Japan's busiest Shinkansen to introduce semi-private booth seat option

A new type of premium seat is set to be available on select Shinkansen services in Japan.

For those traveling on the Shinkansen within Japan, there are currently two primary ticket classes available.

Passengers can choose between standard tickets, which offer both reserved and non-reserved seating options, and tickets for the Green Car, which essentially functions as the Shinkansen’s premium, or “first-class,” section, providing passengers with more spacious seats and a selection of enhanced services.

However, a new seating option is in development: semi-private booth seats.

These newly introduced seats will be implemented on the Tokaido Shinkansen, the high-speed rail route that connects Tokyo with Kyoto and Osaka, and which also provides continuous service through to the Sanyo Shinkansen, linking Osaka and Fukuoka.

These semi-private booths, designated as hankoshitsu in Japanese, feature walls equipped with lockable doors that separate them from the car’s central aisle.

The semi-private booths will be accessed via individual doors per seat

They are furnished with luxurious seats that offer increased reclining capabilities and extendable footrests, allowing passengers to stretch out and relax while traveling along Japan’s most frequented Shinkansen route at speeds of up to 285 kilometers (177 miles) per hour.

The designation “semi-private” stems from the fact that each booth contains three seats.

However, due to the presence of individual entrance doors for each passenger and the substantial size of the chairs, a significant level of privacy is maintained.

Each semi-private seat will have its own door which can be locked for additional privacy

The chairs can also be rotated to face one another, which is particularly useful for passengers traveling together who have booked seats in front of or behind each other within the same compartment.

Shinkansen trains equipped with semi-private booth seats will feature them in Car 10, which is typically a Green Car.

A total of six semi-private booth seats will replace ten regular seats in this car, with the new configuration as below:

While pricing details have not yet been disclosed, given the limited number of seats positioned at the very pinnacle of Shinkansen luxury, it is reasonable to assume that they are not intended for travelers operating on strict budgetary constraints.

The introduction of semi-private booth seats is scheduled to occur on select Tokaido Shinkansen trains utilizing N700S-series cars in the spring of 2027.

Source: JR Central