Q 01/05

What does the Japanese word Shinkansen literally mean?

A) Fast iron road

B) Lightning train

C) New main line

D) Bullet train

Answer · why

C) New main line

The English nickname bullet train translates dangan ressha, a name from 1939 planning documents.

Q 02/05

The first Shinkansen line opened in October 1964, days before which event?

A) Expo '70

B) The Sapporo Winter Olympics

C) The Emperor's jubilee

D) The Tokyo Summer Olympics

Answer · why

D) The Tokyo Summer Olympics

Service began on 1 October; the Games opened on 10 October.

Q 03/05

Roughly how long is the original Tokaido Shinkansen route?

A) 553 km

B) 652 km

C) 715 km

D) 840 km

Answer · why

A) 553 km

The 552.6 km route links Tokyo, Yokohama, Nagoya and Osaka, Japan's four largest cities.

Q 04/05

How long did the Tokyo-Osaka journey take on conventional limited expresses before the Shinkansen opened?

A) About 5 hours flat

B) About 9 hours 30 minutes

C) About 4 hours flat

D) About 6 hours 40 minutes

Answer · why

D) About 6 hours 40 minutes

The first limited-stop services cut it to four hours; today's fastest trains do it in about two and a half.

Q 05/05

At what top speed did the original 0 series trains run in 1964?

A) 210 km/h

B) 230 km/h

C) 250 km/h

D) 300 km/h

Answer · why

A) 210 km/h

It was later raised to 220 km/h, cutting the fastest run to 3 hours 10 minutes.