If you're traveling in Japan during Golden Week 2025, here's an important last-minute update for the Shinkansen lines connecting major cities like Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Hiroshima, and Hakata (Fukuoka).
From April 25 (Fri) to May 6 (Tue), 2025, all Nozomi Shinkansen trains between Tokyo and Hakata will require seat reservations.
🚫 There will be no unreserved seating available during this period.
*The Nozomi is the fastest type of bullet train
As of today (April 22), most of the morning Nozomi trains on May 3, heading from Tokyo to Kyoto, Shin-Osaka, and Hiroshima, are fully booked (both Green and Regular reserved classes).
🕑 There are still seats left on trains departing in the afternoon, but they are selling out fast.
For your return trip, note that Nozomi trains bound for Tokyo around midday on May 6 are starting to fill up, with some already fully booked as well.
Golden Week is one of Japan’s busiest travel periods.
If you haven’t booked your seats yet, we strongly recommend doing so right now to avoid missing out.
🎟️ You can reserve your Shinkansen tickets easily through our website.
Secure your seats today and enjoy stress-free travel during Golden Week!