Tsuru (Japan) (AFP) - Prime Minister Shinzo Abe took US ambassador to Japan Caroline Kennedy on a test ride of Japan's super-fast magnetic train on Saturday, showcasing the "Maglev" technology Tokyo hopes to sell to its ally.
"I hope ambassador Kennedy will enjoy the full package of Japan -- the blizzard of cherry blossoms, Mount Fuji and the state-of-the-art technology," a relaxed-looking Abe said ahead of the ride.
As the distinctive white and pink petals of the blossom swirled in the breeze, the pair boarded at the Yamanashi Maglev Test Line near Mount Fuji.
The smiling premier was able to show off the technology with ease, as the train reached speeds of 314 miles (505 kilometres) per hour at certain points in the journey.
Maglev, short for magnetic levitation after the magnets that propel the vehicle forward in place of traditional wheels and axles, is a contender for President Barack Obama's multi-billion-dollar national high-speed rail project.
Japanese business newspaper Nikkei reported Saturday that the operator, Central Japan Railway, does not plan to charge licensing fees in the US for the maglev train, a strong incentive for Washington to select the system for a proposed high-speed rail line between Washington DC and Baltimore. View gallery US Ambassador to Japan Caroline Kennedy (2nd L) and … US Ambassador to Japan Caroline Kennedy (2nd L) and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (L) arrive at …
The proposed 60-kilometre link will represent the first phase in the US government's plan to connect the capital and Boston.
To help alleviate the estimated 1 trillion yen ($9.75 billion) cost of the franchise, Japan intends to finance half of it through the Japan Bank for International Cooperation, the Nikkei said.
Japan is up against Canada, France, Germany and other bidders as it seeks to sell its "Shinkansen" bullet and magnetic train systems overseas.
After the ride, Abe said: "Since I was able to share this experience with ambassador Kennedy today, I hope she would share her story with White House as well."
Kennedy added she thought the technology was "something that will bring great benefits to Japan and hopefully to the United States."
The train hovers 10 centimetres (four inches) above the tracks and reached a world record speed of 581 kilometres per hour in 2003, according to the operator.
In Japan, the company hopes to launch the maglev train service -- billed as faster, smoother and quieter than conventional trains -- between Tokyo and the central city of Nagoya by 2027.
By 2045 it is expected to link Tokyo with the main western city of Osaka in just 67 minutes, compared with the current time of more than two hours.
The diplomatic date shared by Abe and Kennedy, the only surviving daughter of assassinated US president John F. Kennedy, was their second in the last three days.
The pair chatted Thursday evening via video-link with the Japanese commander of the International Space System, Koichi Wakata, as he circled the Earth hundreds of miles (kilometres) up in the atmosphere.
Poster Comment:
WilliamA Mag Lev is great but it take a lot of power to keep the train floating above the guide structure. Conventional rail if done right can reach 220 to 250 MPH. Here in the US upgrading rail lines that were laid out 140 years ago will not work. Even on the Acela route from New York to Washington, there are many places that the speed limit is 90 MPH or less. If you want to take a great high speed rail trip, in Japan the line from Tokyo to Sendai is the way to do it. In Germany the line from the Frankfurt Airport to Cologne is an example in world class engineering.+9-1
[Ng] Ng there is no way that China can participate in the tender due to national security and balance of payment problem with US. I believe the German system is the best in term of efficiency, safety and security as well as price. The French does stand a chance. Go for German train and US will not regret. I believe I am not wrong Germany technology is the most advanced and innovative in the world. I am not a German believe me.
[Flying Chinaman] Japan no good. Japan killed many China peple. China love piece, no war. China have train technology better than Japan. Japan like fighting. China train faster than Japan. China have many intelligent men. China great country. Japan bad country. China have a lot of money. Me have lot of money to give you. Give me you money. OK?
[Jim] When you talk about train, China has to be the forerunner. In regular train, when China's high speed reached 475 kph, where is Japan or the rest of the world. Anyone here can keep talking about "China copied this or China copied that." Has anyone here been to China and rode on their high speed or Maglev train? Compare it to the rest of the world, you tell me the difference. In fact the Chinese is developing a new generation of Maglev train running between 500 to 600 kph in an airless tube. No countries is even thinking about the new hi tech, but China. The Chinese will have its second Maglev train line to be operational in Beijing in 2015. This second line is running in Beijing and does not need any speed above 100 kph. Its existence is mainly due to zero pollution.
The United States already has this technology. We built an electromagnetic rail gun that uses the same technology, only it propels a rod of steel at Mach 7 and is able to shoot down ICBM's, drones, or other aircraft. If people honestly believe American engineers and scientists can't apply this technology to railways then they're delusional. The government just doesn't want to commit funds because it isn't their priority. Right now, American engineers and scientists are landing robots on Mars to see if it can sustain life, soon they will land a human on Mars. American engineers and scientists are also maintaining and making further use of the International Space Station and creating a Cold Atom Lab, so they can see behavior of particles in near absolute zero temperatures, it will be the coldest place in the known Universe. American engineers and scientists are also trying to achieve thermal nuclear fusion so they we don't ever have to rely on fossil fuels again. The U.S Navy has also figured out how to convert water into hydrogen fuel for its navel vessels. They also built a high energy laser weapon that is an additional shield, like the rail gun, against ICBM's carrying nuclear warheads, drones, aircraft, etc. This is what the U.S government has committed and is committing funds too. And you people are complaining cause they won't build a railway just to get you from point A to point B when there are plenty of other alternatives ways to travel? That is so asinine. Also if you consider our environment and the Japanese environment, trains would be inefficient in the United States. The Japanese however, trains are their main source of travel because their cities are densely close so they are very convenient for them. Trains don't go everywhere in the United States because our land is vast and our cities are more spread out. It would be a waste of tax dollars. +5-9
PetranoEsq This woman would make a great POTUS. She was raised to be a POTUS by a family not inclined to approve false flag attacks on America as pretext to war, like when her dad refused to go along with NSA's 1962 planned false flag attack on America known as "Operation Northwoods."
