Nozomi (train)

Nozomi
N700A series set, September 2021
Overview
Service typeShinkansen (Express)
StatusOperational
First service1934 (Express)
1992 (Shinkansen)
Current operatorsJR Central, JR West
Route
TerminiTokyo
Hakata
Lines usedTōkaidō Shinkansen
San'yō Shinkansen
On-board services
ClassGreen/standard
Catering facilitiesTrolley service (Green Cars)
Technical
Rolling stockN700 series, N700S series
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8+12 in) standard gauge
ElectrificationOverhead line25 kV 60 Hz AC
Operating speed

Nozomi (Japanese: のぞみ; "Wish" or "Hope") is the fastest train service operating on Japan's Tōkaidō and San'yō Shinkansen lines. Nozomi services reach speeds of up to 300 kilometres per hour (186 mph) between Shin-Ōsaka and Hakata. The fastest Nozomi service covers the 515-kilometre (320 mi) journey between Tokyo and Osaka in 2 hours 21 minutes, while the fastest Tokyo–Hakata service takes 4 hours 45 minutes. As of 2025, services are operated primarily by the newest N700S series trainsets, with some N700A series sets also in use.

Compared with the limited-stop Hikari and local Kodama services, the express Nozomi trains stop only at major stations. On the Tōkaidō Shinkansen, Nozomi services stop only at Shinagawa, Shin-Yokohama, Nagoya, and Kyōto between Tokyo and Shin-Ōsaka. On the San'yō Shinkansen, stops are limited to Shin-Kōbe, Okayama, Fukuyama, Hiroshima, and Kokura between Shin-Ōsaka and Hakata.

Holders of the Japan Rail Pass are required to purchase an additional ticket to travel on Nozomi services.