Nozomi (train) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Nozomi

N700A Series Nozomi, September 2021
Overview
Service type	Shinkansen
First service	1934 (Express) 1992 (Shinkansen)
Current operator(s)	JR Central, JR West
Route
Start	Tokyo
End	Hakata
Line used	Tokaido Shinkansen San'yō Shinkansen
On-board services
Class(es)	Green/standard
Catering facilities	Trolley service
Technical
Rolling stock	N700 series, N700S series
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) standard gauge
Electrification	25 kV AC overhead
Operating speed	300 km/h (185 mph)

Nozomi (のぞみ, "Wish" or "Hope") is the fastest train service running on the Tokaido & San'yō Shinkansen lines in Japan. The service stops at only the largest stations, and along the stretch between Shin-Ōsaka and Hakata, Nozomi services using N700 series equipment reach speeds of 300 km/h (186 mph). The trip between Tokyo and Osaka, a distance of 515 kilometres (320 mi), takes 2 hours 21 minutes on the fastest Nozomi service, with the fastest service between Tōkyō and Hakata taking 4 hours 46 minutes.

The trains stop at fewer stations than the Hikari and Kodama trains. On the Tōkaidō Shinkansen between Tokyo and Shin-Ōsaka, Nozomi trains stop only at Shinagawa, Shin-Yokohama, Nagoya and Kyōto. On the Sanyō Shinkansen between Shin-Ōsaka and Hakata, all Nozomi trains stop at Shin-Kobe, Hiroshima, Okayama and Kokura, with certain trains also stopping at additional stations.

The Nozomi service is not valid for foreigners traveling with a Japan Rail Pass, one of only two Shinkansen services with such a distinction - the other is the Mizuho service on the San'yo Shinkansen.

Stopping patterns (as of May 2019)

Legend

Note:
¹ Some trains begin/terminate at Nishi-Akashi, Himeji, Okayama or Hiroshima.
² Some trains begin/terminate at Nagoya.

Only basic Nozomi stopping patterns are shown. Additional Nozomi trains with differing stopping patterns are added during holiday and high-peak travel periods, and are not included in this table.

Rolling stock

Current rolling stock

• N700 series (July 2007 – )
• N700S series (July 2020 – )

• 

  N700 series, June 2008

• 

  N700S series, September 2021

Former rolling stock

• 300 series (March 1992 – March 2012)
• 500 series (March 1997 – June 2008)
• 700 series (March 1999 – March 2020)

• 

  300 series, February 2011

• 

  500 series, February 2010

• 

  700 series, January 2008

Formations

Trains are formed as shown below, with car 1 at the Hakata end, and car 16 at the Tokyo end.

N700 series / N700S series

Car no.	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16
Class	Standard			Standard				Green			Standard
	Non-reserved			Reserved				Reserved			Reserved
Facilities	WC		WC / smoking compartment	Cardphone	WC	Vending machine	WC / smoking compartment		WC / cardphone	Smoking compartment	Vending machine / WC / wheelchair space	Cardphone	WC		Smoking compartment / WC / cardphone
Smoking	No-smoking	No-smoking	Smoking	No-smoking	No-smoking	No-smoking	Smoking	No-smoking	No-smoking	Smoking	No-smoking	No-smoking	No-smoking	No-smoking	Smoking	No-smoking

(All cars are completely non-smoking, except for enclosed smoking compartments located in cars 3, 7, 10, and 15)

• 

  N700 series Green car interior

• 

  N700 series standard-class car interior

• 

  An internationally recognizable "No Smoking sign"

700 series

Car No.	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16
Class	Standard Non-reserved	Standard Non-reserved	Standard Non-reserved	Standard Reserved	Standard Reserved	Standard Reserved	Standard Reserved	Green Reserved	Green Reserved	Green Reserved	Standard Reserved	Standard Reserved	Standard Reserved	Standard Reserved	Standard Reserved	Standard Reserved
Facilities	WC	Cardphone	WC / vending machine		WC	Cardphone	WC		WC		Vending machine / WC / wheelchair space	Cardphone	WC		Vending machine / WC / cardphone
Smoking	No-smoking	No-smoking	Smoking	No-smoking	No-smoking	No-smoking	Smoking	No-smoking	No-smoking	Smoking	No-smoking	No-smoking	No-smoking	No-smoking	Smoking	No-smoking

History

Wartime steam services

The Nozomi name was first used for long-distance express services operated between Busan in Japanese-occupied Korea and Mukden (now Shenyang) in the former Manchukuo (now China) from 1934. From 1938, the services were extended to run between Busan and Hsinking (now Changchun) in Manchukuo. The 1,530 km journey from Busan to Hsinking took over 29 hours, with an average speed of 52 km/h (32 mph). The services were run down between 1943 and 1944.

Shinkansen services

Nozomi shinkansen services commenced on March 14, 1992, using new 300 series trainsets with a top speed of 270 km/h. From March 1997, 500 series trainsets were introduced on Tokyo - Hakata Nozomi services, running at a maximum speed of 300 km/h and covering the section between Shin-Osaka and Hakata in 2 hours 17 minutes.

700 series trains were introduced on Nozomi services in 1999, and N700 series trains were introduced from July 1, 2007, initially with four daily round-trip runs. All regularly scheduled through Nozomi services to the San'yō Shinkansen (Tokyo–Hakata) were operated by N700 series sets from 13 March 2010. From the start of the revised timetable on 17 March 2012, all regularly scheduled Nozomi services, including runs limited to the Tokaido Shinkansen, were operated by N700 series sets.

See also

In Spanish: Nozomi (Shinkansen) para niños

• List of named passenger trains of Japan