Japan’s latest Shinkansen bullet train started rolling down the tracks this spring, with a stunning new cabin, faster travel times, and substantial passenger experience improvements — and Runway Girl Network was on board shortly after operations began. Operated by JR East, the E8 Series train runs north from Tokyo to the mountainous north-central rural province of Yamagata, and will cut travel times thanks to its increased top speed over the E3 Series, which it replaces.
The E8 runs on the Yama Shinkansen line, the first of the “mini-Shinkansen” extensions to the main Tohoku Shinkansen line that stretches north of Tokyo. Mini-shinkansen lines extend the benefits of the 320 km/h (200 mph) high-speed lines to cities and communities not on those main Shinkansen lines, by converting older non-high-speed narrow-gauge conventional lines so that Shinkansen trains can run through on them all the way to Tokyo. This sort of light-touch conversion is substantially lower cost and lower impact than building a fully new Shinkansen line.
For the Yamagata Shinkansen, this means that passengers can get on an E8 Shinkansen at any of the 10 mini-Shinkansen stops — in the otherwise isolated and often rural Yamagata prefecture — and ride on the same train all the way to Tokyo, rather than having to change at Fukushima from local lines.
Together with the line speed increase in places during the light-touch conversion, as well as re-timetabling to optimise for through-running to Tokyo, this cuts overall travel time substantially.
Local excitement about the new, faster Shinkansen and their new designs is high. Image: John Walton
One side-effect of the mini-Shinkansen conversion, as opposed to a fully new Shinkansen line, is that the loading gauge (essentially the height and width of the cabin) is smaller. This results mainly from the mini-Shinkansen conversion of the original conventional lines not expanding the diameter of the existing tunnels through mountainous Japan.
The consequences for the passenger experience is that the mini-Shinkansen trains like the E8 have narrower cabins, so the standard class seat layout is 2-2 rather than 2-3 on mainline Shinkansen trains.
The cabins are smaller but the interiors are an improvement on the previous generation. Image: John Walton
The Green Car (business class) seats are narrower than their mainline Shinkansen counterparts.
Overall, apart from a slightly more elegant atmosphere, Green Car on mini-Shinkansen trains isn’t a must-upgrade experience. Image: John Walton
Onboard, both are designed in conjunction with Ken Okuyama Design, and for once your 6’3” (190cm) author didn’t upgrade to the Green Car passenger experience, since the new standard class is so comfortable.
The Green Car seats are actually green this time, inspired by a local river. Image: John Walton
The plushly padded standard class seats are pitched very generously throughout, with a lovely bright gradient from red on the seat pan to a cheery yellow. The smooth lino-style floor is also in a darker red, which feels premium — JR East has really gone for a design-led experience here, quite unusually for a company whose previous trains leaned much more towards beige.
The standard class seats are cheerful, highly functional and stylish, with plenty of space. Image: John Walton
All seats have a large tray table that folds down from in front, with the mechanism attached to the lower pivot point of the seat rather than the seatback. AC power points are at each seat, underneath the armrest. Seats rotate automatically at the turnaround termini to face the direction of travel, and can be rotated manually if a group of four wishes to face each other.
Inside the train there is clear labelling of car facilities, including the larger PRM lavatory, wheelchair spaces, and the Multi-Purpose Room. Image: John Walton
Substantial provision is made for disabled travellers and passengers with reduced mobility (PRM), with wheelchair spaces in both standard and Green cars, plus world-class large PRM lavatories that also feature ostomy facilities.
Threre are three wheelchair positions in standard class. Image: John Walton
A “multi-purpose room”, a separate wheelchair-accessible compartment with seats that convert to a flat bed surface, which can be used by wheelchair users, disabled passengers, for breastfeeding, or by passengers taken ill on the train, is also available for pre-booking or on an as-needed basis.
The Multi-Purpose Room is a considerate and thoughtful provision. Image: John Walton
Overall, the improvements are impressive — and it’s particularly pleasing to see JR East adding colour within its Shinkansen interiors.
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Featured image credited to John Walton
