The Bullet Train

Tetsuo Okita, newly bankrupt, teams up with activist Masaru Koga and former employee Hiroshi Ōshiro to plot extortion against the government. They lay out an elaborate scheme to threaten a mass transport disaster to force concessions. This alliance marks the start of the crisis.

A bomb is planted aboard the high-speed Hikari 109, threatening 1,500 passengers. Moments earlier, a similar device destroys freight train 5790, proving the attackers' reach. The threat prompts a dangerous race against time.

Security chief Kuramochi instructs that the train must not slow below 120 km/h to avoid triggering the detonator. The safety constraint delays the journey by about three hours. The crew coordinates timing and positioning to keep the detonator from firing while staying safe.

Back in Tokyo, police officials are assigned to locate the bomber and the device before catastrophe strikes. They race to gather clues and connect the dots across the city and beyond. The countdown tightens as the ride continues.

Okita makes a direct call to authorities, demanding US$5 million in an aluminum briefcase. He specifies that the ransom must be delivered northbound by helicopter to Yorii High School. The demand escalates the crisis from extortion to a life-threatening siege.

Investigators discover a cigarette pack bearing fingerprints of Koga at Yubari Station, tying him to the scheme. The trace provides a concrete link to Okita's circle and sharpens the investigation.

As the train nears Nagoya, passengers panic and demand a stop. A pregnant passenger, Kazuko Hirao, goes into labor while co-engineer Kikuchi tries to reassure them. The crew uses the situation to explain the bomb threat and buy time.

Officer Senda carries the ransom suitcase and attempts to move it toward the river exchange. Oshiro climbs to retrieve the bag up a cliff near Iwate, but police activity and a jogging university judo team force him to drop the case and retreat.

While fleeing, Oshiro collides with a vehicle and hits a light post, dying from the crash. The loss removes one of the conspirators from the plot and intensifies the manhunt.

Okita weighs abandoning the mission as bloodshed grows, but Koga persuades him to press on. The two decide to push through with the plan despite the mounting danger. The resolve shifts from desperation to determined persistence.

Police trace bomb parts to Okita's former company in Shimura, tightening the noose. Okita calls Miyashita to arrange a money drop at an abandoned truck by the Kanda motorway, with a ten-minute window to complete the exchange.

Using high-speed cameras, authorities locate the device under the second coach of Hikari 109. Rescue crews prepare to cut an access hole and defuse it, fearing a second bomb elsewhere. Aoki defuses the visible device, and the train is brought safely to a halt.

Kuramochi goes on television to appeal for Okita's help in disarming the bomb, a move that underscores the national pressure. The strain of the day leads to his resignation, highlighting the political cost of the crisis. The broadcast marks a turning point in the public narrative.

With his cover blown, Okita attempts to flee at Haneda Airport but is shot dead while trying to escape. The plan collapses in tragedy as authorities close in. The film ends with the consequences of his actions catching up to him.