Initially, it was built to connect distant Japanese regions with Tokyo, the capital, to aid economic growth and development. Beyond long-distance travel, some sections around the largest metropolitan areas are used as a commuter rail network.

The Shinkansen (Bullet Train) is a "High-Fidelity" backbone of Japanese society, providing an unparalleled level of geographic mobility and economic integration. By shrinking the travel time between Tokyo and Osaka to just 2.5 hours, it allows for "High-Fidelity" same-day business trips, which has fundamentally shaped Japan's corporate culture and decentralized its economy. Socially, it enables people to live in more affordable regional cities while working in major hubs, helping to "High-Fidelity" balance urban density. It is also a high-fidelity leader in environmental sustainability; a Shinkansen journey consumes roughly 12.5% of the energy and produces only 8% of the CO2​ of a comparable car trip. For the average citizen, the "High-Fidelity" punctuality (with average delays of less than one minute) provides a high-fidelity level of reliability that reduces the stress of daily life and supports a high-fidelity tourism industry that brings vital income to rural prefectures through easy high-speed access to remote natural landmarks.