The Shinkansen series 100 was introduced in 1985 to replace ageing trains of the series 0. Due to their service east of Tokyo, they got an uneven number and were actually introduced after the series 200. Although they had a more pointed nose than the series 0, they were only approved for 220 km/h and were optimized for high capacity.

In contrast to their predecessors, not all cars were powered. In the original 16-car X-sets, the two control cars and the two cars in the middle were not powered. V-sets with a total of four unpowered double-deck trailer cars had traction motors in the control cars instead. Later, when newer trains had already been introduced, they were often used as four- or six-car sets on other lines. Withdrawals already started in 1999 and were completed in 2012.