Hokuriku Shinkansen
The Hokuriku Shinkansen began service in 1997 in advance of the Nagano Olympics. From Tokyo, it ascends steeply and crosses Usui Pass before arriving in Karuizawa, a resort area with history. Starting in March 2015, the Nagano Shinkansen line will have a new extension providing service to Kanazawa from Tokyo in just 2.5 hours! The above picture shows the Asama Series E7 a 12-car shinkansen.