Shinkansen 700er as Photo Star in Hiroshima, Reddit Trip Report

Reddit snapshots: Shinkansen 700er in Hiroshima (2024 trip)

Ever seen photos that make you feel like you’ve time-travelled? The Reddit post on r/Shinkansen shows a 2024 trip where the poster photographed the 700 Series Rail Star in and around Hiroshima city. I still remember the tone of those images, with late afternoon sunlight on stainless steel, which is why they hit the nostalgia nerve for many fans.

Fact: the 700 Series was introduced in 1999, and the Rail Star variant was operated by JR West on the Sanyo Shinkansen as an 8-car set optimised for short runs. To be fair, by 2024 many 700 Series sets had already been phased out on some routes, so sightings like these are special for railfans and photographers. Sounds good, right?

Why the 700 Series makes such a great photo subject

Picture this: you're standing near eki with the smell of station bento and the distant chime of departure melodies, and a Rail Star slips by. Trust me on this one, the 700's rounded nose, its brushed stainless sides, and the slightly retro livery read perfectly through a telephoto lens. From my experience, the Rail Star's styling photographs differently from the more angular N700 variants.

Fact ( the Rail Star variant was built for JR West's Sanyo corridor and emphasised passenger visibility and regional identity, producing photo opportunities that scream 'era'. That brings us to the practical side, locations where those features appear best in images. See what I mean?

Best Hiroshima photo spots mentioned in the thread

If you're heading to Hiroshima to chase 700er photos, start near Hiroshima Station and the adjacent approaches along the Sanyo Shinkansen corridor. A great example, the elevated sections south of the station give you clear angles on passing shinkansen with urban backdrops, which the Reddit poster used to frame the Rail Star against the cityscape. Sounds good, right?

Platform and approach shots

Want foreground drama? The approach tracks towards

Overpasses and pedestrian bridges

I once set up on a pedestrian bridge, and the mix of commuters and a passing Rail Star made for a dynamic composition. But let's stick with composition tips for now, because lighting in Hiroshima shifts fast in late afternoon. From my experience, golden hour can turn stainless steel into warm gold. See what I mean?

Community discussion: preservation, retirement and what fans debate

Fact: Reddit users on r/Shinkansen quickly drifted into a technical discussion about the 700's retirement status and preservation hopes. To be fair, JR Central and JR West have been replacing older 700 sets with N700A and N700S families since the 2010s, so many posts include timelines and official notes.

You might ask, will any 700 Series be preserved? That's why some community members advocate for static display at a museum, while others point to operational complexity and storage costs as barriers. Seriously though, the thread mixes credible reports, eyewitness sightings, and nostalgic commentary, so take individual claims with caution.

Trust me on this one: for fans tracking the 700er, Reddit threads are gold mines because people share GPS-accurate photo locations, shot metadata, and even train numbers. A great example: one commenter in the post supplied EXIF hints for replicating a shot, which is exactly the kind of practical exchange that helps amateur photographers level up. From my experience...

My tip: if you want repeatable results, bookmark a few spots in Hiroshima, get permission when you need it, and be mindful of safety and local rules. Not bad, right?

Sources

1. Reddit post: Shinkansen 700 Series Rail Star in Hiroshima (r/Shinkansen)
2. Wikipedia: 700 Series Shinkansen
3. r/Shinkansen subreddit