Whether a Shinkansen (bullet train) stops at every station depends entirely on the type of service you book. On the most popular Tokaido Shinkansen line (Tokyo to Osaka), there are three main service tiers: Nozomi, Hikari, and Kodama. The Nozomi is the fastest "super express" and only stops at major hubs like Nagoya and Kyoto, skipping many intermediate stations. The Hikari is a "semi-fast" service that stops at slightly more stations than the Nozomi. The Kodama is the "local" version of the bullet train and stops at every single station along the route. Because the Kodama makes frequent stops and must often pull over into "passing loops" to let faster Nozomi trains overtake it, a trip from Tokyo to Osaka takes about 4 hours on a Kodama compared to just 2.5 hours on a Nozomi. On other lines, such as the Tohoku Shinkansen to the north, similar patterns exist with services like the Hayabusa (fastest) vs. the Yamabiko or Nasuno (more stops). Always check the train name when booking to ensure it matches your required travel speed.