Nozomi Trains Will Be Reserved-Seat Only During Silver Week 2026
All Nozomi trains between Tokyo and Hakata will operate without non-reserved seating from September 18 to 23, 2026.
Travelers using the Tokaido or Sanyo Shinkansen during Japan’s September holiday period should plan ahead: all Nozomi trains will operate with reserved seats only from September 18 through September 23, 2026.
The rule applies to every Nozomi running between Tokyo and Hakata. During this period, the cars that normally provide non-reserved seating are converted to reserved seating.
What travelers need to know
Nozomi is the fastest and most frequent service used on many popular routes linking Tokyo, Nagoya, Kyoto, Shin-Osaka, Hiroshima and Hakata.
During the September 18–23 peak period:
- Nozomi has no non-reserved seats. If you want to sit, you should reserve a seat in advance.
- Hikari, Kodama, Mizuho, Sakura and Tsubame keep non-reserved seating as usual. However, those trains may also be crowded during the holiday period.
- JR Central says the change is intended to reduce congestion and help more passengers secure seats before travel.
If you hold a non-reserved limited express ticket, JR Central says you may board a Nozomi and stand on the deck of an Ordinary Car, but you cannot take a seat without a reserved-seat ticket. Heavy crowding may also mean you cannot board the train you want, so relying on this option is risky.
What you should do
- Reserve as soon as your travel date is firm. Standard reserved-seat tickets go on sale from 10:00 a.m. one month before departure.
- Use an official online reservation service if convenient. JR Central says some seats can be booked through Shinkansen Online Reservation up to one year in advance, subject to product and seat-availability conditions.
- Build in flexibility. If your preferred Nozomi is full, consider another departure time or travel date.
- Do not assume Hikari or Kodama will be quiet. Those trains retain non-reserved cars, but JR warns that non-reserved seating can still be crowded during peak travel periods.
A note for JAPAN RAIL PASS users
A standard JAPAN RAIL PASS does not by itself cover travel on Nozomi. Pass holders need the separate [ONLY WITH JAPAN RAIL PASS] NOZOMI MIZUHO Ticket for a Nozomi journey.
During the all-reserved-seat period, reserving a seat is especially important. If a pass holder buys the non-reserved version of the additional Nozomi ticket, JR Central states that the traveler should stand rather than occupy a reserved seat.
What is confirmed
- The reserved-seat-only period is September 18–23, 2026.
- It applies to all Nozomi trains operating between Tokyo and Hakata on the Tokaido and Sanyo Shinkansen.
- Other Shinkansen services listed by JR Central continue to offer non-reserved seating during the period.
Source: JR Central’s official English guidance for Nozomi trains during major peak periods.