The Shinkansen is the high speed train and the speed of the Shinkansen save your trip time. There are many Shinkansen lines in Japan now. In this post, I will explain you the Tokaido Shinkansen which is the first Shinkansen line in Japan. And also I will explain you the Sanyo and the Kyushu Shinkansen too. Because these two Shinkansen lines are connected with the Tokaido Shinkansen.
- Overview
- Train operation
- Types of train
- Timetable
- Photo gallery
- The coverage by the rail passes
- The summary
Overview
The Shinkansen line between Tokyo and Kagoshima-Chuo is one train line but this line is divided by three different segments. Because three JR companies own this Shinkansen line and the name of the line is the different by the segment.
The first segment is called the Tokaido Shinkansen runs between Tokyo, Nagoya, Kyoto and Shin-Osaka.
It is the first ever Shinkansen line in Japan. And this is known as the busiest Shinkansen line and one of the busiest train line in all Japan railway lines. The Tokaido Shinkansen is owned by JR Central.
The Sanyo Shinkansen is operated between Shin-Osaka, Okayama, Hiroshima and Hakata (Fukuoka) which is owned by JR West.
And the Kyushu Shinkansen runs between Hakata, Kumamoto and Kagoshima-Chuo that is owned by JR Kyushu.
But in the train operation, many trains cross the border and run on two segments.
Train operation
Shin-Osaka and Hakata are the border station but you may not be able to find the difference and the border. Please see the operation map below:
Many trains, such as Nozomi, Mizuho cross the border and run through two Shinkansen lines, such as Tokyo to Hakata by Nozomi, Shin-Osaka to Kagoshima-Chuo by Mizuho.
Types of train
There are six types of trains on the Tokaido Shinkansen, the Sanyo Shinkansen and the Kyushu Shinkansen.
Nozomi
Nozomi is the fastest train on the Tokaido Shinkansen and the Sanyo Shinkansen. Nozomi runs every 10 minutes during daytime between Tokyo and Shin-Osaka, and run every 30 minutes between Shin-Osaka and Hiroshima or Hakata.
All Nozomi stops at Tokyo, Shinagawa, Shin-Yokohama, Nagoya, Kyoto, Shin-Osaka, Shin-Kobe, Okayama, Hiroshima, Kokura and Hakata. Some Nozomi stops Nishi-Akashi, Himeji, Fukuyama, Tokuyama and Shin-Yamaguchi. Nozomi does not go further than Hakata. Mizuho and Sakura run between Shin-Osaka, Kumamoto and Kagoshima-Chuo. I will explain about these trains later.
JR Pass is NOT valid for Nozomi. If you want to take Nozomi, you have to pay the full fare. There is no deals available to cover Nozomi between Tokyo, Nagoya, Kyoto and Shin-Osaka other than the travel package by some travel agents.
Approximate travel time between the major stations by Nozomi
| Tokyo |
| 1 hour 40 minutes |
| Nagoya |
| 35 minute |
| Kyoto |
| 15 minute |
| Shin-Osaka |
| 50 minute |
| Okayama |
| 40 minutes |
| Hiroshima |
| 1 hour 5 minutes |
| Hakata |
*The trip tims may be varied by the train, the departure time and the season.
Nozomi train formation
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 |
| NR | NR | NR | R | R | R | R | G | G | G | R | R | R | R | R | R |
R – Ordinary class reserved seat
NR – Ordinary class non-reserved seat
G – Reserved Green class
Hikari
Hikari is the second fastest train on the Tokaido Shinkansen and the Sanyo Shinkansen. If you travel between Tokyo, Nagoya, Kyoto and Shin-Osaka by JR Pass, Hikari is your choice because Nozomi is not covered as I explained above.
Most of Hikari runs between Tokyo, Shin-Osaka and Okayama. Hikari which goes to Hiroshima and Hakata is very few. I will explain about other train, Sakura later which is covered by JR pass on the Sanyo and the Kyushu Shinkansen.
All Hikari stops at Tokyo, Shinagawa, Shin-Yokohama, Nagoya, Kyoto, Shin-Osaka, Shin-Kobe, Himeji, Okayama, Fukuyama, Hiroshima, Shin-Shimonoseki, Kokura and Hakata. Many Hikari stop at Shizuoka, Hamamatsu, Gifu-Hashima, Maibara, Nishi-Akashi and Aioi. Some Hikari also stop at Odawara, Atami, Mishima and Toyohashi.
Approximate travel time between the major stations by Hikari
| Tokyo |
| 1 hour |
| Shizuoka |
| 45 minute |
| Nagoya |
| 40 minute |
| Kyoto |
| 15 minute |
| Shin-Osaka |
| 40 minute |
| Himeji |
| 30 minutes |
| Okayama |
| 40 minutes |
| Hiroshima |
*The trip tims may be varied by the train, the departure time and the season.
Hikari train formation
Most Hikari are operated by the following 16 cars formation.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 |
| NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | R | R | G | G | G | R | R | R | R | R | R |
R – Ordinary class reserved seat
NR – Ordinary class non-reserved seat
G – Reserved Green class
However very few Hikari which run between Shin-Osaka and Hakata are operated by the following 8 cars formation.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
| NR | NR | NR | R | R | R /G | R | R |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
| NR | NR | NR | R | R | R | R | R |
Hotels in Fukuoka
Hotels in Hiroshima
Hotels in Nagoya
Kodama
Kodama is the slowest train and stops at all stations on the Tokaido Shinkansen and the Sanyo Shinkansen. At this point, only Kodama stops at the following stations:
- Shin-Fuji
- Kakegawa
- Mikawa-Anjo
- Asa
This is covered by JR Pass. But the trip time is significantly longer than Hikari and Sakura. If you need to access one of these above stations, you have to take Kodama. Otherwise try to take Hikari or Sakura to save your trip time.
Kodama runs all part of the Tokaido Shinkansen and the Sanyo Shinkansen. But there is no Kodama which goes through from Tokyo to Hakata. Kodama run between Tokyo and Nagoya, Tokyo and Shin-Osaka, Shin-Osaka and Hakata. But many Kodama run on the short distance, such as Tokyo to Mishima.
Kodama train formation
All Kodama on the Tokaido Shinkansen are operated by the following 16 cars formation.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 |
| NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | G | G | G | R | R | NR | NR | NR | R |
R – Ordinary class reserved seat
NR – Ordinary class non-reserved seat
G – Reserved Green class
All Kodama which run between Shin-Osaka and Hakata are operated by the following 8 cars formation.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
| NR | NR | NR | R | R | R /G | NR | NR |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
| NR | NR | NR | R | R | R | NR | NR |
Platt Kodama, Tokyo-Nagoya-Kyoto-Osaka deal
Kodama is covered by JR Pass. But if you want to travel one way from Tokyo to Nagoya, Kyoto, Osaka or versa, Platt Kodama is a good deal. JR Pass is too much for just one way trip between Tokyo and Osaka or Kyoto. Please refer the post below to find the detailed information:
Mizuho
Mizuho is the fastest train on the Sanyo Shinkansen and the Kyushu Shinkansen between Shin-Osaka and Kagoshima-Chuo. This train runs about 6 to 8 round trips a day. The number of trips are varied by the season.
All Mizuho stops at Shin-Osaka, Shin-Kobe, Okayama, Hiroshima and Kokura, Kumamoto and Kagoshima-Chuo. Some Mizuho stops Himeji, Kurume and Sendai.
JR Pass is NOT valid for Mizuho. If you want to take Mizuho, you have to pay the full fare. But if you use JR West deals and JR Kyushu deals, such as Sanyo Sanin Area Pass, Kansai Wide Area Pass, Kansai Hiroshima Area Pass, Hiroshima Yamaguchi Area Pass, Kyushu Rail Pass and some more deals, you can take Mizuho.
Approximate travel time between the major stations by Mizuho
| Shin-Osaka |
| 50 minute |
| Okayama |
| 40 minutes |
| Hiroshima |
| 1 hour 5 minutes |
| Hakata |
| 35 minutes |
| Kumamoto |
| 45 minutes |
| Kagoshima-Chuo |
*The trip tims may be varied by the train, the departure time and the season.
Mizuho train formation
All Mizuho are operated by the following 8 cars formation.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
| NR | NR | NR | R | R | R /G | R | R |
R – Ordinary class reserved seat
NR – Ordinary class non-reserved seat
G – Reserved Green class
Nozomi and Hikari provide exactly same accommodation in both the reserved ordinary class and the non reserved ordinary class. But Mizuho and Sakura offers better seat in the reserved ordinary class. If you travel between Shin-Osaka, Okayama, Hiroshima and Hakata, Mizuho and Sakura are better choice than Nozomi and Hikari. I will show you the photos later in this post.
Sakura
Sakura is the second fastest train on the Sanyo Shinkansen and the Kyushu Shinkansen. If you travel between Shin-Osaka, Okayama, Hiroshima, Hakata, Kumamoto and Kagoshima-Chuo by JR Pass, Sakura is your choice because Nozomi and Mizuho is not covered as I explained above. You can take Hikari as well between Shin-Osaka and Hakata but Sakura has better seat in reserved ordinary class. I will show you the photos later in this post.
Most of Sakura runs between Shin-Osaka and Kagoshima-Chuo. All Sakura stops at Shin-Osaka, Shin-Kobe, Okayama, Fukuyama, Hiroshima, Kokura, Hakata, Shin-Tosu, Kurume, Kumamoto, Sendai and Kagoshima-Chuo. Many Sakura stops at Fukuyama, Shin-Yatsushiro, Shin-Minamata and Izumi. Some Sakura also stop at Himeji, Tokuyama, Shin-Yamaguchi, Shin-Shimonoseki, Chikugo-Funagoya, Shin-Omuta and Shin-Tamana.
Approximate travel time between the major stations by Sakura
| Shin-Osaka |
| 50 minute |
| Okayama |
| 40 minutes |
| Hiroshima |
| 1 hour 5 minutes |
| Hakata |
| 40 minutes |
| Kumamoto |
| 50 minutes |
| Kagoshima-Chuo |
*The trip tims may be varied by the train, the departure time and the season.
Sakura train formation
Most Sakura are operated by the following 8 cars formation.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
| NR | NR | NR | R | R | R /G | R | R |
R – Ordinary class reserved seat
NR – Ordinary class non-reserved seat
G – Reserved Green class
A few Sakura are operated by the following 6 cars formation.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
| NR | NR | NR | R | R | R |
Nozomi and Hikari provide exactly same accommodation in both the reserved ordinary class and the non reserved ordinary class. But Mizuho and Sakura offers better seat in the reserved ordinary class. If you travel between Shin-Osaka, Okayama, Hiroshima and Hakata, Mizuho and Sakura are better choice than Nozomi and Hikari. I will show you the photos later in this post.
Tsubame
Tsubame is the slowest train and stops at all stations on the Kyushu Shinkansen between Hakata and Kagoshima-Chuo. But in the day time, Tsubame mostly runs between Hakata and Kumamoto. Sakura covers the segment between Kumamoto and Kagoshima-Chuo. This train is covered by JR Pass.
Tsubame train formation
All Tsubame are operated by the following 8 cars formation.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
| NR | NR | NR | R | R | R |
A few Tsubame are operated by the following 8 cars formation.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
| NR | NR | NR | R | R | R /G | R | R |
R – Ordinary class reserved seat
NR – Ordinary class non-reserved seat
G – Reserved Green class
Timetable
You may find the timetables in JR Central and JR Kyushu official sites in the links below:
JR Central official site – The Tokaido and the Sanyo Shinkansen timetable
JR Kyushu official site – The route map and the timetable of JR Kyushu trains
Photo gallery
The accommodation is a bit different from the fleets. There are several kinds of the fleet to be used for the Shinkansen trains.
N700 and 700 series (Nozomi, Hikari, Kodama)
All Nozomi and most Hikari are operated by these train sets. And also these train sets are also used for Kodama 16 cars formation on the Tokaido Shinkansen. N700 and 700 almost same in these two train sets.
Green class seat
Ordinary class seat (reserved and non reserved)
The interior is exactly same in both the reserved and non reserved ordinary class seats.
Sanitary facility
Smoking space
N700-7000/8000 series (Mizuho, Sakura)
All Mizuho, most Sakura and very few Tsubame are operated by this fleet.
Green class seat
Reserved ordinary class seats
N700-7000 offers better accommodation in the reserved ordinary class seat than other Shinkansen fleets. This is the reason why I recommend you to take Mizuho or Sakura more than Nozomi and Hikari.
Non reserved ordinary class
Non reserved ordinary class is same accommodation as other ordinary class seat.
Sanitary facility
Other facilities
500 series (Kodama on the Sanyo Shinkansen)
This fleet was used for Nozomi before. The style of this fleet is still very updated and cool. Now this fleet is used for Kodama on the Sanyo Shinkansen between Shin-Osaka and Hakata. This train set does not provide Green class seat. But the reserved ordinary seat is better than non reserved seat.
Reserved ordinary class seat
Non reserved ordinary class seat
Other facilities
800 series (Tsubame and a few Sakura)
This train set is used for Tsubame on the Kyushu Shinkansen between Hakata and Kagoshima-Chuo. It is also used for a few Sakura which runs in Kyushu only. This train set does not run on the Sanyo Shinkansen segment.
This train set provide only one class seat which is the ordinary class. There is no difference between reserved and non reserved. But this ordinary class is much wider than other ordinary class seat. And this is made of lots of wood material. The atmosphere is totally different from other Shinkansen fleets.
Ordinary class seat
Other facilities
The coverage by the rail passes
There are many rail passes available. You may be confused which Shinkansen train and class are covered by the pass. Please see the table below:
| Type of pass | Coverage |
|---|---|
| JR Pass Green | All seats on all Shinkansen trains other than Nozomi and Mizuho |
| JR Pass Ordinary | Both reserved and non reserved on all Shinkansen trains other than Nozomi and Mizuho |
| JR West Kansai Area Pass | This pass does not cover any Shinkansen trains |
| JR West Kansai Wide Area Pass | Only non reserved ordinary seat of all Shinkansen trains on the Sanyo Shinkansen trains between Shin-Osaka and Okayama |
| JR West Kansai Hiroshima Area Pass | Only non reserved ordinary seat of all Shinkansen trains on the Sanyo Shinkansen trains between Shin-Osaka and Hiroshima |
| JR West Sanyo Sanin Area Pass | Both reserved and non reserved seats of all Shinkansen trains on the Sanyo Shinkansen between Shin-Osaka and Hakata |
| JR West Hiroshima Yamaguchi Area Pass | Only non reserved ordinary seat of all Shinkansen trains on the Sanyo Shinkansen trains between Hiroshima and Hakata |
| JR West Hiroshima Okayama Yamaguchi Area Pass | Only non reserved ordinary seat of all Shinkansen trains on the Sanyo Shinkansen trains between Okayama and Hakata |
| All Kyushu Rail Pass | Both reserved and non reserved seats of all Shinkansen trains on the Kyushu Shinkansen between Hakata and Kagoshima-Chuo |
| Northern Kyushu Rail Pass | Both reserved and non reserved seats of all Shinkansen trains on the Kyushu Shinkansen between Hakata and Kumamoto |
| Southern Kyushu Rail Pass | Both reserved and non reserved seats of all Shinkansen trains on the Kyushu Shinkansen between Kumamoto and Kagoshima-Chuo |
| Kyushu Rail Pass Fukuoka Wide | This pass does not cover any Shinkansen trains. |
The summary
If you take the Shinkansen by JR Pass, Hikari is the choice for your travel between Tokyo, Nagoya, Kyoto and Shin-Osaka. But if you travel to the west from Shin-Osaka, Sakura has better interior as you saw. Sakura is more recommended.
If you use JR West passes, you can use any trains. But most JR West deals cover only non reserved seat. You cannot get a benefit of better seat in the reserved car.
If you travel in Kyushu by Kyushu Rail Pass, 800 series is very interesting train set. Tsubame is slow train but this is operated by this series. You may take this train too.
I hope this Shinkansen ride guide gives you many ideas. And I am glad if you use this guide to build your trip plan.
Comments
Hi, I am planning to go from osaka to odawara, i hear that not all hikari shinkansen stop at odawara, only some, how do i know which train stop and which train does not.
also what is the cost for 2 adults and 2 children?
thanks
Hi William,
Please see the following post:
https://jprail.com/travel-informations/basic-informations/japan-railways-timetables.html
You may find a link to Tokaido Shinkansen timetable at the middle.
Cheers,
Takeshi / JP Rail
Cheapest train / route to get from Kyoto to shin-Yokohama then from shin-Yokohama to Tokyo? That would be under the Japan rail pass. Thank you
Hi Chantelle,
Shinkansen is the best and fastest. If you really want to save your budget, you can reach by local train. But do you want to transfer 7 or 8 times and spend more than 8 hours to get Yokohama from Osaka? Otherwise Shinkansen is your choice.
Japan Rail Pass cover this trip. But if you have only one way transfer, single ticket is only your choice. The pass is too much.
Cheers,
Takeshi / JP Rail
Hello, I purchased a Japan Rail green pass. I am planning to use it between Tokyo-Kyoto-Hiroshima-Miyajima, and returning to Tokyo. I see a reference to some trains not having green cars. How can I find out which trains have the green cars? Thanks for your help!
Hi Dan,
Shinkansen trains and most of limited express trains have green cars. If you check the timetable at Hyperdia, you can find the train have green car or not. If train have green car, green car fare will be shown. (Of course you don’t need to pay this fare.)
Cheers,
Takeshi / JP Rail
Thanks so much for your reply, I have a better understanding of the system, you solved my doubts, but I still have another question, whats the difference between Hiroshima and Hiroshima station? Which one should I click to go get to Miyajima island and Atomic bomb dome?
Hi Julia,
Choose Hiroshima. That is JR station where you can take Shinkansen or local train to Miyajimaguchi. See the following post to get the details about access to Miyajima.
https://jprail.com/destinations/how-to-get-miyajima.html
Hiroshima station is located at same place, but this is street car stop.
Cheers,
Takeshi / JP Rail
with the jr rail pass, can I take S or M, does not seem like they have a later afternoon train from Hiroshima to Kyoto?
Hi Julia,
What do you mean, S or M?
Takeshi / JP Rail
on the schedule M Mizuho, S Sakura, can you check if they have any later train for rail pass from Hiroshima to Kyoto, like leaving between 4-7pm?
on the schedule M -Mizuho, S -Sakura
please clarify on the schedule M -Mizuho, S -Sakura
Hi Julia,
I’m a regular here at this site and thought I might be able to offer some advice.
Firstly, if you are using an ordinary JR Pass, you cannot use the Mizuho service, only Sakura (and Hikari, Kodama), so unless you are using JR West Pass, Sakura is your only choice.
Also, if you want to use Sakura, you cannot disembark at Kyoto – the trains terminate at Shin-Osaka, and you will need to transfer to another shinkansen (Hikari or Kodama) to get to Kyoto.
The Sakura service departs fairly regularly. Departures between 4:00pm and 7:00pm are at 4:15, 5:15, 5:51 and 6:56. The journey takes about 90 minutes. You will need 20 minutes to get from Shin-Osaka to Kyoto (at minumum), plus at least five to make the changeover.
All the information you could need is available at hyperdia http://www.hyperdia.com/en/ which is a great way to organise your timetables. Make sure to uncheck the “Nozomi/Mizuho/Hayabusa” tick box though, under “search options” in the search information area.
Best regards,
Jonathan Ayre
Thank you, Jonathan. 🙂
Takeshi / JP Rail
Hi … from the above information, the frequency of Hikari Train (Tokyo – Shin-Osaka) is about 30 mins time. However, when I search the info from “Hyperdia”, there are only 3 trains on 2012-04-30 which depart from Tokyo at 9.03,11.03 & 12.03 only. Where can I get the full information for the trains schedule?
Hi MrSilvia,
Please see the following link:
http://english.jr-central.co.jp/info/timetable/_pdf/westbound.pdf
We have twice every hour. Don’t worry.
Cheers,
Takeshi / JP Rail
What is the roundtrip cost from Mito to Tokyo?
Hi Joan,
Please read the following post:
https://jprail.com/travel-informations/fare-calculation.html
Takeshi / JP Rail
Hi just to clarify, if i use the JR pass and take the Nozomi train, i have to buy a separate ticket, that is, pay full price for that trip. I can’t just top up the difference between the ticket price for a Hikari ticket and the Nozomi ticket?
Hi Jbean,
You have to pay full fare (surcharge and basic fare) to take Nozomi. Japan Rail Pass do not cover anything at all for Nozomi unfortunately.
Takeshi / JP Rail
Hi, I am having difficulty understanding the difference, between train names like Hikari, Kodama, and other train names such as N700, Series 500 and E5. What’s the difference between these names? I understand there are 6 lines on which certain trains operate such as Nozomi and Hikari on the Tokaido and Sanyo line. If the trains are Nozomi and Hikari, then what is N700 and 500?
Hi Nick,
700 and N700 are the name of train set. The fastest train, Nozomi on Tokaido Shinkansen is mostly operated by the newest N700 train set. Mostly the fastest train is operated by the newest train set. E5 is the newest on Tohoku Shinkansen. The fastest train, Hayabusa is operated by E5. But now JR East introduced some more E5 trains set. So some of the second fastest train, Hayate and Yamabiko were started to operate by E5.
Takeshi / JP Rail
How ti take the Shinkansen or train from Hiroshima to kawaguchi ko
Hi Tan,
Please see the following post:
https://jprail.com/destinations/how-to-use-japan-rail-pass-to-go-to-mt-fuji.html
Takeshi / JP Rail