Bullet Train

Japan's bullet trains are some of the fastest in the world, and its cutting-edge engineering moves 150 million people every year with extraordinary speed and efficiency.

In Shikoku, made up of 4 prefectures, there are many trains running that have distinctive characteristics. They are fun both to ride on and to look at. An American, Michael Rivas will take a 4-day trip on such trains.

Featuring the much loved Joanna Lumley, the series will follow her as she travels to the far reaches of Japan, from the icy Siberian seas of the north to the subtropical islands of the south. With her natural curiosity and engaging storytelling, Joanna will take viewers on an adventure exploring some of the most uncharted corners of Japan’s 6,800 mystical islands.

Joanna Lumley embarks on the world’s greatest train journey for this epic new three-part documentary series, The series sees Joanna travel from East to West, departing from Hong Kong across 5777 miles of both Asia and Europe, through seven time zones, taking in an immense panorama of vistas and cultures, people and places, before her final arrival in Moscow.

James May embarks on a remarkable journey across Japan, from its icy north to its balmy south. He’ll see the sights, meet the locals, and eat the noodles in a bid to truly understand the Land of the Rising Sun.

Shinji Sogo was the 4th president of Japanese National Railways. With imagination and determination, he made sure that the Shinkansen bullet train service started in time for the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. The news brought attention from around the world and revived the railway industry. It also laid the groundwork for high-speed railways being planned and built in Europe, the US and Asia today. This program examines rare documents and firsthand accounts of how Sogo's leadership brought the ambitious Shinkansen project to fruition.

In the run-up to this year's Tokyo Olympics, this edition of Witness History is presented from Japan and introduces us to five important moments in Japan's history: