Snake Causes Power Outage on Tokaido Shinkansen

A meter-long snake caused a power outage on Japan's Tokaido Shinkansen after climbing onto overhead power lines between Maibara and Gifu-Hashima stations around 5:25 p.m. during Golden Week. The disruption halted the country's busiest bullet train line, affecting 86 trains and stranding thousands of passengers connecting Tokyo, Nagoya, and Osaka for over 90 minutes. Despite the outage, power remained on inside the trains, and there were no injuries reported. Services resumed after 7 p.m., with passengers expressing both frustration and relief. Such incidents are rare on the Tokaido Shinkansen, which is known for its safety and punctuality. This event highlights the network's vulnerability to natural disruptions, as snakes have caused similar delays in the past.