Nozomi, Hikari and Kodama

Shinkansen N700

What is Nozomi and what are the alternatives?

The Bullet Train line which runs West from Tokyo station is known as the Tokaido line and operates three different classes of trains. These are called Nozomi, Hikari and Kodama and specify the frequency of stops at stations during the journey.

Of course, as the three types of trains stop at a different amount of stations over the same journey, they take different amounts of time to reach the same destination.

So, what are the actual differences?

Kodama - These trains stop at all stations.
Hikari - These trains stop at medium and large stations.
Nozomi - These trains stop at only the largest stations.

The realistic time difference between Nozomi and Hikari over the journey between Tokyo and Kyoto is approximately 20 minutes with the total journey time on Hikari taking 2 hours and 40 minutes.

As Nozomi trains are NOT valid with a Japan rail pass, you will only be eligible to use the Hikari and Kodama trains.

How do I know which train is which?

Most train stations in Japan have English signs as well as in Japanese so you should be able to check exactly what trains operate at all times and not accidentally board a Nozomi train. They are also colour-coded so you should be able to see which trains are which with no problem.

Nozomi = Yellow