The Shinkansen (Japanese: 新幹線, pronounced [ɕiŋkaꜜɰ̃seɴ], lit. ‘new main line’), colloquially known in English as the bullet train, is a network of high-speed railway lines in Japan.Initially, it was built to connect distant Japanese regions with Tokyo, the capital, to aid economic growth and development.Beyond long-distance travel, some sections around the largest metropolitan …