TV program tonight: Shinkansen

[bikkuri bahn]

Heads up to Japan based forum members this holiday evening: at 10pm on TV Tokyo (digital channel 7), there will be a program "Future Century Zipangu", the topic tonight is the Shinkansen.  TV Tokyo programs tend to be high quality, having a business emphasis.  Should be worth checking out.

 

http://www.tv-tokyo.co.jp/zipangu/next/#section1

[Densha]

Don't have Japanese TV channels here.

[Guest ___]

Heads up to Japan based forum members this holiday evening: at 10pm on TV Tokyo (digital channel 7), there will be a program "Future Century Zipangu", the topic tonight is the Shinkansen.  TV Tokyo programs tend to be high quality, having a business emphasis.  Should be worth checking out.

 

http://www.tv-tokyo.co.jp/zipangu/next/#section1

 

Someone needs to record it and then add sub-titles like the ungrounded anime fan-subber scene.

[bikkuri bahn]

A quick review of the program: unfortunately, TV Tokyo used a "celebrity" panel and MC format in the breaks between segments, which dumbs down but broadens the appeal of the program.  Would much rather they had gone with a single presenter introducing the segments, or a documentary followed by an interview with an expert or company president.  

 

Anyway, nothing particularly earth shattering- JR East sees SNCF as their primary rival, and are counting on their expertise in earthquake resistance, high frequency operation, and technologies such as tilting and active suspensions as a competitive advantage.  Also, Doctor Yellow

 

The most interesting segment was when a camera crew tagged along with a group of officials from Indian Railways- they went to JR East maintenance facilities, a portion of the under construction Hokuriku Shinkansen, and the Seikan Tunnel.  The Indian delegation was impressed, but balked at the expense of the shinkansen system.  It seems they are more interested in upgrading their existing lines to say, 200km/h operation than a dedicated, fully grade separated system.

[Claude_Dreyfus]

Well, tonight on Channel 5 in the UK there is a program about TGV, which traces its development and influences...including the Shinkansen.

 

http://www.channel5.com/shows/big-bigger-biggest/episodes/worlds-fastest-train

 

The advance reviewers have said it is a little 'anoraky'...which I rather hope implies that it is not being targetted at the lowest common denominator, and may therefore be quite informative; despite the rather suspect title!