With its duckbill-shaped nose, the new 700-series Nozomi (Hope) bullet train debuts on the Tokaido and Sanyo Shinkansen lines today, linking Tokyo with Hakata, Fukuoka Prefecture, in four hours and 57 minutes.

The new Nozomi, which has only reserved seating, will make three round trips a day between the two cities. The train, jointly developed by Central Japan Railway Co. (JR Tokai) and West Japan Railway Co., is the third- generation Nozomi, following its 300- and 500-series predecessors.

The latest addition is designed to be more comfortable for passengers and environmentally friendly, instead of focusing on a higher speed, according to a spokeswoman for JR Tokai.