Japan is known for many things. But in the world of rail it is definitely leading the way with the bullet train.

Its proper name is Shinkansen, but most people refer to it as the bullet train for a couple of very good reasons. The first of these is that the trains look a little like a bullet from the front. They are sleek and designed to travel at very fast speeds – and this is the second reason for the nickname ‘the bullet train’. It certainly doesn’t hang about.

If you are visiting Japan and you get the chance to travel on the Shinkansen it is well worth doing so. There are several different lines and they are all colour coded, running across most of the main areas of Japan itself. Three of the lines run out of Tokyo and you can visit such areas as Hiroshima, Osaka and Kyoto via the bullet train.

You have to pay an additional fare to get on board the Shinkansen, as well as the usual ticket price. However it is well worth it for the experience, because the trains travel at around 186mph at top speed. It can be a little alarming if you aren’t used to it, but it provides you with an amazing and fast way to get around various parts of Japan.

As you might expect there are trains running on all lines that stop at varying numbers of stations along the route. The shortest journey times are achieved by those trains stopping at the smallest number of stops. Depending on where you are going and which train you catch, your journey time could vary.

However it is a nice way to see part of the scenery along the route, if that is you can see it as you speed by! At any rate the experience is one worth having, and if you want to see as much of Japan as possible during an extended stay it is the fastest way to get around.

One word of warning though – if you are at all travel sick you may want to prepare by taking a remedy before jumping on board. Just to be on the safe side…