300 Series Shinkansen
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The 300 Series Shinkansen high-speed trainsets for Japan's Shinkansen dedicated high-speed railways were introduced in 1992 on the Tokaido and Sanyo Shinkansen lines for use on the fastest Nozomi services, being capable of 270 km/h (168 mph). As more were delivered (66 trains by 1998) they replaced earlier units on Hikari service and allowed the thus displaced 100 Series units to finally in turn displace 0 Series units on almost all services.
The styling of these units is something of a 'curved wedge' at the front, replacing the aircraft-style nosecones of previous Shinkansen trains. The furthest forward point is the very bottom of the pilot. They are painted brilliant white with a medium-thick blue stripe beneath the windows.
They are only found in sixteen car sets and have no restaurant cars, though they do contain two refreshment counters.
Technically, they are notable for being the first Shinkansen sets to employ three-phase AC traction motors instead of direct current units.