Taipei –
A shinkansen operates outside of Japan. It’s a little-known success story that stands as proof of concept for the export of futuristic transportation technology developed over many decades in Japan.
The line runs the length of Taiwan, over mountainous, unstable territory that makes the island a perfect test bed for fast trains otherwise exclusively used in the home market.
“The fact that it has already been successful in Taiwan means that it’s a technology and experience that could potentially be applied universally overseas,” said Masafumi Shukuri, the chairman of International High-speed Rail Association (IHRA), an industry group that promotes Japan’s shinkansen technology overseas.
