Photo/Illutration Green car seats in the Tokaido Shinkansen bullet train (Asahi Shimbun file photo)

Passengers on the Nozomi Shinkansen not wanting to sit next to anyone or hoping to get more space to spread out need not worry much longer.

Central Japan Railway Co. (JR Tokai) will offer a special ticket from April 8 allowing a passenger to use two adjoining seats in the bullet train's green car for less than the price two passengers would pay.

“We planned this new service because there was a need to be able to travel without being concerned about the passenger seated next to you as well as to be able to spread out laptop computers and business documents,” a JR Tokai official said. 

The tickets will be available until June 30, with the exception of the Golden Week national holidays from late April until May 5.

A special one-way ticket from Tokyo to Nagoya for the two seats is priced at 18,140 yen ($133) compared to the 29,920 yen for two passenger tickets.

The one-way ticket between Tokyo and Shin-Osaka is priced at 23,860 yen, cheaper than the 39,180 yen two passengers would have to pay.

Reservations for two adjoining seats can be made through the internet. Under the old system, a single passenger was unable to reserve two seats.

JR Tokai will decide whether to extend the service after July depending on how many passengers utilize it.

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