JR East and JR Hokkaido announce new Shinkansen discounts

JR East and JR Hokkaido have announced new weekday-only discount tickets for Shinkansen and limited express services, set to launch in late 2026. The new “Tokudane Special 28” Shinkansen e-ticket will offer a 50 percent discount for Ekinet members on specific travel periods in October and December 2026.

While these new discounts provide significant savings—such as reducing the Tokyo to Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto Hayabusa fare from 24,000 yen to 11,990 yen—several existing discount services will be discontinued. The “Tokudane 1” and “Tokudane 14” products, which were available on both weekdays and weekends, are scheduled to end in September and October 2026.

Additionally, a limited-time promotion will allow travelers to exchange JRE POINTs for Shinkansen e-tickets at a 35 percent discount during specific windows in late 2026 and early 2027. Separately, the Nozomi Shinkansen is scheduled to implement a reserved seat fare increase starting July 2027, which will raise the one-way cost between Tokyo and Shin-Osaka to 15,420 yen.