How much does Gran Class cost on the Shinkansen?

The Gran Class charge with the meal service is ¥11,190 from Tokyo to Sendai, ¥13,600 to Shin-Aomori and ¥17,990 to Kanazawa, added to the normal fare and express charge.

Is food included in Gran Class?

Only on Gran Class trains with the service, which are the Hayabusa running the full route to Morioka, Shin-Aomori or Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto and the Kagayaki to Kanazawa or Tsuruga. Other trains sell the seat without food, drinks or an attendant.

Is there Gran Class from Tokyo to Kyoto or Osaka?

No. Gran Class runs only on the Tohoku, Hokkaido, Hokuriku and Joetsu lines. Between Tokyo and Osaka, the top classes are the Green Car and, since October 2026, the private Supreme Class Cabin on some N700S trains.

Does the JR Pass cover Gran Class?

Only the basic fare. With either the ordinary or the Green pass, you pay the limited express charge and the Gran Class charge separately before boarding.

Do children pay less in Gran Class?

Children aged 6 to 11 pay half the fare and the express charge, but the full Gran Class charge, which is the same for adults and children.

How many seats are in Gran Class?

There are eighteen per train, in one car, arranged one and two across. With so few seats, book as soon as reservations open at 10:00 one month before your travel date.

Shinkansen Gran Class: Prices, Trains and What Is Included

09/10/202510/10/2026

Cream leather Gran Class seats in rows of three inside a Shinkansen car

Quick answer

Gran Class is the top class on JR East's Shinkansen, with 18 leather seats per car in rows of three.
The meal and drinks come only on Hayabusa and Kagayaki trains running the full route.
From Tokyo to Shin-Aomori the Gran Class charge is ¥13,600 on top of the fare, against ¥6,600 for the Green Car.

Contents

What Is Gran Class on the Shinkansen?

Gran Class is the highest class of seat on JR East's Shinkansen, one step above the Green Car. Each Gran Class car has only 18 seats, in rows of one and two, with wide leather seats that recline deeply and have a leg rest.

On the trains that offer the full service, an attendant greets you, brings a light meal, and serves drinks, including beer, wine and sake, for the whole ride.

Gran Class started on the Tohoku Shinkansen in 2011 with the green E5 Hayabusa. It is the closest thing on Japanese rails to a first-class airline seat, and it costs about twice the Green Car supplement.

The prices on this page are for 2026. For an overview of every line and seat class, see our guide to the Shinkansen in Japan.

A Gran Class seat by the window of a Shinkansen with a cream leather cover — Gran Class seats are arranged one and two across

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Which Shinkansen Trains Have Gran Class?

Gran Class is found only on four lines run by JR East and JR West, on the newer train types. You will not find it on the Tokaido Shinkansen between Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka.

Line	Main route	Train types	Gran Class trains
Tohoku and Hokkaido	Tokyo to Sendai, Morioka, Shin-Aomori, Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto	E5, H5	Hayabusa, some Yamabiko and Nasuno
Hokuriku	Tokyo to Nagano, Kanazawa, Tsuruga	E7, W7	Kagayaki, Hakutaka, some Asama
Joetsu	Tokyo to Niigata	E7	Toki run with E7 trains

On a Hayabusa the Gran Class car is car 10, next to the Green Car in car 9. On the E7 and W7 trains of the Hokuriku and Joetsu lines it is car 12, next to the Green Car in car 11.

The door of car 12 on a white, blue and copper E7 Shinkansen — Car 12 on the E7 and W7 trains is the Gran Class car

On the Tokaido line, the class above the Green Car is the new Supreme Class, which started on 1 October 2026 on some N700S trains. Each of these trains has one private Cabin in car 10 for one person and one in car 7 for up to two.

It is a separate product from Gran Class. Our Shinkansen Green Car guide compares all three classes.

Gran Class With and Without the Meal Service

Not every Gran Class seat comes with food. JR East sells two versions, at different prices, and the seat is the same in both.

Gran Class (A), with drinks and a light meal. This version runs on the Hayabusa running the full route from Tokyo to Morioka, Shin-Aomori or Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto, and the Kagayaki from Tokyo to Kanazawa or Tsuruga. An attendant serves you throughout.
Gran Class (B), seat only. This version is sold on every other train with a Gran Class car, such as the Yamabiko, Nasuno, Hakutaka, Asama and Toki. There is no attendant, no food, no drinks and no hot towel. You get the seat and the quiet.

Timetables and booking screens show the seat-only version as "GranClass (No Beverage or Light Meal Service)". Check this before you pay, because the price difference is large and the seat-only version costs a lot for what is, in effect, a very good armchair.

What Is Included (Food, Drinks and Service)

On the trains with the full service, the attendant serves a light meal, with a Japanese or a Western choice, after departure. The menus change with the seasons and use ingredients from the regions the line runs through.

JR East's English page lists over ten drinks, including alcohol and soft drinks, and sweets on request.

A glass of iced tea held up at the window of a Shinkansen with green fields outside — Drinks are refilled throughout the ride on Gran Class trains with the service

You also get a blanket and slippers, and the attendant will bring hot towels and refills when asked. The meal is designed as a light lunch or a snack, not a full dinner, and on a short ride to Sendai there is barely time to finish it before you arrive.

Dietary needs. The meal is fixed, so if a child or adult has an allergy or does not eat certain foods, ask JR East before you travel and bring your own food as a backup.

Gran Class Prices in 2026

The Gran Class charge is added to the normal fare and limited express charge, just like a Green Car charge. JR East then takes ¥530 off the limited express charge for both Green and Gran Class passengers.

Children pay the same Gran Class charge as adults.

These are the Gran Class charges from Tokyo on the trains with the meal service, from JR East's fare tables.

From Tokyo to	Green Car charge	Gran Class charge (with service)	Gran Class, seat only
Sendai	¥4,190	¥11,190	¥7,340
Morioka	¥5,400	¥12,400	¥8,550
Shin-Aomori	¥6,600	¥13,600	¥9,750
Kanazawa	¥6,990	¥17,990	¥11,190

The Hokkaido line costs more, at ¥20,400 for Gran Class with service from Tokyo to Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto, against ¥9,400 for the Green Car.

How the total works. Gran Class is priced in three parts. You pay the normal fare and the limited express charge (reduced by ¥530 when you sit in Gran Class), plus the Gran Class charge itself, which is ¥13,600 with the meal from Tokyo to Shin-Aomori.

Fares changed in March 2026, so check the total for your own route with JR East's fare search before you book.

Fares change, and the express charge rises by ¥200 to ¥400 in peak periods, so check the final price on the booking screen.

Gran Class and the Japan Rail Pass

The Japan Rail Pass covers only the basic fare in Gran Class, whether you hold the ordinary or the Green pass. To ride Gran Class you pay the limited express charge and the Gran Class charge on top, at a ticket office or machine, before boarding.

From Tokyo to Shin-Aomori that is roughly ¥20,400 extra per person with the pass. For a once-in-a-trip treat it can still make sense. As a regular way of travelling it cancels out most of what the pass saves.

Our Japan Rail Pass guide does the sums on whether a pass pays off at all for a Tokyo-based family.

How to Book Gran Class Seats

Book Gran Class like any reserved seat, and book early. There are only 18 seats per train, and on weekends and holidays they go first.

Online. Use JR-EAST Train Reservation, in English, for the Tohoku, Hokkaido, Joetsu and Hokuriku lines. JR West's online reservation also sells the Hokuriku line. Choose the Gran Class car on the seat map.
At the station. Use a reserved-seat ticket machine or the JR ticket office (Midori no Madoguchi), which is the only option if you hold a Japan Rail Pass.

Seats go on sale at 10:00, one month before the travel date. Single seats (A) on the one-seat side are the most popular. A family of three can take a full row (B and C plus A across the aisle).

Our guide to Shinkansen tickets explains the online sites and the machines.

If you miss your reserved train, a reserved ticket cannot be refunded after departure, and the Gran Class charge is lost. Change your booking before the departure time if your plans move.

Two E7 series Shinkansen trains with blue and copper stripes side by side at a platform — E7 and W7 trains on the Hokuriku line carry a Gran Class car

Is Gran Class Worth It?

Gran Class pays off as a treat on a long ride on a train with the meal service. On the Hayabusa to Aomori or Hakodate, or the Kagayaki to Kanazawa, you have three or four hours to enjoy the seat, the food and the drinks, and the extra cost works out at a few thousand yen an hour.

It is poor value in three cases.

Short trips. Tokyo to Sendai is about 90 minutes, so the meal is rushed.
The seat-only version. Without the attendant and the food, you pay well above the Green Car price for a slightly bigger seat.
Travelling with a toddler. A small cabin of 18 seats is very quiet, and a restless two-year-old is hard to settle there. Children aged 6 to 11 pay the full Gran Class charge, too.

ONO

I recommend Gran Class too, but an ordinary reserved seat is enough.

For a family with young children, the Green Car is usually the better upgrade. Our Japan travel tips for first-timers cover the rest of the trip.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How much does Gran Class cost on the Shinkansen?: The Gran Class charge with the meal service is ¥11,190 from Tokyo to Sendai, ¥13,600 to Shin-Aomori and ¥17,990 to Kanazawa, added to the normal fare and express charge.
Is food included in Gran Class?: Only on Gran Class trains with the service, which are the Hayabusa running the full route to Morioka, Shin-Aomori or Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto and the Kagayaki to Kanazawa or Tsuruga. Other trains sell the seat without food, drinks or an attendant.
Is there Gran Class from Tokyo to Kyoto or Osaka?: No. Gran Class runs only on the Tohoku, Hokkaido, Hokuriku and Joetsu lines. Between Tokyo and Osaka, the top classes are the Green Car and, since October 2026, the private Supreme Class Cabin on some N700S trains.
Does the JR Pass cover Gran Class?: Only the basic fare. With either the ordinary or the Green pass, you pay the limited express charge and the Gran Class charge separately before boarding.
Do children pay less in Gran Class?: Children aged 6 to 11 pay half the fare and the express charge, but the full Gran Class charge, which is the same for adults and children.
How many seats are in Gran Class?: There are eighteen per train, in one car, arranged one and two across. With so few seats, book as soon as reservations open at 10:00 one month before your travel date.

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