A snake wrapped around a power cable halted one of Japan's busiest bullet train systems on Wednesday. This caused major disruptions during the peak Golden Week travel season. The incident happened at about 5:25 PM local time on the Tokaido Shinkansen line, linking Tokyo and Osaka. Power and service were resumed around 7:00 PM, the operator Central Japan Railway Company (JR Central) reported to local media.

Train operations between Nagoya and Shin-Osaka (for Tokyo) and Tokyo and Shin-Osaka (for Osaka) were temporarily suspended. One snake became entangled in the overhead power cable between Maibara and Gifu-Hashima stations, resulting in a sudden power outage that halted train operations for about 90 minutes. The disruption occurred at a crucial time when Japan is witnessing a surge in travel due to Golden Week, a string of four national holidays. Osaka is also hosting the World Expo this year, which will see millions of foreign and domestic visitors flock to the city until it ends in October.

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Satoshi Tagawa, a regular Shinkansen traveller, said to the BBC that "I use the shinkansen several times a month, but this is the first time I have experienced suspensions due to a power outage, "Another commuter, 26-year-old Kazutoshi Tachi, said with frustration that “I’m fed up with the troubles. I want them to run on time.” According to CBS News, this is not the first instance of a snake affecting Shinkansen operations. In April 2024, a train was delayed by 17 minutes when a 40.6 cm (16-inch) snake was discovered on a train traveling between Nagoya and Tokyo.

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