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June 30, 2026
 

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SHINKANSEN

Draft guidelines list expressways and some shinkansen lines as key areas of focus for infrastructure development.
JAPAN
Jun 29, 2026
Japan to stop focusing on public works cost effectiveness
The government will shift its focus to an overall assessment that places an emphasis on basic functions to protect lives and livelihoods, under annual guidelines due next month.
A maglev train exhibited in Tsuru, Yamanashi Prefecture, in 2020
JAPAN
Jun 24, 2026
Shizuoka governor to approve maglev line construction
Shizuoka Gov. Yasutomo Suzuki plans to announce the approval at a prefectural assembly meeting on July 7.
A West Japan Railway Company bullet train approaches Shin-Osaka station in Osaka last December.
JAPAN
Jun 20, 2026
New cost estimates revealed for Hokuriku Shinkansen line extension
Construction costs for the eight routes being considered now range from ¥1.7 trillion to ¥7.9 trillion, the transport ministry said.
Fukui Prefecture is home to 80% of Japan’s dinosaur fossil discoveries, yet it is routinely one of the least-visited regions in the country.
LIFE / Travel
Jun 20, 2026
Beyond crabs and dinos: Japan’s least-touristed region rethinks its appeal
Fukui Prefecture routinely ranks among Japan’s least-visited prefectures, but a crop of young professionals in the tourism industry are pushing a new set of charms.
A rendering of a Supreme Class premium private compartment to be offered on Tokaido and Sanyo Shinkansen train cars from October
BUSINESS / Companies
Jun 18, 2026
Private compartments coming in October to Tokaido and Sanyo Shinkansen trains
The compartments in the Supreme Class will feature reclining seats and lockable doors, and tickets for them can only be purchased online.
A shinkansen commemorating the 25th anniversary of the opening of Tokyo DisneySea, operated by JR East, in Sendai
JAPAN
Jun 15, 2026
JR Central to run Disney shinkansen starting Friday
The Sparkling Dreams Shinkansen train will make up to two round trips a day mainly for Hikari and Kodama services between Tokyo Station and Shin-Osaka Station until mid-March 2027.
The Hokkaido Shinkansen Line went into service on March 26, 2016.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
May 19, 2026
Japan antitrust watchdog raids firms in Hokkaido Shinkansen bid-rigging probe
The probes targeted nine construction companies and a government-linked railway infrastructure agency.
The Hokuriku Shinkansen line is due to be extended from Tsuruga in Fukui Prefecture to Shin-Osaka Station, but the chosen route remains up for debate.
JAPAN
May 7, 2026
LDP and JIP look to accelerate talks on Hokuriku Shinkansen extension route
The ruling coalition hopes to finalize the bullet train line’s route by the end of the parliamentary session and start construction in fiscal 2027.
Sapporo Station, which is set to be the terminus of the Hokkaido Shinkansen line extension.
JAPAN
Apr 24, 2026
Panel questions profitability of Hokkaido Shinkansen project
Rising prices, which are one of the reasons for the increase in the project’s cost, may also push profitability upward through an increase in fare and real estate income.
Local governments along proposed shinkansen routes in Japan are stepping up efforts to advance long-planned lines that have seen no construction progress for over half a century, but major hurdles remain, including funding, demand and profitability concerns.
JAPAN / FOCUS
Apr 24, 2026
Local governments press for shinkansen railway lines
Authorities are stepping up efforts to advance plans for lines that have remained in the planning stage for more than half a century, with no progress toward construction..
The logo of the shinkansen inspection vehicle Dr. S, which is equipped for measurement and diagnostic functions
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 17, 2026
JR Tokai names new shinkansen inspection trains Dr. S
The Dr. S trains will inspect tracks, overhead wires and other equipment while transporting passengers.
The maglev line project has long been stalled by environmental concerns.
JAPAN
Mar 28, 2026
Shizuoka set to approve maglev construction
Shizuoka Prefecture’s special committee has approved environmental conservation measures for a section of the planned maglev line.
East Japan Railway's freight-only Shinkansen bullet train arrives at a train yard in Tokyo on Monday.
BUSINESS / Companies
Mar 24, 2026
JR East’s freight-only shinkansen train goes into service
The seven-car train, converted from an E3 series passenger train has a maximum loading capacity of 17.4 tons.
People gather in front of Meitetsu Department Store in Nagoya on Feb. 28 as the store closed after a 71-year run.
JAPAN / FOCUS
Mar 20, 2026
Nagoya Station maglev redevelopment delayed again
The start of construction, previously scheduled for fiscal 2027, is now “undecided.”
For Kagoshima, leveraging the Kyushu Shinkansen — which allows visitors to get from Fukuoka to Kagoshima in roughly 90 minutes — is seen as a way to tap into foreign visitors already arriving in Fukuoka and other gateway cities.
JAPAN
Feb 27, 2026
Critics decry Kagoshima’s free shinkansen plan for tourists as ‘unfair’
Prefectural officials have defended the plan to fully subsidize one-way fares for foreign tourists as a necessary bet on inbound demand.
A JR West shinkansen approaches Shin-Osaka station
JAPAN
Jan 24, 2026
Japan eyes higher leasing fees for shinkansen facilities
The transport ministry is looking to use the increased revenue for new new construction projects and renovations of aging infrastructure.
The Amtrak Cascades line provides service along the Pacific Northwest from Vancouver, British Columbia, to Eugene, Oregon.
COMMUNITY / Voices / FOREIGN AGENDA
Jan 19, 2026
Shinkansen vs. Amtrak and the lost art of small talk
After years steeped in the sacred silence of the shinkansen, a Japan Times staffer returns stateside and gets his sea legs with small talk aboard Amtrak.
Shunsuke Niwa, president of JR Central, speaks during an interview in December in the city of Nagoya.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jan 8, 2026
JR Central promotes maglev construction as challenges mount
The line, initially set to connect Shinagawa Station in Tokyo and Nagoya Station, does not have a clear timeline for opening.
The ruling Liberal Democratic Party and its coalition partner, the Japan Innovation Party, will reconsider the route of the planned Hokuriku Shinkansen section between Tsuruga Station in Fukui Prefecture and Shin-Osaka Station in Osaka Prefecture.
JAPAN
Dec 16, 2025
Japan to reconsider route of planned Hokuriku Shinkansen section
The existing plan, adopted by the then LDP-Komeito coalition in 2016, has faced opposition from some due to environmental and fiscal concerns.
Achal Khare, former managing director at India’s National High Speed Rail Corporation, gives a presentation during the IHRA Forum 2025 in Tokyo on Oct. 23.
BUSINESS / Companies
Nov 6, 2025
High-speed rail is expensive and difficult, but seen as a key to growth
Train fanatic and former Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba praised shinkansen technology at a forum hosted by the International High-speed Rail Association.
Uruguay federation reportedly cancels charter flight after World Cup exit
Uruguay's Jose Maria Gimenez reacts after the team's loss against Spain at the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Friday.
Inside Japan’s rigid adoption system, a British family finds a way
James Benstead, his wife, Jesse, and their three children. Their adopted son is in the rear stroller.
India’s gig workers pay the price for exposure to New Delhi’s hazardous air
Rohit Kushwaha waits for a customer as he delivers his last parcel of the day, in New Delhi in January. His work as a delivery driver has helped pay the family’s bills, but has had a significant impact on his health.
Chinese and Russian bombers and fighter jets stage joint patrol near Japan
A Chinese Air Force H-6 bomber is seen during a joint patrol with Russian military aircraft on Saturday.
U.S. missile moves in Japan send China clear message: A new era has arrived
Soldiers conduct the first Typhon midrange capability live-fire exercise outside of the continental United States, firing an SM-6 missile in July last year in Australia's Northern Territory during Exercise Talisman Sabre.
Inside Japan’s rigid adoption system, a British family finds a way
James Benstead, his wife, Jesse, and their three children. Their adopted son is in the rear stroller.
A French ship with close ties to Japan combines arts and sciences on the high seas
Romain Troublé, the executive director of Tara Ocean Foundation, speaks to visitors aboard the Tara during a rare port call in Tokyo in April.
LGBTQ+ families are building lives Japanese lawmakers still struggle to see
Haru Ono founded Nijiiro Kazoku in 2010 after forming a same-sex stepfamily. She said the impetus for founding the organization was that she couldn’t find much reliable information out there for families such as hers in Japan.
In Kyushu’s far south, Senti.U sparks a culinary destination
Chef Yasuhiko Uchida was born in Saga Prefecture but has made his home in Kanoya, Kagoshima Prefecture, since 2012.
‘The colors speak for themselves’: How Japan’s chroma bible went global
“A Dictionary of Color Combinations” is meant to function as a quick-reference guide for artists, designers and anyone with a passing interest in aesthetics as a quantifiable pursuit.

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One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward.
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