FASTECH 360

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The FASTECH 360 S train at Sendai station.

FASTECH 360 is a prototype train for the next-generation Shinkansen rolling stock, and can run at speeds of up to 405 km/h (252 mph). Its name is a portmanteau of Fast, Technology, and 360 km/h (224 mph, the speed at which production trains are hoped to be operated). Production trains are expected to enter service in 2011, operated by East Japan Railway Company.

There are 2 types:

FASTECH 360 S (E954 series): For use on Shinkansen tracks only, an 8-car set that began test running on the Tōhoku Shinkansen in June 2005.
FASTECH 360 Z (E955 series): For use on both Shinkansen and mini-Shinkansen lines, a 6-car set due to begin test running in 2006.

FASTECH 360 trains are equipped with emergency air braking plates like that of an aircraft, similar in appearance to the ears of a cat. This trait immediately earned them a nickname of Nekomimi Shinkansen (猫耳新幹線, Nekomimi Shinkansen^?), which literally means "cat-eared Shinkansen", but also refers to a widespread phenomenon of nekomimi in anime and manga. In line with moe culture, a Fastech-tan character was quickly created as a personification of the new Shinkansen, and model figures of her were sold with permission from the East Japan Railway Company.