Shinkansen series 0 cars, running since 1964, will finish their regular running on 30 November. The last regular service will be Kodama 659, departing Okayama at 14:51 and arriving at Hakata 18:21. JR West said 4 unregular service in December would be placed as farewell operation of series 0 cars.

• Hikari 340: departing Hakata at around 08:06 and arriving at Shin-Osaka around 12:04, on Sun. 14 Dec.
• Hikari 347: departing Shin-Osaka at around 14:56 and arriving at Hakata around 18:01, on Sat. 06, Sat. 13, and Sun. 14 Dec.

Every shown trains have 6 carriages of series 0 cars with 400 seats. The seat booking will be acceptable at みどりの窓口 (JR trains booking counters) throughout the country from 1 month before the travel date. Members of Express Reservation Service and online members of J-WEST can book seats in advance of the others.

JR West said that they would distribute 山陽新幹線「2枚きっぷ」 (Sanyo Shinkansen Doubled Ticket) continuously until 31 March 2009.

With the ticket, you can "go and return" or "travel with another" between Shin-Osaka or Shin-Kobe and Kokura or Hakata by Nozomi, Hikari, or Kodama trains. Tickets are sold from 14 up to 3 days prior to the travel date and their price depends on the date of purchased. Lowest price is 25,000 JPY for 2 sheets (12,500 JPY for a sheet).

For more information, please check the page of news release of JR west [written in Japanese].

JR Central and JR West announced they would sell のぞみ早特往復きっぷ (Nozomi Eearly Reservating Discount Round Trip Ticket) continuously until for departing on 31 March 2009. It is hard-to-beat discount ticket (EG; from Hakata to Tokyo, you will save 9,940 JPY on your round trip). You can purchase this RT ticket from 21 up to 7 days prior to your departure date and you need fix your seat assign of both-way when you buy the ticket.

For more information, please check the page of news releases from Chugoku and Kyushu area to Nagoya and Tokyo area and from Nagoya area to Chugoku and Kyushu area of JR Central and West [written in Japanese].