GranClass: Japan's Most Luxurious Way to Morioka

Leave the platform behind, sink into a leather seat, and let the northern scenery come to you. In GranClass, the journey itself becomes the highlight of the trip.

GranClass sits at the very top of JR East's Shinkansen, one class above Green Car. You'll find it on the Tohoku, Hokkaido, Joetsu and Hokuriku Shinkansen lines, always as a single car per train （ Car 10 on the Tohoku route ）with just 18 seats. It feels less like a train carriage and more like a private lounge.
There are two types. On many trains, including the Hayabusa bound for Morioka, a dedicated attendant serves a light meal and free-flowing drinks. On others — the Joetsu Shinkansen, Hokuriku Shinkansen other than the Kagayaki, and the Tokyo–Sendai-only Hayabusa — the seat is identical, but there's no attendant service. Check which type you're booking.

Comfort comes first. Seats are arranged 2+1 across the aisle in soft leather, with a seat pitch of about 1,300 mm （ some 14 cm more than Green Car ） and a powered recline of up to 45 degrees. A powered legrest, reading light, large table and power outlet are all within reach, and a blanket and slippers are provided.
The quiet is just as striking. The E5 series tops out at 320 km/h, yet the cabin stays calm enough for a nap or a good book, and the two hours to Morioka slip by before you know it.

On attendant-served trains, a hot towel and menu appear soon after departure. Choose a Japanese or Western light meal, both shaped by the season and the region you're passing through, followed by a snack. Then there are the drinks — beer, wine, sparkling wine, sake and whisky, alongside coffee, green tea and soft drinks — all free, and yours to request as often as you like. (Menu contents change from time to time and may not be available on the earliest and latest trains.)

A GranClass fare is made up of the basic fare, the limited express charge, and the GranClass fee. Reserve at a Midori-no-Madoguchi ticket office, a ticket machine, or online through JR-EAST Train Reservation, where GranClass appears as an option once you've chosen your train.
The JR EAST PASS gives overseas visitors 5 or 10 consecutive days of unlimited travel on JR East lines, the Shinkansen to Morioka included. GranClass is still within reach: the pass covers the basic fare, so you simply add a reserved-seat ticket for the GranClass portion. Book a few days ahead, as the 18 seats go quickly on popular trains. (Fares and conditions are subject to change.)

From Tokyo, the Hayabusa reaches Morioka in about 2 hours and 10 minutes, giving you plenty of time to settle in and enjoy attendant-served GranClass along the way. Morioka itself is a walkable city where three rivers meet, with Mt. Iwate rising in the distance.

Start at Morioka ruin of a castle park (Iwate park), where fine stone walls fill with cherry blossoms in spring and maple leaves in autumn. Nearby stand Ishiwarizakura — a century-old cherry tree growing straight out of a cracked granite boulder — the Bank of Iwate Red Brick Building, and the old townscape along the Nakatsu River.
Then there's the food. Morioka's “three great noodles” are chewy, cold Morioka reimen; jajamen tossed with savory meat miso; and wanko soba, its tiny bowls refilled again and again until you finally close the lid. Morioka was even ranked No. 2 on the New York Times' “52 Places to Go in 2023.”

GranClass turns the Shinkansen from a means of transport into part of the trip. Reclining leather seats, a spacious cabin, and, on most trains to Morioka, a meal served with regional drinks all make for a genuinely restful ride. Pair it with the JR EAST PASS, and you'll step off in Morioka a little over two hours later, refreshed and ready to explore.
Keep in mind that attendant-served GranClass only reaches a limited number of destinations — check the official website to see where it can take you.