The new year is two weeks away! Now, JR Central and JR West offer some type of discount tickets for New Year's trips.

JR Central offers "New Year, Kodama and Wide-View Free Ticket" (新春こだま＆ワイドビューフリーきっぷ) and "New Year, Ticket for One Day Round Trip by Nozomi's Green-car" (新春のぞみグリーン車早特日帰りきっぷ). The former is a ticket allows unlimited travel on Kodama of Tokaido Shinkansen and JR Central's conventional lines on January 1, 2011. It may be used for one-day excursion in JR Central's area. And the latter is a ticket allows return trip by Green-car in Nozomi trains from/to Tokyo, Shinagawa and Shin-Yokohama to/from Kyoto, Shin-Osaka and Shin-Kobe, or from Himeji to Tokyo, Shinagawa, Shin-Yokohama on January 1, 2011. Though one-day trip between Tokyo area and Kansai exhausts travelers, this ticket will give them more relaxed and comfortable hours on Shinkansen train.

JR West offers "New Year, JR West's Unlimited Travel Ticket" (元日・JR西日本乗り放題きっぷ). It is valid on Sanyo Shinkansen and their comventional lines etc. on January 1, 2011. A single traveler can use this ticket relery found in JR West's discount tickets. It may be nice to go to Hakata by Shinkansen or wander around by the conventional railway services connected with Shinkansen trains.

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 date: January 1, 2011
• Period of selling: December 1, 2010 - January 1, 2011
• Maximum period of travel: one day
• Effects of the ticket:
  • [Second Class Free Seating] This ticket allows unlimited ride of Kodama's second class non reservation seats between Tokyo and Shin-Osaka, Hikari's ones between Nagoya and Shin-Osaka, and limited express trains and local ones on JR Central's conventional lines.
  • [Four Green Car Seating] This ticket allows unlimited ride of Kodama's second class non reservation seats between Tokyo and Shin-Osaka, Hikari's ones between Nagoya and Shin-Osaka, and limited express trains and local ones on JR Central's conventional lines. During the travel, seating in Green Car is available up to four times, except in Hikari trains.
• Prices:
  • [Second Class Free Seating] JPY 13,000 for an adult, JPY 3,000 for a child
  • [Four Green Car Seating] JPY 15,000 for an adult, JPY 5,000 for a child
• 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.

Overview of Shinshun Nozomi Green Hayatoku Higaeri Ticket

• Name of the ticket: 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)
• Travel date: January 1, 2011
• Period of selling: December 11, 2010 - December 25
• Maximum period of travel: one day
• Effects of the ticket: This ticket allows a roundtrip by Nozomi trains' first class of a specific sector.
• Available sectors: from/to Tokyo, Shinagawa and Shin-Yokohama to/from Kyoto, Shin-Osaka and Shin-Kobe, and from Himeji to Tokyo, Shinagawa and Shin-Yokohama
• Prices:
  • from/to Tokyo, Shinagawa and Shin-Yokohama to/from Kyoto, Shin-Osaka [RT] JPY 20,000
  • from/to Tokyo, Shinagawa and Shin-Yokohama to/from Shin-Kobe [RT] JPY 21,000
  • from Himeji to Tokyo, Shinagawa and Shin-Yokohama [RT] JPY 22,000
• Purchasable at: major stations around the departure area and shops of travel vendors
• Remarks:
  • The trains and seats of both-way must be assigned at the time of purchase. Changes are not permitted.
  • This ticket's availability is limited on a train-to-train basis.

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 Unlimited Ride Ticket for JR West Lines on New Year's Day)
• Travel date: January 1, 2011
• Period of selling: December 10, 2010 - December 30
• Maximum period of travel: one day
• Effects of the ticket:
  • [for second class] This ticket allows unlimited ride of all express and local trains, including Shinkansen trains, on whole of JR West and Chizu Express lines and JR West's Miyajima Ferry service. During the travel, second class seat reservation is available up to four times.
  • [for Green Cars] This ticket allows unlimited ride of all express and local trains, including Shinkansen trains, on whole of JR West and Chizu Express lines and JR West's Miyajima Ferry service. During the travel, second class or Green car seat reservation is available up to four times.
• Prices:
  • [for second class] JPY 14,000 for an adult, JPY 7,000 for a child
  • [for Green Cars] JPY 16,000 for an adult, JPY 8,000 for a child
• Purchasable at: JR West's major stations and shops of travel vendors