Security questioned following self-immolation on Japanese bullet train

A fatal fire on Japan's bullet train, started by a man who self-immolated this week, has revealed blind spots in a system renowned for its speed, punctuality and safety record.

Riding the Shinkansen feels like being in an airplane: at 300km/h, it goes so fast in and out of tunnels that it must be airtight. Windows cannot be opened, and doors open only when the train fully stops, which takes several minutes.

Yet, in a country with strict gun control and a low crime rate, security is lax - no identification or baggage checks are required.

On Tuesday, Haruo Hayashizaki, a 71-year-old retiree, poured a flammable liquid over himself and lit it while riding a bullet train heading to Osaka from Tokyo. He died on the spot. Smoke filled the coach, choking a female passenger to death.

It was the first fire in the train's 50-year history. Experts say it was a wake-up call to something more disastrous, potentially a terrorist attack, and it's time to step up risk management ahead of the G7 summit in Japan next year and the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

"The incident took advantage of the blind spots on the Shinkansen," said Seiji Abe, an expert on transportation safety at Kansai University in Osaka. "Fire caused by malicious intentions was not anticipated, and provisions to keep out hazardous materials were not in place."

So far, authorities haven't found any mishandling by the train operator, but the initial investigation and witness accounts have raised questions, including how quickly crew members grasped the situation and whether there should be a better way to clear smoke from the hermetically sealed cars.