Where was it built?
Japan — several manufacturers built the fleet.
Hitachi, Kawasaki, Kinki Sharyo and Nippon Sharyo contributed cars. Nippon Sharyo documents its work on cars 11 and 12 of the original train.
Japan · Bullet trains
500 Series Shinkansen
Kodama · The silver arrow
The 500 series looks like a silver arrow! Its round body and long nose helped it become a 300 km/h pioneer in 1997. Later, trains were shortened for Kodama services at 285 km/h. A train can change its job without losing its famous face.
- Speed
- 177mph285 km/hKodama service maximum
- Year
- 1997Service debut
- Maker
- Hitachi, Kawasaki, Kinki Sharyo & Nippon Sharyo
- Job
- Sanyo Shinkansen passenger journeys
Turn it. Take it apart. Discover.
Explore your train
Interactive model loads here. Read the train guide below while it gets ready.
3D modelDrag to turn · Pinch to zoom · Tap a number to explore
What makes an electric train electric?
A collector takes electricity from the overhead wire. Electrical equipment prepares that power, and motors turn the wheels.
- 1The streamlined noseAt the front
A smooth nose helps the train slip through the air. The driver looks out through the dark windscreen above it.
Look deeper
Famous for 300 km/h Nozomi service from 1997. This model represents the later eight-car Kodama version, rated at 285 km/h. The race uses 285, not its former 300 km/h maximum. JR West announced retirement in 2027.
- 2A place for passengersInside the car body
People travel in the long car body above the wheels. Windows, doors and the connections between cars are useful clues on the outside.
Look deeper
This is an electric multiple unit: propulsion equipment is distributed through the trainset. Passenger space sits above the underfloor systems. Only three representative cars are shown.
- 3An arm that collects powerOn the roof
This spring-loaded arm touches an overhead wire and collects electricity for the train.
Look deeper
The roof collector is called a pantograph. High-speed electric trains normally take their traction power from overhead wires. Its position here is a teaching example, not an exact car-by-car equipment plan.
- 4More than just wheelsUnder the body
A bogie is the frame that holds a group of wheels. Springs help make the ride smoother.
Look deeper
Wheelsets, suspension and braking equipment form part of the running gear. Powered bogies also carry traction motors. This simplified model does not reproduce a specific bogie or show every motor and brake.
- 5The equipment below your feetBelow the floor
Electrical boxes help turn electricity into the power the motors need. They share space with other equipment underneath the train.
Look deeper
Transformers and power electronics condition electrical power for the traction motors. Different cars carry different equipment; these boxes show the general underfloor zone, not the exact position or contents of each cabinet.
Get to know 500 Series Shinkansen
What is it made from?
Aluminium body panels include a honeycomb structure.
A honeycomb is a pattern of small cells between skins. It makes a panel stiff without filling the whole space with heavy solid metal. The body is painted silver-grey and blue.
Why can it go so fast?
Its round body and 15-metre nose help it pass through the air.
Motors provided enough power for 300 km/h Nozomi operation. The later Kodama version has a published 285 km/h maximum, which is the version you drive here.
When was it built?
Passenger service began on 22 March 1997.
Nippon Sharyo records a 1996 production milestone. Eight-car Kodama operation began on 1 December 2008: a later chapter in the same train’s life.
Where does it run — or where did it run?
The Sanyo Shinkansen between Shin-Osaka and Hakata, Japan.
Kodama trains serve smaller stops as well as major cities. Earlier Nozomi trains also continued onto the Tokaido Shinkansen towards Tokyo.
Is it still running today?
A retiring generation: JR West announced the end of service in 2027.
The linked operator announcement describes replacing the remaining 500 series trains. That is a retirement plan, not a guarantee that a particular train is running today. A preserved front car can also be seen at Kyoto Railway Museum.
How power reaches the wheels
Follow these steps, then find the matching sections in the model above.
- 1
Wire & collector
Electricity reaches the train from overhead.
- 2
Electrical equipment
It controls the supply reaching the motors.
- 3
Traction motors
A motor turns electrical energy into movement.
- 4
Wheels
Powered wheelsets turn against the rails.
Read the wheels
Look underneath: wheelsets support the train and carry the forces used to accelerate and brake. The model simplifies the real running gear.
What does its speed really mean?
Kodama service maximum. A maximum speed describes particular conditions; station stops, curves, signals and track limits make an actual journey slower.
A fast train is a whole system: vehicle, track, electricity or fuel, brakes, signalling and trained people. A race in the game is a simplified comparison.
What curious kids ask
Is the pointy nose what makes it fast?
The motors provide the power. A smooth shape reduces air resistance, and on trains such as the E5 the long nose also softens tunnel pressure waves. Fast travel depends on the track, brakes and control systems, too.
Why does this game say 285 when my book says 300?
Both can describe the 500 series! The original long Nozomi trains ran at 300 km/h. This model represents the later, shorter Kodama version at 285 km/h. We use that version’s published limit in the race.
Does the driver steer like a car?
No steering wheel is needed to choose a direction. The rails guide the wheelsets. At a junction, movable sections of rail called points or switches guide the train onto another track. The driver controls speed and braking.
Why can’t it stop straight away?
A moving train has energy. Brakes must remove that energy to slow it down. A heavy train travelling fast needs room to stop, so railway signals help keep trains safely separated.
Meet these trains next
Compare how they look, what they carry and where their power comes from.
N700S Shinkansen 
E5 Shinkansen 
E8 Shinkansen Little railway dictionary
Bogie / truck
A frame holding wheelsets beneath a vehicle. It can turn relative to the body to help the train follow curves.
Gauge
The distance between the inside faces of the two running rails. Narrow gauge means closer rails; loading gauge describes the space a train may occupy.
Pantograph
A folding roof collector that stays in contact with an overhead power wire.
Traction
The force used to pull or propel the train. Grip between wheels and rails limits how much force can be used.
Multiple unit
A train with propulsion equipment within its passenger vehicles, operated together from one cab.
Locomotive
A powered vehicle whose main job is to move other railway vehicles.
Shunting / switching
Moving and arranging vehicles in a yard, often at low speed.
Livery
The colours, stripes, logos and other markings painted or applied to a train.
Service speed
The permitted speed for passenger or freight operation on a suitable section. It is not the journey average.
Record speed
A speed achieved on a particular test or record attempt, sometimes with special equipment and conditions.
Tender
A vehicle coupled to a steam locomotive to carry extra water and fuel. A tank engine carries water on the locomotive itself.
Prototype
An early vehicle built to develop and test a design before a production fleet.
Sources & reading
Follow the operator, builder and museum references below for more detail. Links beside an answer show which source supports that answer.
- JR West · 500 series Kodama specification (archived) ↗
- JR West · 500 series history and retirement programme ↗
- Nippon Sharyo · 500 series body construction ↗
Edition 2026-09-27. Catalogue background is carried forward from the original collection; it is not a new independent verification. Engineering explanations describe principles. Portraits and 3D models are illustrations, with simplified parts and proportions. This is an independent learning guide, not an operator’s timetable.