According to a published report, the Internet access baud rate in Series N700 cars will be partly limited from May 31, 2012. The control target will be high-traffic communications such as viewing videos and downloading files. The operator intends to ensure a connectivity for browsing web pages and mails through this tuning.

At the launch of the internet access service through Wi-Fi in Series N700 cars, JR Central said the communication rate was not adequate to watching movies but enough for business users visiting web pages and checking mails. As evidenced by this comment, the rate has not been abundance. Actually the downstream speed for a set of cars is up to about 2 Mbps, the upstream speed is up to 1 Mbps. If other trains are in same zone, the band will be shared and the actual traffic speed must be decreased. Because this internet access service was originally provided by riding LCX (leaky coaxial cable) for train radio communication and immediate bandwidth expansion may be difficult, the operator goes to the control.

The in-car Wi-Fi access rate will be controlled, but Wi-Fi spots in waiting rooms of stations are available as before.

JR-Central Passengers announced Spring Sweets Fair will be held on Tokaido Shinkansen trains from April 20, 2012 to May 6. During this period, a coffee and one of Shinkansen Sweets packages will be purchasable at 50 JPY cheaper than usual.

Shinkansen Sweets is a series of ritzy baked goods available on Tokaido Shinkansen trains. Since this March, three new goods, Cookie Selection Package produced by Nagoya Marriott Associa Hotel, Triple Chocolate Fudge by Byron Bay and "Fukiyose" styled assorted rice crackers by Ousama Seika, have been available besides current four items of Petit Fours Sec by Au Bon Vieux Temps, Friandise and Gateu Basque by Maison de Petit Fours, and Cake aux Pruneaux by Noliette.

And they announced their coffee coupons are available year-round from this April. The coupon has five tickets, costing 1,200 JPY. It is good for coffees selling at kiosks and in trains between Tokyo and Shin-Osaka. The coupon's expire date depends on the date of purchase. For example, purchases in April and May are good until the end of November and in June, July and August are until next February.

JR Central and JR West said that EX Odekake Hayatoku (EXお出かけ早特) will be sold again for this spring weekends and holidays.

Overviews of EX Odekake Hayatoku

• Name of the deal: EX Odekake Hayatoku (EXお出かけ早特 meaning EX Outing Early Booking Discount)
• Travel dates: Saturday, Sunday and holidays between Sat, April 7, 2012 - Sun, May 27 and May 1 - 2
• Period of selling: Sat, March 24, 2012 - Thu, May 24
• 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 by one of Nozomi, Hikari or Kodama train with no transferring. Two types of tickets are available, one is for second class and the other is for first class (Green car).
• Available sectors:
  • Tokyo, Shinagawa and Shin-Yokohama ⇔ Nagoya, Kyoto, Shin-Osaka, Shin-Kobe, Okayama, Hiroshima, Kokura and Hakata
  • Shizuoka and Hamamatsu ⇔ Kyoto and Shin-Osaka
  • Nagoya, Shin-Osaka and Shin-Kobe ⇔ Kokura and Hakata
• Prices (e.g.):
  for second class
  • Tokyo and Shinagawa - Shin-Osaka [one way] JPY 13,100, saving about 7%
  • Shin-Osaka and Shin-Kobe - Kokura and Hakata [one way] JPY 11,650, saving about 15-21%
  for Green Car
  • Tokyo and Shinagawa - Shin-Osaka [one way] JPY 14,500, saving about 22%
  • Shin-Osaka and Shin-Kobe - Kokura and Hakata [one way] JPY 15,350, saving about 16-26%
  # Shown discount rates are against regular season's fare.
• Terms of use: Only members of Express Reservation Service (エクスプレス予約) can buy and get tickets of this deal.
• Purchasable at: Available only online. Access the site of Express Reservation Service through a PC or mobile, including smartphones.
• Remarks:
  • Reservations for up to six persons traveling along will be acceptable at once. The accompanying passengers can be non-member of Express Reservation Service.
  • This discount's availability is limited on a train-to-train basis.
  • Reservations are conditioned changeable.
  • EX-IC Cards are not accepted for boarding.

JR Kyushu will release Teikiken Senyou Shinkansen Tokkyu Ryoukin Coupons (定期券専用新幹線特急料金回数券) on April, 2012. This is a set of four of Shinkansen express fare tickets to be used with commutation tickets. Shinkansen's express fare for non-reserved seat usually costs 830-1,680 JPY but this coupons costs only 600-900 JPY. It offers an easy choice to travel by Shinkansen when a commuter is in a hurry.

Overview of Teikiken Senyou Shinkansen Tokkyu Ryoukin Coupons

• Name of the ticket: Teikiken Senyou Shinkansen Tokkyu Ryoukin Coupons (定期券専用新幹線特急料金回数券 meaning Shinkansen Express Fare Coupons for Commutation-Ticket Holders)
• Period of selling: Sun, April 1, 2012 - Sun, September 30
• Valid for: a month
• Effects of the ticket: This is a set of four of Shinkansen express fare tickets. It allows four travels by Shinkansen on non-reserved seat for commutation-ticket holders of local trains.
• Available sectors and prices:
  • Hakata - Shin-Tosu: 2,400 JPY/4 tickets (600 JPY a travel, saving about 28%)
  • Hakata - Kurume: 2,400 JPY/4 tickets (600 JPY a travel, saving about 28%)
  • Hakata - Chikugo-Funagoya: 3,200 JPY/4 tickets (800 JPY a travel, saving about 33%)
  • Hakata - Shin-Omuta: 3,600 JPY/4 tickets (900 JPY a travel, saving about 46%)
• Purchasable at: stations of JR Kyushu and shops of JR Kyushu Travel
• Remarks:
  • Fares for a child are not available.
  • SUGOCA Commuter Pass and other non-commutation tickets cannot be used with this ticket.

JR West said they extend the selling period and travel dates of Kodama Shiteiseki Oufuku Ticket (こだま指定席往復きっぷ). That will be good until the end of September.

This ticket is a super discount ticket for the traveling parties of two or more making round trips by Kodama trains on Sanyo Shinkansen. Because the ticket is good for seven days and the price for a child is flat fare of 3,000 JPY, it may have a great advantage for a family trip. In JR West's release, they described this was an update of prices involved in clearing away of earlier vehicles (Series 100 and 300) from Sanyo Shinkansen.

Though this ticket has been available for a while, tickets for Shin-Kobe - Himeji, Nishi-Akashi - Aioi and Shin-Yamaguchi - Shin-Shimonoseki are unavailable from this March. And the prices of tickets for other sectors are increased by 120 - 580 JPY.

In addition, Kodama and Yakumo Shiteiseki Oufuku Ticket (こだま＆やくも指定席往復きっぷ) for travelers to Sanin, Kuroshio Shiteiseki Oufuku Ticket (くろしお指定席往復きっぷ) to Wakayama and Kounotori Shiteiseki Oufuku Ticket (こうのとり指定席往復きっぷ) to the north part of Hyogo will also be extended their period of selling.

Overview of Kodama Shiteiseki Oufuku Ticket

• Name of the ticket: Kodama Shiteiseki Oufuku Ticket (こだま指定席往復きっぷ meaning Roundtrip Ticket for Reservation Seats on Kodama Trains)
• Travel dates: Departing on Sat, March 17, 2012 - Mon, September 24
• Period of selling: Thu, March 1, 2012 - Sun, September 23 (Tickets are available 21 - 1 days before the departure.)
• Maximum period of travel: seven days
• Effects of the ticket: This ticket allows roundtrip between Sanyo Shinkansen Stations by Kodama and selected Hikari train's assigned seats.
• Major available sectors and prices (e.g.):
  • Shin-Osaka - Okayama [RT] 7,000 JPY, saving about 40%
  • Shin-Osaka - Hiroshima [RT] 12,500 JPY, saving about 37%
  # Shown discount rates are against regular season's fare.
  # The price for a child is flat fare of 3,000 JPY 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), 2,000 JPY for 24 hrs for a class S car, is available for a group of 2 or more adults. This offer's blackout dates are April 27, 2012 - May 6 and August 11 - 20.

JR Central and JR West announced that EX-IC Hayatoku (EX-IC早特), the discount offer for early purchasing EX-IC members, will be good until June 30, 2012. Its available sectors and prices are the same as going.

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: Sun, April 1, 2012 - Sat, June 30
• Period of selling: Thu, March 1, 2012 - Wed, June 27 (Tickets are availabe from 10:00 on the day of a month to 23:30 of three days before the 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]
  • Tokyo, Shinagawa - Shin-Osaka [one way] JPY 12,000, saving about 14%
  • Tokyo, Shinagawa - Hakata [one way] JPY 19,300, saving about 13%
  • Shin-Osaka, Shin-Kobe - Kokura, Hakata [one way] JPY 11,450, saving about 16-23%
  [for Green Car]
  • Tokyo, Shinagawa - Shin-Osaka [one way] JPY 14,000, saving about 25%
  • Tokyo, Shinagawa - Hakata [one way] JPY 29,250, saving about 14%
  • Shin-Osaka, Shin-Kobe - 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 PC or mobile, including smartphones.
• Remarks:
  • EX-IC Hayatoku will not be good for Mizuho, Sakura and Tsubame for through service to Kyushu Shinkansen.
  • 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 of (1)'s from/to Kyoto, Shin-Osaka and Shin-Kobe to/from Kokura and Hakata, (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 West extended the selling period and travel dates of Tokyo Oufuku Super Hayatoku Ticket (東京往復スーパー早特きっぷ). That will be good until the end of next March. The set of valid legs and prices have no changes.

Overview of Tokyo Oufuku Super Hayatoku Ticket

• Name of the ticket: Tokyo Oufuku Super Hayatoku Ticket (東京往復スーパー早特きっぷ meaning Ultra Early Booking Discount Round Ticket to Tokyo)
• Travel dates: Departing on Fri, March 30, 2012 - Sun, September 30
• Period of selling: Fri, March 2, 2012 - Sat, September 8 (Tickets are available 28 - 22 days before the departure.)
• Maximum period of travel: three days
• Effects of the ticket: This ticket allows roundtrip by Nozomi train's assigned seats in second class cars. Tickets for Green-car travelers are also available.
• Major available sectors and prices (e.g.):
  [for Second Class]
  • from Okayama to Tokyo, Shinagawa and Shin-Yokohama [RT]: 24,000 JPY, saving about 24%
  • from Hiroshima to Tokyo, Shinagawa and Shin-Yokohama [RT]: 26,000 JPY, saving about 25%
  [for Green-car]
  • from Okayama to Tokyo, Shinagawa and Shin-Yokohama [RT]: 32,000 JPY, saving about 26%
  • from Hiroshima to Tokyo, Shinagawa and Shin-Yokohama [RT]: 35,000 JPY, saving about 28%
  # Shown discount rates are against regular season's fare and calculated with assuming "Tokyo, Shinagawa and Shin-Yokohama" is Tokyo.
  # Local stations in the cities are included in the available sectors, like stations in Hiroshima city are described as "Hiroshima" and Tokyo's 23 wards as "Tokyo, Shinagawa" above.
  # The price for a child is half of the fare for an adult.
  # See the web site of JR Odekake Net (by JR West) for other sectors and prices.
• Purchasable at: a major JR station and a major travel vendor around the departing area
• Remarks:
  • The trains and seats of both-way must be assigned at the time of purchase. Changes are not permitted.
  • If Nozomi trains don't stop at the destination or home station, second class non-reservation seats on Hikari, Sakura or Kodama trains are available.
  • This ticket's availability is limited on a train-to-train basis.

JR Central and JR West extended the the selling period and travel dates of Nozomi Hayatoku Oufuku Ticket (のぞみ早特往復きっぷ). That will be good until the end of September.

Overview of Nozomi Hayatoku Oufuku Ticket

• Name of the ticket: Nozomi Hayatoku Oufuku Ticket (のぞみ早特往復きっぷ meaning Nozomi Early Booking Discount Round Trip Ticket)
• Travel dates: Departing on Sun, April 1, 2012 - Sun, September 30
• Period of selling: Sun, March 11, 2012 - Sun, September 23 (Tickets are available 21 - 7 days before the departure.)
• Maximum period of travel: seven days
• Effects of the ticket: This ticket allows roundtrip by Nozomi train's assigned seats.
• Major available sectors and prices (e.g.)
  • from/to Naoya to/from Kokura and Hakata [RT]: 28,000 JPY, saving about 17% (increased by 2,000 JPY)
  • from Okayama to Tokyo, Shinagawa and Shin-Yokohama [RT]: 28,000 JPY, saving about 12%
  • from Hiroshima to Tokyo, Shinagawa and Shin-Yokohama [RT]: 31,000 JPY, saving about 11%
  • from Hakata and Kokura to Tokyo, Shinagawa and Shin-Yokohama [RT]: 33,000 JPY, saving about 21%
  • from Yonago, Matsue, Izumoshi to Tokyo, Shinagawa and Shin-Yokohama [RT]: 30,000 JPY, saving about 17-19%
  # Shown discount rates are against regular season's fare and calculated with assuming "Tokyo, Shinagawa and Shin-Yokohama" is Tokyo and "Hakata and Kokura" is Hakata.
  # Local stations in the cities are included in the available sectors, like stations in Nagoya city are described as "Nagoya" and Fukuoka city as "Hakata" above.
• Purchasable at: a major JR station, travel center and a major travel vendor around the departing area
• Remarks:
  • Fares for a child are not available.
  • The trains and seats of both-way must be assigned at the time of purchase. Changes are not permitted.
  • If Nozomi trains don't stop at the destination or home station, second class non-reservation seats on Hikari or Kodama trains are available.
  • Tickets from Sanin area allow traveling by limited express train's reservation seats between home station and Okayama.

JR Kyushu announced Bikkuri Tsubame Ni-Mai Kippu (ビックリつばめ2枚きっぷ) will be onloingly available until the end of March in 2013.

This ticket is a set of two Tsubame's tickets and shopping coupons for Amu Plaza Hakata. The existing ticket is also including shopping coupons but they really are trading ticket and must be swapped for vouchers before use. After April, the shopping coupons included new tickes are usable at stores without exchanging vouchers.

This ticket for the section of Hakata -Shin-Tamana is available until March 31, 2012.

Overview of Bikkuri Tsubame Ni-mai Kippu

• Name of the ticket: Bikkuri Tsubame Ni-Mai Kippu (ビックリつばめ2枚切符 meaning Surprising Tsubame Two-Ticket Set)
• Travel dates: Sun, April 1, 2012 - Sun, March 31, 2013
• Period of selling: Thu, March 1, 2012 - Sun, March 30, 2013
• # Sold until a day before the departure.
• Maximum period of travel: one day
• Effects of the ticket: This ticket allows a roundtrip by Tsubame train's assigned seats. JPY 1,500 shopping coupons for Amu Plaza Hakata are included.
• Available sectors: Hakata - Kumamoto
• Price: 5,500 JPY
• Purchasable at: JR Kyushu's stations, etc.
• Remarks:
  • The trains and seats of both-way must be assigned at the time of purchase.
  • This ticket is not good for Mizuho and Sakura trains.

JR Kyushu announced Kyushu Shinkansen Higaeri Ni-Mai Kippu (九州新幹線日帰り2枚きっぷ) will be ongoingly available until the end of March in 2013.

This ticket, aimed at increasing short-houl rides, is a set of two Shinkansen's tickets for a short-distance day-trip from/to Hakata. Though another discount ticket Kyushu Shinkansen Ni-Mai Kippu (九州新幹線2枚きっぷ) valid for a month is also available, this Kyushu Shinkansen Higaeri Ni-Mai Kippu is cheaper than that because it is good for one day only.

The ticket of new section of Hakata - Shin-Tamana will be released and ticket between from/to Shin-Tosu, Kurume, Chikugo-Funagoya and Shin-Omuta will be extended their zones to Yoshiduka.

Overviews of Kyushu Shinkansen Higaeri Ni-Mai Kippu

• Name of the ticket: Kyushu Shinkansen Higaeri Ni-Mai Kippu (九州新幹線日帰り2枚きっぷ meaning Kyushu Shinkansen's Two-Ticket Set for Day-Trippers)
• Travel dates: Sun, April 1, 2012 - Sun, March 31, 2013
• Period of selling: Thu, March 1, 2012 - Sun, March 31, 2013
• Maximum period of travel: one day
• Effects of the ticket: This is a set for two legs of Kyushu Shinkansen travel. One can make a day round trip, and two passengers can make one-way trip on the same day. Only for non-reservation seats.
• Available sectors and prices:
  • Hakata and Yoshiduka - Shin-Tosu 2,200 JPY / two legs, saving about 20%
  • Hakata and Yoshiduka - Kurume 2,400 JPY / two legs, saving about 23％
  • Hakata and Yoshiduka - Shin-Omuta 4,000 JPY / two legs, saving about 32%
  • Hakata and Yoshiduka - Chikugo-Funagoya 3,200 JPY / two legs, saving about 30%
  • Hakata - Shin-Tamana 4,900 JPY / two legs, saving about 29%
• Purchasable at: JR Kyushu's major stations , etc.

JR Central and JR West announced that Series 300 and 100 cars will finish their service on March 16, 2012. Ticket reservations will start on February 16, a month before the travel date.

The last trains of Series 300 are Nozomi 329 on Tokaido Shinkansen and Nozomi 609 on Sanyo Shinkansen on March 16. All seats of these trains are for booking only and favors will be arranged for the passengers.

And the last one of Series 100 is Hikari 445 on Sanyo Shinkansen. This train is also for booking passengers. Because Nozomi 609 stops at Okayama just before the Hikari 445's departure, both of Series 300 and 100 trains will be seen side by side there.

Nippon Sharyo released that they got an order of producing new Shinkansen cars called N700A (Series N700-1000).

N700A is a tweaked type of Series N700 and initially JR Central announced six sets of them in 2012 and seven in 2013 will be put into service. Recently Nippon Sharyo said they will produce four N700A sets in 2012 and six in 2013.

As of this moment, it seems no official announcements of order to produce the left three set of N700A are available.

JR Central announced that they will start installation work of moving safety fence on Tokyo Station track No. 14 in this month. This is because cheaper and sooner installable new fence was developed and car's door locations will be standardized with Series 300's retirement in this March. The new fence will be hooked up to existing immobile fence. Shin-Osaka Station's track No. 27, which are beeing built at this moment, will have same type of new safety fence. The new fences on Tokyo's platform 14 and Shin-Osaka's platform 27 are scheduled to start operation in March, 2013. They will gradually install new fence on Tokyo Station's other Tokaido Shinkansen tracks (No. 15 - 19) by March, 2015 and are planning works at other Nozomi stop stations.

Chugoku Shimbun reported that the improving work of Fukuyama Station's south exit square will be finished by the end of this March.

The bus stops and taxi stand will be relocated by this project for the area of 14,000m² on the south of the station. The basement public driveway apron has been already opened since the last July. By operating expense ratio, 90% of works are finished and the bus park, drainage, lighting and paving will be completed by the end of March.

In another article, they reported that Mr. NODA, Masaaki, who hails from Fukuyama, is making a 6.7-meter-high artwork for the renovated station square.

To attract tourists, JR Group, Kyoto City and Kyoto City Tourism Association are conducting Kyoto Winter Travel Campaign from December 1, 2011 to March 20, 2012. Featuring Taira no Kiyomori of NHK period drama and dragon of 2012's Oriental Zodiac, selected 13 secret cultural properties will be specially opened to the public.

In tune with this campaign, JR West is selling a ticket package including Shinkansen to Kyoto and local transportation in the city.

Overview of Nozomi and Kyoto Kanko Free Ticket

• Name of the ticket: Nozomi and Kyoto Kanko Free Ticket (のぞみ＆京都観光フリーきっぷ meaning Nozomi and Kyoto sightseeing trip ticket)
• Travel dates: Fri, December 9, 2011 - Thu, March 22, 2012
  # The final departure date is March 20.
• Period of selling: Fri, November 25, 2011 - Mon, March 19, 2012
  # The ticket is available 25 - 1 day(s) before departure.
• Maximum period of travel: three days
• Effects of the ticket:
  • This ticket allows round trip to Kyoto by Nozomi and unlimited ride on JR lines in Kyoto area for three days.
  • A voucher for two-day unlimited pass of six rails and eight bus companies in Kyoto is included.
• Major available sectors and prices (e.g.)
  • from Okayama, 16,000 JPY
  • from Fukuyama, 18,000 JPY
  • from Hiroshima, 23,000 JPY
  • from Shin-Yamaguchi, 28,000 JPY
  • from Kita-Kyushu (Kokura), 28,500 JPY
• Purchasable at: major stations of JR West and travel vendors around 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.
  • Tourists can enjoy benefits and discounts wish showing the pass or bringing bound-in coupons.