tiny newsletter #93: shinkansen ama

hi friends!

i'm still in japan – since last wk we hopped over to naoshima, teshima, and kyoto! guides coming next fri and then i'll get back to typical tiny. 

but for today, let's talk about the shinkansen, japan's bullet train. now that we've taken it 3x, we're feeling like experts. here's a few tips for the next time you're aboard...

🍱 pick up an ekiben. you can't eat on most other trains in japan, so these bento boxes made for the bullet trains are a real treat. options include specific regional foods and boxes in the shape of the shinkansen itself!

🏔️ select seat e. if your train passes mt fuji in either direction, the best view can always be seen from chair e's window. we learned this from seats a and b across the way, lol. 

👀 follow traveler etiquette. 1) shh, no phone calls 2) make eye contact w the person behind you and nod before reclining your seat 3) use the train's trash can, they're v rare in japan!

~ bonus section ~ 

🚆 train logistics 🚆 the smartex app lets you book and change tix up to 4 mins (!!) before departure, plus you can connect an existing metro card instead of printing new tix to board.

also, there's ice cream vending machines on the train platform – the perf snack for your trip.

💌 and that's the tiny letter! thank you for reading, xo aud