Manufacture of the W7 series sets was shared between Hitachi in Kudamatsu, Yamaguchi, Kawasaki Heavy Industries in Kobe, and Kinki Sharyo in Osaka [REF].
The trains have a maximum design speed of ,[REF] but in service operate at a maximum speed of on the Hokuriku Shinkansen, limited to on the Joetsu Shinkansen tracks between Omiya and Takasaki, and to on the Tohoku Shinkansen tracks between Tokyo and Omiya [REF].