The technical term for the event is “coupling,” but it’s known colloquially as the “Shinkansen kiss.” For Japanese rail fans, ...

had its name changed to Kohoku Station on Sept. 23. After the Nishi-Kyushu Shinkansen Line opened, Takeo-Onsen Station, located between Haiki and Kohoku stations, was connected to the new line.

the scene at Morioka station is “very, very recognizable.” The Japanese are proud of their sleek, spaceship-like Shinkansen, known worldwide as “bullet trains.” They are famously fast ...