Japan · Shinkansen bullet train
Tell us when you're travelling. We'll find your Shinkansen seats to Osaka — and add hotels or things to do there only if you want them.
The fastest Shinkansen from Tokyo Station to Shin-Osaka Station takes 2h 21m, direct, covering 514 km. Trains run from about 06:00 to 21:24.
The Tokaido Shinkansen's longest regular run takes Nozomi trains from Tokyo Station all the way to Shin-Osaka, the fastest services covering the distance in a little over two hours with stops limited to a handful of major cities along the way.
Flying loses its usual edge on this route: Tokyo's Haneda and Osaka's Itami or Kansai airports all sit outside their cities, while Tokyo Station and Shin-Osaka Station are both rail hubs in their own right, with reserved seats and no security line to queue through.
Ordinary Car seating runs 2+3, with the Green Car offering a quieter 2+2 layout. Shin-Osaka is not quite central — it is one stop on the Midosuji subway line from Osaka's Umeda and Namba districts — so plan a short onward ride if your hotel is in the city centre.
| Departure station | Tokyo Station |
|---|---|
| Arrival station | Shin-Osaka Station |
| Train | Shinkansen (Nozomi, Hikari, Kodama), operated by JR Central |
| Fastest journey | 2h 21m, direct |
| Classes | Ordinary Car and Green Car |
| First and last train | 06:00 and 21:24 |
Timetable facts checked September 2026. Times vary by day — we confirm the exact train when you book.
Type it the way you would say it: "Tokyo to Osaka, two adults, Friday morning."
You get the best-fitting Shinkansen departures for your day, in Ordinary or Green Car. Want a hotel or something to do in Osaka? Say so — or don't.
We send a secure payment link. Once you pay, our ticketing team issues your tickets and sends them — or collection details — with clear instructions.
Only need the ticket? That's fine. If you want a bed or a plan at either end, add it to the same conversation.
Tokyo Station sits in Marunouchi, a short walk from the Imperial Palace grounds and a few subway stops from Shibuya, Shinjuku and Asakusa. Nearly every Shinkansen calling at Tokyo starts or ends its run here, so it doubles as the city's main rail gateway as well as an attraction in its own right.
Tokyo travel guide
Osaka trades Kyoto's formality for street food, neon and the canal-side bustle of Dotonbori. Shinkansen trains reach Shin-Osaka Station, one stop on the Midosuji subway line from Osaka's Umeda and Namba districts, so the last leg into the centre takes only a few minutes.
The fastest Nozomi reaches Shin-Osaka Station in about 2 hours 21 minutes. Hikari and Kodama services take longer because they stop more often.
Yes. Nozomi and Hikari Shinkansen run direct from Tokyo Station to Shin-Osaka Station with no change of train.
Shin-Osaka Station, one stop from central Osaka on the Midosuji subway line — not Osaka Station itself, which serves local and regional trains.
Book ahead for Japanese holiday periods such as Golden Week and Obon, when reserved seats on the fastest trains sell out. Regular weekdays usually have space closer to your date.
Yes. Give us your date, passenger count and a class — Ordinary or Green Car. We track down the train, send a secure payment link, and follow with your tickets or collection details, plus clear instructions.
Not on its own. Japan Rail Pass holders can ride Nozomi and Mizuho trains only by buying a separate Nozomi-Mizuho supplement ticket at a JR ticket counter. Hikari and Kodama trains on the same line need no supplement.
Describe the trip you want — destinations, dates, duration, budget, anything — and our AI will design it from scratch.