I’ll bite it. Nice acidity. Next, a bite of lotus root The steak and pilaf go perfectly together! Broccoli Boiled snap peas Lotus root again So many sides—it’s really nice Looks like we’re about to arrive at the next stop Eating an ekiben while listening to the announcements
is another great experience Finishing up the last bite Steak and pilaf together in one go Thanks for the meal The combination of lemon’s acidity and steak
made for a great flavor There’s a trash bin on the train,
so I’ll take it there Next to it are bins for bottles, cans, and PET bottles Eating ekiben while enjoying this scenery
—how could it not be delicious? Kurihara-Kogen Station, the second stop after Sendai Just 45 minutes left to Shin-Hanamaki Station The Shinkansen speeds even further north Here’s the full car layout map Car 10 is the ultra-luxurious Gran Class…
It’s my dream to ride it someday! Let’s explore the inside of the Yamabiko Toilets and sinks are the same as the Hayabusa
I boarded at Tokyo Station Same train model—E5 series—
so of course, the seats are identical too I’d say the occupancy is around 20% It feels quite relaxing and spacious Probably crowds will appear later
if there’s some event near one of the stops… Now heading into Car 5 The yellow lights stretching along the ceiling
on both sides look cool, right? This is a reserved seat car,
but Cars 1 to 3 for non-reserved seats might be crowded Still speeding north at ultra-high speed We’re almost at our destination As I was getting ready to get off,
I noticed a table behind my seat When the train goes the other direction to Tokyo,
the seat rotates and that becomes the front The table is bigger than usual,
great for working on It’s a perk of sitting in the front row of each car It’s almost time to get off, so let’s head to the exit We’ve arrived at Shin-Hanamaki Station That’s the end of this Shinkansen journey With a loud hiss, the doors open I’m a little sad, but it’s time to leave the train Since it’s about to depart,
I’ll step inside the safety fence The train looks so clean,
you’d never think it had just gone over 300km/h That 2.5-hour trip from Tokyo felt so quick The doors of the Yamabiko are closing The safety fence hasn’t closed yet And now it slowly departs The safety fence has started closing No matter how many times I see it,
that metallic green body is so cool Its refined shape is designed for top speeds Thank you, Yamabiko Today’s journey ends here
at Shin-Hanamaki Station in Iwate Prefecture How was the 320km/h ride? Please consider subscribing and leaving a comment!

I took Japan’s fastest bullet train, reaching speeds of 320 km/h, from Tokyo Station to Shin-Hanamaki Station in Iwate Prefecture.

【Trip Info】
I switched trains in Sendai, and here’s how the ride went:
① １１：５６ – １３：３０: Tokyo to Sendai on the “Hayabusa” Shinkansen (reserved seat, max speed 320 km/h)
② １３：３８ – １４：３８: Sendai to Shin-Hanamaki on the “Yamabiko” Shinkansen (reserved seat, max speed 320 km/h)

・Distance: 463 km
・Time: 2 hours 42 minutes
・Cost: ¥13,730 / $93