Last year, JR Central announced that it would discontinue its free-seating tickets on Tokaido Shinkansen’s Nozomi trains during peak travel seasons. This policy affects periods including the New Year holidays, Obon (mid-August) and now, the upcoming Golden Week holidays in early May.
If you have plans to travel between Tokyo, Nagoya Kyoto and Shin-Osaka in the coming weeks, just bear in mind that the Nozomi shinkansen – the fastest of the three bullet trains linking these cities – will require reserved seating tickets from April 26 through May 6. These tickets come with a surcharge ranging from ¥330 to roughly ¥2,000, depending on the length of the journey, plus an additional peak season surcharge of up to ¥400.
Usually, the standard free-seating option allows travellers to occupy any available seat within designated carriages. Each train typically has three of these open-seating carriages. However, this can also lead to overcrowded carriages and long waits on platforms during busy times, as free-seating quickly reaches full capacity.
Though this mandatory reservation system will involve a little more planning ahead, it can potentially save you from the stress of standing in crowded areas and waiting extensively for a seat. That said, if you’re still determined to save some extra yen during peak seasons, you’ll be pleased to know that JR Central's Hikari and Kodama trains on the Tokaido line will continue to offer non-reserved seating even during peak seasons.
For more information, visit the JR Central website, or book your shinkansen tickets now via Smart EX.
The article was originally published on October 3 2023 and updated on April 16 2024.
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