The other day, Charlotte and I once again boarded the Shinkansen and settled into the Green Car, luggage in tow and a couple of bento boxes packed with deliciousness.

As always, the roughly two-and-a-half-hour ride, this time from Shin-Osaka to Hakata, Fukuoka, went by far too quickly. Interestingly, the Green Car isn’t hysterically more expensive than an ordinary reserved seat. On a regular-season Nozomi booked through SmartEX, it costs ¥21,890 compared with ¥15,820.

That’s a noticeable supplement, but nothing like the jump from economy to business class on a commercial flight. The comfort upgrade, though, is significant, and once you’ve travelled in the Green Car, it’s hard to go back.

As of October 1, there’s an even fancier tier: Supreme Class. It’s available on selected Tokaido and Sanyo Shinkansen services with private cabins offering an elevated level of comfort, privacy and service. Would love to try it one day.