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.

On JR Odekake Net, JR West noticed that stations and some train operated with series 0 cars might be overcrowded with passengers because much people were coming and getting on the trains to part from the cars which would finish their regular operation by 30 November. According to circumstances, you may miss the train of series 0 cars or be required much more time to get into the station when you travel, they said. If you are planning to travel until the end of November, you should remember that.

On the day of 30 November, the last day for regular operation of series 0 cars, some train will be operated with vehicles other than series 0 cars. Series 0 cars trains running on that day are shown below. If you are planning to travel with series 0 cars on 30 November, please notice that.

• westbound
  • Kodama 629 Shin-Osaka (06:12) → Hakata (10:41)
  • Kodama 639 Shin-Osaka (07:59) → Hakata (13:09)
  • Kodama 659 Okayama (14:51) → Hakata (18:21)
• eastbound
  • Kodama 620 Fukuyama (06:09) → Shin-Osaka (07:47)
  • Kodama 638 Hakata (09:19) → Okayama(12:53)

You know series 0 cars will finish their regular running on 30 November and 4 irregular service will be held as special operation in December. Because that was in high demand, JR West released that they would add 2 trains to the farewell operation. Added trains are shown below;

• Hikari 356: departing Hakata at 10:12 and arriving Hiroshima at 11:45, on Sat. 13 Dec.
• Hikari 355: departing Hiroshima at 14:42 and arriving Hakata at 16:30, on Sat. 13 Dec.

Both trains have 6 carriages of series 0 cars with 400 seats. The booking for such trains will be accepted since 13 November at JR trains booking counters (みどりの窓口) throughout the country.

Many airlines have lounges in airports for their upper customers. JR does not? Yes, JR West released that they would renew the lounge at Hiroshima station! Are you convinced they are conscious of airline service between Hiroshima and Tokyo, aren't you?

The room, which has been used as Zipangu Salon (ジパングサロン) for the members of Zipangu Club (ジパング倶楽部) in the past, will be renovated and opened as the Dedicated Lounge for Business members and Zipangu Club members (ビジネス会員・ジパング・専用ラウンジ) since 10 November. The new lounge is for Zipangu Club members and authorized persons of Metropolitan District Campaign Ikeba-Ikuhodo (首都圏行けば行くほどキャンペーン) participating companies.

On 21 October, 2 new Ekiben of "Minced Kurodashou Wagyu Cutlet Box" (黒田庄和牛メンチカツ弁当; Kurodashou Wagyu Menchi-katsu Bento) and "Pork Rice Box" (ぶためし; Buta-meshi) will be started selling.

• With "Minced Kurodashou Wagyu Cutlet Box", you can enjoy plenty cutlet made from Japanese beef which was grown in Kurodashou area, a good growing district of Kobe beef. Rice and souce in the box are curry flavor. (@980 JPY)
• With "Pork Rice Box", you can enjoy carefully stewed pork. Hot spicy rice and curry flavored sauce will shapen your appetite! (@1,000 JPY)