The Yamanashi Prefectural Maglev Exhibition Center

by Brandon Moore

Last week, I went to the Yamanashi Prefectural Maglev Exhibition Center. In case you didn't know, Yamanashi is home to some of the latest and greatest innovations in public transportation; over the past decade, the The Chuo Linear Shinkansen (a maglev bullet train) has set world records for traveling at speeds over 600km/h here at the exhibition center, located in Otsuki, Yamanashi.

The actual maglev train that broke the world record for fastest train travel is displayed at the center

The Chuo Linear Shinkansen will be available to be ridden by the public starting in 2027 when the line reaches from Tokyo to Nagoya. The line will be extended to Osaka by 2045. Until it opens, however, testing will be conducted to ensure that the train can make the trip safely. The Chuo Shinkansen's predecessor, the Tokai Shinkansen, the bullet train connecting Tokyo and Osaka that was first unveiled for the Tokyo Olympics in 1964, originally made the trip between Japan's two largest metropolitan areas in four hours--an amazing feat at the time. The trip now takes about two and a half hours. The maglev train will bring that time down to just under 70 minutes.

A display at the maglev center displays information about the train, including altitude and distance traversed.

The maglev exhibition center conducts unmanned test runs as well, giving visitors the opportunity to see the train flash before their eyes up close. Taking pictures of the train's front is very difficult due to the speed at which it runs. Visitors who attempt to snap the train may be impressed by the speed, but will almost certainly be left with a bunch of blurry pictures that speak to how fast the train runs.

You can watch the maglev train zoom past on days that test runs are conducted

The center also provides a number of stations that explain the principles at work that make the maglev train possible. The biggest principle at play is magnetism, which causes a number of phenomena that help the train run smoothly. The maglev train utilizes magnetism starting at speeds above 160 km/h. By making the poles of the train and the track the same, the north pole of one magnetized component (for example, the train itself) and the north pole of the other component (the track) push away from each other. This allows the train to float, and also reduces friction between the train and the track, allowing greater speeds than other trains.

A video demonstrating the maglev's ability to change the polarity of the magnets

The train also uses electricity to turn these magnets on and off when necessary, or to change a pole from north to south and vice versa. This is helpful for when the train needs to run through curves. The train on one side will have a magnetic pole opposite the guideway in order to pull the train to that side, while the other side will have the same pole as the guideway to push away from that side. Since the train has the ability to switch which magnets have which poles, when the train passes over a section of track curving the opposite way, it can simply change the polarity of the magnets to adjust and safely move through the curve.

To give a more concrete explanation of the train's ability to float, the center also provides a live demonstration using a stone and a cover cooled in dry ice. The stone is magnetized and placed inside the cover. This cover acts as a coolant to remove the problem of overheating. The maglev train itself also has mechanisms that cool it and prevent overheating. The magnetized object is then placed on the track, then pushed. It floats while going over the track, never falling despite not being physically connected to the track. You can watch this in the video below.

For those who want an even closer experience, the center also provides a test run on a small track with an actual maglev car. The test maglev car runs at a much slower speed than the actual train, but it provides the same experience of floating on air.

Finally, the maglev center also has a diorama that imagines what a future Yamanashi will look like once the maglev train's construction is finished in 2027. The diorama goes through all four seasons in Yamanashi, highlighting all the events that happen throughout the year and all the different areas in Yamanashi that visitors might want to travel to.

Overall, the maglev center visit was a great experience that provides insight into one of the most important transportation innovations of this century. From excited children to curious adults, everyone can find something to enjoy at the maglev center!