The islands of Okinawa, which are smaller islands further down south, also have a rail system but is not connected to the larger islands because of the sea distance in between.
Japan will also soon have the fastest train in the world, the maglev, which can run at a record speed of 375 miles per hour. The name comes from the combination of the word’s magnetism and levitation. Yes, the train is so fast that it actually levitates while running, with the friction between the rail and the wheels making it faster. But the rails for this train are still under construction, so people use the Shinkansen for now, still the world's third fastest passenger train. On a Shinkansen, one can go from Tokyo to Osaka, the third largest city in Japan, in two and half hours, a trip that would take around six or more hours by car.
The rail system runs by electricity, mostly resourced from nuclear power rather than fossil fuels. Some train stations also run on the energy created by the friction of moving and stopping trains. I don’t understand much the science behind this, but this shows the great technological advances in Japan. The stations are always very well lit and there are shops and restaurants and convenience stores all around. Actually, many of the bigger stations are surrounded by huge malls where people met up for shopping, eating or just hanging out. The trains only run from around five in the morning until around midnight, so they don't operate 24 hours.
