On August 11, 2026, according to South Korea's JoongAng Ilbo, a special Shinkansen train, the 'Tokaido Lumiere Express,' which runs from Tokyo to Osaka taking about 9 hours, is attracting significant attention in Japan.

While a typical Tokaido Shinkansen 'Nozomi' connects Tokyo and Shin-Osaka in a minimum of 2 hours and 20 minutes, this special train travels for approximately 8 hours and 59 minutes. However, the 502 seats that were put on sale sold out in just 2 days.

The reason for its popularity lies in combining 'travel' and 'lodging' into one. The train departs Tokyo Station at 10 PM and arrives at Shin-Osaka Station at 6:59 AM the next morning. While it departs 36 minutes later than the last regular train bound for Shin-Osaka, it arrives more than an hour earlier than the first train of the next morning, allowing passengers to play late into the night in Tokyo and then travel directly to Osaka.

Especially with the ongoing surge in accommodation costs, the ability to spend a night on the train without staying at a hotel became a major draw. The train arrives at Gifu-Hashima Station just before midnight and stops for about 6 and a half hours until around 6:20 AM the next morning. Passengers sleep by reclining regular Shinkansen seats; beds like those in a sleeper train are not provided.

Nevertheless, the fare between Tokyo and Shin-Osaka was 15,000 yen for a reserved ordinary car seat and 20,000 yen for a Green Car seat. This was almost the same level as a regular Shinkansen.

A 33-year-old woman who boarded after spending the evening at Tokyo Disney Resort said, 'I didn't have to worry about the last train and could enjoy the fireworks right before closing.' In addition, many people returning to Osaka after concerts or events, families, and passengers returning from trips also used the service. It was not a product aimed only at railway enthusiasts, but rather incorporated the demand from general tourists who 'want to enjoy Tokyo until late at night but want to save on hotel costs.'

From Korean netizens, positive reactions such as 'This is surprisingly rational,' 'It's quite a bargain when you consider the hotel costs,' 'It's convenient to be able to play in Tokyo until night and then go straight to Osaka,' 'The idea that time slot has more value than speed is interesting,' and 'I'd like to try riding it once' were received.

On the other hand, comments such as 'It seems quite difficult to sleep for over 6 hours in a regular seat,' 'If it takes 9 hours, I'd choose a plane or a regular Shinkansen,' and 'If you're going sightseeing the next morning, you'll probably be sleep-deprived' were also seen.

JR Central has indicated a positive stance on considering a second run, given the favorable reception of this service. Contrary to the conventional Shinkansen value of 'the faster, the better,' this train combines accommodation cost savings with effective utilization of travel time. Against the backdrop of high transportation and accommodation costs in Japan, it is garnering attention as a new travel style that deliberately finds value in 'slowness.' (Translation/Editing: Higuchi)