San’yo Shinkansen Timetable
The San’yo Shinkansen line runs from Shin-Osaka Station to Hakata Station in Fukuoka and includes stops at Kobe, Himeji, Okayama, Hiroshima and multiple other stations. On this page you will find the following information:
— Timetable from Shin-Osaka to Hakata
— Timetable from Hakata to Shin-Osaka
— San’yo Shinkansen Line Map & Stations
— 15 Things to Do Around Hiroshima & Where to Stay
— 30 Things to Do Around Shikoku & Where to Stay
Covered by the Japan Rail (JR) Pass, the San’yo Shinkansen is for most international visitors the fastest and most convenient to move through western Japan including the popular destinations of Kobe, Hiroshima and onto Shikoku via Okayama. Running from Shin-Osaka Station to Hakata Station, the line also connects to the Tokaido Shinkansen and Kyushu Shinkansen lines, with many services running onto those lines without the need to transfer at Shin-Osaka or Hakata. For more information about connecting to other shinkansen lines, see our ‘San’yo Shinkansen’ main page.
TIMETABLE FROM SHIN-OSAKA TO HAKATA
Frequent services run from Shin-Osaka Station to Hakata Station and reverse journey of Hakata to Shin-Osaka. Five types of services operate on the line with ‘Nozomi’ services being the fastest, stopping at a limited number of stations including Shin-Kobe, Okayama, Hiroshima and Kokura enroute between the terminuses of Shin-Osaka and Hakata. For the full timetable, click on the image below:
The earliest service from Shin-Osaka Station to Hakata Station departs at 06:00 and stops at Shin-Kobe at 06:13, Himeji at 06:29, Okayama at 06:51, Hiroshima at 07:26, Kokura at 08:12 before reaching Hakata at 08:30 and continuing along the Kyushu Shinkansen line. As you will see from the timetable, some services on the San’yo Shinkansen line continue along the Kyushu Shinkansen line to stations including Kumamoto and Kagoshima-chuo. For more information about that, see our ‘San’yo Shinkansen’ main page.
The latest service departing Shin-Osaka departs at 21:23 and stops at Shin-Kobe at 21:36, Okayama at 22:09, Hiroshima at 22:45, Kokura at 23:36 and Hakata at 23:51.
TIMETABLE FROM HAKATA TO SHIN-OSAKA
Services from Hakata Station to Shin-Osaka Station are regular with many originating at Kagoshima-chuo Station on the Kyushu Shinkansen. For more information about that, see our ‘San’yo Shink’nsen’ main page. For the full timetable, click on the image below:
The earliest service from Hakata departs at 06:00 and stops at Kokura at 06:18, Hiroshima at 07:08, Okayama at 07:44, Shin-Kobe at 08:16 before reaching Shin-Osaka at 08:28. As the timetable shows, there are many services throughout the day staring at Kagoshima-chuo on the Kyushu Shinkansen line before continuing onto the San’yo line via Hakata. The latest service bound for Shin-Osaka departs Hakata at 21:09 and stops at Kokura at 21:25, Hiroshima at 22:12, Okayama at 22:48, Himeji at 23:08, Shin-Kobe at 23:25 before terminating at Shin-Osaka at 23:37.
SAN’YO LINE MAP & STATIONS
Running from Shin-Osaka Station to Hakata Station (Fukuoka), the San’yo Shinkansen includes the following stops:
Shin-Osaka / Shin-Kobe / Nishi-Akashi / Himeji / Aioi / Okayama / Shin-Kurashiki / Fukuyama / Shin-Onomichi / Mihara / Higashi-Hiroshima / Hiroshima / Shin-Iwakuni / Tokyuama / Shin-Yamaguchi / Asa / Shin-Shimonoseki / Kokura / Hakata (Fukuoka)
There are five services on the San’yo Shinkansen line – the ‘Nozomi’, ‘Mizuho’, ‘Hikari’, ‘Sakura’ and ‘Kodama’. The Nozomi and Mizuho services are the fastest but not covered by the JR Pass. The other three services are however covered with the Hikari and Sakura services being notably faster than the Kodama. From Shin-Osaka, you can reach the following stations: Shin-Kobe in only 12 minutes, Himeji in around 30 minutes, Okayama in around 45 minutes, Hiroshima in 85 minutes and Hakata in as little as 150 minutes (depending on the service you choose). The Japan Rail (JR) Pass covers services on the San’yo Shinkansen – other than the Nozomi and Mizuho.
15 THINGS TO DO AROUND HIROSHIMA & WHERE TO STAY
Readily accessible using the San’yo Shinkansen, Hiroshima occupies a poignant and tragic position in the global consciousness and the gravity of its history dictates that many international visitors include the city on their itineraries in a manner of pilgrimage and solemn reflection of what took place there. Wonderfully commemorated in the city’s Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, visitors can do just while also discovering a thriving and vibrant city that ranks as one of Japan’s enjoyable metropolitan destinations. Our ’15 Things to Do Around Hiroshima & Where to Stay’ page has some great suggestions of what’s on offer including nearby Miyajima and its famous seabound ‘torii’ gate and seaside shrine complex, along with the best places to stay in and around the city.
30 THINGS TO DO AROUND SHIKOKU & WHERE TO STAY
Accessible using the San’yo Shinkansen to Okayama Station and then connecting train services, Shikoku is the smallest of Japan’s four main islands and also the least visited region of the country for international visitors. Those who do make the journey discover an island blessed with outstanding natural landscapes including the islands and coastline of the Seto Inland Sea, surfing, great fishing and seafood, secluded river valleys, lost villages, and of course the ‘Shikoku Henro’ – an 88 temple pilgrimage trail that draws visitors from all over the world. For more information about just what’s on offer, see our ‘30 Things to Do Around Shikoku & Where to Stay’ page.
PLAN YOUR VISIT TO JAPAN
The San’yo Shinkansen is just one part of Japan’s fantastic rail network. Unfathomable in its size and efficiency, moving around the country by train is easy and comfortable opening-up all regions of Japan for exploration. Our ‘Plan Your Visit’ page has everything you need to know about visiting Japan – from tips on the best time to travel, times to avoid, entering and exiting the country, money matters, staying connected, accommodation, staying safe and healthy and plenty more to ensure that you get the most out of your time here.
