It featured motors in all six cars and was designed to cope with operations in the cold and snowy conditions of north-eastern Japan.

A number of interior accommodation configurations were tested, including a restaurant car, compartments, and sleeping berths.

[1] From 17 July 1973, test running commenced on the Sanyō Shinkansen between Shin-Ōsaka and Himeji as a 4-car set.

[4] Test running as a 6-car formation commenced on 1 August 1973 on the Tōkaidō Shinkansen between Hamamatsu and Nagoya.

[5] From 16 September 1974, the train was tested on the unopened section of the Sanyō Shinkansen between Okayama and Fukuyama, but the maximum speed was limited to 210 km/h (130 mph) due to opposition from lineside residents related to noise levels.

[7] A brass plaque commemorating the world speed record of 319 km/h (198 mph) set by this train in 1979 is displayed inside car 951-1 at Kokubunji in Tokyo.