Merry Christmas everyone! I’d like to post a quick note about some Japanese trains that will be ending the in-car sale of food and beverage items.

Last March, JR Central, operators of the Tokaido Shinkansen between Tokyo and Shin-Osaka, discontinued all in-car sales on the slow, all-stopping Kodama trains. The fastest services, Nozomi, and the Hikari (the fastest you can travel on with a Japan Rail Pass) continue to have food and beverages available for purchase from trolleys on the train.

This March, JR Central will discontinue in-car sales on some limited express services, which are generally premium trains to areas not served by the bullet train.

The Hida (Nagoya and Gifu to Takayama), Shinano (Nagoya-Shiojiri, en route to Matsumoto and Nagano), Nanki (Nagoya to Shingu) and Shirasagi (Nagoya-Maibara en route to Toyama) will have all sales discontinued inside trains.

This means, unless your train has a vending machine for food and beverages – I’m not sure, but probably no – buy your food, bento boxes and beverages at the station or at a convenience store BEFORE boarding your train! It’ll save you an empty stomach for the long train ride.