Japan Bullet Train Aims for Olympics

SAITAMA, Japan — Bracing itself for visitors during the Winter Olympics next February, Japan has begun operating a new bullet train between Tokyo and Nagano. The train cuts the previous express train’s travel time in half, to as little as one hour, 23 minutes.

Juiced by a 25,000-volt electric line, the train, known as the Asama, glides 139 miles through the countryside at up to 163 miles per hour. To catch the train from Narita International Airport, passengers board the Narita Express (about $25), which whisks them to Tokyo in about an hour. The Asama leaves 24 times a day from the Shinkansen section of the Tokyo station. One-way fare for a reserved seat is about $68. Reservations are recommended.

The Asama is not without controversy. It required 75 miles of special new track, much of it through mountain tunnels. The cost, including stations and land purchases, totaled $7 billion.

Critics question if the train was worth the cost since it doesn’t pass through densely populated or major commercial areas. But officials in Nagano, which borders the Japan Alps National Park and draws hikers and skiers, are hoping the train will stimulate tourism.