TOKYO: Japan's "shinkansen" train, which led the world in super-fast rail transport technology, celebrated its 50th birthday Wednesday with ceremonies hailing its contribution to the country's post-war economy and its safety record.
A sleek, airplane-shaped N700A train left Platform 19 of Tokyo's central station at 6am, exactly 50 years since the launch of the service along the Pacific industrial belt between the capital and the western megacity of Osaka.
