Sample newspaper article

北海道と東京を短縮時間で直接結ぶ新幹線が3月26日に開業し、洗練された新しい車両がお披露目された。運行会社であるJR北海道とJR東日本によると、新幹線は新函館北斗と東京をわずか4時間2分で結び、現在の東京・函館間を53分短縮する。一方、JR東日本の寝台 列車「カシオペア」は3月21日に、新幹線の運行前に札幌から東京 までの最後の運行を終わらせた。「カシオペア」は1999年に運行を開始し、旅行者にも鉄道ファンにも人気だった。JR東日本は6月から、 パッケージ・ツアー用の貸し切りサービスとして「カシオペア」の寝台列車を活用しはじめる計画だ。 (March 27)

Words and phrases

北海道 (Hokkaidō) Hokkaido; 東京 (Tōkyō) Tokyo; 短縮時間 (tanshuku jikan) shorter time; 直接 (chokusetsu) directly; 結ぶ (musu-) linking; 新幹線 (shinkansen) bullet train; 開業し (kaigyō-) opened; 洗練された (senren-) slick; 新しい (atara-) new; 車両 (sharyō) cars; お披露目された (ohirome-) introducing; 運行会社 (unkō gaisha) operators; JR北海道 (Jeiāru Hokkaidō) Hokkaido Railway Co.; JR東日本 (Jeiāru Higashi Nihon) East Japan Railway Co.; 新函館北斗 (Shin Hakodate Hokuto) Shin Hakodate Hokuto; 現在の (genzai-) current; 短縮する (tanshuku-) cutting; 一方 (ippō) In the meantime; 寝台列車 (shindai ressha) sleeper train; 札幌 (Sapporo) Sapporo; 最後の (saigo-) last; 運行 (unkō) train journey; 終わらせた (o-) completed; 開始し (kaishi-) debuted; 旅行者 (ryokōsha) travelers; 鉄道ファン (tetsudō fan) train fans; 人気だった (ninki-) has been popular; 貸し切り (ka-ki-) chartered; 活用し (katsuyō-) using; 計画だ (keikaku-) plans to

Sample radio or television report

Hokkaidō-to Tōkyō-o tanshuku jikan-de chokusetsu musubu shinkansen-ga 3-gatsu 26-nichi-ni kaigyō-shi, senren-sareta atarashii sharyō-ga ohirome-saremashita. Unkō gaisha-de-aru Jeiāru Hokkaidō-to Jeiāru Higashi Nihon-ni-yorimasu-to, shinkansen-wa Shin Hakodate Hokuto-to Tōkyō-o wazuka yo-jikan ni-fun-de musubi, genzai-no Tōkyō Hakodate-kan-o 53-pun tanshuku-shimasu. Ippō, Jeiāru Higashi Nihon-no shindai ressha “Kashiopea“-wa, 3-gatsu 21-nichi-ni shinkansen-no unkō-mae-ni Sapporo-kara Tōkyō-made-no, saigo-no unkō-o owarase-mashita. “Kashiopea“-wa 1999-nen-ni unkō-o kaishi-shi, ryokōsha-ni-mo tetsudō fan-ni-mo ninki-ga arimashita. Jeiāru Higashi Nihon-wa 6-gatsu-kara, pakkēji tsuā-yō-no kashikiri sābisu-to-shite “Kashiopea“-no shindai ressha-o katsuyō-shi-hajimeru keikaku-desu.

Translation

The shinkansen line directly linking Hokkaido with Tokyo officially opened March 26, promising shorter travel times and introducing slick new carriages. According to operators Hokkaido Railway Co. and East Japan Railway Co., the high-speed trains can run from Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto to the capital in as little as four hours and two minutes, cutting the current travel time by 53 minutes. In the meantime, JR East’s Cassiopeia sleeper train completed its last return journey from Sapporo to Tokyo on March 21, ahead of the opening of the Hokkaido Shinkansen Line. Cassiopeia debuted in 1999 and has been popular with travelers and train fans alike. Train operator JR East plans to start using Cassiopeia sleeper cars as a chartered service for package tours in June.

Conversation between acquaintances

A: Hokkaidō-to Tōkyō-o tanshuku jikan-de chokusetsu musubu shinkansen-ga kaigyō-shita sō-desu-ne.

(I heard that the shinkansen line directly linking Hokkaido with Tokyo has officially opened.)

B: Shinkansen-wa Shin-Hakodate Hokuto-to Tōkyō-o wazuka yo-jikan ni-fun-de musubu-sō-desu-yo.

(Apparently the bullet trains can do Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto to Tokyo in as little as four hours and two minutes.)

Conversation between husband and wife

H: Kashiopea-wa saigo-no unkō-o owaraseta-sō-da-ne.

(It seems that the Cassiopeia sleeper train has completed its last return journey.)

W: Ichido-de ii-kara notte-mitakatta-wa.

(I wanted to ride the sleeper train, even just the once.)

(No. 1303)