EX Hayatoku Sale: New Year Shinkansen Fares and Deadlines

Checked November 4, 2026 | All times are Japan Standard Time

The EX Hayatoku limited-time sale offers discounted Nozomi ordinary-class reserved seats for selected year-end and New Year journeys. Adult one-way fares start at ¥10,000 for the Nagoya route and ¥12,000 for Kyoto or Shin-Osaka. Sales open on November 5, 2026 at 05:30 Japan time, and each booking must include at least two passengers. The direction restriction matters as much as the price.

Which journeys qualify?

The sale covers the routes between Tokyo, Shinagawa or Shin-Yokohama and Nagoya, Kyoto, Shin-Osaka, Okayama or Hiroshima. You must take a direct Nozomi train in an ordinary-class reserved seat. Connections, Hikari and Kodama itineraries, unreserved seats and Green Car travel are outside this offer.

Each reservation must have 2–6 passengers travelling on the same itinerary. Friends and couples qualify too: the offer is not restricted to families. Adult-only, mixed adult/child and child-only bookings are permitted. Solo bookings do not qualify.

One-way fares for adults and children

These are one-way prices per passenger, including the basic fare and limited-express charge, checked against the official announcement on November 4, 2026. The Tokyo-area endpoint can be Tokyo, Shinagawa or Shin-Yokohama.

Calculated from this table, two adults pay ¥20,000 one way on the Nagoya route. Two adults and one child pay ¥30,000 on the Shin-Osaka route or ¥37,500 on the Hiroshima route.

The advertised ¥4,960 saving compares the ¥15,000 Tokyo–Hiroshima adult fare with the SmartEX basic-product Nozomi ordinary reserved-seat fare in the busiest fare period. It is not the saving on every route. Local trains to and from Shinkansen stations cost extra; the usual Tokyo Ward Area or Osaka City Area ticket coverage is not included.

Booking deadlines for every eligible travel date

Bookings open for all eligible dates on November 5 at 05:30 JST, but close 40 days before each journey. The earliest travel date has the earliest deadline.

Normally the purchase must be completed by 23:59 JST on the deadline. Maintenance may shorten the operating hours to 05:30–23:30. Discount inventory is limited on each train: ordinary tickets can remain available after the sale allocation has sold out. November 25 is the deadline for January 4 travel, not a common deadline for every journey.

How to book and when seats are assigned

1. Prepare a SmartEX or Express Reservation account.SmartEX membership is free and registration requires a credit card.
2. Search for the whole group together.Enter an eligible date, direction and route with at least two passengers. Confirm the sale product name and price before paying.
3. Watch for the seat-confirmation email.You cannot choose seats from a seat map when booking this offer. Train number, departure/arrival times and seat numbers are confirmed progressively from 08:00 one month before travel.
4. Arrange seats and boarding.Seat changes become available from 10:00 one month before travel. Before departure, assign an IC card to every passenger or collect paper tickets.

The initial booking uses a provisional timetable. If the confirmed train changes, the operator will email information about alternatives. Groups of seven or more need separate bookings, each containing at least two people.

The sale is not sold at station counters or machines, through e5489, or through LINEからEX. Collecting tickets at a station after booking online is a different process.

Children, IC cards and large luggage

Child fares generally cover ages 6–11. A 12-year-old still attending an elementary school established under Japanese law is treated as a child; a six-year-old who has not yet entered such a school is treated as an infant. An infant or baby occupying a separate reserved seat needs a child ticket. One adult accompanied by an infant without a reserved seat does not constitute a two-passenger booking for this offer.

Assign an eligible boarding IC card to every reserved seat for ticketless travel. If not everyone has a card assigned, collect paper tickets for the entire booking. Consult the official guidance for child IC cards and station-gate arrangements for infants.

Baggage with total dimensions over 160cm and up to 250cm requires a seat with an oversized-baggage space. As this sale does not allow seat selection when first booked, check the later seat-change arrangements before relying on it for a large suitcase. S Work seats, wheelchair-accessible seats and seasonal family carriages are also excluded from the initial booking stage.

Changes, refunds and missed trains

Changing a journey does not automatically preserve the sale fare. A change into this product must still meet the 40-day advance requirement, passenger count, eligible dates/direction and discount availability. Otherwise another eligible product and its price apply. Changing only a seat is a separate matter.

Reducing the group size incurs a ¥320 charge per removed passenger. If only one passenger remains, this group sale can no longer be retained and a different ticket product is needed. Changes after collecting paper tickets are more restrictive.

For an unused ticket refunded through the required procedure before the booked train departs, the charge is ¥320 per ticket. After departure, a route-specific amount corresponding to the limited-express charge is deducted instead. Collected paper tickets require the appropriate station-counter procedure.

If you miss the booked train, the sale ticket does not let you simply board a later train in an unreserved seat. Additional tickets or charges are required; ask station staff how to proceed.

Frequently asked questions and official sources

Can I book this fare for one person?

No. Each booking must include 2–6 passengers on the same itinerary.

Do Kyoto and Shin-Osaka have the same sale fare?

Yes. On eligible dates and directions to or from Tokyo, Shinagawa or Shin-Yokohama, both cost ¥12,000 per adult or ¥6,000 per child one way.

Can I wait until November 25 to book?

Not for every travel date. Each deadline is 40 days before departure; December 25 travel must be booked by November 15.

Can I choose a window seat or adjacent seats immediately?

No seat map is available when booking this product. Seats are confirmed progressively from 08:00 one month before travel, with seat changes available from 10:00.

• JR Central campaign page
• JR West product conditions
• JR West refund conditions
• SmartEX group IC boarding guide
• JR Central adult and child categories
• SmartEX oversized-baggage guide

For a separate airport journey, see the Keisei Skyliner offer for eligible Jetstar Japan late-night and early-morning flyers; it has its own conditions.