500系新干线最后运行:最终日期、希望号复驶与旅游团

简答： The 500 series Shinkansen ends regular service on 13 January 2027 and retires completely in July 2027, final day TBA. Until then you can ride it on listed Kodama runs between Okayama and Hakata for a normal fare, and a revival all-reserved 500 series Nozomi runs between Hakata and Himeji on weekends from 16 January to 28 February 2027.

The 500 series Shinkansen last run happens in two steps: JR West ends regular service on 13 January 2027, then runs the bullet-nosed train on special and temporary services until it retires in July 2027 (exact final day TBA). Until then you can still ride it for the price of a normal Kodama ticket, and from Saturday 16 January 2027 it returns as a Nozomi for the first time since 2010.

The June 2026 news stories told you it was going. This 500 series Shinkansen last run guide tells you how to actually get on it: the current Kodama times and calendar, the revival Nozomi timetable, the Doctor Yellow and 500 series farewell tours JR West announced on 26 October 2026, the pass maths for a two-day ride, and where to take photos without annoying station staff. One warning up front: JR West says the 500 series may run on other days and the plan can change, so check the live calendar before you set an alarm.

Last checked: 1 November 2026

重点整理

• Regular service ends 13 January 2027 (Confirmed). That’s also the last scheduled Shin-Osaka to Hakata 500 series Kodama. Full retirement is July 2027 (Confirmed month, day TBA).
• Easiest ride now (Confirmed): Kodama 933 leaves Okayama 06:31 and reaches Hakata 09:12; Kodama 957 leaves Okayama 16:50 and reaches Hakata 19:51; Kodama 948 runs Hakata 09:49 to Okayama 12:55. That trio runs on 22 days in November 2026.
• Revival Nozomi (Confirmed): Nozomi 626 (Hakata 12:45 → Himeji 14:54) on six Saturdays and Nozomi 627 (Himeji 12:09 → Hakata 14:19) on six Sundays, 16 January to 28 February 2027. All seats reserved.
• Doctor Yellow T5 tours (Confirmed): four inspection-run cabin tours on 4, 5, 22 and 23 December 2026, on sale via tabiwa from 4 November 2026, 13:00, first come, first served. Prices TBA.
• Cheapest way to ride a lot: a JR West Sanyo-San’in Area Pass is ¥23,000 for 7 days and covers every 500 series run between Shin-Osaka and Hakata. A typical two-day loop costs about ¥35,500 in single tickets.

500 series Shinkansen retirement 2027 at a glance

活动	Date / detail	状态
Retirement announced	22 June 2026 (500 series and Doctor Yellow T5)	已确定
Hello Kitty Shinkansen (500 series V2)	Final run 17 May 2026	已确定
Last regular 500 series Shin-Osaka → Hakata Kodama	13 January 2027	已确定
Regular 500 series service ends	13 January 2027	已确定
Revival 500 series Nozomi	16 Jan – 28 Feb 2027, weekends	已确定
Doctor Yellow T5 inspection runs end	January 2027 (final run date kept secret)	Confirmed month
T5 farewell experience ride	10 January 2027 (lottery)	已确定
500 series mystery tour	21 and 23 February 2027	Confirmed dates, details early Jan
500 series fully retired	July 2027	Confirmed month, day TBA
Final commercial run date	尚未公布	尚未公布

A bit of context for first-timers. The 500 series entered service in March 1997 as a Nozomi between Shin-Osaka and Hakata, and was the first train in Japan to run at 300 km/h. It lost its Nozomi duties to the N700 series by 2010 and has spent the past 16 years as an 8-car Kodama on the Sanyo Shinkansen. The long, sharp nose was designed to cut tunnel noise, and it’s still the most photographed Shinkansen in western Japan.

How to ride the 500 series Shinkansen now (Kodama timetable)

The answer is simple: buy a normal Kodama ticket for a train JR West has listed as a 500 series run. You don’t need a special ticket, and a standard JR Pass or JR West regional pass covers it.

JR West publishes three daily patterns on its The Last Run special site. Only one of them is published as text: the Kodama 933 / 957 / 948 set below. The other two (Kodama 939/972 and 947/940/970) are shown only as calendar images on that page, so check them there before you plan around them.

Kodama 933, 957 and 948 timetable

车站	Kodama 933 (down)	Kodama 957 (down)	Kodama 948 (up)
博多	arr. 09:12	arr. 19:51	dep. 09:49
Kokura	08:56	19:34	10:12
广岛	07:38	18:08	11:38
Okayama	dep. 06:31	dep. 16:50	arr. 12:55

Shin-Osaka and Shin-Kobe aren’t on these runs. These are the main stops only; Kodama stops at every station on the line, so you can board at smaller stations too. Times are from the JR West plan dated 26 October 2026. Want to see it at Okayama? All three use the station: Kodama 933 leaves at 06:31, 957 at 16:50, and 948 arrives at 12:55.

Operating days, October and November 2026 (Confirmed)

月份	Days the 933 / 957 / 948 set runs
2026 年 11 月	1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 12, 13, 14, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 22, 23, 25, 26, 28, 29

December and January calendars weren’t published at the time of writing. JR West notes that schedules may change with operating conditions and that the 500 series can appear on dates and times not listed. On the day, check JR West’s Sanyo Shinkansen live status page before heading out.

💡 Japan Pro Tip: Sit in car 1 or car 8, the two end cars, if you want to photograph the nose on the platform the second you get off. Expect the weeks before the 500 series Shinkansen last run on 13 January to be busy, so reserve rather than chancing the unreserved cars.

500 series Nozomi 2027: the revival timetable and how to book

From Saturday 16 January 2027, JR West runs a temporary all-reserved 500 series Nozomi between Hakata and Himeji, stopping at Kokura, Hiroshima and Okayama. It’s the first 500 series Nozomi since the type left Nozomi duty in 2010.

列车	Direction	日期（2027）	Times	状态
Nozomi 626	Hakata → Himeji	Sat 16, 23, 30 Jan; 6, 13, 27 Feb	Hakata 12:45, Kokura 13:01, Hiroshima 13:52, Okayama 14:32, Himeji 14:54	已确定
Nozomi 627	Himeji → Hakata	Sun 17, 24, 31 Jan; 7, 14, 28 Feb	Himeji 12:09, Okayama 12:31, Hiroshima 13:12, Kokura 14:01, Hakata 14:19	已确定
Dates after 28 Feb	—	尚未公布	—	尚未公布

How to book the 500 series Nozomi

• 网络: JR West’s e5489, or its English-language service for overseas visitors, JR-WEST ONLINE TRAIN RESERVATION. Reserved seats open one month before travel at 10:00 JST, so seats for 16 January should go on sale on 16 December 2026 at 10:00 (Expected, based on JR West’s standard rule).
• In person: any JR ticket office (Midori no Madoguchi) or reserved-seat ticket machine.
• Not available: Smart EX / EX services. If you normally book through the Tokaido-Sanyo app, use JR West instead.
• Pre-sale package: a tabiwa Travel package will let buyers reserve seats before the general sale. JR West says details will follow in late November 2026.

💡 Japan Pro Tip: Nationwide JR Pass holders need a separate Nozomi/Mizuho ticket for this train, bought up to one month ahead. It’s ¥4,960 for the full Shin-Osaka–Hakata section, so the Himeji–Hakata stretch shouldn’t cost more. Seats on the opening weekend will vanish fast, so set an alarm for 09:59 JST.

Doctor Yellow last run tour and other farewell tours

JR West’s 26 October 2026 release added a final round of farewell tours, all sold through tabiwa Travel, the tour arm of JR West’s tabiwa by WESTER. You need a free WESTER membership account, and the site is Japanese-first. None of the new tours have published prices yet.

导览	日期	活动内容	Sales open	状态
Thank You Doctor Yellow inspection-run cabin tour, parts 3 and 4	Fri 4 Dec, Tue 22 Dec (Shin-Osaka → Hakata); Sat 5 Dec, Wed 23 Dec (Hakata → Shin-Osaka)	Small groups ride T5 and watch live track inspection	4 Nov 2026, 13:00, first come	已确定
500 series two-train farewell line-up	Mon 7 Dec	Two 500 series sets side by side at Hakata Sogo Sharyosho depot	11 Nov 2026, 14:00, first come	已确定
V9 last up non-stop run + round trip	Wed 9 Dec	Last non-stop up run of V9 (the GTO-inverter set) plus Hakata–Shin-Osaka round trip	Mid-November 2026, first come (exact day TBA)	已确定
500 series non-stop charter	Fri 8 Jan 2027	Last non-stop 500 series from Shin-Osaka to Hakata	25 Nov 2026, 13:00	已确定
T5 farewell experience ride	Sun 10 Jan 2027	Final chance to ride T5 in service	Lottery (tabiwa and JR Central “Tetsu Oshi!”); details mid-Nov	Confirmed date
500 series Kodama ride plan	Wed 13 Jan 2027	Ride the last regular Shin-Osaka → Hakata 500 series	9 Dec 2026, 13:00	已确定
Doctor Yellow special event at Hakata depot	11–17 Jan 2027	Under consideration	Details early December	预计
500 series mystery tour	Sun 21, Tue 23 Feb 2027	Destination secret	Details early January	Confirmed dates

Dates and sales times may change, JR West says. For scale, an earlier Doctor Yellow inspection-ride tour in July 2026 was reported by SoraNews24 at ¥550,000 for two people. Expect premium pricing.

💡 Japan Pro Tip: First-come farewell tours tend to go fast. Make your account, log in and add a card the day before. If you can’t read Japanese forms, your browser’s translate tool handles the tabiwa pages well enough to check out.

5 ways to catch the 500 series Shinkansen last run

1. Ride a 500 series Kodama (Train ride)

The Lowdown: The cheapest and easiest option. It’s a regular train, so you just need a Kodama ticket for a listed run. Go before 13 January if you want the classic Shin-Osaka departure.

Where: Sanyo Shinkansen, Okayama–Hiroshima–Kokura–Hakata (plus Shin-Osaka until 13 Jan 2027)

The Vibe: Half commuters, half fans with cameras at the platform ends.

Price: Standard Kodama fare; about ¥9,100 reserved Hiroshima–Hakata (verify on JR West)

官方连结： JR West The Last Run calendar

💡 Japan Pro Tip: The 06:31 from Okayama is the quietest run. The evening 957 is the photogenic one, arriving at Hakata at 19:51 with the nose lit up under the platform lights.

2. Ride the revival 500 series Nozomi (Special train)

The Lowdown: Twelve weekend runs between Hakata and Himeji, Jan–Feb 2027. All reserved, so no seat, no ride.

Where: Hakata, Kokura, Hiroshima, Okayama, Himeji

The Vibe: Sold-out fan train with a sense of occasion.

Price: Standard Nozomi fare (exact fare not published for this train)

官方连结： JR-WEST ONLINE TRAIN RESERVATION

💡 Japan Pro Tip: Himeji is 30 minutes from Shin-Osaka. Pair Sunday’s 12:09 departure with a morning at Himeji Castle.

3. Book a Doctor Yellow tour (Tour)

The Lowdown: Doctor Yellow is the bright yellow track-inspection Shinkansen you normally can’t ride. JR West’s T5 set ends inspection runs in January 2027 and the final run date won’t be published. Tours are the only way on board.

Where: Shin-Osaka and Hakata departures

The Vibe: Bucket-list for train fans, small groups.

Price: TBA (earlier tours were very expensive)

官方连结： tabiwa Travel railway tours

💡 Japan Pro Tip: You can’t plan to “spot” Doctor Yellow on a timetable. JR West doesn’t publish its runs, so a tour or the depot event is your best bet.

4. Join a 500 series farewell tour (Tour)

The Lowdown: The 7 December depot line-up and the 9 December and 8 January non-stop runs are the big 500 series Shinkansen last run tours. Non-stop means the train doesn’t wait for faster trains to pass, so you get a long, fast run instead of a stop-start Kodama.

Where: Hakata Sogo Sharyosho depot, Shin-Osaka, Hakata

The Vibe: Serious enthusiasts, lots of long lenses.

Price: TBA

官方连结： JR West press release, 26 Oct 2026

💡 Japan Pro Tip: Depot tours meet and finish at the depot, not at a main station. Check the meeting point on the tour page before booking a hotel.

5. See a 500 series at Kyoto Railway Museum (Museum)

The Lowdown: Car 521-1, the Hakata-end lead car of a 500 series, is preserved at the museum. Great backup if 500 series Shinkansen last run seats sell out.

Where: Umekoji-Kyotonishi Station (2-minute walk) or 20 minutes on foot from Kyoto Station’s central exit

The Vibe: Families, school groups and train nerds of every age.

Price: ¥1,500 adults, ¥1,300 high school and university students, ¥500 junior high and elementary, ¥200 children 3+

官方连结： 京都铁道博物馆

💡 Japan Pro Tip: Open 10:00–17:00 (last entry 16:30) and closed on Wednesdays (except public holidays and spring/summer breaks) and 30 December–1 January, so check the calendar before a midweek trip. The third-floor Sky Terrace looks over the Tokaido Shinkansen. Combine it with our 京都必做 指南。

Where to photograph the 500 series safely

The rule is simple: platforms only, behind the yellow line, no flash. JR West doesn’t publish an official photo spot list for the 500 series Shinkansen last run, so these are our tips from riding the line.

• Hakata: The terminus. Trains sit at the platform for a few minutes, so you get the nose without rushing. Best for the evening Kodama 957 arrival (19:51).
• Hiroshima and Okayama: Kodama often wait here for faster trains to pass. That gives you a 500 series and an N700 side by side.
• Shin-Kobe: The station sits between two tunnels, so trains burst out of the mountain. Only useful when a 500 series is scheduled through Shin-Kobe (until 13 Jan 2027).
• Don’t: use a tripod on crowded platforms, stand on benches, block passengers, or go anywhere near the track outside stations. Staff will stop you, and the last weeks will be crowded.

2-day Osaka → Hiroshima → Hakata 500 series plan (with pass maths)

This works on any two consecutive operating days, for example 12–13 November 或 28–29 November 2026.

第1天: Spend the morning in Osaka, then take any afternoon train from Shin-Osaka to Okayama and change onto Kodama 957 at 16:50. Get off at Hiroshima at 18:08, check in and eat okonomiyaki.

第2天: Board Kodama 933 at Hiroshima at 07:38, arrive Hakata 09:12. Spend the day eating your way round Hakata with our 福冈美食指南, then ride a Nozomi back to Shin-Osaka (about 2.5 hours).

Single tickets (reserved, normal season)	Approx. fare
Shin-Osaka → Hiroshima (Kodama, change at Okayama on one ticket)	about ¥10,420
Hiroshima → Hakata (Kodama)	about ¥9,100
Hakata → Shin-Osaka (Nozomi)	about ¥16,020
合计	about ¥35,540
JR West Sanyo-San’in Area Pass (7 days)	¥23,000

Fares are normal-season figures from major fare listings; JR West’s own route search gives the live price. If you leave the station at Okayama to sightsee, you need two separate tickets, which costs a bit more and makes the pass look even better. The pass saves about ¥12,500 and leaves five days spare for Himeji, Miyajima or Kyoto. The Kansai-Hiroshima Area Pass (¥17,000, 5 days) stops at Hiroshima, so it won’t get you to Hakata. A 7-day nationwide JR Pass (¥50,000) only makes sense if you’re also coming from Tokyo; see JR Pass值得买吗 for the full maths.

One more thing: Nozomi and Mizuho reserved-seat prices go up for tickets bought from 1 July 2027. We covered that in our 2027新干线票价上涨 guide. It won’t affect a 500 series trip this winter.

Why this is worth a detour

Japan is busy with visitors. JNTO counted an estimated 3,103,700 international arrivals in September 2026, and the Sanyo Shinkansen is one of the main tourist corridors. Most of those visitors ride the newer N700 series without noticing the 500 series Shinkansen last run is coming. A 500 series ride costs the same as any Kodama, and the final 500 series Shinkansen last run is only months away.

500 series Shinkansen last run FAQ

资料来源： JR West press release on farewell tours and revival Nozomi (26 Oct 2026) 和 PDF; JR West retirement announcement (22 June 2026, PDF); JR Odekake Net: The Last Run 和 500 series history; JR West tickets and online reservation; Sanyo-San’in Area Pass; 关西广岛地区周游券; Japan Rail Pass Nozomi/Mizuho ticket; JR West railway cultural property: 500 series 521-1; 京都铁道博物馆 和 交通; JNTO visitor arrivals, Sept 2026; SoraNews24 (24 June 2026); fare listings from jr-shinkansen.net and tabiris (from Shin-Osaka, from Hakata). Last checked: 1 November 2026.