Tōkaidō Shinkansen Groundbreaking

Ground was broken on June 1, 1958, for the Tōkaidō Shinkansen, Japan's pioneering 300 km/h dedicated passenger railway between Tokyo and Osaka. Led by Japan National Railways president Shinji Sogō and engineer Hideo Shima, the project overcame mountainous terrain with long tunnels and viaducts while introducing the 0 Series bullet trains. Completed in 1964 for the Tokyo Olympics, the line carried 100 million passengers in its first three years, proving high-speed rail's commercial viability. It inspired global high-speed networks, reduced domestic air travel, and demonstrated how post-war engineering could reshape mobility and economic corridors.