JR West said that they will extend the selling period and travel dates of Kodama Shiteiseki Oufuku Kippu (こだま指定席往復きっぷ) and Kodama and Yakumo Shiteiseki Oufuku Kippu (こだま＆やくも指定席往復きっぷ). These will be good until March 7, 2011.

These tickets are for passengers at least two taking round trip together between Sanyo Shinkansen stations by Kodama trains and from Osaka and Hyogo to Sanin district by Kodama and Yakumo trains. Because a ticket is good for seven days, it will be useful for not only a weekend trip but a travel for a little long period. The price for an adult depends on travel distance but that for a child is flat of JPY 3,000, exceptionally JPY 4,000 for the Kodama and Yakumo Shiteiseki Oufuku Kippu's Green Car option. It means these ticket has a great advantage for a family trip.

Kuroshio Shiteiseki Oufuku Kippu (くろしお指定席往復きっぷ) for travelers to Wakayama and Kitakinki Shiteiseki Oufuku Kippu (北近畿指定席往復きっぷ) for to north part of Hyogo will also be extended their period of selling.

Overview of Kodama Shiteiseki Oufuku Kippu

• Name of the ticket: Kodama Shiteiseki Oufuku Kippu (こだま指定席往復きっぷ meaning Roundtrip Ticket for Reservation Seats on Kodama Trains)
• Travel dates: through March 7, 2011
  Final departure date will be March 1, 2011.
• Period of selling: through February 28, 2011
  Tickets are available 21 -1 days before departure.
• Maximum period of travel: seven days
• Effects of the ticket: This ticket allows roundtrip between Sanyo Shinkansen Stations by Kodama and specific Hikari train's assigned seats.
• Major available sectors and prices (e.g.)
  
  • Shin-Osaka to Okayama (RT): JPY 6,880, saving about 41%
  • Shin-Osaka to Hiroshima (RT): JPY 11,920, saving about 40%
  Shown discount rates are against regular season's fare.
  The price for a child is flat fare of JPY 3,000 regardless of actual travel distance.
  See the web site of JR Odekake Net (by JR West) for other sectors and prices.
• Terms of use: This ticket is for at least two persons traveling along.
• Purchasable at: Major stations and travel vendors around the departure area
• 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.
  • Special discount of rent-a-car at station (駅レンタカー), JPY 2,000 for 24 hrs for a class S car, is available for a group of 2 or more adults. This offer's blackout dates are from December 28 through January 6.

Overview of Kodama and Yakumo Shiteiseki Oufuku Kippu

• Name of the ticket: Kodama and Yakumo Shiteiseki Oufuku Kippu (こだま＆やくも指定席往復きっぷ meaning Roundtrip Ticket for Reservation Seats on Kodama and Yakumo Trains)
• Travel dates: through March 7, 2011
  Final departure date will be March 1, 2011.
• Period of selling: through February 28, 2011
  Tickets are available 21 -1 days before departure.
• Maximum period of travel: seven days
• Effects of the ticket: This ticket allows roundtrip from Osaka and Hyogo to Sanin district by Kodama and Yakumo train's assigned seats. Two types of ticket are available, one is for Yakumo's second class and the other for Green car.
• Major available sectors and prices (e.g.)
  [for second class]
  
  • from Osaka and other stations within the city to Yonago (RT): JPY 12,000, saving about 38%
  • from Osaka and other stations within the city to Izumo-shi (RT): JPY 13,600, saving about 36%
  [for Green car]
  
  • from Osaka and other stations within the city to Yonago (RT): JPY 14,000, saving about 42%
  • from Osaka and other stations within the city to Izumo-shi (RT): JPY 15,600, saving about 45%
  Shown discount rates are against regular season's fare.
  The price for a child is flat fare of JPY 3,000 for second class and JPY 4,000 for Green car regardless of actual travel distance.
  See the web site of JR Odekake Net (by JR West) for other sectors and prices.
• Terms of use: This ticket is for at least two persons traveling along.
• Purchasable at: Major stations and travel vendors around the departure area
• 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.
  • Special discount of rent-a-car at station (駅レンタカー), JPY 2,000 for 24 hrs for a class S car, is available for a group of 2 or more adults. This offer's blackout dates are from December 28 through January 6.

JR Central and JR West released the train schedule for this autumn from October 1, 2010 through November 31.

According to them, many extra trains will run during busy days and hours. They said up to nine Nozomi services per hour on Tokaido Shinkansen and five direct services to Sanyo Shinkansen will be available in Friday evenings and three-day weekends. The number of direct Nozomi services scheduled is 106 a day on average during this autumn and 117 during three-day weekends.

Additionally more Series N700, most comfortable and energy saving vehicles on Tokaido and Sanyo Shinkansen, will go into the service and 132 Nozomi trains by Series N700 will run a day at the end of this November. The number of Hikari and Kodama trains of Series 700 is also increased.

Westbound Nozomi Trains newly using Series N700

• Nozomi 207, changed from Series 700 to Series N700 on November 01 (Tokyo 08:00 → Shin-Osaka 10:36)
• Nozomi 241, changed from Series 700 to Series N700 on November 01 (Tokyo 16:40 → Shin-Osaka 19:16)

Eastbound Nozomi Trains newly using Series N700

• Nozomi 226, changed from Series 700 to Series N700 on November 01 (Shin-Osaka 10:47 → Tokyo 13:23)
• Nozomi 252, changed from Series 700 to Series N700 on November 01 (Shin-Osaka 18:07 → Tokyo 20:43)

Westbound Hikari and Kodama Trains newly using Series 700

• Hikari 467, changed from Series 300 to Series 700 on November 01 (Tokyo 10:03 → Okayama 14:17)
• Kodama 647, changed from Series 300 to Series 700 on November 02 (Tokyo 10:26 → Nagoya 13:16)
• Kodama 655, changed from Series 300 to Series 700 on November 01 (Tokyo 12:26 → Nagoya 15:16)
• Hikari 527, changed from Series 300 to Series 700 on November 02 (Tokyo 19:33 → Shin-Osaka 22:30)

Eastbound Hikari and Kodama Trains newly using Series 700

• Kodama 810, changed from Series 300 to Series 700 on November 02 (Mishima 08:49 → Tokyo 09:47)
• Hikari 460, changed from Series 300 to Series 700 on November 02 (Okayama 06:03 → Tokyo 10:10)
• Hikari 510, changed from Series 300 to Series 700 on November 01 (Shin-Osaka 09:13 → Tokyo 12:10)
• Kodama 668, changed from Series 300 to Series 700 on November 02 (Nagoya 16:28 → Tokyo 19:17)
• Kodama 676, changed from Series 300 to Series 700 on November 01 (Nagoya 18:28 → Tokyo 21:17)

JR Central and JR West announced that EX-IC Hayatoku (EX-IC早特), the discount offer for early perchasing EX-IC members, will be good until December 31, 2010. Its available sectors and prices are the same as before.

Overview of EX-IC Hayatoku

• Name of the deal: EX-IC Hayatoku (EX-IC早特 meaning EX-IC Early Booking Discount, shortly called "IC Hayatoku")
• Travel dates: until December 31, 2010
• Period of selling: from 10:00 of a month before up to 23:30 of three days prior to the travel date
• Tickets are availabe from 10:00 on the day of a month to 23:30 of three days before departure.
• Effects of the ticket: This deals allows one-way travel on Tokaido and Sanyo Shinkansen.
• Available sectors:
  1. for long-distance travel striding over Tokaido and Sanyo Shinkansen; from/to Tokyo and Shinagawa to/from Okayama, Hiroshima, Kokura and Hakata, from/to Shizuoka to/from Hiroshima, Kokura and Hakata, from/to Kyoto, Shin-Osaka and Shin-Kobe to/from Kokura and Hakata, etc.
  2. for travel by Nozomi trains on Tokaido Shinkansen (including Shin-Kobe) departing by 6:59 or all Hikari trains; from/to Tokyo, Shinagawa and Shin-Yokohama to/from Nagoya, Kyoto, Shin-Osaka and Shin-Kobe, etc.
  3. for travel by Kodama train's Green car between stations on Tokaido Shinkansen separated at least 100 km and excluding from/to Tokyo to/from Atami; from/to Tokyo and Shinagawa to/from Shizuoka, Nagoya, Kyoto and Shin-Osaka, etc.
• Prices (e.g.):
  [for second class]
  • from/to Tokyo and Shinagawa to/from Shin-Osaka (one way) JPY 12,000, saving about 14%
  • from/to Tokyo and Shinagawa to/from Hakata (one way) JPY 19,300, saving about 13%
  • from/to Shin-Osaka and Shin-Kobe to/from Kokura and Hakata (one way) JPY 11,450, saving about 16-23%
  [for Green car]
  
  • from/to Tokyo and Shinagawa to/from Shin-Osaka (one way) JPY 14,000, saving about 25%
  • from/to Tokyo and Shinagawa to/from Hakata (one way) JPY 29,250, saving about 14%
  • from/to Shin-Osaka and Shin-Kobe to/from Kokura and Hakata (one way) JPY 14,950, saving about 18-27%
• Terms of use: Only members of EX-IC Service can buy and use tickets with this deal.
• Purchasable at: Available only online. Access the site of Express Reservation through a mobile or PC.
• Remarks:
  • Travels by up to three connecting trains are allowed within the sectors (1) shown above, except from/to Kyoto, Shin-Osaka and Shin-Kobe to/from Kokura and Hakata.
  • Travels within the sectors (1)'s from/to Kyoto, Shin-Osaka and Shin-Kobe to/from Kokura and Hakata, sectors(2) and (3) are for direct service only. No connections are permitted.
  • Changes are permitted before the departure time of the train, if the passenger don't enter the gate with EX-IC card and not receive a boarding bill.
  • This discount's availability is limited on a train-to-train basis.

JR Central and JR West announced that free seating car's smoking carriage of Nozomi and Hikari trains will be swept away in the spring of 2011. This is because they will turn a smoking car, which is car 3 in 16-car train of series 700 and 300 and 2 in 8-car for Hikari Railstar, into non-smoking. The other smoking cars, which are car 10, 15 and 16 in 16-car train and 6 in 8-car, will be remained. Because car 15 and 16 in 16-car train and 6 in 8-car are free seating of Kodama, free seating car's smoking carriage of Kodama will be available beyond next spring.

JR Central and JR West said that they met passengers' demands for avoiding secondhand smoke and smoking rates declining.

No exact date has been available officially. But they said that is scheduled for next spring. That indicates that the shift will be done along with train schedule revision in the spring of 2011 with opening of Kyushu Shinkansen's entire portion. Sakura train, which will start to run in the next spring between Shin-Osaka and Kagoshima-Chuo, has no smoking cars and four smoking compartment in the deck.

new smoking/non-smoking carriage arrangement

Car 3 in 16-car train of series 700 and 300. Starting from the top, Nozomi, Hikari and Kodama.

Car 2 in 8-car train for Hikari Railstar. Starting from the top, Hikari and Kodama.

JR Central, JR West and JR Kyushu announced that their IC cards of TOICA, ICOCA and SUGOCA will will be accepted in each other's IC card areas from the spring of 2011. The specific date is not released at this time, but from the day, TOICA holders and ICOCA holders can get on the trains and enjoy shopping in SUGOCA area in Kyushu with their IC cards. Likewise, SUGOCA holders can do so in TOICA area of Tokai and SUGOCA area of Kinki and Chugoku. Of course, automatic ticket checker at transfer gates in Hakata and Kokura Stations will accepts combination of EX-IC service or paper tickets, and IC card of TOICA, ICOCA or SUGOCA.

Suica cards of JR East have already been interoperable with SUGOCA since March 13, 2010. From the spring of 2011, four IC cards of Suica, TOICA, ICOCA and SUGOCA can be used in other cards area and help travelers when they use local transportations and buy something at their destinations.

For this summer, JR Central and West estimated that the peak of crowding will be on August 12 for westbound trains and on August 15 for eastbound.

The charts shown below indicate seat availability of around the peak days by this site Shinkansen Timetable's independent survey. They maybe of some help to find remained seats. On the graphs, horizontal axes mean hours of 6 to 24 of each day and vertical the number of trains. The bar of blue shows underoccupied trains, yellow near capacity and red full occupancy. So it may easy to book trains at the hours with stretching blue bar.

The survey was performed at the evening of August 8, 2010. Visit the site of JR Cyber Station and get up-to-the-minute details.

westbound: from Tokyo to Hakata

eastbound: from Hakata to Tokyo

westbound: from Tokyo to Shin-Osaka

eastbound: from Shin-Osaka to Tokyo

westbound: from Shin-Osaka to Hakata

eastbound: from Hakata to Shin-Osaka

The car 4 of Hikari Rail Star, named "Silence Car", usually featured a silent cabin without train announcements and vendors cries. Because it is the busy season from August 11, 2010 to 18, all Rail Star trains including extra trains have no Silence Car service. Please note that those are treated as general second class cars during the period.

JR companies reported the availability of reserved seats on Shinkansen trains from August 11, 2010 to 18, as of July 29.

According to JR Central, 890,000 of available 2,750,000 seats on Tokaido Shinkansen trains have been reserved already. JR West said 510,000 of 1,460,000 seats on Sanyo Shinkansen trains have been taken. In shortly, about 32% and 35% of available seats are now occupied. And they said the peak of crowding will be on August 12 for westbound trains and on August 15 for eastbound.

The charts shown below indicate seat availability of around the peak days by this site Shinkansen Timetable's independent survey. They maybe of some help to find remained seats. On the graphs, horizontal axes mean hours of 6 to 24 of each day and vertical the number of trains. The bar of blue shows underoccupied trains, yellow near capacity and red full occupancy. So it may easy to book trains at the hours with stretching blue bar.

The survey was performed at the evening of August 1, 2010. Visit JR Cyber Station and get up-to-the-minute details.

westbound: from Tokyo to Hakata

eastbound: from Hakata to Tokyo

westbound: from Tokyo to Shin-Osaka

eastbound: from Shin-Osaka to Tokyo

westbound: from Shin-Osaka to Hakata

eastbound: from Hakata to Shin-Osaka

JR West said that the Kid's Space, usually set up during the busy season, will once again be available free of charge in Shin-Osaka and Hiroshima Station. And other stations will offer some hospitable welcome.

Overview of Kid's Space

• Implementation period: 10:00 - 18:00 of August 7, 2010 through August 15
• Located at:
  • Shin-Osaka Station: conventional train's concourse
  • Hiroshima Station: Shinkansen concourse
• Intended for: children of elementary-age or younger
• Fee: free of charge

Overview of Other Hospitable Welcomes

• Mihara Station: Between 10am and 3pm of August 14, 2010 and 15, magnetic fishing game will be available in front of Shinkansen's gate. A shooting location where passengers can take pictures with the local objects like octopus and daruma will be also available.
• Hiroshima Station: Between 10am and 5pm of August 14, 2010 and 15, small hopping in which children can play a lottery will be available. A shooting location for families will be also available.
• Tokuyama Station: From August 14, 2010 to 16, the station will serve passengers cold barley tea.
• Shin-Yamaguchi Station: Ice pillars will be displayed in the concourse. Young passengers may get little presents of a paper fan and candies.

To promote traveling by Kodama for family travelers, JR West installed kid's cockpits in eight cars 500 series Kodama trains. Moreover, they are providing additional service of trying on a staff's cap for picture and borrow illustrated books in car 8 of 500 series Kodama between this summer.

The car 8 of those Kodama trains are free seating. Passengers, wanting to travel by quiet cabin, will be recommended taking their seats out of car 8. In those trains, all cars except car 6 are free seating.

Overview of trying on a staff's cap and bollow picture books

• Travel dates: Sat. Sun. and holidays between July 17, 2010 through August 29, and everyday from August 11 through 18
• Trains and sectors:
  • Kodama 737, from Shin-Osaka (07:29) to Hiroshima (10:32)
    
  • Kodama 744, from Hiroshima (13:29) to SHin-Osaka (16:05)
  • Kodama 757, from Shin-Osaka (16:38) to Okayama (18:01)
• Remarks:This service is subject to suspend due to the traffic conditions like vehicle change and being heavily inconvenienced.