Differences between gran class seating

[bikkuri bahn]

Just a bit of trivia.  Today on a morning TV news program, the gran class seating on the Tohoku Shinkansen and Hokuriku Shinkansen trains were compared.  I didn't know this, but the seating is slightly different.  First of all, the E5 seats are produced by a collaboration of Hitachi and Recaro.  The E7 seats are produced by the same company that supplies seats to Lexus.  The E7 seats are slightly (5mm) wider that the E5.  However, the E5 seats recline more, by about 1.4 degrees.  I didn't catch the beginning of the segment, there may have been other points. 

Edited March 5, 2015 by bikkuri bahn

[JR 500系]

Interesting.... Well, nonetheless the Grand Class seats are still highly sought after for their comfort. I do wish one fine day there will be a Rail Pass that permits Grand Class seats but that's just me dreaming away.. :P

 

Will there be Grand Class seats on the Hokkaido Shinkansen? Since they're basically about the same as the E5, I think they should have...

 

There're only 18 seats in the Grand Class carriage Car number 10 on the Hayabusa. That's gotta be spacious!

 

Also, a thought comes into mind when I was reading the time table on the Tohoku Shinkansen line for what train set the Yamabiko 209 which I am going to boardis using yesterday..... The Yamabiko 209 uses the E5 train set, along with some other Nasuno and Yamabiko services, but the thing is there IS Grand Class seating on these train sets. I mean, would anyone actually use Yamabiko in Grand Class, being the slower service and all?    

[bikkuri bahn]

Will there be Grand Class seats on the Hokkaido Shinkansen?

 

Yes.  The H5 has them.

[miyakoji]

Here's a blog post from around when the service started, it has some interior pics.  I've got to admit I love the slippers and ticket holder, I'm such a sucker for trinkets...

 

https://denshadejapan.wordpress.com/2011/08/28/densha-de-dan-6-e5-hayabusa-granclass-ride-report/

[westfalen]

Reclines an extra 1.4 degrees! That's sold me.

[cteno4]

5mm extra width appeals to my fat American you know what... (Well actually I have a skinny you know what)

 

Jeff

[JR 500系]

That's quite a LARGE difference between the Grand Class and the Green Class.... Darn the attendants won't even bother with the Green Class but the Grand Class has 2 attendants at 100% attention!   :(

 

Now where can we get a JR Pass (Grand) ?  :P

[spacecadet]

I was expecting the price difference to be LARGE as well but surprisingly it's somewhat reasonable. I had assumed I'd never be able to afford it but I feel like people springing a few thousand bucks for a vacation can probably absorb another couple hundred bucks for an experience like this.

 

I usually do travel Green on the shinkansen (mostly because it's less crowded and really doesn't cost much more) so I can see replacing at least some of those trips with Gran. I always thought Green class was not quite the "first class" it's supposed to be. So I'm anxious to try this out.