It’s not Tokyo, Kyoto, or Osaka that has it, though.

Once upon a time, vendors would periodically wheel carts down the aisles of the Shinkansen, offering food and drinks for travelers to enjoy during their ride on Japan’s famed bullet trains. Sadly that came to an end in the fall of 2023, with operator Japan Railways citing decreased demand as the reason for discontinuing the service on all but first-class carriages.

The reason demand was dropping, JR said, was that more and more travelers were instead opting to grab something to drink or eat within the station itself, prior to boarding. However, if you’re traveling with a lot of luggage or on a tight schedule, you probably don’t want to have to spend time and effort wandering through the building, especially if the shops and restaurants are far away from the spot where you need to get on your train, which is why Starbucks Japan is opening its first-ever branch right on a Shinkansen platform.

Rather than Tokyo, it’s Yokohama that’s getting this pioneering shop, which is located inside Shin Yokohama Station, the first stop on the Tokkaido Shinkansen Line heading westward after leaving Tokyo’s Shinagawa Station. The takeout-only branch, opening November 21, stands on Platform 11, from where westbound Shinkansen trains depart, and is open daily from 6:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.

With speedy service being especially important, the Shinkansen platform Starbucks has a condensed menu, but still offers coffee made from freshly ground beans, with three hot (Pike Place Roast, Decaf House Blend, and Sumatra) and two iced (Decaf House Blend, Kenya) varieties to choose from, as well as cookies and other light fare. Ordering is done through a touch panel and payment is by cashless methods only.

▼ The bilingual order panel’s start screen

While this is the first Shinkansen platform Starbucks, the concept render at the top of this article implies that it probably won’t be the last. Meanwhile, if you’re looking for refreshments for eastbound Shinkansen journeys, we recently discovered a delicious ice cream hack in Kyoto Station.

Source, images: Starbucks Japan
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