List of named passenger trains of Japan

This article contains lists of named passenger trains in Japan.

Shinkansen (bullet trains)

Train name	Name meaning	Operator	Train endpoints	Operated	Maximum operating speed (km/h)	Japan Rail Pass coverage
Aoba	Green leaves	JR East	Tokyo – Sendai	1982–1995	240	Service discontinued
Asahi	Morning Sun	JR East	Tokyo – Niigata	1982–2004	275	Service discontinued
Asama	refers to Mount Asama	JR East	Tokyo – Nagano	1998–	260	Yes
Hakutaka	White hawk	JR East / JR-West	Tokyo – Kanazawa	2015–	260	Yes
Hayabusa	Peregrine falcon	JR East / JR Hokkaido	Tokyo – Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto	2011–	320	Yes
Hayate	Strong wind	JR East / JR Hokkaido	Morioka – Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto	2002– 2002-2019 (Tokyo to Morioka)	275	Yes
Hikari	Light	JR Central / JR-West	Tokyo – Hiroshima and Nagoya – Hakata	1964–	Tokaido Shinkansen: 285 Sanyo Shinkansen: 300	Yes
Hikari Rail Star	Light – Rail Star	JR-West	Shin-Ōsaka – Hakata	2000–	285	Yes
Kagayaki	Glitter	JR East / JR-West	Tokyo – Kanazawa	2015–	260	Yes
Kodama	Echo	JR Central / JR-West	Tokyo – Shin-Ōsaka and Shin-Ōsaka – Hakata	1964–	285	Yes
Komachi	Beauty	JR East	Tokyo – Akita	1997–	320	Yes
Mizuho	Harvest, also an ancient name of Japan	JR Kyushu / JR-West	Shin-Ōsaka – Kagoshima-Chūō	2011–	300	No
Nasuno	refers to Nasu highlands	JR East	Tokyo – Kōriyama	1995–	275	Yes
Nozomi	Hope	JR Central / JR-West	Tokyo – Shin-Ōsaka, Hakata	1992–	Tokaido Shinkansen: 285 Sanyo Shinkansen: 300	No
Sakura	Cherry blossoms	JR Kyushu / JR-West	Shin-Ōsaka – Kagoshima-Chūō	2011–	300	Yes
Tanigawa	refers to Mount Tanigawa	JR East	Tokyo – Echigo-Yuzawa	1997–	240	Yes
Toki	Crested ibis	JR East	Tokyo – Niigata	1982–1997; 2004–	240	Yes
Tsubame	Swallow	JR Kyushu	Hakata – Kagoshima-Chūō	2004–	260	Yes
Tsubasa	Wings	JR East	Tokyo – Shinjō	1992–	275	Yes
Tsurugi	refers to Mount Tsurugi	JR-West	Toyama – Kanazawa	2015–	260	Yes
Yamabiko	Mountain spirit	JR East	Tokyo – Morioka	1982–	275	Yes

Daytime trains

Limited express (partial list)

Train name	Name meaning	Operator	Train endpoints	Operated
A-Train	refers to Ariake region	JR Kyushu	Yoshizuka, Hakata – Nagasu	1967–
Aizu Liner	refers to Aizu region	JR East	Kōriyama – Aizu-Wakamatsu	1968–
Akagi / Swallow Akagi	refers to Mt. Akagi	JR East	Ueno, Shinjuku – Takasaki, Maebashi	1982–
Ariake	refers to Arikake region	JR Kyushu	Kumamoto – Misumi	1967–
Asagiri	Morning mist	Odakyu / JR Central	Shinjuku – Gotemba	1991–
Ashizuri	refers to Cape Ashizuri	JR Shikoku	Kōchi – Nakamura	1990–
Ayame	Japanese iris	JR East	Tokyo – Narita, Kashimajingū, Chōshi	1975–2015
Azusa	refers to Azusa River	JR East	Shinjuku, Tokyo, Chiba – Matsumoto, Minami-Otari	1966–
Enoshima	refers to Enoshima	Odakyu	Shinjuku – Fujisawa – Katase-Enoshima	1964–
Fujikawa	refers to Fuji River	JR Central	Kōfu – Shizuoka	1996–
Hakone / Super Hakone / Metro Hakone	refers to Hakone	Odakyu	Shinjuku, Kita-Senju – Hakone-Yumoto	1950–
Hakuchō / Super Hakuchō	Swan	JR East / JR Hokkaido	Shin-Aomori, Aomori – Hakodate	2002–2016
Haruka	Faraway	JR-West	Kyoto/Shin-Ōsaka – Kansai Airport	1993–
Hida	refers to Hida	JR Central	Nagoya – Takayama, Toyama	1968–
Hitachi	old name of Ibaraki Prefecture	JR East	Shinagawa – Iwaki	1969–
Hokuto / Super Hokuto	Big Dipper	JR Hokkaido	Hakodate – Sapporo	1965–
Homeway / Metro Homeway	-	Odakyu	Shinjuku, Kita-Senju, Ōtemachi – Machida, Sagami-Ōno, Hon-Atsugi, Odawara, Hakone-Yumoto, Karakida, Fujisawa, Katase-Enoshima	1999–
Huis Ten Bosch	-	JR Kyushu	Hakata – Huis Ten Bosch	1992–
Inaho	Rice stalk	JR East	Niigata – Sakata, Akita	1969–
Inaji	Way to Ina, refers to Ina region	JR Central	Toyohashi – Iida	1996–
Ishizuchi	Refers to Mt. Ishizuchi	JR Shikoku	Takamatsu – Matsuyama, Uwajima	1988–
Kaiji	Way to Kai, old name of Yamanashi Prefecture	JR East	Tokyo, Shinjuku – Kōfu, Ryūō	1988–
Kaio	refers to Kaiō Hiroyuki, a celebrity sumo wrestler from Nōgata	JR Kyushu	Hakata – Nōgata	2001–
Kamome	Seagull	JR Kyushu	Hakata – Saga, Hizen-Kashima, Nagasaki and Haiki – Nagasaki	1961–
Kamoshika	Japanese serow	JR East	Akita – Aomori	1997–2010
Kamui	Kamuy	JR Hokkaido	Sapporo – Asahikawa	2007–
Kawasemi Yamasemi	refers to kingfishers native to the area	JR Kyushu	Kumamoto-Hitoyoshi	201-
Kinosaki	refers to Kinosaki Onsen	JR-West	Kyoto – Kinosaki Onsen	1996–
Kinugawa / Spacia Kinugawa	refers to Kinugawa River	JR East / Tobu Railway	Shinjuku – Kinugawa-Onsen	2006–
Kirameki	Glitter	JR Kyushu	Hakata – Kokura, Mojikō	2001–
Kirishima	refers to Mt. Kirishima	JR Kyushu	Miyazaki – Miyakonojō, Nishi-Miyakonojō, Kagoshima-Chūō and Kokubu – Kagoshima-Chūō	1995–
Kita-Kinki	North Kinki	JR-West	Shin-Ōsaka, Fukuchiyama – Toyooka, Kinosaki Onsen	1986–2011
Kounotori	Stork	JR-West	Shin-Ōsaka – Fukuchiyama, Toyooka, Kinosaki Onsen	2011–
Kumagawa	refers to Kuma River	JR Kyushu	Kumamoto – Hitoyoshi	2004–
Kuroshio	Kuroshio Current	JR-West	Kyoto, Shin-Ōsaka, Tennōji – Wakayama, Shirahama, Shingu	1965–
Kusatsu	refers to Kusatsu Onsen	JR East	Ueno – Manza-Kagawaguchi	1985–
Lilac	-	JR Hokkaido	Sapporo – Asahikawa	1980–2007; 2017–
Midori	Green	JR Kyushu	Hakata – Sasebo	1976–
Nanki	refers to South Kii Peninsula	JR Central	Nagoya – Shingū, Kii-Katsuura	1978–
Nanpū	Southern wind	JR Shikoku	Okayama – Kōchi, Nakamura, Sukumo	1972–
Narita Express	-	JR East	Tokyo area – Narita Airport	1991–
Nikkō / Spacia Nikkō	refers to Nikkō	JR East / Tōbu	Shinjuku – Tōbu-Nikko	2006–
Odoriko / Super View Odoriko / Saphir Odoriko	refers to The Dancing Girl of Izu	JR East / Izukyū / Izuhakone Railway	Tokyo, Shinjuku, Ikebukuro – Itō, Izukyū Shimoda, Shuzenji	1981–
Ohayo Express / Oyasumi Express	Good morning express / Good night express	JR-West	Fukui – Kanazawa	Ohayo Express: 2001– Oyasumi Express: 2004–
Ohayo Tochigi / Hometown Tochigi	Good morning Tochigi / -	JR East	Shinjuku – Utsunomiya, Kuroiso	1995–2010
Okhotsk	refers to Sea of Okhotsk	JR Hokkaido	Sapporo – Asahikawa - Abashiri	1972–
Relay Tsubame	Swallow	JR Kyushu	Hakata – Shin-Yatsushiro	2004–2011
Sagami / Metro Sagami	refers to Sagami, old name of Kanagawa Prefecture	Odakyu	Shinjuku, Kita-Senju – Machida, Sagami-Ōno, Hon-Atsugi, Odawara	1950–
Sarobetsu	refers to Sarobetsu plain	JR Hokkaido	Asahikawa – Wakkanai	2017–
Sazanami	Ripples	JR East	Tokyo – Kimitsu	1972–
Shimanto	refers to Shimanto River	JR Shikoku	Takamatsu – Kōchi, Sukumo	1988–
Shinano	refers to Shinano region, old name of Nagano Prefecture	JR Central	Ōsaka, Nagoya – Nagano	1968–
Shiokaze	Sea breeze	JR Shikoku	Okayama – Imabari, Matsuyama, Uwajima	1972–
Shiosai	-	JR East	Tokyo, Shinjuku – Sakura, Narutō, Chōshi	1975–
Shirasagi	Egret	JR-West	Nagoya, Maibara – Kanazawa	1964–
Shirayuki	White snow	JR East	Niigata – Jōetsumyōkō	2015–
Skyliner	-	Keisei	Keisei Ueno – Narita Airport	1972–
Sonic	-	JR Kyushu	Hakata – Yanagigaura, Ōita, Saiki (via Nippō Main Line)	1997–
Super Soya	refers to Soya region	JR Hokkaido	Sapporo – Asahikawa - Wakkanai	2000–
Super Hakuto	White hare, i.e. Hare of Inaba	JR-West, Chizu Express	Kyoto – Tottori - Kurayoshi	1994–
Super Inaba	refers to Inaba, old name of Tottori Prefecture. Also Hare of Inaba	JR-West, Chizu Express	Okayama – Tottori	1993–
Super Matsukaze	Pine wind	JR-West	Tottori – Masuda	2003–
Super Oki	refers to Oki Islands	JR-West	Tottori – Yonago, Shin-Yamaguchi	2001–
Super Ozora	Sky	JR Hokkaido	Sapporo – Kushiro	1961–
Super Tokachi	refers to Tokachi region	JR Hokkaido	Sapporo – Obihiro	1990–
Super White Arrow	-	JR Hokkaido	New Chitose Airport, Sapporo – Asahikawa	1986–2007
Suzuran	Lily of the valley	JR Hokkaido	Muroran – Sapporo	1992–
Taisetsu	another name of Mt. Daisetsu	JR Hokkaido	Asahikawa - Abashiri	2017–
Thunderbird	-	JR-West	Ōsaka – Kanazawa, Wakura-Onsen	1995–
Tokiwa	old name of Ibaraki Prefecture	JR East	Shinagawa – Tsuchiura, Katsuta, Iwaki, Takahagi	2015–
Trans-Kyushu Limited Express	-	JR Kyushu	Beppu – Hitoyoshi, Kumamoto	2004–
Tsugaru	old name of Aomori Prefecture	JR East	Akita – Aomori	2002–
Umisachi Yamasachi	refers to Hoderi, whose myth supposedly takes place in Southern Kyushu	JR Kyushu	Miyazaki-Nangō	2009-
Uwakai	refers to Sea of Uwa	JR Shikoku	Matsuyama – Uwajima	1990–
Uzushio	refers to Naruto whirlpools	JR Shikoku	Takamatsu – Tokushima	1988–
Wakashio	Growing tide from neap tide to spring tide, also another name of Kuroshio Current	JR East	Shinjuku – Kazusa-Ichinomiya, Katsuura, Awa-Kamogawa	1972–
Tōkai	refers to Tokai region	JR Central	Tokyo – Shizuoka	1996–2007
Yufu / Yufuin-no-mori	refers to Yufu Onsen	JR Kyushu	Hakata – Yufuin, Ōita, Beppu (via Kyūdai Main Line)	1989–
μ Sky	-	Meitetsu	Shin-Unuma, Shin-Kani, Mikakino, Meitetsu Gifu, Meitetsu Nagoya – Central Japan International Airport	2005–

Express

Train name	Operator	Train endpoints	Operated
Chichibuji	Chichibu Railway	Hanyū, Kumagaya – Kagemori, Mitsumineguchi	1969–
Moriyoshi	Akita Nairiku Jūkan Railway	Kakunodate – Takanosu	1989–
SL Express	Ōigawa Railway	Shin-Kanaya – Senzu	1976–

Rapid

Train name	Operator	Train endpoints	Operated
Acty	JR East	Tokyo – Atami	1989–
Airport	JR Hokkaido	Otaru, Sapporo – New Chitose Airport	1992–
Aqua Liner	JR-West	Yonago – Masuda	2001–
Aterui	JR East	Mizusawa – Morioka	2001–
Central Liner	JR Central	Nagoya – Nakatsugawa	1999–2013
Hamayuri	JR East	Morioka – Kamaishi (via Kamaishi Line)	2002–
Kansai Airport Rapid Service	JR-West	Tennōji – Kansai Airport (via Ōsaka)	1994–
Karikachi	JR Hokkaido	Takikawa, Asahikawa – Obihiro	1990–
Kishuji Rapid Service	JR-West	Tennōji – Wakayama, Kainan, Gobō, Kii-Tanabe (via Ōsaka)	1999–
Kitami	JR Hokkaido	Asahikawa – Kitami	1998–
Kubikino	JR East	Arai – Niigata	2002–2015
Marine Liner	JR-West / JR Shikoku	Okayama – Takamatsu	1988–
Mie	JR Central / Ise Tetsudo	Nagoya – Toba	1990–
Nayoro	JR Hokkaido	Asahikawa – Nayoro	1965–
Rabbit	JR East	Tokyo – Utsunomiya, Kuroiso	1988–
Rias	JR East	Morioka – Miyako (via Yamada Line)	1988–
Shōnan Liner	JR East	Tokyo – Odawara (Some of trains pass Tōkaidō Freight Line)	1986–
Tambaji Rapid Service	JR-West	Ōsaka – Sasayamaguchi	2000–
Tottori Liner	JR-West	Tottori – Yonago, Izumoshi	2001–
Urban	JR East	Tokyo – Takasaki, Maebashi	1989–
Yamatoji Rapid Service	JR-West	Tennōji – Kamo (via Ōsaka)	1989–

Night trains

Limited express

Train name	Operator	Train endpoints	Operated
Akatsuki	JR-West	Kyoto – Nagasaki	1965 – Mar 2008
Akebono	JR East	Ueno – Aomori	1970 – Jan 2015
Asakaze	JR-West	Tokyo – Shimonoseki	1956 – Mar 2005
Cassiopeia	JR East	Ueno – Sapporo	1999 – Mar 2016; occasionally operates as a charter train
Dream Nichirin	JR Kyushu	Hakata – Minami-Miyazaki, Miyazaki Airport	1993–2011
Fuji	JR Kyushu	Tokyo – Ōita	1964 – Mar 2009
Hayabusa	JR Kyushu	Tokyo – Kumamoto	1958 – Mar 2009
Hokuriku	JR East	Ueno – Kanazawa	1947 – Mar 2010
Hokutosei	JR East / JR Hokkaido	Ueno – Sapporo	1988 – August 2015
Izumo	JR East	Tokyo – Izumoshi (via Tottori)	1972 – Mar 2006
Marimo	JR Hokkaido	Sapporo – Kushiro	2001–2008
Naha	JR Kyushu	Kyoto – Kumamoto	1968 – Mar 2008
Nihonkai	JR-West / JR East	Ōsaka – Aomori	1968 – Mar 2012
Sunrise Izumo	JR Central / JR-West	Tokyo – Izumoshi (via Okayama)	1998–
Sunrise Seto	JR Central / JR-West	Tokyo – Takamatsu	1998–
Okhotsk	JR Hokkaido	Sapporo – Abashiri	1992 – Mar 2006; Daytime service continues
Rishiri	JR Hokkaido	Sapporo – Wakkanai	2000–2007
Sakura	JR Kyushu	Tokyo – Nagasaki	1959 – Mar 2005
Suisei	JR-West	Kyoto – Minami-Miyazaki	1968–2005
Twilight Express	JR-West	Ōsaka – Sapporo	1989 – Mar 2015
Oze yakō 23:55 / Snowpal 23:55	Tobu Railway	Asakusa – Aizukōgen-Ozeguchi	1986–; Climbing and skiing season only

Express

Train name	Operator	Train endpoints	Operated
Daisen	JR-West	Ōsaka – Yonago (via San'in Main Line)	1968 – Oct 2004
Ginga	JR-West	Tokyo – Ōsaka	1950 – Mar 2008
Hakkōda	JR East	Ueno – Aomori(via Tohoku Main Line)	1961 – Dec 1993(daily operation)/Aug 1998(temporary service)
Hamanasu	JR Hokkaido	Aomori – Sapporo	1955 – Mar 2016
Kitaguni	JR-West	Ōsaka – Niigata	1968 – Jan 2013
Noto	JR East	Ueno – Kanazawa	1975 – Feb 2012
Tsugaru	JR East	Ueno – Aomori(via Ōu Main Line)	1954(temporary service)/1956 – Dec 1993(daily operation)/Jan 1998(temporary service)

Rapid

Train name	Operator	Train endpoints	Operated
Moonlight Echigo	JR East	Shinjuku – Niigata	1986 – May 2014
Moonlight Nagara	JR East / JR Central	Tokyo – Ōgaki	1996–

See also

• Rail transport in Japan

References

• JR Timetable, December 2008
• ＪＲ新幹線＆特急列車ファイル (JR Shinkansen & Limited Express Train File). Japan: Kōtsū Shimbun. 2008. ISBN 978-4-330-00608-6.
• 列車名鑑１９９5 (Train Name Directory 1995). Japan: Railway Journal. August 1995.