Shinkansen Nozomi New Year Sale: Save up to ¥4,960 via EX Hayatoku on Tokyo, Osaka, and Hiroshima Routes

The New Year holiday season (年末年始 – Nenmatsu Nenshi) is one of the most congested travel periods in Japan, as domestic travelers and foreign residents commute home or venture across the country. Between the Greater Tokyo area and western hubs like Nagoya, Kyoto, Osaka, and Hiroshima, the Tokaido-Sanyo Shinkansen Nozomi remains the fastest overland travel option.

While bullet train tickets typically command full peak fares, railway operators JR Central (JR東海) and JR West (JR西日本) launched a major promotional sale: the “EX Hayatoku☆Limited Time Sale!” (EX早特☆期間限定セール！), delivering discounts of up to ¥4,960 per one-way ticket with ticket reservations starting November 5, 2026. Here is how to book these discounted seats directly via smartphone.

1. Fare Reductions Across Major Tokaido-Sanyo Routes

The promotion applies to standard reserved seats (Ordinary Cars) aboard high-speed Nozomi services during designated departure slots:

1. Tokyo / Shinagawa / Shin-Yokohama to Shin-Osaka: The baseline one-way fare of ¥14,720 is reduced by ¥2,920, bringing your ticket price down to ¥11,800. Round-trip travelers save nearly ¥6,000 per person.
2. Tokyo / Shinagawa to Hiroshima: Maximum promotional savings reach ¥4,960, dropping the regular price from ¥19,440 to ¥14,480. For an 800-kilometer cross-country journey, this brings bullet train pricing within reach of long-distance highway night buses.
3. Kyoto, Nagoya, and Okayama Connections: Proportional discounts between ¥1,800 and ¥3,500 apply across intermediary station pairs.

Traveling at operational speeds up to 285–300 km/h, Nozomi services whisk passengers from central Tokyo to Shin-Osaka Station in just 2 hours and 21 minutes.

2. Onboard Comfort and Ordinary Reserved Car Amenities

Securing Shinkansen tickets over domestic flights offers distinct operational advantages in luggage allowance and travel convenience:

• Generous Legroom and Recline: With a generous 104-centimeter seat pitch, passengers enjoy comfortable leg extension and recline angles without intruding into neighbors’ space.
• Universal AC Outlets on N700S Sets: Aboard latest-generation N700S trainsets, every seat—including middle and aisle positions—features an individual 100V power outlet in the armrest, supported by onboard Wi-Fi.
• Oversized Baggage Reservations: Travelers carrying luggage whose combined dimensions (length + width + height) measure between 161 cm and 250 cm can select Seats with an Oversized Baggage Area (特大荷物スペースつき座席) via the app at no supplemental surcharge.

3. Booking Procedure via the Smart EX Mobile App

Promotional seat quotas are allocated per departure. Follow these steps to secure availability before popular time slots sell out:

1. Download Smart EX (スマートEX) or Express Yoyaku: Create a complimentary account linked to an accepted credit card.
2. Advance Purchase Deadlines: The EX Hayatoku tariff tier requires reservations placed at least 21 days in advance (Hayatoku 21) or 28 days ahead (Hayatoku 28 Wide). Sales opened at 05:30 AM on November 5, making early booking advisable once your holiday dates are confirmed.
3. Transit IC Card Integration: Enter your 17-digit Suica, Pasmo, or ICOCA number (or Mobile Suica on Apple Wallet/Google Pay). Upon arriving at the station, tapping your phone at the Shinkansen gates issues a printed seat slip and clears entry instantly without ticket counter queues.