A success of the Shinkansen influences on Japan.

The success of the Shinkansen had various influences on Japan and the world.
Since October, 2009, the time it takes to travel between Tokyo-Station and Shin-Osaka is 2 hours and 25 minutes. The top speed operates at 270 km/h. The Tokaido Shinkansen has become indispensable as a means for carrying out high-speed movement between the two biggest cities in Japan, Tokyo and Osaka. There are about 300 trains operated per day. The Tokaido Shinkansen is a train line which has the top-class operating income in the world. Probably, Japan would have reached a serious situation if it was not for the Tokaido Shinkansen. The conventional main Tokaido line took about 7 hours from Tokyo to Osaka. Since the gap the fare with an airplane was more expensive, the Shinkansen became popular. However, the fares of the large-sized airplane fell so the passengers had a choice to take an airplane.
The same phenomenon happened to change the means of transportation of the passengers between Tokyo and Sapporo. 90% of the passengers who travel between Tokyo and Sapporo go by airplane. The number of passengers on that air route is the world's No.1. When carrying all the visitors of the Tokaido Shinkansen by airplane, a further 9 times as many airplanes are required.
If it was a bus for 40 persons, an operation with a 10-second interval would be required.