Shinkansen at New Year, Golden Week and Obon (2026–27): When to Book and What to Do if It's Full
Travelling around New Year, Golden Week or Obon? Book your Shinkansen seat at 10:00 Japan time, exactly one month before, and don't plan on non-reserved seats. On those dates every Nozomi is all-reserved, and a non-reserved ticket only lets you stand between cars.
The next all-reserved period is Labor Thanksgiving weekend, 21–23 November 2026, then 25 December 2026 to 5 January 2027. We took these dates from JR Central's official page on 7 November 2026.
Some links on this page are affiliate links. Agencies can't get you seats JR has already sold, and we say so below.
When is every Nozomi all-reserved?
On these dates JR Central turns non-reserved cars 1 and 2 of every Nozomi between Tokyo and Hakata into reserved cars. These are the dates for the year from April 2026 to March 2027.
Going north or to Kanazawa? Hayabusa and Kagayaki are all-reserved every day of the year, so the same rule applies to them all the time.
When exactly do seats go on sale?
Reserved seats go on sale at 10:00 Japan time on the same date one month before you travel. For a train on 26 December, that's 10:00 on 26 November. For 3 January, it's 10:00 on 3 December.
smartEX, one year ahead
smartEX takes some bookings from 5:30 one year before. Your train and seat are confirmed one month before.
10:00, one month before
Stations, ticket machines, JR East and JR West online booking, and travel agencies.
Does it cost more in peak season?
A little. JR uses four seasons for reserved seats. The difference is added to the limited express charge for a standard reserved seat.
Discount fares disappear too: smartEX's EX Hayatoku 21 isn't sold during Golden Week, Obon and New Year.
How do I get a seat on a busy day?
- Register on the right site a week before. smartEX for Tokyo–Osaka–Hiroshima, JR-EAST Train Reservation for Sendai, Kanazawa and Hokkaido. Fix card problems early.
- Pick a first choice and two backups. Write down train numbers, and look at trains an hour earlier or later too.
- Log in at 9:50 Japan time. Search at 10:00 and book as soon as the seat map appears.
- If it's full, check again later. People change bookings for free on smartEX, so seats can reappear.
JR Central Nozomi all-reserved page: the eight periods for April 2026 to March 2027; cars 1 and 2 become reserved; non-reserved tickets can't be used to sit on Nozomi; Hikari, Kodama, Mizuho, Sakura and Tsubame keep non-reserved cars.
smartEX Service page: off-peak −¥200, peak +¥200, top season +¥400.
smartEX EX Hayatoku 21 page: not sold during Golden Week, Obon and New Year.
JR East season calendar (as of 1 April 2026): top season Dec 29–30 and Jan 2–3 on JR Central and JR West lines; Dec 28 – Jan 6 on JR East lines and the Hokkaido and Hokuriku Shinkansen.
My train is full. What now?
Hikari or Kodama, non-reserved
They keep non-reserved cars even on all-reserved Nozomi days. Slower, and you may queue on the platform.
Green Car
Green seats are sold separately from standard seats, so search them too.
Stand on the deck
A non-reserved ticket on an all-reserved Nozomi lets you stand between cars. Fine for an hour, hard for 2½.
Honest note: agencies such as Klook book the same JR seats, so they can't add seats to a train. If JR shows a train as full, use the backups above.
Travelling with big suitcases at peak time?
On the Tokaido, Sanyo and Kyushu lines, bags of 161–250 cm (length + width + height) need an oversized baggage seat. Reserve that seat when you book, because without one there's a ¥1,000 fee on board.
I have a JR Pass. Does that help?
The pass doesn't give you priority. You need a seat reservation like everyone else, and Nozomi also needs the separate Nozomi ticket (¥4,960 Tokyo–Shin-Osaka). On all-reserved days, reserve as soon as sales open.
Plans changed or missed your train?
On all-reserved days, a missed Nozomi means standing on the deck or taking a later Hikari or Kodama. Here's exactly what each ticket allows.
Klook link is an affiliate link. It sells the same JR seats; compare with JR's own price before you buy.