Japan's rail system is one of the best in the world, with speedy bullet trains available to whisk you between every major city and an extensive regional system in place to get you to even the smallest towns without ever needing to see a highway. But Japan isn't satisfied. No, its bullet trains just aren't fast enough, which is why they're investing a whopping $45 billion in the world's fastest train. Yes, I said $45 billion.

The trains ill be maglev, which mean they'll levitate over the tracks thanks to magnetic energy. The frictionless system will help to propel the train at nearly 600mph, getting you across the small island country in a couple of hours or less. Of course, such an ambitious project won't be completed anytime soon, with plans in place to have it up and running by 2025. If only we had such an ambitious train system here!

AFP, via BornRich