The comforts and discomforts of Japan’s Shinkansen train

On a recent trip to Japan, I had the opportunity to experience the country’s Shinkansen train service. The Shinkansen, sometimes called the bullet train, is a network of high-speed trains that carry passengers across the country at speeds up to around 450km/h. Japan is notorious for its vast and efficient transportation system. True, tickets can be dauntingly expensive, but transportation in the country is nearly flawlessly reliable and easy to use.

As a lover of overland transportation, I had heard a lot about Japan’s Shinkansen line. I’ve heard much about the train system’s impeccable punctuality, and read many advertisements boasting of the train’s low emissions and superior comfort to air travel. I’ve heard a lot of passengers talk about the thrill of riding this supertrain with almost as much zeal as they talked about climbing Mt. Fuji or visiting important shrines and temples throughout the country. And it is a fun quirky thrill to ride this train that goes faster than some airplanes.
However, I’d never heard anyone mention the possible discomfort of this sort of train travel. I spent the first two hours of my journey on the Shinkansen equalizing my ears roughly every 30 seconds. The train goes so fast that it is necessary to hold your nose and blow, or “pop” your ears, at an alarming frequency. I also experienced a strange pressure and pain that ran through my ears, along my jaw, and down my neck. It’s certainly nothing worse than I’ve experienced on certain flights or while SCUBA diving, though it is the sudden and intense onset and alarming frequency and duration that gives it cause for pause.

Many people do not have such a sensitivity to pressure changes and will experience none of this on their trip on the Shinkansen. I wouldn’t discourage anyone from taking the Shinkansen train system, though I think a casual word of caution on the subject should be mentioned. I’m guilty of a slightly larger preoccupation with ear health than most people. Perhaps owing to chronic ear infections as a child or an intense appreciation of music. Whatever the cause, ear discomfort always causes a bit of anxiety in me and that is certainly nothing that you want to have hampering your travels. And regardless of travel discomfort, there are many reasons to be in sound health.