First, the teal green Tohoku Shinkansen “Hayabusa” — one of Japan’s world-famous bullet trains — arrives at the platform. It stops, passengers alight, and the train waits patiently for its partner.

Also aboard were freshly baked apple pies ... Deep red strawberries from Karuizawa, Nagano Prefecture, left on a trip to Tokyo Station carried by JR East. Shinkansen tracks and trains expose ...

It stops, passengers alight, and the train waits patiently for its partner. Then, the bright red Akita Shinkansen “Komachi” slowly approaches along the same track. Finally, to the excitement ...