Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications said verbal and data communications on mobile phones in Shinkansen tunnels will be available between Himeji and east end of Okayama Pref. from March, 2011.

Antenna installation for tunnels were completed between Tokyo and Shin-Osaka by 2003 and the installation reaching Himeji by the end of this month. Improved zones are extended and in a year it will have been to the east end of Okayama Pref.

At this moment, any antenna installation plans for sections west of Okayama Pref. are not announced. And the providing zone of internet access service through N700 series in-vehicle wireless LAN will have been restricted within Tokaido Shinkansen between Tokyo and Shin-Osaka for a while, because its communication method and required equipments are different from the antennas for the mobile communication.

Hiroshima Branch of JR West announced that they will accept advanced booking applications for travels during the Golden Week period from April 28 through May 5, 2010. Passengers, who have plans to travel in this period, may be free from making queue on ticket release days.

brief overview of advanced booking application

• Travel Dates: April 28, 2010 - May 5
• Period of acceptance: March 6, 2010 - March 25
• Handling At: 76 stations with JR trains booking counters (みどりの窓口) within district boundary of Hiroshima Branch of JR West
• How to subscribe:
  • Go to a JR trains booking counter in one of 76 stations noted above.
  • Go to the special counter at JR trains booking counter in Hiroshima Station.
  • Place a call to the special counter at JR trains booking counter in Hiroshima Station.
  • FAX an order to one of major 17 stations like Mihara and Shin-Yamaguchi.

"e5489plus", JR West's online booking service, will be temporarily stop for maintenance. The suspension will go on up to 24 hours depending on the service.

Services and Hours for Suspension

• reservation, settlement, changing, refunding and inquiry on "e5489plus"
  • [suspended] 21:00 on March 6, 2010 to 9:00 on March 7
• services for members on JR Odekake Net (JRおでかけネット)
  • initial registration and correct information for J-WEST online members and e-Oyado (e-お宿) use
    • [suspended] 21:00 on March 6, 2010 to 9:00 on March 7
  • checking and exchanging accumulated points, inquiry for SMART ICOCA usage history, checking of J-WEST Premier Program
    • [suspended] 21:00 on March 6, 2010 to 21:00 on March 7

Services with No Pauses

• Express Reservation services (エクスプレス予約)
• picking up tickets previously reserved through "e5489plus"
• JR Odekake Net services for non-members

JR Central announced they will release electronic money function on TOICA, the IC rail pass card issued by them, on March 13, 2010.

On the day of service starting, TOICA electronic money will be acceptable at 250 kiosks and Bellmarts, and 335 drink vending machines in stations of JR Central area. In addition, about 68,000 member stores of Suica and ICOCA will also accept TOICA. On the same day, TOICA, Suica and ICOCA electronic moneys will start to be available in each other's service area. The service start date is March 13 for kiosks and stands, and sequentially from March 13 through 15 for vending machines.

They said the number of TOICA electronic money member stores will grow in and out of stations in the TOICA area in the years ahead.

Major Stores For TOICA Electronic Money

• 250 shops in ICOCA area
  • kiosks and Bellmarts on platforms and concourse of Tokyo, Shinagawa, Shin-Yokohama, Hamamatsu, Toyohashi and Shin-Osaka Station
  • kiosks and Bellmarts on platforms and concourse of Nagoya Station and some stores inside and outside the station
  • kiosks and Bellmarts on platforms and concourse, and stores in ASTY of Shizuoka and Kyoto Station
• 335 coin machines in ICOCA area
  • vending machines on platforms and concourse of Tokyo, Shinagawa, Shin-Yokohama, Shizuoka, Hamamatsu, Nagoya, Kyoto and Shin-Osaka Station

JR Central and 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, 2010.

The available sectors and prices for this offer are as same as ever. The complicated rules for sectors called Type A, B and C will also not be modified. Though it may be hard to understand this discount rule totally, this site Shinkansen Timetable indicates the applicable prices by the sectors and trains.

Brief Overview of EX-IC Hayatoku for Spring

• Name
  • "EX-IC Hayatoku" (EX-IC早特), or shortly "IC Hayatoku" (IC早特)
• Travel dates
  • April 1 through June 30, 2010
• Period of selling
  • March 1 through June 27, 2010
    Tickets are available from 10:00 on the day of a month to 23:30 of three days before departure.
• Available sectors
  • Type A: between Tokyo/Shinagawa/Shin-Yokohama and Nishi-Akashi/Himeji/Okayama/Fukuyama/Hiroshima/Kokura/Hakata etc.
  • Type B: between Tokyo/Shinagawa/Shin-Yokohama and Nagoya/Kyoto/Shin-Osaka/Shin-Kobe
  • Type C: between any Tokaido Shinkansen stations, except between Tokyo and Atami and within less than 100 km
• Prices
  • Tokyo/Shinagawa and Shin-Osaka: JPY 12,000
  • Shin-Osaka/Shin-Kobe and Kokura/Hakata: JPY 11,450
  • Tokyo/Shinagawa and Hakata: JPY 19,300
• Terms of use
  • only for each identical member of EX-IC service
• Purchasable at
  • the web site of EX-IC service through a mobile or PC
• Remarks
  • Available for travels by up to three trains. But following sectors with EX-IC Hayatoku will be restricted to travel by a direct train; traveling from/to Tokyo, Shinagawa, Shin-Yokohama to/from Nagoya, Kyoto, Shin-Osaka, Shin-Kobe, traveling from/to Kyoto, Shin-Osaka, Shin-Kobe to/from Kokura, Hakata, and Green Car travel on Kodama train of Tokaido Shinkansen.
  • Purchasable until 23:30 on 3 days prior to the travel dates.
  • Changes are permitted before the passenger enters the gate with EX-IC card or receives a boarding bill, and before the departure time of the train.
  • This discount availability is limited on a train-to-train basis.
  • Fares for conventional lines are required separately for ongoing travel on those lines.
  • Not valid with any other offer like the discount for connecting passengers.