Hikari (Shinkansen)
Hikari is one of the train services running on the Japanese Tōkaidō/Sanyō Shinkansen "bullet train" lines. Slower than the Nozomi but faster than the Kodama, the Hikari is the fastest train service on the Tōkaidō and Sanyo Shinkansen that is covered in the Japan Rail Pass.
When the Shinkansen opened in 1964, Hikari was the fastest train on the line, travelling from Tokyo Station to Shin-Osaka Station with only two stops (Nagoya and Kyōto). Hikari service was extended to the Sanyō Shinkansen later, although the Hikari trains were only slightly faster than the Kodama trains, earning them the derisive nickname "Hidama."
JR Tōkai Hikari services, which operate throughout the Tōkaidō/Sanyō corridor, currently use 16-car 700 Series and 300 Series trains.
JR West began operating the Hikari Rail Star service in 2000. This service is limited to the Sanyō Shinkansen, and uses special 8-car 700 Series trains with a distinctive livery. JR West introduced the service to provide better competition against airlines on the Osaka-Fukuoka route. The reserved seat cars on Hikari Rail Star trains feature a 2-2 seating arrangement instead of the 3-2 arrangement found on other Hikari. The front row of seats in these cars feature power points for laptop users.
The word hikari, written by Japan Railway [JR] on station platform information signs as ひかり, means "light" in Japanese.
Before and during World War II, Hikari was the name of the express train from Busan, Korea to Changchun, Manchuria. In the 1950s, the name was used for express trains from Fukuoka to Kagoshima and Beppu.
Hikari Stopping Patterns (as of March, 2006)
Key
■ Terminal station
● All trains stop
▲ Some trains stop (train numbers in parentheses)
—- No trains stop/Service does not run here
| Route | Tokyo - Okayama | Tokyo - Shin-Osaka | Tokyo - Nagoya | Nagoya - Hakata | Shin Osaka- Hiroshima | Shin Osaka- Hakata |
| Train # | 360-389 | 400-428 | 430-433 | 390, 391, 393 | 440, 487 | 441-485 |
| Tokyo | ■ | ■ | ■ | — | — | — |
| Shinagawa | — | ● | ● | — | — | — |
| Shin-Yokohama | ● | — | — | — | — | — |
| Odawara | ▲ | — | — | — | — | — |
| Atami | — | ▲ | — | — | — | — |
| Mishima | — | ▲ | — | — | — | — |
| Shizuoka | ▲ (360, 387, 389) |
● | ▲ (430-432) |
— | — | — |
| Hamamatsu | ▲ (389) |
▲ | ● | — | — | — |
| Toyohashi | ▲ | — | ● | — | — | — |
| Nagoya | ● | ● | ■ | ■ | — | — |
| Gifu-Hashima | ● | — | — | ● | — | — |
| Maibara | ● | — | — | ● | — | — |
| Kyoto | ● | ● | — | ● | — | — |
| Shin-Osaka | ● | ■ | — | ● | ■ | ■ |
| Shin-Kobe | ● | — | — | ● | ● | ● |
| Nishi-Akashi | ● | — | — | — | — | — |
| Himeji | ● (■ 360, 389) |
— | — | ● | ● | ● |
| Aioi | ● | — | — | — | — | — |
| Okayama | ■ | — | — | ● | ● | ● |
| Fukuyama | — | — | — | ● | ● | ● |
| Mihara | — | — | — | — | ● | — |
| Hiroshima | — | — | — | ● | ■ | ● |
| Tokuyama | — | — | — | ▲ (393) |
— | ▲ |
| Shin-Yamaguchi | — | — | — | ● | — | ▲ |
| Shin-Shimonoseki | — | — | — | ● | — | ▲ |
| Kokura | — | — | — | ● | — | ● |
| Hakata | — | — | — | ■ | — | ■ |
Other shinkansen stations not served by the Hikari are not included in this table.
