Tokaido and Sanyo Shinkansen’s new Supreme Class: Japan’s bullet train gets private cabins

Few railway journeys are more thrilling than a trip on the high-speed Tokaido Shinkansen as it heads out of Tokyo Station and hurtles towards the cities of Nagoya, Kyoto and Osaka, passing the tea gardens of Shizuoka and offering a epic view of Mount Fuji along the way. Despite the service’s peerless punctuality and impeccable cleanliness, however, luxury has never been a part of the equation – seats have been in either perfectly adequate standard coaches or in the more spacious Green Car – until now. JR Central has just introduced a new concept: Supreme Class. Its initial roll-out in October ushered in a first for the route – private cabins for one or two people.

Monocle booked a seat in a single cabin and took the trip from Tokyo to Nagoya on the sunniest of mornings. A quick swipe of a QR code and the door slides open to reveal a warm, woody cocoon with two windows. Bags can be tucked into a niche next to the seat; jackets can be draped from a hanger.

The control board is a tablet that puts the passenger in charge of the seat angle, the airflow and lighting (are we in the mood for “business”, “relax” or “night” illumination?). The tablet is also used for accessing the on-board drink and snack menu, calling an attendant or following a live map as the train makes its way across Japan. This cabin also comes with limitless fast wi-fi.

As we settle into the spacious seat (heated if required), we’re not quite ready for a deep recline just yet. First up, we order the complimentary welcome drink – at 07.30 it seems a little early for a highball or a slug of shochu, so we choose a Colombian Geisha coffee. The doorbell rings and a smartly attired attendant appears, holding a tray with the coffee and a slice of baumkuchen sponge cake made with premium-grade green tea from Uji, near Kyoto. As the train snakes away from the urban sprawl, the landscape opens up to reveal a patchwork of villages and manicured tea farms. Before long, we spot Mount Fuji, perfectly visible today and completely snow-less.

What music should accompany this stirring view? Ryo Fukui’s 1976 classic jazz album, Scenery, seems appropriate. Bluetooth speakers embedded in the headrest can be paired with any device. The sound is pristine – Supreme Class cabins make use of a new, patented system called PSZ (Personalised Sound Zone), designed to ensure that your music doesn’t leak beyond your seat and disturb other passengers. This crisp audio system works well for films too. There are no meals on board, so travel as the Japanese do and pick up a bento box before departure.

Supreme Class services operate all the way to Fukuoka’s Hakata Station in Kyushu and next year will expand to include semi-private hardshell seats that can rotate to face each other. What a way to see Japan. JR Central’s president, Shunsuke Niwa, said that the company was motivated to think more about customer experience after coronavirus hit, when passenger numbers dropped. “Seeing the many empty seats on trains during the pandemic, I began to wonder, ‘The convenience and safety we have built up until now are undoubtedly good, but is this really enough?’” he said. “I had a feeling that we needed to think outside the box.”

We pull into Nagoya and emerge from the hush of the private cabin into the throng of the station platform. Privacy comes at a price but it’s clear that many are willing to pay for it. There’s a lot to like about this new service – especially the idea that “luxury” doesn’t need to come with a load of pointless amenities and add-ons. Supreme Class has an appealing simplicity. It’s an acknowledgment that, in this crowded, overstimulated world, solitude can be the true luxury.
railway.jr-central.co.jp