Скачать или смотреть Talk: Shinkansen and the Legacy of Tokyo 1964

The Tōkaidō ‘New Main Line’ – Shinkansen – was inaugurated on 1 October 1964, just 10 days before the opening of the historic Tokyo 1964 Olympic Games, and it was viewed by many as a symbol of Japan’s post-war modernization. The ‘Series 0’ Shinkansen train, the first in the world to operate commercially at a top speed of 210 kph, was met with widespread enthusiasm, and was quickly dubbed the ‘bullet train’ for both its great speed (connecting Tokyo to Osaka in only 4 hours instead of the 6 hours 30 minutes on a conventional express) and for the aerodynamic shape of its nose.

As part of the program of events in conjunction with the exhibition Tokyo 1964: Designing Tomorrow Japan House London is delighted to look at how the Games have been fundamental to the reshaping of the urban fabric of Tokyo in partnership with the Central Japan Railway Company.

In this first event, Ueno Naoyuki, General Manager of Central Japan Railway Company’s London office, explores the history and development of the Shinkansen within the economic and social growth of Japan. He is joined in conversation by Professor Roderick Smith, Emeritus Professor of Railway Engineering at Imperial College London, who offers his perspective on why the railway system has been important in the advancement of Japan in terms of technological achievements and how the Tokyo 1964 Olympic Games were a catalyst of change for the whole nation.

Visitors to Japan House London can see a model of the ‘Series 0’ Shinkansen in our exhibition Tokyo 1964: Designing Tomorrow and a model of the latest Series ‘N700S’ Shinkansen, which entered into service on 1 July 2020, on display in The Shop until 7 November 2021.