Where is the Japan train?

[lobelia321]

Research question!

When they are doing the Procul job on Saito, at the start of the film, and they wake up back on a train:

Where is that train? Any ideas, anyone? What railway line is this? What town/landscape/region are they passing through? What type of train is this?

Is this train in Japan??

Comments

[lion]

It's the Japanese Shinkansen (bullet train) and it's approaching Kyoto, which means it's the Tokaido Line. We know that they're on their way to Tokyo (where Saito picks them up) so the area that they're passing through is the area between Osaka and Kyoto (where Cobb gets off the train). According to wikipedia, that area of Kyoto is called Shimogyo-ku ward but I think "outskirts of Kyoto" is enough. The landscape itself is mountainous and vast - Kyoto is a big city surrounded by mountains.

If you want to get really specific, the train itself is probably the Nozomi Shinkansen, famous for its distinctive nose.

/lives in Japan and rode this exact train last week XD

[lobelia321]

Result! (I love fandom.) This is just what I was hoping for. And you rode that train?!

Thank you so much!! Now, next question: where would they all have got on the train? At what station?

[lobelia321]

Hang on, I just looked at your link and at the map. The line between Osaka and Kyoto looks as if it's a really short distance: long enough to do the Saito job, 2 levels??

[lion]

It's almost impossible to say what station they got on at, BUT - the Tokaido shinkansen going towards Kyoto makes very little sense. The distance between Osaka and Kyoto is less than 30 minutes but the Tokaido shinkansen only goes as far as Osaka. So, they could've started the journey before there on the Sanyo shinkansen, which goes a little further south. It seems a little nonsensical to me for them to be in another Japanese city other than Osaka but I suppose it's not unfeasible.

But yes, I rode that train. :) I went to Osaka last weekend.

[lobelia321]

But changing trains and getting off and getting on seems also nonsensical as they're all asleep and hooked up plus having to pretend they don't know Saito! Hmph. Scriptwriters, why aren't you fanatically pedantic fans???

[lion]

Sanyo is the name of the new line. The train would remain the same. :)

[lobelia321]

Thanks to your speedy and awesome knowledge, the fic is now posted! :-) Thank you!

[lion]

This might also be helpful - there are some routes that are longer than just Osaka-Tokyo so it's feasible that they started further south.

[lobelia321]

You're a star. I've incorporated this in the fic. Will let you know once posted!! And thank you profusely!