The Shinkansen (bullet train) we took from Tokyo to Nagoya pulls into the station in Tokyo. This was only the second time I had been on one of these trains. Since we were not boarding at its origin, it was already pretty full, but we had assigned seats in one of the reserved seating cars. As with most of these high speed trains, the trip was uneventful. The ride is exceptionally smooth, and unless you look out of the window you’d never know you were on a moving train!

Inside, the seats are comfortable and have a surprising amount of legroom – more than the economy class on any aircraft I’ve ever been on. As with an aircraft seat, they recline and there is a tray table mounted on the seat in front of you. A food service cart passes through the train offering anything from beer and snacks to a full bento box meal.