Non-reserved seats on Nozomi?

Hello. My daughter and I intend to take the Nozomi from Osaka to Tokyo on 13 or 14 June 2018 around noon, We will be buying our tickets at Shin Osaka Station on the same day before our journey. We appreciate any advice/views on whether it would be alright if we were to buy the non-reserved seats? i.e. what are our chances of not getting seats at all or being able to seat together. Thanks.

Should be no problem. Just line up at the non reserved cars. Not all trains but many will start from Osaka. And even those coming from Hiroshima will not likely to be full to the brim in mid June at midday.

When I go for business from Tokyo to Osaka I never take a reserved seat in order to be able to just take the next train that passed. In 2 it should also not be a problem. More than 2 then it depends if the train is starting in Shin Osaka or not, but as said, many do.

Enjoy your trip to Japan!

Most Nozomis start at Hakata dont they through the middle of the day?

As you will see, it will take 2.5 hrs from Shin-Osaka to Tokyo, and the seat fee for reserved seat is 5500 yen while that of non-reserved seat is 4870 yen so the difference is 630 yen per person.

http://www.hyperdia.com/en/cgi/en/search.html?dep_node=SHIN-OSAKA&arv_...

As I checked the cyberstation, all Nozomi on 13th and 14th around noon have plenty of vacant reserved seats. This is also true for today and tomorrow, meaning they are not so crowded so that you are very likely to be able to take seats on non-reserved cars. Even if you can't, you can still change to the reserved seats by just paying to the conductor on the train.

If I were a single person to go from Shin-Osaka to Tokyo, I would just buy non-reserved ticket, but if I were with someone to go together, I would buy reserved seat though.

The first station in Osaka(city or around) is "JR"?
If not, you may purchase it as dep from Shin-Osaka.

If starts from JR station, you do not have to buy it separately from the ticket from Shin-Osaka.
"Base fare ticket" will be from "JR station" in Osaka to "JR station" in Tokyo,
the "Express ticket" for taking Nozomi(fastest Tokaido Shinkansen train name)can be bought
as shinkansen stopping station "Shin-Osaka" to "Tokyo(or Shinagawa, one from last)"
at the ticket window of first JR station on the day or also even in before days.

There are two type trains of Nozomi operating in that time zone,
The one is Shin-Osaka will be first station(as coming from Tokyo and return to Tokyo),
the other one is coming from far western cities than Shin-Osaka with many passengers.
(just some are coming from farest city "Hakata" in Fukuoka is right, but not all)
Both the fare and number of seats(also total 16 cars long) are the same,
but of course the train where Shin-Osaka first returning train is best and easy to get the seats.
Only 2 trains dep 11:50 and 12:50 are so. (everyday operating)
http://ekikara.jp/newdata/ekijikoku/2301011/up1_27123011.htm

However, if you buy a "discount ticket(called kaisuu-ken in JP)" for the ordinary "reserved seat" of Nozomi
at "Discount ticket shop (called "Ticket or Kin-ken shop in JP")" near major JR stations in Osaka City,
there is no difference btw the fee for the non-reserved seat, under 100Y.
This way is nomal and legal, many local Japanese travelers also buying this as money saving.
And ticket shops are not a JR's, so do not ask the JR station staff, local people knows.
This is not illegal no worry, just selling one by one of discounted six set tickets of JR.
http://www.brandhut.jp/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/IMG_1593-e1511773804...
(This is not for Shin-Osaka but same as ticket size, bigger one is cover with notes, not a real ticket)

Seems ticket shop prices are about "13700Y/oneway adult" today.
The difference btw "reserved seat" and non-reserved fare without discount can be calculated at "HyperDia",
But reserved is 14250Y("200Y" minus than regular season), non-reserved is 13620Y (no season price, fixed).
Shops like this, it may look a bit strange.
https://goo.gl/cMV4Bc

Kaisuu-ken(回数券) means "multiple-trip" ticket like this, "-ken(券)" means just a ticket(s).
https://i.imgur.com/XTSuBcX.jpg
This is bought in Tokyo, so the name of Tokyo "東京" station is on the left,
but it can be used once in either direction, no worry.
http://www.jreast.co.jp/e/ticket/examining.html
Regular tickets, the arrows are only from left to right,
but for the kaisuu-ken tickets arrow points in both directions.

For getting yr reserved seat numbers,
you must go to ticket office/window JR station before taking shinkansen, but no charge.
And ticket will be two, but just insert both repeatedly into automatic ticket gate mouth.
Be careful not to forget to pick up the tickets.

This ticket will not be charged as an additional amount unless it transits
from the Shinkansen ticket gate at any JR station in "23 wards" of Tokyo.
This is because there are special rules to calculate multiple stations in the urban area of Tokyo
as one big station, so if you out the station on the way, ticket is collected means finished.
Shibuya, Shinjuku,Ikebukuro and more on the opposite side (west side) of Tokyo station
also can be moved by JR Yamanote line or JR Chuo line's regular commuter train.
Also in Osaka same, if you leave the from JR station in "Osaka city" to Shin-Osaka station,
regular commuter train(s) fare to go to Shin-Osaka station is already including.

If still wondering ask at JR station.

I think that it is different, "Japan Rail Pass" holders can not take Nozomi.