As I recall, the Japanese system uses repulsive levitation, as opposed to the German system that used attractive levitation.

This uses Lenz's law repulsion. As Wikipedia says:

"An induced electromotive force (emf) always gives rise to a current whose magnetic field opposes the original change in magnetic flux."

If you have magnets on the train above a conductor (say an aluminum plate), then the motion of the train will induces a current in the aluminum that creates a magnetic field that opposes that of the magnet.

At a rather slow speed, say 50 kph, the train "lifts off" and flies. Losing propulsion, but not the magnets, causes the train to slow down and land on the provided wheels at about 50 kph. All rather non-dramatic.

I built a Lenz's law demonstrator in college that floated a 12 inch diameter aluminum bowl eight inches in the air.