JR West released a special discount ticket for New Year's Day in 2010. It is Ganjitsu JR West Norihodai Ticket (元日・JR西日本乗り放題きっぷ meaning JR West Unlimited Ride Ticket on New Year's day) and it allows unlimited travel on January 1, 2010. They are offering first visit to a distant shrine and some benefit for ticket holders are available at major 10 shrines.

Though most special discount tickets released by JR West in these days are for travelers at least two persons traveling along, this ticket is good for also a traveler.

Overview of Ganjitsu JR West Norihodai Ticket

• Name of the ticket
  • Ganjitsu JR West Norihodai Ticket (元日・JR西日本乗り放題きっぷ meaning JR West Unlimited Ride Ticket on New Year's day)
• Travel dates
  • January 1, 2010
• Period of selling
  • December 17, 2009 through December 30
• maximum period of travel
  • 1 day
• Prices
  • JPY 14,000 for second class reservation seats (JPY 7,000 for a child)
  • JPY 17,000 for Green cars (JPY 8,500 for a child)
• Effects of the ticket
  • This ticket allows unlimited ride of Shinkansen, limited express, express, local trains on whole lines of JR West and Chizu Express Line.
  • The ticket for second class allows seating in reservation and non-reservation second class seats.
  • The ticket for Green cars allows seating in Green car, reservation and non-reservation second class seats.
• Effective sectors
  • whole lines of JR West
  • whole lines of Chizu Express Line
  • JR West Miyajima Ferry
• Purchasable at
  • major stations of JR West
  • major travel vendors
• Remarks
  • Seat reservation is available as many times as needed.
  • Some benefit like freely drawing omikuji and admission charge discounts are offered at major 10 shrines in JR West area.
  • This ticket is NOT valid on Tokaido Shinkansen.
  • This ticket is NOT valid on JR Kyushu lines even between Hakata and Kokura.
  • This ticket is NOT valid on Kitakinki Tango Railway (北近畿タンゴ鉄道) etc. even though express trains go directly from JR lines to those railway company lines.

JR Central said that 16 additional Nozomi trains will run between Tokyo and Shin-Osaka during winter holidays. The availability of bookable seats will be increased by 17,168, including 3,200 seats of Green cars.

Tickets for these Nozomi are available from December 12. Of course this site Shinkansen Timetable provides travel plans to you including these additional trains.

Additional Westbound Nozomi Trains (from Tokyo to Shin-Osaka)

• December 29 [Tue]
  • Nozomi 339 Tokyo 11:47 → Shin-Osaka 14:23
• December 30 [Wed]
  • Nozomi 339 Tokyo 11:47 → Shin-Osaka 14:23
• December 31 [Thu]
  • Nozomi 339 Tokyo 11:47 → Shin-Osaka 14:23
• January 02 [Sat]
  • Nozomi 329 Tokyo 10:47 → Shin-Osaka 13:23
• Nozomi 331 Tokyo 11:13 → Shin-Osaka 13:50
• January 03 [Sun]
  • Nozomi 339 Tokyo 11:47 → Shin-Osaka 14:23
  • Nozomi 349 Tokyo 12:47 → Shin-Osaka 15:23
• January 04 [Mon]
  • Nozomi 383 Tokyo 16:23 → Shin-Osaka 19:00

Additional Eastbound Nozomi Trains (from Shin-Osaka to Tokyo)

• December 29 [Tue]
  • Nozomi 324 Shin-Osaka 10:43 → Tokyo 13:20
• December 30 [Wed]
  • Nozomi 342 Shin-Osaka 12:20 → Tokyo 14:56
• December 31 [Thu]
  • Nozomi 324 Shin-Osaka 10:43 → Tokyo 13:20
• January 02 [Sat]
  • Nozomi 348 Shin-Osaka 12:47 → Tokyo 15:23
  • Nozomi 358 Shin-Osaka 13:47 → Tokyo 16:23
• January 03 [Sun]
  • Nozomi 348 Shin-Osaka 12:47 → Tokyo 15:23
  • Nozomi 358 Shin-Osaka 13:47 → Tokyo 16:23
• January 04 [Mon]
  • Nozomi 358 Shin-Osaka 13:47 → Tokyo 16:23

JR Central released that they will start to sell 2 kinds of discount ticket for New Year one-day trip.

Shinshun Kodama and Wide-view Free Ticket (新春こだま＆ワイドビューフリーきっぷ meaning Kodama and Wide-view Unlimited Ride Ticket on New Year's day) allows unlimited travel by Kodama on Tokaido Shinkansen and trains on JR Central conventional lines. And it costs from JPY 13,000. This ticket will be suited for the one-day trip along conventional lines with a short leg of Shinkansen.

Shinshun Nozomi Green Hayatoku Higaeri Ticket (新春のぞみグリーン早特日帰りきっぷ meaning Early Booking Discount Ticket for One-day Trip by First Class Seats in Nozomi) allows a roundtrip between Tokyo (or Shinagawa, Shin-Yokohama) and Shin-Osaka (or Kyoto, Shin-Kobe) by Nozomi's first class seats. It costs only JPY 20,000. This ticket will be suited for the person who wants a quick roundtrip by comfortable cabins.

Brief Overview of Shinshun Kodama and Wide-view Free Ticket

• Name of the ticket
  • Shinshun Kodama and Wide-view Free Ticket (新春こだま＆ワイドビューフリーきっぷ meaning Kodama and Wide-view Unlimited Ride Ticket on New Year's day)
• Travel dates
  • January 1, 2010
• Period of selling
  • December 1, 2009 through January 1, 2010
• maximum period of travel
  • 1 day
• Prices
  • JPY 13,000 for second class non reservation seats (JPY 3,000 for a child)
  • JPY 15,000 for first class (seating up to 4 times) (JPY 5,000 for a child)
• Effects of the ticket
  • This ticket allows unlimited ride of second class non reservation seats on Kodama between Tokyo and Shin-Osaka, Hikari between Nagoya and Shin-Osaka, and limited express trains of JR Central conventional lines.
• The ticket for first class allows traveling by first class cabin up to 4 times. The seats must be assigned in advance.
• Effective sectors
  • Tokaido Shinkansen and JR Central conventional lines
• Purchasable at
  • major stations of JR Central, shops of JR Tokai Tours and travel vendors in Shizuoka and Nagoya area
• Remarks
  • This ticket is NOT valid for Nozomi, Hikari between Tokyo and Nagoya, and sleeper trains.
  • This ticket is NOT valid on Ise Railway (伊勢鉄道) and other company lines even though some trains go directly from JR lines to those company lines.

Brief Overview of Shinshun Nozomi Green Hayatoku Higaeri Ticket

• Name of the ticket
  • Shinshun Kodama and Wide-view Free Ticket (新春こだま＆ワイドビューフリーきっぷ meaning Kodama and Wide-view Unlimited Ride Ticket on New Year's day)
• Travel dates
  • January 1, 2010
• Period of selling
  • December 11, 2009 through December 25
• maximum period of travel
  • 1 day
• Prices
  • JPY 20,000
• Effects of the ticket
  • This ticket allows a roundtrip by Nozomi trains (first class) of a specific sector
• Effective sectors
  • between Tokyo (or Shinagawa, Shin-Yokohama) and Shin-Osaka (or Kyoto, Shin-Kobe)
    * The sectors are including stations within the city area.
• Purchasable at
  • major stations around the departure area
  • major travel vendors
• Remarks
  • The trains and seats of both-way must be assigned at the time of purchase. Changes are not permitted.
  • This ticket availability is limited.

JR West said that they will accept advanced application of tickets for travel in the winter holidays. If the travel dates are in the holiday period, both tickets for outward and return are purchasable at one time.

Kyoto-Osaka-Kobe Area

• Travel Dates: December 25, 2009 through January 5, 2010
• Period of Acceptance: November 14, 2009 through November 21
• Handling at:
  • special number of 06-4960-9864 (9:00 - 15:00)
  • JR trains booking counters (みどりの窓口) in 65 major stations within the area
• for Details: http://www.westjr.co.jp/news/newslist/article/pdf/20091023_jizen.pdf

Okayama Area

• Travel Dates: December 25, 2009 through January 5, 2010
• Period of Acceptance: October 31, 2009 through December 4
• Handling at:
• JR trains booking counters (みどりの窓口) in 32 major stations within the area
• for Details: http://www.westjr.co.jp/news/newslist/article/pdf/20091023_jizen_okayama.pdf

Hiroshima Area

• Travel Dates: December 25, 2009 through January 5, 2010
• Period of Acceptance: October 31, 2009 through November 21
• Handling at:
  • special counter in Hiroshima Station
  • special number of 082-261-1985 (10:00 - 18:00)
  • JR trains booking counters (みどりの窓口) in 76 major stations within the area
  • FAX machine in 17 statinos
• for Details: http://www.westjr.co.jp/news/newslist/article/pdf/20091023_jizen_hiroshima.pdf

Fukuoka Area

• Travel Dates: December 25, 2009 through January 5, 2010
• Period of Acceptance: November 14, 2009 through November 21
• Handling at:
  • JR trains booking counters (みどりの窓口) in Kokura Station or the number of 093-551-7209 (10:00 - 16:00)
  • JR trains booking counters (みどりの窓口) in Hakata Station or the number of 092-472-8426 (10:00 - 16:00)
• for Details: http://www.westjr.co.jp/news/newslist/article/pdf/20091023_jizen_fukuoka.pdf

JR Central and JR West released the train schedule for this winter (December 1, 2009 through February 28, 2010).

According to them, 2,204 extra train will run for weekends, three-day weekends and winter holidays. They said up to 9 Nozomi services per hour on Tokaido Shinkansen and average of 125, regularly 108, direct Nozomi services between Tokaido and Sanyo Shinkansen a day will be available during the winter holidays (December 25 through January 5).

Additionally more N700 cars, most comfortable and energy saving vehicles on Tokaido and Sanyo Shinkansen, will go into the service. 100 Nozomi trains of series N700 cars runs a day at end of November and they said 107 of N700 Nozomi will run at the end of February, 2010. The number of Hikari and Kodama trains of series 700 cars is also increased.

Westbound Nozomi and Hikari Trains newly using Series N700 cars

• Nozomi 5, changed from series 700 cars to N700 on December 24 (Tokyo 06:30 → Hakata 11:44)
• Nozomi 9, changed from series 700 cars to N700 on January 22 (Tokyo 07:30 → Hakata 12:44)
• Nozomi 55, changed from series 700 cars to N700 on December 14 (Tokyo 18:50 → Hakata 23:57)
• Hikari 531, changed from series 700 cars to N700 on December 14 (Tokyo 21:30 → Nagoya 23:25)

Eastbound Nozomi Trains newly using Series N700 cars

• Nozomi 224, changed from series 700 cars to N700 on December 15 (Shin-Osaka 09:47 → Tokyo 12:23)
• Nozomi 10, changed from series 700 cars to N700 on December 15 (Hakata 07:50 → Tokyo 13:03)
• Nozomi 44, changed from series 700 cars to N700 on January 22 (Hakata 15:50 → Tokyo 21:03)
• Nozomi 50, changed from series 700 cars to N700 on December 24 (Hakata 17:00 → Tokyo 22:13)

Westbound Hikari and Kodama Trains newly using Series 700 cars

• Kodama 693, changed from series 300 cars to 700 on December 15 (Shizuoka 06:05 → Shin-Osaka 08:13)
• Hikari 475, changed from series 300 cars to 700 on December 15 (Tokyo 14:03 → Okayama 18:17)
• Kodama 675, changed from series 300 cars to 700 on December 16 (Tokyo 17:26 → Nagoya 20:16)
• Kodama 785, changed from series 300 cars to 700 on December 15 (Okayama 23:20 → Mihara 23:59)
• Kodama 705, changed from series 300 cars to 700 on December 14 (Tokyo 22:10 → Shizuoka 23:27)

Eastbound Hikari and Kodama Trains newly using Series 700 cars

• Hikari 462, changed from series 300 cars to 700 on December 16 (Mihara 06:22 → Tokyo 11:10)
• Kodama 644, changed from series 300 cars to 700 on December 17 (Nagoya 10:28 → Tokyo 13:17)
• Kodama 646, changed from series 300 cars to 700 on December 15 (Shin-Osaka 09:50 → Tokyo 13:47)

JR Central announced that they would supply Nagoya / Toyohashi Round Trip Ticket (名古屋・豊橋往復きっぷ) at special discount on Sat., Sun., and holidays from 13 December to 12 January and around the new year.

For going to Nagoya to see Towers Lights from Toyohashi or to Toyokawa for new year's visit to Toyokawa Inari shrine from Nagoya, you may enjoy your outing within Aichi area with these tickets!

Nagoya city area ⇔ stations between Toyohashi and Toyokawa or Futagawa

Shinkansen Nagoya Round Trip Tieket (新幹線名古屋往復きっぷ)

Shinkansen Toyohashi Round Trip Ticket (新幹線豊橋往復きっぷ)

special price 2,200 JPY (2,500 JPY as usual)

Nagoya city area ⇔ stations between Mikawa-Ichinomiya and Hon-Nagashino

Shinkansen Nagoya Round Trip Ticket (新幹線名古屋往復きっぷ)

Shinkansen Shinshiro and Hon-Nagashino Round Trip Ticket (新幹線新城・本長篠往復きっぷ)

special price 2,300 JPY (2,600 JPY as usual)

Nagoya city area ⇔ stations between Toyohashi and Hon-Nagashino or Futagawa (for local trains use)

Nagoya Round Trip Ticket (名古屋往復きっぷ)

Toyohashi Round Trip Ticket (豊橋往復きっぷ)

Shinshiro and Hon-Nagashino Round Trip Ticket (新城・本長篠往復きっぷ)

Switching Ticket for Shinkansen: special price 350 JPY / single trip (500 JPY as usual)

JR Central released that 21 additional Nozomi trains (9 for west and 12 for east) would run during the year change period.

Including these additional trains, this site Shinkansen Timetable is providing happy travel planning to you.

JR Central and JR West announced the availability of reserved seats on Shinkansen trains from 26 December to 4 January, as of 11 December.

On Tokaido Shinkansen trains, 1,330,000 of available 3,180,000 seats have been reserved already. On Sanyo Shinkansen trains, 726,000 of 1,750,000 seats have been reserved. In shortly, 41% of available seats are now occupied and 59% still remain vacant except certain hours and particular trains.

They estimated the peak of crowding on trains would be on 30 December for west bound and 4 January for east bound.

JR Central announced that they would sell special tickets that allow unlimited travel for the New Year holidays.

New Year!, the unlimited ticket for Kodama and Wide View Express (新春 こだま＆ワイドビューフリーきっぷ)

With the ticket for second-class no-reservation travel, you can get on and off Kodama on Tokaido Shinkansen line and express and local trains on conventional lines as many times as you want only on 1 January. The tickets cost 13,000 JPY for adults and 3,000 JPY for children.

With the ticket for first-class travel, you can take first-class or reservation seats up to 4 times on that day in addition to the terms shown above. The tickets cost 15,000 JPY for adults and 5,000 JPY for children.

These tickets will be sold at major stations in JR Central area and branches of JR Tokai Tours from 15 December to 1 January.

New Year!, the special ticket for first-class one day travel on Nozomi trains (新春 のぞみグリーン早特日帰りきっぷ)

With this ticket you can take round trip between Tokyo (or Shinagawa, Shin-Yokohama) and Shin-Osaka (or Kyoto, Shin-Kobe) on first-class only on 1 January. Both this ticket and seats for this ticket are in limited supply. This round trip ticket cost 20,000 JPY for adults and be sold at major stations around Tokyo or Osaka area from 11 December to 25.

Other special tickets for conventional-line travel

Other special tickets allowing unlimited ride for three days around Ise area (伊勢路フリーきっぷ), one day around Nagoya area (青空フリーパス), and one day around Shizuoka area (休日乗り放題きっぷ) will be sold also.

JR West announced that they would accept advanced application for tickets during the year change period from 26 December to 04 January. If you will travel in the period, you can be free from making queue at the windows to book seats.

• around Kyoto, Osaka, and Kobe
  accepting from 15 to 23 November

  JR trains booking counters (みどりの窓口) at 63 stations

  during regular business hours after 8:00 of 15 November

  Exclusive phone for advanced application at 16 stations

  from 10:00 to 18:00

  Exclusive phone for advanced application (06-6401-2455)

  from 9:00 to 15:00

• around Okayama and Fukuyama
  accepting from 01 November to 03 December

  JR trains booking counters at 32 stations

  during regular business hours after 10:00 of 01 November

  phone service at 32 stations

  from 10:00 to 16:00

• around Hiroshima and Yamaguchi
  accepting from 01 to 23 November

  JR trains booking counters at 76 stations

  during regular business hours

  FAX service at 17 stations

  Special counter at JR trains booking counter in Hiroshima station

  from 10:00 to 18:00

  Exclusive phone at the special counter indicated above (082-261-1985)

  from 10:00 to 18:00

• around Fukuoka and Kokura
  accepting from 15 to 23 November

  JR trains booking counters in Hakata and Kokura station Shinkansen ambits

  during regular business hours

  phone service at Hakata station (092-472-8426)

  from 10:00 to 16:00

  phone service at Kokura station (092-472-8426)

  from 10:00 to 16:00

Please be noted that seat availability is limited and your application will be uncertain until ticketing.