"Faces" of Japan's shinkansen still mostly work of skilled craftsmen

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 Co. in Yamaguchi Prefecture in western Japan, employs around 30 artisans to shape the long sleek aerodynamic noses of shinkansen -- 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 ...