High-speed Shinkansen trains began running between Tokyo and Osaka on October 1, 1964, heralding a new era for rail travel as Japan grew into an economic superpower after its World War II defeat
Her white-gloved, waistcoated uniform impeccable, 22-year-old Hazuki Okuno boards a bullet train replica to rehearse the strict protocols behind the smooth operation of a Japanese institution turning 60 Tuesday.
High-speed Shinkansen trains began running between Tokyo and Osaka on October 1, 1964, heralding a new era for rail travel as Japan grew into an economic superpower after its World War II defeat.
The service remains integral to the nation's economy and way of life—so keeping it dazzlingly clean, punctual and accident-free is a serious job.
At a 10-storey, state-of-the-art staff training centre, Okuno shouted from the window and signaled to imaginary colleagues, keeping her cool when a video screen down the platform shows a flailing passenger stuck in a door.
The live-in facility southwest of Tokyo offers what rail operator JR Central describes as an "intense education" for future conductors, drivers and other team members.