Which railway company operates Japan’s Tokaido Shinkansen between Tokyo and Shin-Osaka?

Central Japan Railway Company operates the Tokaido Shinkansen between Tokyo and Shin-Osaka.

Central Japan Railway Company is commonly called JR Central or JR Central Japan. It operates the Tokaido Shinkansen, Japan’s busiest high-speed route, which connects Tokyo and Shin-Osaka through major cities including Nagoya and Kyoto. The company began operating after the breakup and privatization of Japanese National Railways in 1987.

The Tokaido Shinkansen itself opened in 1964, before JR Central existed as a separate company. Today, JR Central manages the line, rolling stock, stations, and operations for this corridor.

The neighboring Shinkansen sections are run by different JR companies. JR East operates the Tohoku and Joetsu routes, while JR West operates the Sanyo Shinkansen west of Shin-Osaka. This division is why the operator of the Tokaido route is not Japan Railways as a single national company.