JR Tokai Marks 60th Anniversary of Tokaido Shinkansen

Tokyo, Oct. 1 (Jiji Press)--Central Japan Railway Co., or JR Tokai, held a ceremony at Tokyo Station on Tuesday to mark the 60th anniversary of its Tokaido Shinkansen bullet train line.

JR Tokai President Shunsuke Niwa, station manager Katsuyuki Wachi and seven other people attended the event. At 6 a.m., they saw off the first Nozomi train from Tokyo, bound for Hakata Station in Fukuoka Prefecture in the Kyushu southwestern region, as many train enthusiasts watched.

"We want to make Tokaido Shinkansen a line that will be loved even more," Niwa said in a speech.

When Wachi raised his right hand to signal the departure, the Nozomi train left the station as the horn blared.

A 14-year-old boy who arrived at the station at 5 a.m. to watch the ceremony with his friend said, "I'm happy I was able to hear the train horn."

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]