New Shinkansen Supreme Class private cabins get try-before-you-ride displays at Tokyo, other stations

Wondering if this extra luxury on your Japan trip is worth the extra ticket cost? Here’s a free way to find out.

Japan’s fastest trains are getting an extra dash of fanciness this fall, as the Shinkansen is adding private and semi-private cabins to the connected Tokaido and Sanyo bullet train lines that stretch from Tokyo to Fukuoka, with stops in cities such as Kyoto, Osaka, and Hiroshima along the way. Naturally, these high-class seats come at considerably higher prices than even those in the Shinkansen’s already existing premium Green Car class, so to help travelers decide whether or not they’re worth splurging on, Japan Railways/JR is installing Supreme Class mockups inside select stations so that you can try them out before taking your bullet train ride.

The Supreme Class trial mockups will appear in Tokyo, Shin Osaka, Hiroshima, and Hakata (Fukuoka) Stations in September, and then in Nagoya Station in November. All locations will allow participants to sit in the simulated Supreme Class Cabin…

…and at Tokyo and Nagoya Stations you can also try out the Supreme Class Seat, JR’s designation for the new semi-private cabin seats.

Each participant gets around 5 to 10 minutes of seat time, plus an explanation from a JR staff member about the Supreme Class amenities. At the Tokyo, Osaka, and Nagoya locations you’ll also receive a bottle of Supreme Class mineral water, and at those locations if you fill out a brief survey, each group can also take home a matcha Baumkuchen cake from renowned Kyoto green tea confectioner Tsujiri, which will also be supplying the sweets as a complimentary welcome gift to Supreme Class passengers once the Shinkansen service begins.

The complete schedule for the Supreme Class trial mockups is:
● Tokyo Station (Yaesu Chuo Gate event space): September 1-13
11 a.m.-7 p.m. (9:30 a.m.-5 p.m. September 1 only)
● Shin Osaka Station (Chuo Gate): September 15-20
11 a.m.-7 p.m.
● Hiroshima Station (North Gate 1st floor): September 22-27
11 a.m.-7 p.m.
● Hakata Station (Hakata Gate 1st floor): September 29-October 4
11 a.m.-7 p.m.
● Nagoya Station (Chuo Event Space):: November 1-8
11 a.m.-7 p.m.

Reservations can be made for Tokyo, Osaka, and Nagoya locations via the Line QR code below, though they’re not required as long as there’s space available. The Hiroshima and Fukuoka mockups are simply first-come, first-served.

Shinkansen trains with Supreme Class Cabins and Seats are scheduled to start running on October 1.