The ambitious target of having the Tokaido Shinkansen project completed in a remarkably short five-and-a-half years owes a lot to wartime Japan's legacy. Also called a "bullet train" project, there was a plan to build a nine-hour rail service connecting Tokyo and Shimonoseki in western Japan.

Construction began in 1941, with the ultimate goal of linking Tokyo and Beijing across the sea. But after some work, including on the Shintanna Tunnel in Shizuoka Prefecture, the project was terminated amid Japan's worsening war prospects.

Under the unfinished project, tracts of land were bought and some tunnel work had been done, and the Tokaido Shinkansen Line was built partially on this legacy.

Behind the development of the original "0 (zero) series" shinkansen, which was put into service in 1964, were former military engineers who had lost the outlets for their skills following Japan's defeat in 1945. Engineers who designed the train's bogies, which house wheelsets, included those who had been involved in research for the carrier-based Zero fighter plane during the war. The train reached a top speed of 256 kph during a pre-opening test run.

Among those present at the launch ceremony at Tokyo Station on Oct. 1, 1964, was JNR President Reisuke Ishida. After Ishida cut the ribbon, the "Hikari No. 1" train departed at 6 a.m., while a brass band played a marching song. From Shin-Osaka Station, the "Hikari No. 2" train left for Tokyo at the same time, traveling along the four-hour route more or less as scheduled.

Then Emperor Hirohito and Empress Nagako, the grandparents of the current Emperor Naruhito, attended an opening ceremony held at the JNR headquarters. In his remarks, the emperor said he "deeply appreciate(s)" the shinkansen project's completion after seeing it overcome "numerous difficulties."

Once it went into service, the newly built shinkansen connected Tokyo and Osaka in four hours, down from around seven hours previously. The new service made it possible for people to go between the two cities on day trips, which had a huge impact on the Japanese economy and society. To prioritize speed, the shinkansen adopted a wider track gauge of 1,435 millimeters, rather than the 1,067 mm narrow gauge used for non-shinkansen services -- conventional trains that were common in Japan.

In the quest to ensure the new line operated safely, JNR engineers worked to incorporate the leading technologies of the day into the world's first high-speed rail service. One of particular note was the Automatic Train Control system, or ATC, designed to regulate train speeds. It was the first time the safety system was applied to JNR's operations. The improvements made to the ATC system, alongside other efforts that were made to ensure safety, partly attest to the impressive safety record of the shinkansen service. There has never been a train accident in which passengers died while aboard a shinkansen train, and its world-famous punctuality is also noteworthy.

The original 0 series train sported a round nose that many, both young and old, found endearing. It ran both as the faster "Hikari" train or as the slower "Kodama," which stopped at every station. After it was complemented by the 100 series train, an even faster "Nozomi" variety debuted in 1992.

Under the newer, streamlined 300 series, which boasted top speeds of 270 kph, Nozomi shortened the time between Tokyo and Shin-Osaka to two and a half hours.

In 1997, the 500 series was put into service on the Sanyo Shinkansen Line. The train traveled at 300 kph at the fastest point on the line. The distinctively sharp, streamlined nose and airplane-like fuselage made it popular among fans.

A newer 700-series train, whose nose resembled that of a duck-billed platypus, debuted on the Tokaido and Sanyo lines in 1999. The nose was shaped that way to minimize noise, especially when going around tunnels. Operators have since put newer trains into service, such as the N700, N700A and N700S series.

Meanwhile, the 0 series train was retired from the Tokaido line in 1999 after decades of service. Its scheduled service on the Sanyo line ended in 2008. A 0 series train has been given to Britain, the birthplace of the railway, and put on display at the National Railway Museum in York.

Shinkansen trains represent the work of generations of engineers who applied their skills to improving shinkansen's safety and making life better inside the cars, as well as to alleviate their impact on surrounding communities. It would be amiss not to also allude to generations of fans who have been fascinated by the bullet trains for all they represent.