Is Hikari the fastest Shinkansen?

Slower than the premier Nozomi but faster than the all-stations Kodama, the Hikari is the fastest train service on the Tokaido and Sanyo Shinkansen that can be used with the Japan Rail Pass, which is not valid for travel on the Nozomi or Mizuho trains except through a special supplementary ticket.



No, the Hikari is not the fastest Shinkansen in 2026; it is the second-fastest service on the Tokaido and Sanyo lines. The Nozomi (and the Mizuho on the Sanyo/Kyushu lines) is the premier, fastest service, making the fewest stops between major cities like Tokyo and Osaka. While both trains can travel at the same top speed (up to 300 km/h or 186 mph), the Hikari stops at more intermediate stations, resulting in a longer total travel time. For many international tourists, the Hikari remains the "go-to" choice because it is the fastest service fully covered by the Japan Rail Pass, whereas the Nozomi requires a significant supplementary "upgrade" fee to use with the pass.

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Completed in 1975, it is the second oldest Japanese Shinkansen line. There are 5 train services that run on this line: Nozomi, Hikari, Kodama, Mizuho, and Sakura. The fastest train is Nozomi which reaches an operating speed of 300 km/h (185 mph).

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Kodama is the slowest of the three trains which operate on the Tokaido Shinkansen line. This is due to the larger number of stops in comparison to the other two bullet trains on this line. The Kodama train stops at every station and takes almost four hours to reach Shin-Osaka.

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Four Hikari trains depart each hour, two in each direction. Departures take place approximately every half hour. Hikari trains stop only at major cities, but these stops differ by train.

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The Tokaido Shinkansen (??????, Tokaido Shinkansen) is a shinkansen line that connects Japan's three largest metropolitan areas (Tokyo/Yokohama, Nagoya and Osaka/Kyoto) with each other. It is Japan's best used shinkansen line with departures every few minutes.

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Hikari is the fastest train service on the Sanyo and Tokaido Shinkansen lines which is fully covered by the JR Pass.

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Eating and drinking on Japanese trains You should eat on trains only when taking a long-distance train, such as the Shinkansen. These types of trains have a tray and cup holder at every seat, and snacks are sold from a vendor trolley.

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The Chuo Shinkansen (?????, Central Shinkansen) is a Japanese maglev line under construction between Tokyo and Nagoya, with plans for extension to Osaka. Its initial section is between Shinagawa Station in Tokyo and Nagoya Station in Nagoya, with stations in Sagamihara, Kofu, Iida and Nakatsugawa.

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The Nozomi Shinkansen can reach top speeds of over 300 km/h (186 mph). The fastest travel time between Tokyo – Kyoto is 139 minutes, over a distance of 476.3 KM. That means the average speed is around 205 km/h, the time for stops included.

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Mount Fuji from the Shinkansen trains Summer is also the time when Mount Fuji can be clearly seen from a Shinkansen train leaving Tokyo towards Nagoya – Osaka – Kyoto. The window view is impressive – make sure to reserve your D or E seat (C or D in Green Cars), which is the right side from Tokyo, left side from Kyoto.

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Japan has been a legend in commuter travel for over half a century. Early Japanese train travel featured decadent luxury, such as on Japan's famous night trains.

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The Shinkansen service which runs from Shin-Osaka Station to Kyoto Station is the fastest way and it's covered by the JR Pass. The bullet train time is only 15 minutes. If you don't have a JR Pass, the Shinkansen price for this journey is 1,420 yen.

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The Hikari Shinkansen have bathrooms, including Japanese high tech toilets.

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The shinkansen train uses superconducting maglev (short for magnetic levitation) to achieve these incredible speeds. As the train leaves the station, it's rolling on wheels. But as it speeds up, the wheels retract, and the power of magnets allows the vehicle to hover four inches above the ground.

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