Japan has a talent for making the rest of the world feel behind. Ramen dispensed from a vending machine at 2am? Of course. A toilet that anticipates your needs before you’ve even sat down? Standard. The latest futuristic venture? The first overnight bullet train service between Tokyo and Osaka is hitting the tracks this summer.
Central Japan Railway Company (JR Central) has announced the Tokaido Lumière Express, an overnight high-speed service running between the two cities this August. The train departs Tokyo Station at 10pm on August 8 and pulls into Shin-Osaka at 6:59am.
There are already super-fast daily bullet trains connecting Tokyo and Osaka, with journeys taking just over two hours, but the idea is that this service will allow travellers to save on hotel costs and maximise their time in each destination by avoiding daytime travel.
Where does the service run?
The overnight service runs along the famous Tokaido Shinkansen line, picking up passengers at Tokyo, Shinagawa, and Shin-Yokohama. Kyoto is a scheduled stop on the route, so passengers heading there can simply hop off the train at 6:44am before it continues to its final stop at Shin-Osaka.
Japan enforces strict nighttime maintenance windows and noise restrictions, so the train will park up at Gifu-Hashima Station between midnight and 6am so you can catch some shut-eye. It then resumes its journey to get you into Osaka ahead of the day’s first regular morning departures.
How much will it cost?
Tickets match daytime prices at ¥15,000 (around £70) for a standard reserved seat. If you want to upgrade, first-class Green Car seats are also up for grabs, which offer extra legroom and wider chairs. To keep things comfortable, rows are capped at two passengers, and there is a dedicated women-only carriage available.
Is the sleeper service permanent?
This is a big deal for Japan’s rail network, as it is the first time an overnight service has ever been trialled on the Tokaido Shinkansen line. Right now, the service is scheduled for August 8 only, but JR Central says they will look at how popular the trial is before deciding whether to make it a permanent fixture.
Given that hotel prices in both Tokyo and Osaka have skyrocketed, offering a budget-friendly way to skip a night’s accommodation is an absolute no-brainer. Expect these tickets to go quickly.
How to book
Tickets for the Tokaido Lumière Express go on sale at 2pm JST on July 3 via the JR Tokai Tours app. For anyone planning a Tokyo-Osaka trip this August, it’s worth setting a reminder.
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