The 3 Trains of the Tokaido Shinkansen

This train is the slowest of the three Tokaido shinkansen. It stops at every station on the line, including a few famous hot springs! The Kodama takes 4 hours to travel from the first station, Tokyo Station, to the last, Shin-Osaka Station. You can use this train with a Japan Rail Pass.

The Hikari Shinkansen is the second fastest bullet trian, taking about 3 hours from Tokyo to Shin-Osaka. Hikari Shinkansen run about every 30 minutes (please check timetables for details). It stops at all the major cities (Tokyo, Yokohama, Nagoya, Kyoto, and Osaka), and it makes just a few extra stops along the way. However, which stations it stops at varies by train, so be sure to check the schedules. You can use this train with a Japan Rail Pass.

The Nozomi Shinkansen is the fastest train, going from one end to the other in 2 hours and 40 minutes. It makes the least amount of stops, only stopping in Tokyo, Shinagawa, Shin-Yokohama, Nagoya, Kyoto, and Shin-Osaka. Unfortunately, you cannot use this train with a Japan Rail Pass. The good news is, there's not much of a difference between the Nozomi and the Hikari!