Tourism JR East launching bullet train 'office cars'

For no additional charge and only on weekdays, passengers on the No. 8 cars of the Tohoku, Joetsu, and Hokuriku lines can now talk on the phone and participate in online meetings from their seats — activities that are discouraged on the rest of the train. [...] Passengers will also be able to borrow "smart glasses" which project the content of their laptop screens into specialized lenses worn on the face. On bullet trains on the Tohoku line, passengers will also be able to use small dividers to put around their seats and table free of charge. A similar measure is being considered for the Hokuriku and Joetsu lines. The remote work spaces onboard the shinkasen are also available on a different railway operator's shinkansen line in Hokkaido, which connects directly to the Tohoku line. JR East hopes the new service will help encourage "workation" trips — where people combine working online with travel — while also stimulating demand for business trips, which decreased dramatically during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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