Japan's Fastest Bullet Train from Tokyo to Osaka

Japan’s Fastest Bullet Train from Tokyo to Osaka

We’re about to board the fastest bullet train from Tokyo to Osaka, Japan. This will be our first experience on a Japanese bullet train, and we couldn’t be more excited. Let’s see how this goes. Our journey starts at the Tokyo train station. We bought our tickets online and now we just have to figure out how to redeem them at the station, which for us is easier said than done. This QR code is not valid. Huh. Well, maybe it’s her ticket. Updated information. She said for Osaka, our gate is down that passageway. So, she said to go try down that passageway. Go to a different area. Try a different vending machine. Try a different I don’t know. Ask someone over there. Try a different machine. We tried a different machine on the other side of the station. And then another pickup service ticket. This QR code is not valid. We talked to a few people trying to figure out how to redeem our online tickets for physical tickets, which I thought we had to do. I made these reservations online. Um, I tried with the vending machine. But it turns out we could just scan our QR codes directly into the machines. Okay, awesome. Thank you. Uh, okay. The QR code that I have can be used to board the Shinkansen. So, we just need to touch it to the blue. [Music] Woohoo. R three. This is our train. Um, please share the seat information to conduct during your onboard checking process. Okay, great. So, that seems like all we need. Um, now I just have to figure out what platform we’re going to. Believe it or not, we did find the platform. If it wasn’t obvious, I do think all of our problems before were user error. A lot of people ride these trains every day. As we made our way to our platform, we got to check out a bunch of the trains along the way. We learned that Japan’s shinans, aka bullet trains, don’t look much like the bullets they were originally nicknamed for. When these high-speed trains were first being built, the front of the trains came to a kind of rounded point that resembled a bullet, hence the nickname. Now, however, they don’t look anything like that. They have these really long, flat noses at the front and back. This design actually came from the trains being so fast that when they went through tunnels, they would produce a loud booming noise caused by the train quickly pushing the air to the end of the tunnel. This was of course really disruptive to the people who lived nearby. So, by redesigning the fronts, it allowed the air to flow more smoothly over the train, less air to build up at the front, and therefore no booming sound when going through the tunnels. Woo! It’s here. We finally made our way into our seats and after a few minutes, we were off. Exciting announcement. Today’s video sponsor is us. In case you didn’t know, Lindsay and I have spent the last 2 years building our app socialite from scratch. Here’s why. 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If this sounds like something you’re interested in, scan the QR code or click the link in the description to download the app. Now, back to the video. All right, we made it on the train. We had a little trouble. I don’t know what it is with us trains, but we made it on. First impressions, it’s smooth, quiet, nice, seems to be going pretty fast. We’re gonna have a little lunch and then do a seat tour. Before we boarded, we picked up some food from one of the stores in the train station. I’ve heard that for some bullet trains, people will come around selling food, but spoiler alert, nobody came through on our train, so it’s probably good we picked up something ahead of time. Okay, time for a little seat tour. This train is set up in a three seat, two seat configuration. We’re on the two seat side. As for amenities, there’s a tray table and a net on the back of every seat. There’s also a couple hooks on the sidewall so you can hang a small purse or a bag. Oh, and then the armrests have buttons so you can recline the seat. And the windows have a small shade, which is down right now if you want to adjust that. The seats are really comfortable. They have racks above all the seats so you can store your big luggage. And then where our feet are, we actually have our backpacks. And there’s tons of room. It’s very comfortable. Oh, and okay, we didn’t get footage of it, but after the train pulled into the station and all the people got off, we had to wait for them to, you know, like clean it out and everything before we could get on, the train was coming from Osaka, so it was coming the opposite way that we’re going now. While they were cleaning, they also turned all of the chairs around. So, instead of facing backwards for our whole trip, now we’re facing forwards for it. It was so cool. That’s the seat. And Caleb will give you a little tour around the bathroom now. All right. Little bathroom tour. The bathroom is super clean, which is nice. It’s pretty minimal in here, but there’s a toilet, a little baby changing station, a sink, a place to hang your things, and uh good locks on the doors. So, pretty minimal, but honestly, it’s all you need. It’s great. Okay, we just passed the stop for Kyoto. We have about 15 minutes till we get to Osaka. For this train ride, we downloaded little like speedometer apps on our phone to see how fast we were going. This train that we’re on, the Nomi, its top speed is 186 mph. And we were checking periodically how fast we were going. The highest speed that we recorded was 179 mph. It’s just been such a cool experience to take this train. I mean, like Caleb said at the beginning, it’s very smooth. It’s continued to be smooth this entire time. And we just get this like nice scenic landscape of Japan rolling past us at 300 kmh. You know, I’m glad we did this. I would say take it back to Tokyo now. We arriving at on the right side of it. All right, we made it to Osaka. That was such a cool experience. Bullet trains are so iconic. Thanks for watching. See you next time. Thanks for watching. Next week, we continue our Japan series with a street food tour in Osaka. Caleb and I love making these videos, and we actually have a crazy goal of making it to 1 million subscribers. So, if you like this video and want to see more, please consider subscribing. Okay, thanks.

Riding Japan’s bullet train from Tokyo to Osaka 🚄 The Shinkansen is famous for being one of the fastest trains in the world, reaching speeds up to 320 km/h (200 mph). We spent the day experiencing Japan’s legendary rail system — from boarding at Tokyo Station to racing past the Japanese countryside and arriving in Osaka in just a few hours. This is more than just transportation… it’s an essential Japan experience.

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Filmed June 2025 | Tokyo → Osaka, Japan

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Chapters:
00:00 – Intro
00:15 – Boarding the train
03:05 – Socialite!
04:08 – Train tour
07:00 – Outro

Who are we?
Hi! We’re Lindsey and Caleb, and starting January 2025, we decided to quit our jobs, pack as much as we could into a few carry ons, and travel around the world. Join us as we take on adventures like staying in Thailand’s most unique accommodations, trekking to Everest base camp, and motorcycling the Ha Giang Loop in Vietnam.

Our Tokyo to Osaka bullet train journey on the Shinkansen gave us a firsthand look at why Japan’s high-speed rail system is considered the best in the world. Traveling at speeds up to 320 km/h (200 mph), the ride was smooth, efficient, and surprisingly comfortable. From grabbing bentos at Tokyo Station to catching glimpses of Mount Fuji along the way, the trip showcased how Japan blends speed with culture. Arriving in Osaka in under 2.5 hours made us realize why the Shinkansen is more than just a train — it’s a symbol of Japanese innovation and one of the best travel experiences in the world.

#Shinkansen #BulletTrain #TokyoToOsaka #JapanTravel #JapaneseTrains #Nozomi #TokyoStation #OsakaStation #MountFuji #TravelVlog #JapanTrip #TrainTravel #OsakaTravel #TokyoTravel

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