Japan's bullet trains are a symbol of the country's high-tech prowess, but it still often takes a craftsperson relying just on a pair of skilled hands and a hammer to give them their "face."
Yamashita Kogyosho in Yamaguchi Prefecture employs around 30 artisans to shape the long sleek aerodynamic noses of shinkansen — possibly the most distinctive feature of their appearance.
Founded in 1963, the year before bullet trains debuted on the Tokaido Shinkansen line connecting Tokyo and Osaka, the company has worked on trains from the first-generation "0 series" to the "E7 series" that now runs on the Hokuriku Shinkansen line in central Japan.