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.

Utilizing a technique known as "3D sheet metal forming," individual craftsmen with hammers create three-dimensional shapes with subtly curved surfaces by stretching and shrinking the metal sheets.

The manufacturing method is ideal for small-volume custom products like the new models of shinkansen regularly rolled out, according to the company.

Hiroyuki Fujii, 78, a highly skilled craftsman at Yamashita Kogyosho, has been involved in the production of approximately 350 bullet train noses since the company's inception.

Renowned for his ability to bend the metal sheets with the fewest number of hits among his colleagues, Fujii was recognized as a contemporary master craftsperson by the Japanese government in 2010 — an honor awarded to only 150 individuals each year.

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Source : https://www.japantimes.co.jp/business/2023/07/27/shinkansen-craft-face/news/

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