Nozomi and Mizuho fares to rise in 2027 as JR expands Green Car services

Tokyo to Shin-Osaka reserved seats will cost 15,420 yen

JR Central and JR West will raise Nozomi and Mizuho reserved seat charges for tickets purchased from July 1, 2027, taking the normal adult fare between Tokyo and Shin-Osaka to 15,420 yen, an increase of 700 yen. A second change, applying to Green Car travel from December 15, 2027, will bring the total for that journey to 23,290 yen, up 3,700 yen.

The companies announced the changes on October 16, 2026. JR West published the decision in its fare revision announcement. The increases cover Nozomi and Mizuho reserved seat limited express charges on the Tokaido and Sanyo Shinkansen, alongside Green Car charges for all trains on those lines.

Passengers face two different starting rules: the July change depends on when they buy their ticket, while the December change depends on when they travel. Ordinary car unreserved seat charges will stay unchanged. Green Car passengers will also begin receiving new seats and dedicated station lounges, although those improvements will arrive in stages.

How much will ordinary reserved seats cost?

The new totals below include the basic fare and reserved seat limited express charge for one adult travelling one way during the normal season. A basic fare pays for the journey itself; the limited express charge is the additional amount for using the Shinkansen service.

• Tokyo to Nagoya: 11,880 yen, up 580 yen.
• Tokyo to Shin-Osaka: 15,420 yen, up 700 yen.
• Tokyo to Okayama: 18,530 yen, up 760 yen.
• Tokyo to Hiroshima: 20,620 yen, up 860 yen.
• Tokyo to Hakata: 24,090 yen, up 880 yen.
• Shin-Osaka to Hiroshima: 11,210 yen, up 260 yen.
• Shin-Osaka to Hakata: 16,300 yen, up 280 yen.

For Tokyo to Shin-Osaka, the reserved seat limited express charge alone rises from 5,810 yen to 6,510 yen. The complete ticket rises from 14,720 yen to 15,420 yen, an increase of about 4.8%. A return journey at those normal rates will cost an adult 1,400 yen more.

JR Central and JR West give the Shin-Osaka to Hakata total as 16,300 yen; a published figure of 16,020 yen also appears for that route. The announced increase is 280 yen. Across the affected routes, reserved seat charge increases range from 10 yen to 880 yen.

Why are the companies raising prices now?

JR Central says this is the first increase in Tokaido Shinkansen Nozomi charges since the service began in 1992, apart from changes linked to consumption tax. Prices have also moved downward during that period: the Tokyo to Shin-Osaka Nozomi reserved seat charge was reduced by 670 yen in 2003.

JR Central President Shunsuke Niwa said rising labour costs were a major reason that maintaining and improving safety and service had become more expensive. The companies also cited inflation and the cost of caring for ageing infrastructure. They say additional revenue will support safety measures and better passenger services.

JR Central announced a separate investment on the same day: the S0 series, a new Shinkansen train planned to enter service around July 2029. The company intends to have 25 trainsets by the first half of fiscal 2032. It expects the trains to use about 6% less electricity than the N700S, with changes including a revised nose shape, an early earthquake detection system and more luggage shelf space.

Green Car passengers face a larger increase

Green Cars are the more expensive accommodation above ordinary seating. Their ticket price includes an additional Green Car charge, which varies with distance. That charge will rise for journeys from December 15, 2027, across all trains on the Tokaido and Sanyo Shinkansen, rather than only Nozomi and Mizuho services.

For the distance band up to 600 kilometres, the Green Car charge rises from 5,400 yen to 8,400 yen, an increase of 3,000 yen, or about 55.6%. Tokyo to Shin-Osaka falls within that band. Its complete Green Car ticket rises by 3,700 yen because the total also includes the 700 yen reserved seat charge increase.

The normal adult totals after both changes will be:

• Tokyo to Nagoya: 18,050 yen, up 3,090 yen.
• Tokyo to Shin-Osaka: 23,290 yen, up 3,700 yen.
• Tokyo to Hiroshima: 32,390 yen, up 5,370 yen.
• Shin-Osaka to Hakata: 26,170 yen, up 4,080 yen.

Distance matters to the size of the premium. For journeys up to 100 kilometres, the Green Car charge becomes 2,100 yen, up 800 yen. In the band up to 400 kilometres, it becomes 6,700 yen, up 2,510 yen. For Tokyo to Hiroshima, the charge rises from 7,790 yen to 12,300 yen, an increase of 4,510 yen.

Tokyo to Shin-Osaka's complete Green Car fare therefore rises by about 18.9%, from 19,590 yen to 23,290 yen, compared with about 4.8% for an ordinary reserved seat. The companies say Green Car charges had previously remained unchanged except for consumption tax revisions.

The dates passengers need to watch

JR Central and JR West are spreading ticket changes, equipment upgrades and station openings across several years. The main milestones are:

• October 1, 2026: introduction of fully private Supreme Class Cabin accommodation.
• October 26, 2026: start of phased connectivity and restroom improvements.
• July 1, 2027: new Nozomi and Mizuho reserved seat charges apply to tickets purchased from this date.
• December 15, 2027: new Green Car charges apply to journeys from this date; phased seating improvements and the first dedicated lounges begin.
• On or after December 15, 2027: planned start of Supreme Class Seat service during fiscal 2027.
• Fiscal 2028: dedicated lounges planned at Tokyo and Shin-Osaka; Hiroshima is planned for fiscal 2028 or later.
• Fiscal 2029: Nagoya's dedicated lounge is planned to open.

Japan's fiscal year runs from April to March. Fiscal 2027 therefore continues through March 2028, allowing a service described as starting during fiscal 2027 to begin after the end of the 2027 calendar year.

What will change inside Green Cars?

N700A and N700S trains will receive two types of replacement seating in cars 8 through 10. Cars 8 and 9 will get multifunction armrest seats, including drink holders, while car 10 will receive seats with partitions between neighbouring passengers.

The seats will have revised cushioning and large tables stored inside the armrests. Flip-up footrests will create more space around passengers' feet. The maximum recline angle will change from 123 degrees to 116 degrees, giving the seat a more upright position at its furthest recline.

N700S trains will also gain a powder corner in car 9, providing a space for personal grooming. In cars 7 through 10, changes to the control of the full active suspension are expected to reduce sideways shaking when trains pass each other by about 10%. This equipment actively counters movement of the carriage to make the ride steadier.

The seating and ride improvements will begin in stages from December 15, 2027. Passengers will encounter a mixture of upgraded and existing interiors as the work progresses.

Better connections and changes to restrooms

Connectivity improvements begin earlier, from October 26, 2026. The free S Wi-Fi for Biz service will expand to cars 9 and 10, while transparent glass antennas compatible with 5G will be fitted in cars 8 through 10 of N700S trains.

The companies intend the antenna changes to provide a more stable connection. The equipment extends technology used for Supreme Class to more of the premium accommodation, giving passengers additional places to connect while travelling.

Restroom work includes changes to sanitary disposal boxes in the women's toilet in N700S car 9, alongside improvements including baby chairs. These changes address everyday needs during a journey, while the larger seating programme follows in late 2027.

Dedicated lounges will open station by station

Supreme Class and Green Car passengers will gain dedicated waiting rooms inside the ticket gates at major Nozomi stations. The first five are scheduled to open on December 15, 2027, at Shinagawa, Shin-Yokohama, Kyoto, Kokura and Hakata.

Tokyo and Shin-Osaka are scheduled to follow in fiscal 2028, with Nagoya in fiscal 2029. Hiroshima is planned for fiscal 2028 or later, but its opening date has not been decided.

The lounges will provide free soft drinks, Wi-Fi and a power outlet at each seat. An attendant will be present to handle reception and guide passengers inside. Designs will vary by station.

The opening schedule means access will depend on the station as well as the ticket held. Green Car passengers using the first five stations will have the new waiting facilities when the December fare change starts, while those at Tokyo, Shin-Osaka and Nagoya will receive them later.

Online bookings will also become more expensive

JR Central, JR West and JR Kyushu will revise products sold through Express Reservation, SmartEX and EX via LINE. The price changes for the main Tokaido and Sanyo Shinkansen products follow the same increases as the underlying reserved seat and Green Car charges.

For a normal season ordinary reserved seat between Tokyo and Shin-Osaka, Express Reservation will charge 14,930 yen, up 700 yen. SmartEX will charge 15,220 yen, also up 700 yen. Those totals are respectively 490 yen and 200 yen below the new standard ticket price of 15,420 yen.

Between Shin-Osaka and Hakata, the corresponding ordinary reserved seat totals will be 15,920 yen through Express Reservation and 16,100 yen through SmartEX. EX via LINE prices will be 100 yen above the corresponding SmartEX prices.

Green Car prices also change in stages. Express Reservation's Tokyo to Shin-Osaka product first becomes 19,800 yen with the reserved seat revision, then 22,800 yen for travel from December 15, 2027. For Shin-Osaka to Hakata, the corresponding amounts are 21,990 yen and 25,790 yen. SmartEX's first stage Green Car totals are 20,090 yen and 22,170 yen respectively.

Seasonal adjustments remain relevant: the quoted normal season prices fall by 200 yen during the off-peak season, rise by 200 yen during the peak season and rise by 400 yen during the busiest season. Revisions to other discounted products, including early booking fares, are planned, with details to be announced after they are finalised.

Supreme Class prices depend on the accommodation

The planned Supreme Class Seat will provide a partly enclosed space, compared with the fully private Supreme Class Cabin. Its price will match the cabin in car 10. For Tokyo to Shin-Osaka during the normal season, the announced totals are 45,800 yen through Express Reservation and 46,090 yen through SmartEX.

Supreme Class Cabin accommodation in car 7 has a different price schedule. Through Express Reservation, Tokyo to Shin-Osaka becomes 61,200 yen with the July reserved seat revision, then 64,200 yen with the later Green Car revision. Shin-Osaka to Hakata becomes 72,790 yen and then 76,590 yen.

The detailed booking schedule places that second change on December 15, 2027; a November 2027 date has also been published for the car 7 cabin. The Green Car revision itself is scheduled for December 15, rather than the July purchase date that applies to the reserved seat charge.

Passengers choosing premium accommodation will therefore need to check the product, carriage and booking service together. A Supreme Class Seat priced to match the car 10 cabin carries a different total from the car 7 cabin, even on the same route.

Key Points

• Nozomi and Mizuho reserved seat charges rise for tickets purchased from July 1, 2027.
• Tokyo to Shin-Osaka's normal adult ordinary reserved seat total becomes 15,420 yen, up 700 yen.
• Green Car charges rise for travel from December 15, 2027; the same route becomes 23,290 yen, up 3,700 yen.
• Ordinary car unreserved seat charges remain unchanged.
• Green Car seating upgrades and the first five dedicated station lounges begin from December 15, 2027.
• Express Reservation, SmartEX and EX via LINE prices will also change.