Travel

Nozomi Shinkansen to Reduce Non-Reserved Seats

TOKYO, Nov 29 (News On Japan) - JR Central and JR West plan to reduce the number of non-reserved seats on the Nozomi Shinkansen, operating on the Tokaido and Sanyo lines, starting next spring, according to sources familiar with the matter.

Currently, the Nozomi runs with a 16-car configuration, with three cars totaling 250 seats designated as non-reserved.

JR sources revealed that following a timetable revision in March next year, one of the three cars, containing 85 seats, will be converted to reserved seating.

This change responds to the growing demand for reserved seats, driven by the widespread use of services allowing passengers to book specific seats in advance via smartphones and other devices.

JR Central and JR West plan to further deliberate on increasing reserved seating in the coming months.

Source: ANN

Dust Storms Forecast To Hit Tokyo

Rain affected parts of Japan on Tuesday morning as a low-pressure system and front moved through, bringing heavier downpours in some areas. Skies are expected to clear across much of the country this afternoon. However, yellow sand drifting in from the Asian continent is forecast to spread over a wide area, raising concerns over reduced visibility and worsening health conditions.

Japan Gov't Warns of Possible Megaquake

Japan's weather agency and the Cabinet Office issued a 'Hokkaido-Sanriku Offshore Subsequent Earthquake Advisory' after an earthquake measuring upper 5 on Japan's seismic intensity scale struck off Sanriku.

New Shinkansen Reservation Service Lets Users Book in One Minute

JR East has launched a preview version of its new online Shinkansen booking platform, JRE GO, promising reservations in as little as one minute and easier handling of sudden schedule changes.

Bear Found in Bushes in Central Sendai Finally Culled

A bear that had remained in a residential area in central Sendai since early Sunday morning was euthanized last night in an emergency cull. No injuries were reported.

Father Admits Killing and Body Abandonment in Kyoto

Police investigating the death of an 11-year-old boy whose body was found in a forest in Kyoto Prefecture believe his father moved the remains between several locations over a number of days in an apparent attempt to conceal the crime.

MEDIA CHANNELS

MORE Travel NEWS

Tokyo Taxi Fares Raised 10%

Taxi fares in Tokyo's 23 wards, as well as Mitaka and Musashino, rose by about 10% on Monday, marking the first increase in the central Tokyo area in roughly three and a half years.

Typhoon No. 4 Moves Eastward Away from Japan

Typhoon No. 4, Sinlaku, moved northeast on April 19 while accelerating over waters near Minamitorishima, east of the Ogasawara Islands, according to weather officials. Although the storm is rapidly moving away from Japan, rough seas are expected to persist, prompting continued caution across the island chain.

Nara Turns To Hot Springs To Heat Up Tourism

The city of Nara is preparing to search for geothermal sources, hoping onsen facilities can help increase overnight stays in the ancient capital, where the city has long struggled to turn day-trippers into hotel guests despite being one of Japan's best-known sightseeing destinations, ranking last nationwide in annual overnight visitors in 2021 and underscoring weak tourism spending.

Nagano Rocked by Successive Strong Quakes

A series of earthquakes struck northern Nagano Prefecture, with the strongest registering upper 5 on Japan's seismic intensity scale.

Kofukuji Begins Once-in-a-Century Repair

The dismantling of the upper ornament of the five-story pagoda at Kofukuji, a UNESCO World Heritage site in Nara, was opened to the media on April 15 as the temple undergoes its first major restoration in around 120 years.

Japan Names 40C-Plus Days

Japan already classifies days with highs of 30C or above as manatsubi (midsummer days) and those reaching 35C or above as moshobi (extremely hot days). It has now introduced a new term for days when temperatures climb to 40C or higher.

New Shinkansen 'Doctor S' to Succeed Doctor Yellow

JR Tokai has announced a new inspection-equipped Shinkansen named 'Doctor S', set to take over the role of the famed 'Doctor Yellow', the bright yellow bullet train affectionately known as the train that brings good luck when spotted.

Japan Sees Record Tourist Numbers

Spending by foreign visitors to Japan from January to March rose 2.5% from a year earlier to 2.3378 trillion yen, the Japan Tourism Agency said, marking the third-highest quarterly total on record, while the number of inbound visitors in March increased 3.5% to 3,618,900, setting a new record for the month.

< 2 3 4 5 >