Tohoku Shinkansen

The Tohoku Shinkansen is a high-speed rail line operated by JR East connecting Tokyo and Shin-Aomori. Because it shares the track with the Joetsu Shinkansen line between Tokyo and Ohmiya, it is sometimes also called the Tohoku-Joetsu Shinkansen.

The Tohoku Shinkansen is the longest high-speed rail line in Japan covering 675 kilometers (418.5 miles). It connects the Hokkaido Shinkansen to the north and Tokaido Shinkansen to the south. Today, Tohoku Shinkanse is an important passenger rail line between Kanto and the Northern Honshu areas.

The fastest train on the Tohoku Shinkansen takes 2 hours and 59 minutes and travels between Tokyo and Shin-Aomori.

Trains from the two mini Shinkansen lines, Yamagata Shinkansen and Akita Shinkansen, also enter the Tohoku Shinkansen line and go straight to Tokyo.

Basic Information

• Japanese: 東北新幹線／とうほくしんかんせん
• Length: 675 kilometers (418.5 miles)
• Duration: around 3 hours
• Top speed: 320 kph (177 mph)
• Terminals: Tokyo Train Station, Shin-Aomori Train Station
• Stops along the way: Ueno, Omiya, Oyama, Utsunomiva, Nasu-Shiobara, Shin-Shirakawa, Koriyama, Fukushima, Shiroishi-Zao, Sendai, Furukawa, Kurikoma-Kogen, Ichinoseki, Shin-Hanamaki, Morioka, Hachinohe

Tohoku Shinkansen Train Schedules and Ticket Prices

Trains Running on the Tohoku Shinkansen Line

There are three types of trains in service on the Tokaido Shinkansen with different running speeds and numbers of intermediate stations. They are Hayabusa, Komachi and Yamabiko. All these trains are eligible for JR Pass.

• Hayabusa: This is the fastest train running on the Tohoku Shinkansen with stops at Omiya, Sendai, and Morioka.
• Komachi: This is the second fastest high-speed service on Tohoku Shinkansen. It stops at more stations than the Hayabusa trains.
• Yamabiko: This is the third fastest high-speed service on the Tohoku Shinkansen. Most Yamabiko trains run between Tokyo and Sendai or Tokyo and Morioka.

Histrory of Tohoku Shinkansen

• 1971: The construction of the Tohoku Shinkansen begins.
• 1982: The service between Omiya and Morioka starts with a top running speed of 210 kph (130 mph).
• 1985: The southbound terminus is extended from Omiya Station to Ueno Station.
• 1987: The Tohoku Shinkansen is operated by JR East after the Japanese National Railways is privatized.
• 1991: The southbound terminus is extended from Ueno Station to Tokyo Station.
• 1992: One of Tohoku's branches, Yamagata Shinkansen, is put into service.
• 1997: The top speed of Tohoko Shinkansen is increased to 275 kph (171 mph) and the second branch line, Akita Shinkansen, is put into service.
• 2002: The northbound terminus is extended from Morioka to Hachinohe.
• 2010: The extension of the northbound terminus from Hachinohe to Shin-Aomori marks the full opening of Tohoku.
• 2011: Hayabusa trains are put into service, with the top speed of 300 kph (186 mph).

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