The is a Japanese Shinkansen high-speed train with tilting capability developed jointly by JR Central and JR West for use on the Tōkaidō and San'yō Shinkansen lines. Constructed between 2005 and 2020, the type entered revenue service on 1 July 2007, replacing the earlier 300, 500, and 700 series. The N700 series is also operated by JR Kyushu on the Kyushu Shinkansen.

A total of 172 16-car sets (2,752 cars) and 30 8-car sets (240 cars) were built. N700 series trains have a maximum operating speed of 300km/h (190 mph), and their tilting mechanism—up to one degree—allows sustained operation at on radius curves, which were previously limited to . Compared with the 700 series, the N700 also features faster acceleration, with a maximum rate of , enabling it to reach in approximately three minutes.

Further refinements led to the development of the N700A, an incremental evolution that permits operation at on radius curves, raising the maximum operating speed on the Tōkaidō Shinkansen to . All N700 series sets were subsequently retrofitted with most N700A improvements.

These enhancements reduced end-to-end travel times, enabling the fastest Nozomi services between Tokyo and Osaka to complete the journey in as little as 2 hours and 22 minutes.

A successor design with additional refinements, the N700S, entered service in 2020 and is planned to gradually replace the N700 series; the first four sets began operation on 1 July 2020.

Operations N700 series trains gradually replaced 300, 500 and 700 series sets on Nozomi services, and by the end of February 2009, the N700 series were responsible for 74 Nozomi services per day. All Nozomi through runs (over the full route between Tokyo and Hakata) were scheduled to use the N700 series exclusively by 2009. From the start of the revised timetable on 17 March 2012, all regularly scheduled Nozomi services, including runs limited only to the Tokaido Shinkansen, were operated by N700 series sets.

Since 4 March 2017, the N700 is also used on regularly scheduled Hikari services during the day, as well as all Kodama trains on the Tokaido Shinkansen, since March 2020.

Since March 2009, the N700 series trains have been equipped with wireless internet available for use between Tokyo and Shin-Osaka.

Since September 2025, JR West started operation of the modified 8-car N700A sets on the Kodama service on the San'yō Shinkansen between Shin-Osaka and Hakata with a maximum operating speed of 285km/h (177 mph) with other Kodama Trains, the 500 and 700 series and is to be replacing the remaining 500 series sets.

Future plans In an announcement by JR Central, JR West, and JR Kyushu made on 17 October 2023, the companies stated that all onboard smoking rooms on the Tokaido, San'yo, and Kyushu Shinkansen trains would be abolished by Q2 2024.

Variants Series Version Prefix Owner Cars Sets Introduced Notes 0 N700 Z JR Central 16 80 1 July 2007 All converted to N700A 2000 series (X sets) by August 2015 1000 N700A G JR Central 16 51 8 February 2013 New-build N700A sets 2000 N700A X JR Central 16 80 2013–2015 Converted from 0 series (Z sets) 3000 N700 N JR West 16 16 1 July 2007 All converted to N700A 5000 series (K sets) by March 2016 4000 N700A F JR West 16 24 December 2013 New-build N700A sets 5000 N700A K JR West 16 16 October 2013 Converted from 3000 series (N sets); some later converted to 6000 series (P sets) 6000 N700A P JR West 8 14 September 2025 Converted from 16-car 5000 series (K sets) 7000 N700 S JR West 8 19 12 March 2011 Operated on the Kyushu Shinkansen 8000 N700 R JR Kyushu 8 11 12 March 2011 Operated on the Kyushu Shinkansen 9000 N700 Z0 / X0 JR Central 16 1 Prototype set. Later converted to N700A and redesignated X0. Retired 2019.

16-car G sets (N700-1000 series "N700A")

The N700-1000 series, or "N700A" (with "A" standing for "Advanced"), is a new version of the N700 series design delivered from August 2012, and entering revenue service from 8 February 2013.

The new version is externally identical to the existing N700 series sets, with the addition of new "N700A" logos on each odd-numbered car. The new trains include modified brake discs, bogie vibration detection, and ATC improvements.

Six "G" sets were scheduled to be introduced during fiscal 2012, replacing older 700 series sets, with seven more sets introduced during fiscal 2013. A further 18 sets are on order by JR Central, to be delivered six sets per year between fiscal 2014 and 2016 at a cost of 88 billion yen. In October 2015, JR Central announced that it had ordered a further 20 N700A series sets to be delivered between fiscal 2016 and 2019, replacing all of the remaining 700 series trains sets on Tokaido Shinkansen services.

The first set, G1, was delivered to Hamamatsu in August 2012, with test running commencing on the Tokaido Shinkansen the following month.

Formation The 16-car G sets are formed as follows, with car 1 at the Shin-Osaka (western) end and car 16 at the Tokyo (eastern) end.

Car No. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Designation Tc M2 M'w M1 M1w M' M2k M1s M1sw M2s M'h M1 M1w M' M2w T'c Numbering 783-1000 787-1000 786-1500 785-1000 785-1300 786-1000 787-1400 775-1000 776-1000 777-1000 786-1700 785-1600 785-1500 786-1200 787-1500 784-1000 Seating capacity 65 100 85 100 90 100 75 68 64 68 63 100 90 100 80 75 Facilities Toilets   Toilets, smoking room Telephone Toilets   Toilets, smoking room Conductor's office Toilets, telephone Smoking room Toilets, wheelchair space, multi-purpose room Telephone Toilets   Toilets, smoking room, telephone  

Cars 5 and 12 each have one single-arm pantograph.

Interior Internally, seats have new moquette seat covers, and LED lighting is used in toilets and washing areas.

Fleet list , the N700A series G set fleet is as follows. Set No. Manufacturer Date delivered Remarks G1 Nippon Sharyo 25 August 2012Fiscal 2012 batch G2 Hitachi 7 November 2012 G3 Nippon Sharyo 16 November 2012 G4 22 January 2013 G5 Hitachi 30 January 2013 G6 Nippon Sharyo 22 February 2013 G7 Hitachi 17 April 2013Fiscal 2013 batch G8 Nippon Sharyo 11 July 2013 G9 20 September 2013 G10 29 October 2013 G11 11 December 2013 G12 21 January 2014 G13 21 February 2014 G14 4 July 2014Fiscal 2014 batch G15 Hitachi 31 July 2014 G16 Nippon Sharyo 22 August 2014 G17 21 October 2014 G18 Hitachi 3 December 2014 G19 Nippon Sharyo 17 February 2015 G20 14 April 2015Fiscal 2015 batch G21 Hitachi 11 June 2015 G22 Nippon Sharyo 28 August 2015 G23 20 October 2015 G24 Hitachi 16 December 2015 G25 Nippon Sharyo 16 February 2016 G26 Hitachi 6 April 2016Fiscal 2016 batch G27 Nippon Sharyo 10 June 2016 G28 30 August 2016 G29 Hitachi 19 October 2016 G30 Nippon Sharyo 1 November 2016 G31 13 December 2016 G32 7 March 2017 G33 21 April 2017Fiscal 2017 batch G34 13 June 2017 G35 19 July 2017 G36 Hitachi 5 September 2017 G37 Nippon Sharyo 17 October 2017 G38 5 December 2017 G39 16 January 2018 G40 8 June 2018Fiscal 2018 batch G41 13 October 2018 G42 Hitachi 20 July 2018 G43 18 September 2018 G44 Nippon Sharyo 8 January 2019 G45 15 February 2019 G46 23 March 2019 G47 Hitachi 19 April 2019Fiscal 2019 batch G48 Nippon Sharyo 7 June 2019 G49 Hitachi 16 July 2019 G50 Nippon Sharyo 17 September 2019 G51 Hitachi 21 February 2020

16-car X sets (N700-2000 series "N700A")

81 x 16-car sets, X0–X80 (converted from N700-0 series) These are former N700 series Z sets modified between 2013 and August 2015 to incorporate some of the design improvements featured in the later N700A series sets. Cars are renumbered in the -2000 subseries, with the exception of set X0, which is still numbered in the -9000 subseries. The sets are also identified by the addition of a small "A" added to the right of the bodyside "N700" logos. The prototype 16-car train (Z0) was delivered in March 2005 for extensive testing and endurance running. Cars 1 to 4 were built by Hitachi, cars 5 to 14 were built by Nippon Sharyo, and cars 15 and 16 were built by Kawasaki Heavy Industries. It was initially fitted with two auxiliary headlights located below the nose.

The first full-production Z set (Z1) was delivered to JR Central in April 2007, and trains entered revenue service on 1 July 2007, with eight daily Nozomi service runs. The final Z set, Z80, was delivered from Kawasaki Heavy Industries in February 2012.

From fiscal 2013, the fleet of Z sets underwent modifications to incorporate some of the improvements featured in the later N700A series sets. Modified sets were re-designated "X" sets, with cars renumbered in the -2000 subseries. The modified sets are also identified by the addition of a small "A" added to the right of the bodyside "N700" logos. The first original "Z" set, set Z65, was modified to become set X65 in May 2013, with the last original "Z" set, set Z4, modified to become set X4 in August 2015.

The prototype set Z0 was used as a JR Central test train with cars numbered in the -9000 series, and was not used in revenue service. It was renumbered set X0 in 2014, but the car numbers remained in the -9000 subseries. The set was officially withdrawn from service in February 2019.

Withdrawals of N700 series X sets commenced in July 2020, beginning with set X12.

Former Z sets

Formation The 16-car X sets are formed as follows. Car No. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Designation Tc M2 M'w M1 M1w M' M2k M1s M's M2s M'h M1 M1w M' M2w T'c Numbering 783-2000 787-2000 786-2500 785-2000 785-2300 786-2000 787-2400 775-2000 776-2000 777-2000 786-2700 785-2600 785-2500 786-2200 787-2500 784-2000 Seating capacity 65 100 85 100 90 100 75 68 64 68 63 100 90 100 80 75 Facilities Toilets   Toilets, smoking room Telephone Toilets   Toilets, smoking room Conductor's office Toilets, telephone Smoking room Toilets, wheelchair space, multi-purpose room Telephone Toilets   Toilets, smoking room, telephone  

Former Z set formation Car No. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Designation Tc M2 M'w M1 M1w M' M2k M1s M's M2s M'h M1 M1w M' M2w T'c Numbering 783 787 786-500 785 785-300 786 787-400 775 776 777 786-700 785-600 785-500 786-200 787-500 784 Seating capacity 65 100 85 100 90 100 75 68 64 68 63 100 90 100 80 75 Facilities Toilets   Toilets, smoking room Telephone Toilets   Toilets, smoking room Conductor's office Toilets, telephone Smoking room Toilets, wheelchair space, multi-purpose room Telephone Toilets   Toilets, smoking room, telephone  

Cars 5 and 12 each have one single-arm pantograph.

Interior

Fleet list , the JR Central N700A series fleet is as follows.『JR電車編成表』2023冬 [JR EMU Formations - Winter 2023] (in Japanese). Japan: Kotsu Shimbunsha. 2023.

ISBN 9784330067223.