Editing Shinkansen (section)

=== Safety record ===
Over the Shinkansen's 60-plus year history, carrying over 10 billion passengers, there have been no passenger fatalities due to train accidents such as derailments or collisions,<ref name="Safety" /> despite frequent earthquakes and typhoons. Injuries and a [[Mishima Station incident|single fatality]] have been caused by doors closing on passengers or their belongings; attendants are employed at platforms to prevent such accidents.<ref>{{citation |title=Railway to pay for 1995 fatality; Shinkansen victim's parents win 49 million yen in damages |date=8 March 2001 |url=https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2001/03/08/national/railway-to-pay-for-1995-fatality/ |newspaper=[[The Japan Times]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220613041921/https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2001/03/08/national/railway-to-pay-for-1995-fatality/ |archive-date=13 June 2022}}</ref> There have, however, been suicides by passengers jumping both from and in front of moving trains.<ref name="fact">{{cite web |title=Shinkansen (Japanese Bullet Trains) and Maglev Magnetic Trains |url=http://factsanddetails.com/japan.php?itemid=852&catid=23&subcatid=153 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130122174638/http://factsanddetails.com/japan.php?itemid=852&catid=23&subcatid=153 |archive-date=22 January 2013}}</ref> On 30 June 2015, a passenger committed suicide on board a Shinkansen train by setting himself on fire, killing another passenger and seriously injuring seven other people.<ref name="BBC33322794">{{cite news |title=Japan bullet train passenger starts fire injuring eight |work=BBC News Online |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-33322794 |access-date=30 June 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220316010554/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-33322794 |archive-date=16 March 2022}}</ref>

There have been two derailments of Shinkansen trains in passenger service. The first one occurred during the [[2004 Chūetsu earthquake|Chūetsu earthquake on 23 October 2004]]. Eight of ten cars of the [[Derailment of Shangye-Yuehou New Trunk Line|''Toki'' No. 325 train on the Jōetsu Shinkansen derailed]] near [[Nagaoka Station]] in [[Nagaoka, Niigata]]. There were no casualties among the 154 passengers.<ref>{{cite web |title=Report on Niigata Chuetsu Earthquake |url=http://www.jreast.co.jp/e/investor/ar/2005/pdf/ar2005_17.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210519015119/https://www.jreast.co.jp/e/investor/ar/2005/pdf/ar2005_17.pdf |archive-date=19 May 2021 |access-date=10 July 2022 |website=jreast.co.jp}}&nbsp;{{small|(43.8&nbsp;KB)}}</ref>

Another derailment happened on 2 March 2013 on the [[Akita Shinkansen]] when the ''Komachi'' No. 25 train derailed in blizzard conditions in [[Daisen, Akita]]. No passengers were injured.<ref name="straitstimes20130332">{{cite news |date=2 March 2013 |title=High-speed bullet train derails in Japan: Media |work=The Sunday Times |publisher=Singapore Press Holdings Ltd. Co. |location=Singapore |url=http://www.straitstimes.com/breaking-news/asia/story/high-speed-bullet-train-derails-japan-media-20130302 |access-date=30 December 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210516080001/https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/high-speed-bullet-train-derails-in-japan-media |archive-date=16 May 2021}}</ref>

In the event of an earthquake, an earthquake detection system can bring the train to a stop very quickly; newer trainsets are lighter and have stronger braking systems, allowing for quicker stopping. New anti-derailment devices were installed on tracks after analysis of the Jōetsu derailment.<ref>{{Cite web| title=Development of Device to Prevent Deviation of the Tokaido Shinkansen during an Earthquake | url=https://www.jsme.or.jp/jsme/uploads/2016/11/awardn11-3.pdf | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240214005937/https://www.jsme.or.jp/jsme/uploads/2016/11/awardn11-3.pdf | archive-date=14 February 2024}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web| title=Preparing for Major Earthquakes | author=Norimichi Kumagai | url=https://www.ejrcf.or.jp/jrtr/jrtr60/pdf/34-41_web.pdf | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191126113337/http://www.ejrcf.or.jp:80/jrtr/jrtr60/pdf/34-41_web.pdf | archive-date=26 November 2019}}</ref>

Several months after the exposure of the [[Kobe Steel#Scandal|Kobe Steel falsification scandal]], which is among the suppliers of [[High-strength low-alloy steel|high-strength steel]] for Shinkansen trainsets, cracks were found upon inspection of a single [[bogie]], and removed from service on 11 December 2017.<ref name="rg20171213">{{cite web |date=13 December 2017 |title=Crack found in Shinkansen trainset bogie |url=http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/high-speed/single-view/view/crack-found-in-shinkansen-trainset-bogie.html |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171213202108/http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/high-speed/single-view/view/crack-found-in-shinkansen-trainset-bogie.html |archive-date=13 December 2017 |access-date=15 December 2017 |work=Railway Gazette}}</ref>

On 23 January 2024, a massive power outage struck the Tohoku, Hokuriku and Joetsu Shinkansen lines, resulting in the cancellation of 283 trains and affecting about 120,000 passengers. [[JR East]] said that the outage was caused by a Kagayaki service train touching an overhead power cable which was left dangling after the metal rod supporting it fractured between [[Ōmiya Station (Saitama)|Omiya Station]] in [[Saitama (city)|Saitama]] and [[Ueno Station]] in Tokyo. The incident damaged the train's pantographs and a window,<ref>{{cite web |date=24 January 2024 |title=JR East: Damage to overhead power cable part led to Shinkansen disruption |url=https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20240124_22/ |access-date=24 January 2024 |work=NHK}}</ref> while two railway employees were hospitalized following an explosion that occurred at the site during repairs.<ref>{{cite web |date=24 January 2024 |title=Disruption of Japan's Shinkansen service sends passengers scrambling |url=https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/backstories/3009/ |access-date=24 January 2024 |work=NHK}}</ref> Most Shinkansen services were restored the following morning.<ref>{{cite web |date=24 January 2024 |title=Bullet trains restart in east Japan 20 hours after power outage |url=https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2024/01/7398611df12a-bullet-train-services-restart-in-east-japan-after-power-outage.html |access-date=24 January 2024 |work=Kyodo News}}</ref>

In September 2024 and March 2025, two decoupling incidents took place on trains servicing the Tohoku line.<ref>{{cite web |date=14 March 2025 |title=Suspended bullet trains in Japan restart after decoupling incident |url=https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2025/03/bb2b35f5abe4-urgent-suspended-bullet-trains-in-japan-restart-after-decoupling-incident.html |access-date=14 March 2025 |work=Kyodo News}}</ref>