With cart sales no longer available, there’s a new way to enjoy food, drinks and ice cream on board. There are many things that make a ride on a Japanese Shinkansen so memorable, and one of them is the many snacks and drinks you can order on board. Sadly, sales from the onboard cart that staff used to push through carriages ended on the popular Tokaido Shinkansen route that runs between Tokyo and Kyoto in October last year, but there’s now a new way to order snacks on the train.
..if you know how.
▼ First up, you have to book a seat on the Green Car , which is like the first-class carriage. There are leaflets on board regarding the new services, with Mobile Ordering available in the Green Cars on Nozomi and Hikari Shinkansen, and a Support Call Service, which is just for questions or concerns, available on the Nozomi, Hikari and Kodama trains. Mobile Ordering, which began the day after cart sales ended, is the one you’ll want to choose for snacks and beverages, and to use it, simply scan the QR code with your smartphone.
▼ This will take you to a Japan Railways site. Clicking on the Mobile Ordering Service link takes you to a page that looks like an online shopping site, with everything from beer and whiskey through to chips and ice creams on the menu. Our reporter Egawa Tasuku was riding the train at around 8 in the morning so he skipped the alcohol and opted for a couple of Chip Star chips that are only available on the Shinkansen, as well as a tub of the bullet tr.