Most people crossing Japan by bullet train sit in an ordinary car, where seats run five across with three on one side of the aisle and two on the other. Above it sit three paid upgrades. The Green Car runs on every Shinkansen line. GranClass is found only on the lines running north and northwest from Tokyo, and since 1 October 2026 the Tokaido Shinkansen between Tokyo and Osaka has had private Supreme Class cabins with their own doors.
This guide sets the four side by side with real fares from Tokyo, explains which trains carry each one and which GranClass trains leave out the food, and points to the ordinary seat in western Japan that rivals a Green Car for no extra cost. All prices are adult one way fares in the regular season.
Shinkansen premium classes: key facts
- Green Car: four seats across, on every Shinkansen line. Cars 8, 9 and 10 on Tokaido Nozomi trains.
- GranClass: 18 leather seats, three across, on the Tohoku, Hokkaido, Hokuriku and Joetsu Shinkansen.
- Supreme Class: private cabins in cars 7 and 10 of selected Tokaido and Sanyo trains, running since 1 October 2026.
- Tokyo to Shin-Osaka by Nozomi: ¥14,720 ordinary reserved, ¥19,590 Green Car, from ¥42,390 Supreme Class.
- Japan Rail Pass: the Green version costs ¥70,000 for seven days on the official website, against ¥50,000 for the ordinary pass.
- Coming in 2027: Nozomi fares rise from 1 July and Green Car charges from 15 December.
Japan's Bullet Train First Class Options
Ordinary, Green Car, GranClass and Supreme Class Side by Side
| Ordinary | Green Car | GranClass | Supreme Class | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seats per row | 5 (three and two) | 4 (two and two) | 3 (two and one) | Private cabin for 1 or 2 |
| Where it runs | Every line | Every line | Tohoku, Hokkaido, Hokuriku and Joetsu lines | Selected Tokaido and Sanyo trains |
| Tokyo to Shin-Osaka, Nozomi | ¥14,720 | ¥19,590 | Not offered | ¥42,390 (car 10) or ¥60,790 (car 7) |
| Tokyo to Morioka, Hayabusa | ¥15,450 | ¥20,320 | ¥27,320 | Not offered |
| Food and drink included | None | None | Light meal and free drinks on staffed trains | Welcome drink and a sweet |
The Green Car: Two Seats Each Side of the Aisle, From ¥4,870 Extra to Osaka
On the 16 car Nozomi, Hikari and Kodama trains of the Tokaido Shinkansen, the Green Cars are cars 8, 9 and 10. Seats come in pairs on both sides of the aisle, so nobody is squeezed into a middle seat, and every Green Car seat has its own power socket. The carriage is usually quieter as well.
From Tokyo to Shin-Osaka on the Nozomi, a Green Car seat costs ¥19,590 against ¥14,720 for an ordinary reserved seat, a difference of ¥4,870 each way. The gap shrinks on shorter trips: Tokyo to Nagoya is ¥14,960 in the Green Car and ¥11,300 in ordinary, or ¥3,660 more. The Green Car charge is set by distance, so it is cheaper still on short Kodama hops such as the ride to Mishima for Mount Fuji.
The upgrade earns its keep during Golden Week, Obon and the New Year holidays, when ordinary reserved seats sell out first and Green Car seats are often still free.
Travellers using a Japan Rail Pass choose the class when they buy it. On the official Japan Rail Pass website, the Green pass costs ¥70,000 for seven days, ¥20,000 more than the ordinary pass, and ¥74,000 through overseas agents. A return trip from Tokyo to Osaka in the Green Car costs ¥9,740 more than ordinary reserved seats, so the Green pass makes most sense on a week with several long Shinkansen journeys. Either pass still needs a special extra ticket for the Nozomi and Mizuho.
Sakura and Mizuho Reserved Seats Already Come in Pairs
West of Osaka, the shorter 8 car trains on the Sanyo and Kyushu Shinkansen use a different layout. According to the smart EX guide to the N700 series, cars 4 to 8 of these trains have seats in rows of two either side of the aisle, the same four across layout as a Green Car. The Green seats themselves take up only half of car 6.
That makes an ordinary reserved seat on a Sakura or Mizuho between Shin-Osaka, Hiroshima, Hakata and Kagoshima-Chuo nearly as roomy as a Green Car seat at the ordinary price. On these trains the Green Car upgrade buys very little.
GranClass: 18 Leather Seats on the Hayabusa and Kagayaki
GranClass sits one step above the Green Car and is found on the E5, H5, E7 and W7 trains that run from Tokyo to Aomori, Hakodate, Kanazawa and Niigata. Each train has a single GranClass car of 18 seats, laid out two and one. JR East’s own figures give a seat pitch of about 1,300 mm, roughly 14 cm more than the Green Car, with a powered recline of up to 45 degrees, a leg rest, a reading light, a blanket and slippers.
On staffed trains, such as the Hayabusa from Tokyo to Morioka and beyond and the Kagayaki to Kanazawa, an attendant brings a hot towel and a Japanese or Western light meal with a snack, and drinks are free and unlimited, including beer, wine, sake and whisky. GranClass ticket holders can also use the View Gold Lounge at Tokyo Station from 90 minutes before departure.
Many GranClass trains have no attendant at all, and on those the seat is all you get. JR East lists them: every Yamabiko, Nasuno and Hayate, Hayabusa trains running only between Tokyo and Sendai, every Hakutaka and Asama on the Hokuriku line, and every Toki and Tanigawa on the Joetsu line. The seat only version costs less, and the timetable marks each type with its own icon.
For the 2 hour 10 minute Hayabusa run from Tokyo to Morioka, an ordinary reserved seat costs ¥15,450, the Green Car ¥20,320 and staffed GranClass ¥27,320. All the way to Shin-Aomori, the three are ¥18,110, ¥24,180 and ¥31,180. Seats book through JR East’s online reservation site or at ticket offices, and holders of the JR EAST PASS pay the GranClass charge on top of their pass.
Supreme Class: Private Cabins on the Tokaido Shinkansen Since 1 October 2026
Supreme Class is JR Central’s answer to a private room. Trains that carry it have two lockable cabins: car 7 takes up to two people and car 10 takes one. Inside, a leather seat reclines electrically, and a tablet on the window ledge controls the lighting, air conditioning, seat and speaker. Each cabin has dedicated Wi-Fi, and a welcome drink and a sweet are included, with more to order from the tablet.
Through JR Central’s smart EX service, the single cabin in car 10 costs ¥42,390 from Tokyo to Shin-Osaka and ¥32,660 from Tokyo to Nagoya. Car 7 costs ¥60,790 and ¥47,060 for the person who books it. A second traveller sharing car 7 needs only their own ticket for the same train, which can be an ordinary seat. Two people taking car 7 from Tokyo to Shin-Osaka with an ordinary reserved ticket for the second therefore pay ¥75,510 between them, less per head than two single cabins.
Cabins go on sale at 10:00 Japan time one month before travel, only through smart EX and JR Central’s EX Reservation service. Boarding is by IC card or QR code, as no paper tickets are issued. The cabins run on selected Nozomi, Hikari and Kodama trains between Tokyo and Hakata, and Hikaru Utada stars in JR Central’s advert for them.
Fare Rises and New Green Car Seats Due in 2027
JR Central and JR West announced price rises on 16 October 2026. Nozomi and Mizuho ordinary reserved tickets bought from 1 July 2027 cost more, taking Tokyo to Shin-Osaka to ¥15,420. Green Car charges rise for journeys from 15 December 2027, when the Green Car fare between Tokyo and Shin-Osaka becomes ¥23,290, and Supreme Class prices rise in two steps during 2027.
The money pays for a refit. From 15 December 2027, Green Cars on N700A and N700S trains get new seats in stages, with large armrest tables in cars 8 and 9 and partitioned seats in car 10. Lounges for Green Car and Supreme Class passengers open the same day at Shinagawa, Shin-Yokohama, Kyoto, Kokura and Hakata, with Tokyo and Shin-Osaka to follow.
Which Class to Book for Osaka, Tohoku and Kyushu
- Tokyo to Kyoto or Osaka on a quiet weekday: an ordinary reserved seat does the job.
- The same trip at a holiday peak: the Green Car, for ¥4,870 more each way to Osaka.
- A couple who want privacy between Tokyo and Osaka: Supreme Class car 7, with the second traveller on an ordinary ticket.
- Tokyo to Morioka, Aomori or Kanazawa: GranClass on a staffed Hayabusa or Kagayaki, where the meal and drinks are part of the price.
- Osaka to Hiroshima, Fukuoka or Kagoshima: an ordinary reserved seat on a Sakura or Mizuho, already laid out two and two.
Green Car, GranClass and Supreme Class Prices and Rules
The Green Car is the first class carriage found on every Shinkansen line, with four seats across instead of five and a power socket at every seat. From Tokyo to Shin-Osaka on the Nozomi it costs ¥19,590, which is ¥4,870 more than an ordinary reserved seat.
GranClass is one class higher, with 18 leather seats laid out two and one, a 45 degree recline and a leg rest. On staffed trains such as the Hayabusa to Morioka it includes a light meal and free drinks. It only runs on the Tohoku, Hokkaido, Hokuriku and Joetsu Shinkansen.
Through smart EX, the single cabin in car 10 costs ¥42,390 from Tokyo to Shin-Osaka. The car 7 cabin costs ¥60,790 for the person who books it, and a second traveller needs only their own ticket for the same train.
Only the Green version of the pass, which costs ¥70,000 for seven days on the official Japan Rail Pass website against ¥50,000 for the ordinary pass. Nozomi and Mizuho trains still need a special extra ticket.
Staffed GranClass runs on trains such as the Hayabusa from Tokyo to Morioka and beyond and the Kagayaki to Kanazawa. Yamabiko, Nasuno, Hayate, Hakutaka, Asama, Toki and Tanigawa trains, and Hayabusa trains running only between Tokyo and Sendai, have the seats without the meal or attendant.
