It’s a sight that stops visitors to Japan in their tracks. As the Shinkansen bullet train arrives at Tokyo station, the station attendants stand to attention.
Passengers are given two minutes to disembark before the attendants leap on board to clean the train.
New passengers have three minutes to board before the train departs. As it does so, the attendants raise their white-gloved hands to salute the Shinkansen, the hi-speed train that connected a nation.
This month, the Shinkansen - it means ‘new main line’ - is celebrating its 60th birthday.
The inaugural route linked Japan’s two largest cities, Tokyo and Osaka. It covered 515km in just four hours - down from the previous six-and-a-half hours.
The Tokaido Shinkansen was the first bullet train to enter service. Every day, nearly a quarter of a million passengers ride the line between Tokyo, Nagoya and Osaka.
Japan’s high-speed network has extended to cover almost 3,000km and the fastest train, the metallic green Hayabusa, reaches 320km/h.
Trains in other parts of the world may have matched the Japanese bullet train for speed, yet none have quite matched it for celebrity status.
Happy birthday, Shinkansen.