Japan's maglev train gets facelift
Central Japan Railway Company unveiled the interior of the latest version of its magnetic-levitation train on Monday.
The railway operator has been running the new model on test tracks in Yamanashi Prefecture, central Japan, since August.
The passenger cars have larger seats than the previous version. Sound insulation panels have been installed on the ceiling to reduce noise.
Outside the train's nose section is more rounded compared to the previous design.
Air resistance has been cut by about 13 percent, reducing power consumption and noise.
In a test run on Monday, the train reached its maximum operating speed of 500 kilometers per hour just 2-and-a-half minutes after setting off.
Passengers will be able to travel the nearly 300 kilometers from Tokyo to Nagoya in just 40 minutes when it comes into service.
Central Japan Railway plans to continue the tests until fiscal 2022 in order to determine the train's specifications for commercial operation.
The company is aiming to launch the next-generation railway service in 2027.
But a dispute with local authorities over the construction of a tunnel could delay that.
News On Japan - Nov 24
It's Shichi-Go-San, the Japanese festival season for celebrating the healthy growth of children, with Aibo the robot dog giving prayer at a shrine in Fukuoka, on Friday.
HISTORY - Nov 24
Japan has had multiple incidents that may have included the work of aliens. See more in this compilation from Ancient Aliens.
tweaktown.com - Nov 23
Minecraft isn't just a game where you can let your imagination and creativity run wild; it can also be used to demonstrate real-world projects, or at least that is what Japan's government appears to be doing.
newsonjapan.com - Nov 21
For many of us, particularly those of a certain age, Japan is the country that built the gaming industry.
NHK - Nov 20
The operator of the damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant says it finished the third round of the treated and diluted water discharge into the sea as planned.
News On Japan - Nov 18
Honda is set to launch an unmanned autonomous taxi service in Tokyo's Odaiba area in about two years.
NHK - Nov 18
Japan's space agency says it aims to make a second attempt to launch the country's new flagship H3 rocket by the end of next March.
News On Japan - Nov 17
The Japan Pharmaceutical Association will begin experimental sales of "emergency contraceptives," aimed at preventing unwanted pregnancies, at approximately 150 pharmacies nationwide starting from Nov 28 as part of a feasibility study to make them available without a doctor's prescription.
News On Japan - Nov 17
The new island that emerged off the coast of Iwo Jima last month continues to spew ash and lava every few minutes.
News On Japan - Nov 16
Last year's average global concentration of greenhouse gases recorded their highest levels since statistics began in 1984, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency.
NHK - Nov 16
Japan's Environment Ministry says levels of tritium in seawater off the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant remain below detectable amounts.
newsonjapan.com - Nov 15
The main goal for any business is considered to be to increase the growth of sales or service delivery.
NHK - Nov 15
Japanese astronaut Onishi Takuya, a former passenger jet pilot, will head to the International Space Station around 2025.
ndtv.com - Nov 14
Recently, Japan's McDonald's has introduced an innovative system in some locations where washrooms have a slot designed to sanitise our phones.
Nikkei - Nov 14
Japan will ease regulations on clinical trials for new drugs developed overseas, Nikkei has learned, scrapping the rule that in principle drugs' safety must be tested on Japanese before they can be launched in the domestic market.
Running2Redline - Nov 12
The V8 engine is one of the best formats out there, and when Japanese manufacturers gave it a try, the result was incredible. In this installation of the engine tier list series, we find out which of the Japanese V8s comes out on top!