Japan’s Shinkansen Bullet train network is to extend to Hokurikiu and the Central Honshu region, by offering a new service from Tokyo. Travel time will be reduced to the area, with travel between the capital and Kanazawa, the most popular destination in Hokuriku, to be cut in half to only two and a half hours. The extension will also provide faster access from Tokyo to other destinations such as Takayama City, Niigata, Toyama, Ishikawa, Fukui and Nagano.
The train is specifically designed to reduce noise and air pressure, minimize vibration and operate with a superior brake system. The colors used, blue and copper, are chosen to reflect the clear blue sky and the hue of the region’s many crafts. The interior is designed in a way to demonstrate Japan’s Zen-like simplicity. In upper class cars, Hokuriku crafts’ colors and materials have been selected to create a sense of place and enhance the traveling experience.
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The Hokurikiu region has received plenty of attention this year with an inclusion in Lonely Planets ‘Best in Travel’ 2014 guide. The guide displays the most enduring images of Hokuriku and Central Honshu include the snow monkey, steep thatched-roof houses, Kenroku-en Japanese garden blanketed in snow, and the Japan Alps. The region also benefits from a close location to the old capital, Kyoto.