JR rush hour and bento boxes

Is it a problem catching the JR from shinosaka to tokyo around 8am in the morning? I note this is rush hour but will the trains be packed on this journey? If i reserve the seats up front, i shouldn't have a problem should i?

Also, i read that it is rude to eat on the trains. I don't understand why if they sell bento boxes for long journeys... but you can't eat it on the train???

Is it a problem catching the JR from shinosaka to tokyo around 8am in the morning?

The reserved seats on some trains might be booked out, but many trains will not be booked out, and you should be able to make seat reservations just before departure. You can further lower the risk by making seat reservations one or more days before travel date.

Alternatively, you can travel in the non-reserved car. Several trains start their journey from Shin-Osaka Station. If you line up early for these trains, you are certain to be able to get a seat.

Also, i read that it is rude to eat on the trains. I don't understand why if they sell bento boxes for long journeys... but you can't eat it on the train?

It is not considered good manners to eat on commuter trains, but it is common practice to eat on long distance trains, including the shinkansen between Osaka and Tokyo!

thanks. should i avoid peak hour altogether because i will have a suitcase with me or is it not a problem.
I would think that it would be packed on short distance trains but not on long distance one (like the one from shin osaka to tokyo)

If it is a small suitcase and not too heavy, you can place it in the overhead rack where you are sitting. If it is large and/or heavy, you can place it behind the back seats in each car.

High speed long distance trains in Japan,as in Europe, are often quite crowded, especially on extremely popular routes like Osaka Tokyo. You will likely be OK around 8 am as businessmen leave Osaka earlier to arrive in Tokyo earlier too. The Nozomi, with less stops, is likely to be more popular.

Unlike commuter trains, shinkansen trains don't get crowded in a way where you don't have space to move. Bringing luggage should be no problem unless if it is a large suitcase, because there is generally not much luggage space on shinkansen trains, be it during peak hours or not:
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2274.html

Since JR has increased the number of Nozomi's and decreased the number of Hikari's, the Nozomi's are always (over)crowded, but the Hikari's never, even during rush hours. I assume you have a JR railpass, so, you can only use the Hikari (and much slower Kodama) Shinkansens between Tokyo and Shin-Osaka. A few things to keep in mind; cars 1 to 5 are cars with unreserved seats, there is not much space for any luggage like big suitcases, in fact there is only a small space behind the last row of seats of each car, be on time at the platform, and try to be the first in the lineup, so you can have the last row and keep an eye on your luggage but don't worry, nobody will try to steel your luggage, it's more to inform the trainstaff that this luggage is yours (this is one of the new rules to prevent terrorist attacks).

Thanks

which are the non smoking cars? are they marked?

The cars are clearly marked non-smoking

Almost all of the cars are non smoking. I think that there are only two or three of the sixteen on a Tokaido line shinkansen that permit smoking. Smoking cars are gradually being phased out on many services in Japan.
http://www.h2.dion.ne.jp/~dajf/byunbyun/faq.htm

Most Tokaido Shinkansens have 2 smoking cars (1 non-reserved seat car and 1 for the reserved seat cars). Although I also smoke, I always try to avoid these smoking cars, because there is almost no ventilation in these cars and after a few hours in these cars, you smell like a ashtray! You can better sit in a non-smoking car near the smoking car and if you wanna smoke a cigaret, hop to the smoking car, smoke a cigaret and return to your seat (many Japanese also do this car hopping,lol!)

I remember we are forced to seat in a smoking car because of limited seats. Unluckily for me, I'm seating beside a heavy smoker. Just avoid it as much as you can.

Previously,we have asked this question but there are some certain conditions that we aren't sure. We are going to buy 2 adult JR Pass 7dys and our child is 5 yrs old (it's free for her). But definitely our worries if cannot get the seat in the non-reserve car.


Anybody can advice about the non-reserve train in our train route? :

1)to Takayama
Tokyo - Nagoya (shinkansen)--taking the seats in non reserve car, then Nagoya - Takayama (Ltd.Exp Hida).How is the possibility to get the seat in non-reserve if we go in the afternoon ? Is there also non-reserve cars for Hida train?


2) to Osaka (from kyoto)
we will go by Thunderbird train at 9am, pls let us know the possibility for getting a seat for the child and how crowd it can be during that peak hour?

3) from Okayama to Narita
as we know that Okayama is the start point to Tokyo, then what is the possibility to get seats in the non-reserve car ?

We are traveling tis May 22nd-June 1st, is it considering peak time to travel in Japan as Golden week just finished last week ?

Pls advice whether we have to buy the child JR Pass or not.
Thank you a million ...:-)

i think they will not be crowded and you can make reservetions easily. however, i suggest to take seats at the right side if going to Takayama, and the left left side if going back. the view on those side is amazing and very picturesque.