Extremely-hard ice cream on bullet train

Mt Fuji from a bullet train

A journey on a high-speed train in Japan is always exciting and relaxing. You might put your luggage on an overhead shelf, adjust seat reclining to the most comfortable position, stretch yourself, then look outside from a window and see how the train accelerates. A few minutes after boarding, you might feel a little bit hungry and look for something to eat. Then, a staff with a catering wagon approaches. What would you choose?

Vanilla flavour (sorry, out of focus!)

The most popular choice is probably ice cream, specifically "Super Premium Ice Cream" manufactured by Sujahta Meiraku, a Nagoya-based company. The price depends on flavours but generally between 300 and 400 yen. Both tourists who simply enjoy the journey and businesspeople who regard the bullet train merely as a part of their work ask for the ice cream. It is well known for a good taste and incredible hardness.

Strawberry and Chocolate flavour

In Japan, the term "ice cream" is precisely defined by the 1951 Ministerial Decree Concerning Ingredient and Standard of Milk and Dairy Products. According to the Decree, "ice cream" must contain at rates of 15% of milk solids and 8% of butterfat. Those failing to meet the criteria are classified as "ice-milk" or "lacto-ice".

According to JR-Central Passengers, a company which manages the catering service, the Super Premium Ice Cream is literally premium, and it has been carefully designed for bullet train passengers as Shinkansen is a symbol of Japan, and it probably justifies why it is a little more expensive than other ordinary ice creams, or "quasi" ice creams.

Pistachio flavour

The ice cream is always served when it is so hard that nobody can eat before it melts. Catering staff put ice creams in a small bag with dry ices to keep the products cold enough (-20 to -30 degrees Celsius, or -4 to -22 degrees Fahrenheit). That is why, many Japanese people on Twitter call it "Shinkansen extremely-hard ice cream".

The ice cream had been widely available across the bullet train network in Japan, but sadly JR East and Hokkaido discontinued the catering service on most of their trains. It is still available on Tokaido and San-yo Shinkansen, the route between Tokyo and Hakata via Nagoya, Kyoto, Osaka and Hiroshima. There are several flavours, but those who try it for the first time are recommended to choose vanilla.

The ice cream is so hard that you must wait for up to 30 minutes before it becomes eatable. Thus, you should not ask for one if you are going to alight the train within 30-40 minutes. Some catering staffs offer a metal spoon that makes the ice cream soft (as it conducts heat), but it is not necessary unless you want it for a souvenir.

Torrential Rains and Rural Lines, a Bleak Future

【米坂線】
坂町駅～米沢駅間の上下線は、当分の間列車の運転を見合わせます。同区間は現時点で運転再開見込みは立っていません。#米坂線　#大雨 pic.twitter.com/K2qoYmCkdH

— JR東日本【信越エリア】運行情報 (公式) (@JRE_Shinetsu_A) August 5, 2022

On 3 August, an extreme torrential rain struck Tohoku and Hokuriku regions in Japan, destroying houses and infrastructure. The rain continued for more than a week, resulted in far more precipitation than average figures observed in August. Aomori, Akita, Yamagata, Fukushima and Niigata Prefectures were hit hard.

Many railways have also been devastated by the torrential rains, and JR East has been investigating and rebuilding them. On 25 August, the company published a document about current situations with photos. Three weeks have passed since the disaster, but not a few of them are yet to be reopened, as listed below. Replacement buses are available on all routes.

• Ban-etsu West Line: Kitakata - Yamato (10 km / 6 mi)
• Gono Line: Iwadate - Kajikazawa (75 km / 47 mi)
• Hanawa Line: Kazunohanawa - Odate (37 km / 23 mi)
• Ou Main Line: Takanosu - Odate (18 km / 11 mi)
• Tsugaru Line: Kanita - Minmaya (29km / 18 mi)
• Yonesaka Line: Imaizumi - Sakamachi (68 km / 42 mi)

All but Ou Main Line are enumerated in a list of "significantly unprofitable railways" (click here for a detailed English summary) which could be subject to a permanent closure. In fact, one of the reasons why an expert committee of the Transport Ministry issued the report was because those lines were vulnerable to natural disasters that are recently intensifying amid the global warming. Thus, local residents and politicians have expressed concerns about the fate of those devastated railways.

Is engineering work on going? According to TBS, JR East estimates that Ou Main Line could be reopened within a few months, possibly about 2-3 months. Fukushima Mimpo reported that JR East, the Japanese Government and the government of Fukushima Prefecture are discussing how to rebuild Ban-etsu West Line, and how much do each parties expend. Hence, these two lines are likely to be restored within a year.

However, the fates of Gono, Hanawa, Tsugaru and Yonesaka Lines are unclear. According to Kahoku Shimpo, Gono and Hanawa Lines are so badly damaged that it would take more than a year to rebuild them. Some parts of Gono Line are still inundated so that engineer workers are unable to investigate the situation. Yamagata Shimbun reported that local governments officially requested JR East to rebuild Yonesaka Line, and JR East acknowledged the importance of the resolution, but it could be lip-service. No new relevant report about Tsugaru Line is heard so far.

JR East will definitely ask local governments for sufficient contribution to those rural railways. All parties consider that the lines should be reopened as soon as possible, but some cities, towns and villages might disagree with reconstruction if it costs tremendously. In that case, the line could be permanently closed and replaced with bus service, which could be allegedly safer, more convenient and cheaper as discussed in the past article.

50-year-old train in the capital

50 years have passed since introduction of London Underground 1972 stock. It entered service on 26 June 1972, and still used on Bakerloo line today. It is now the oldest rolling stock in the country except heritage trains, and Transport for London conceded that their replacement would be in the late-2030s or even in the 40s. There might be mixed views on the stock: some people (mostly railway enthusiasts) love this traditional design dating back to the 1960s, while others (commuters) mourn a bumpy ride and a lack of air-conditioning.

Is there any train for regular service that has been in use for more than 50 years in Tokyo? Yes, it is Tobu 8000 series. It entered service on 1 November 1963, so nearly 60 years have passed since introduction. They were mostly withdrawn from major commuter lines by the 2010s, but there are a few units formed of two coaches on small branch lines in Tokyo, namely Tobu Daishi and Kameido lines. More fleets are used in nearby prefectures like Chiba and Saitama, and they are likely to remain in service for several more years.

There were several more trains until a few years ago such as JNR 115 series (1963-2015), Tokyo Metro 6000 series (1968-2018) and Keikyu 1000 series (1959-2010), but currently Tobu 8000 series is the only one.

There is one more type that will certainly be 50 years old soon: Keisei 3500 series. The 3500 series was first introduced in 1972, and the very first fleet, which was registered on 26 December 1972, is still operational. Since their retirement is not imminent, they will certainly become 50 years old later this year.

Many foreign tourists describe trains in Japan always-shiny, but there are a few old-fashioned trains. Not a few daily users dislike out-of-date rolling stock with weak air conditioning and no information monitor above doors, though some railway enthusiasts like those trains.

The Red List of Trains in Japan (Jul-2022 update)

The Red List of Trains in Japan has been updated with nine new articles as listed below. The website is mostly about trains that are operational today and those in service until around 2010, but I have decided to add a few bullet train articles with photos of static display, as Shinkansen has always been a symbol of Japan.

E6 series

• JNR 0 series bullet train
• JR East 400 series bullet train
• JR East E6 series bullet train
• Saitama Railway 2000 series
• Toyo Rapid 2000 series
• TWR 70-000 series
• TX-1000 series
• TX-2000 series
• TX-3000 series

In addition, I have modified errors on several articles and made others up to date. I hope they are useful.

Squat Toilet Onboard

There are mixed views about toilets in Japan. On the one hand, many people outside Japan praise how restrooms are developed, as they are clean, automated and many of them have a shower for the best "position". On the other hand, quite a few people mourn unclean "traditional" squat toilets...like this American lady in a hilarious video.

(It always appears in front of me when it is the most urgent)

Since Japan is an Asian country, there are still many squat toilets. They look different from those in France or Italy, and perhaps the Japanese one is a little more hygienic, but both are effectively the same. Not only those from Northern and Western Europe, but also not a few Japanese people dislike it. However (and surprisingly), according to a survey conducted in 2016 by The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, nearly 20% answered that they preferred a squat one.

It is easy to find (or avoid) a squat toilet. Old buildings in rural areas, especially public toilets, tend to have it only.

Accessible toilet on Keikyu 1000 series

When it comes to railway in Japan, most stations have "western-style" toilets as do trains. Those introduced or refurbished recently have accessible toilets, sometimes with the shower feature. However, there are still trains with squat toilets even in Tokyo, which may be shocking for some people.

E217 series on Yokosuka and Sobu Rapid Lines have squat toilets. One out of three toilets on an 11-carriage unit (coach no. 11), and the only one on a 4-car unit (coach no. 増1), are the squat type. Since the E217 series is nearly 30 years old, those toilets are not always clean (though still durable).

E231 series on Tokaido Main, Takasaki and Utsunomiya Lines (also known as Ueno-Tokyo or Shonan-Shinjuku Lines) also have a squat toilet. Not all E231 series have one (thankfully), but a few 10-car units introduced before 2006 may bring you despair when you declare yourself in a state of emergency. The best way to avoid it is not going to the one on coach no. 6, and look for the other on either no. 1 (10-car units) or no. 11 (5-car units).

EXE stands for "Excellent"? Humbug!

A few private railways have one too. Odakyu 30000 series EXE has squat toilets, and presumably it is one of the reasons why the series has been the most unpopular train among all Romancecar trains. Odakyu has been refurbishing the series, and they installed accessible toilets with the shower feature on the renovated units, which are called EXE α.

Seibu 10000 series

Seibu has two types of trains with a squat toilet: 4000 series and 10000 series New Red Arrow. The 4000 series is used for stopping services between Hanno and Seibu-Chichibu, but most tourists would not use it. The 10000 series is used for Limited Express Koedo (Seibu-Shinjuku – Hon-Kawagoe), and the one on coach no. 7 is the "controversial" one.

Tobu 200 series

Tobu has three types: 100 series SPACIA, 200 series and 6050 series. The 100 series is less of an issue, as each toilet section has both the squat and western ones. Two out of three toilets on the 200 series are the squat toilet, but an accessible one is installed on coach no. 3 of 6. The 6050 series does not have a western-style one, but this train no longer runs in Tokyo.

There are eight types of rolling stock in the Greater Tokyo Area (JR East and major private railways) with squat toilets. In most cases, they have the western-style toilet as well, but if you are unlucky you may have to walk down the train. Thus, it is recommended to finish your "work" at station when nature calls you.

Finally, there are more traditional toilets onboard in western Japan, as JR West still uses considerable number of JNR trains, such as 113 series and 115 series. These 40-year-old trains only have the squat one so that best be borne in mind. More surprisingly, 500 series bullet train has one too, though the western-style ones are also available.

The one on 24 series sleeper coach

Again, in most cases you will see the western one, but be careful that it is not 100%.