The Tokaido Shinkansen bullet train line, which runs between Tokyo and Shin-Osaka stations, turned 60 years old on October 1.

In celebration, a departure ceremony was held at Tokyo Station on platform 19 for the first train of the day, where the first train took off 60 years ago.

Service started in time for the opening of the 1964 Tokyo Olympics and connected Tokyo and Shin-Osaka in a maximum of four hours at the world's fastest speed of 210 km/h. 

Today, the speed has been increased to 285 km/h and the journey time reduced to a maximum of 2 hours 21 minutes.

Railfan: I think it’s cool that it’s been running all this time and looking so great too.

Railfan: I’m actually the same age as the Tokaido Shinkansen. I took a day off so I could celebrate its birthday.

The Tokaido Shinkansen has had approximately 7 billion users over the past 60 years.

Operator Central Japan Railway’s President Niwa Shunsuke said that safe transport is the company’s top priority, and that they will continue to refine it further in the future.