Hikari (train)

Shinkansen 300 Series passing through Maibara Station, April 2002

Hikari is one of the train services running on the Tokaido/Sanyo Shinkansen. It runs slower than the Nozomi but faster than the Kodama. Most Hikari services use 300 Series Shinkansen trains, although the new Hikari Rail Star service uses the 700 Series Shinkansen. It is the fastest train service on the Tokaido and Sanyo Shinkansen that is covered in the Japan Rail Pass

When the Shinkansen opened in 1964, Hikari was the fastest train on the line, travelling from Tokyo Station to Shin-Osaka Station with only two stops (Nagoya and Kyoto). Hikari service was extended to the Sanyo Shinkansen later, although the Hikari trains were only slightly faster than the Kodama trains, earning them the derisive nickname "Hidama."

The word hikari, written by Japan Railway [JR] on station platform information signs as ひかり, means "light" in Japanese.

Before and during World War II, Hikari was the name of the express train from Busan, Korea to Changchun, Manchuria. In the 1950s, the name was used for express trains from Fukuoka to Kagoshima and Beppu.

Further Reading