Japan’s new bullet train to link Tokyo and Hokkaidō

Travel in Japan is about to get a whole lot easier. A new bullet train (shinkansen) running from Tokyo to Hakodate debuted 26 March, linking Japan's main island of Honshū with the northernmost island of Hokkaidō for the first time.
The highly anticipated 92-mile trip is expected to take just over four hours — 53 minutes faster than the transportation currently available — and it makes use of the undersea Seikan Tunnel, reported the Japan Times.
Outskirt cities currently linked by the bullet train have seen an economic boost since its arrival, with the number of passengers tripling in one year when service from Tokyo was extended from Nagano to Kanazawa, in the Ishikawa Prefecture on the Sea of Japan coast. While this debut comes 52 years after bullet train service was introduced between Tokyo and Osaka, there are plans to expand the line over the next 15 years to the region’s capital of Sapporo.
The article originally appeared on Travel + Leisure
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
-
A contemporary retreat hiding in plain sight in Sydney
This contemporary retreat is set behind an unassuming neo-Georgian façade in the heart of Sydney’s Woollahra Village; a serene home designed by Australian practice Tobias Partners
By Léa Teuscher Published
-
The mash-up between Mercedes and Geely continues with the multi-functional smart #5
The new smart #5 is a mid-size electric SUV that promises an overload of features wrapped up in a stylish shell
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
What to see at Milan Design Week 2025
We bring you a running guide to some of the events the Wallpaper* team is looking forward to at Milan Design Week (7–13 April) – from public installations and major launches to standout venues and must-see exhibitions. Stay tuned for updates...
By Hugo Macdonald Published
-
Tangerine shapes the trains for Japan’s longest Shinkansen line, due in service in 2030
The UK-based consultancy has created the interiors and livery of the East Japan Railway Company's new E10 Shinkansen trains
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
Tokyo Auto Salon 2025: custom cars and one-off creations from the Japanese home market
What began as a celebration of Japan's custom car culture is a now a major event for many of the country's biggest automakers. We round up the news from Tokyo Auto Salon 2025
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
Team Ikuzawa brings the art of Daniel Arsham to motorsport
Creative director Mai Ikuzawa has overseen a new capsule clothing collection, a collaboration with artist Daniel Arsham that also honours her racing driver father Tetsu Ikuzawa
By Josh Sims Published
-
The mibot is a tiny single-seater ‘mobility robot’ for traversing Japan’s crowded city centres
Japan is the undisputed centre of compact car culture, and KG Motors' new mibot is one of a new wave of micro-EVs that look set to take the country’s cities by storm
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
New Aston Martin Ginza showroom brings customer personalisation to life
Aston Martin Ginza showroom is a two-storey space in The Peninsula Tokyo hotel and a new hub for the car maker
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
From personal off-roaders to all-electric microcars, JMS 2023 had something for everyone
More news from Tokyo's Japan Mobility Show, with new cars, concepts and future visions from Mazda, Daihatsu, Mitsubishi, Suzuki and Subaru
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
The debut Japan Mobility Show saw the country’s carmakers preview the near future
The 2023 Japan Mobility Show offered up a vast array of futuristic transportation, from concept sports cars to autonomous taxis, and eVTOL aircraft
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
Toyota Century SUV is a new approach to low-key old-school luxury
The new hybrid Toyota Century SUV sees the marque take its luxury division to the global market for the first time
By Jonathan Bell Published