Where was it built?
Japan — built by Kawasaki and Hitachi.
JR Hokkaido operates this train in northern Japan. Its home railway and the place where its cars were assembled are different things.
Japan · Bullet trains
H5 Shinkansen
Hayabusa · Hokkaido’s purple stripe
Meet the E5’s northern cousin! H5 Hayabusa links Honshu with Hokkaido through the undersea Seikan Tunnel. Its purple stripe recalls northern flowers. It shares the E5’s basic shape and speed, so these two can finish a race together.
- Speed
- 199mph320 km/hTop service speed
- Year
- 2016Service debut
- Maker
- Kawasaki & Hitachi
- Job
- High-speed journeys between Japan’s islands
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
The H5 shares the E5’s long nose but wears a purple stripe. Its 320 km/h service maximum applies on the Tohoku Shinkansen; the Hokkaido high-speed section is limited to 260 km/h, with lower limits on shared track.
- 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 H5 Shinkansen
What is it made from?
Its E5-based body belongs to Japan’s lightweight aluminium Shinkansen family.
JR Hokkaido specifies the E5 body shape and basic design. Hitachi describes aluminium-alloy construction for this generation. This explains the body structure, not a complete list of every H5 component.
Why can it go so fast?
The E5’s long-nose design helps the H5 travel fast and quietly.
Electric motors provide movement. Active suspension helps the ride, while the long front manages tunnel pressure waves. Purple paint changes its identity, not its speed.
When was it built?
The first sets arrived in 2014; passenger service began in 2016.
Testing comes before carrying passengers. Hokkaido Shinkansen services opened on 26 March 2016.
Where does it run — or where did it run?
Tokyo to northern Japan, continuing to Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto in Hokkaido.
The journey crosses between Honshu and Hokkaido through the Seikan Tunnel. The game uses 320 km/h, its Tohoku maximum; the Hokkaido line has lower limits.
Is it still running today?
Yes — JR Hokkaido includes the H5 in its passenger guide.
This is a fleet-level description. Check the operator’s timetable to find which departures use an H5 rather than an E5.
Fleet-status check: 2026-09-18. Consult the operator for departures.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?
Published 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.
Does it travel underwater?
Yes! The route to Hokkaido passes through the Seikan Tunnel beneath the seabed. The train stays in a railway tunnel, not in the seawater. Freight trains share part of this route, so the H5 cannot use its 320 km/h maximum everywhere.
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.
E5 Shinkansen 
E8 Shinkansen 
500 Series 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 Hokkaido · H5 specification and colours ↗
- JR Hokkaido · H5 passenger train guide ↗
- JR Hokkaido · Hokkaido Shinkansen ↗
- Hitachi · Shinkansen construction and comfort ↗
- JICA · E5 engineering features, report pages 4-87–4-89 ↗
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.