E8 series
E8 Series set G2 in March 2024
In service	2024–present
Manufacturer	Hitachi Kawasaki RailcarMfg.
Designer	Ken Okuyama
Family name	Mini-shinkansen
Replaced	E3 series
Constructed	2022–2026
Entered service	16 March 2024
Number under construction	23 vehicles (4 sets)
Number built	66 vehicles (11 sets)
Number in service	66 vehicles (11 sets) (as of June 2025)
Formation	7 cars per trainset
Fleet numbers	G1–G15
Capacity	355 (26Green + 329 standard)
Operators	JR East
Depots	Yamagata
Lines served	Tohoku Shinkansen Yamagata Shinkansen
Specifications
Doors	1 per side
Maximum speed	300 km/h (190 mph) (Tohoku Shinkansen) 130 km/h (81 mph) (Yamagata Shinkansen)
Electric system(s)	20/25 kV AC, 50 Hzoverhead catenary
Current collection	Pantograph
Safety system(s)	DS-ATC RS-ATC ATS-P
Multiple working	E5 series
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in)standard gauge

TheE8 series (E8系) is a JapaneseShinkansen high-speed train type forTsubasa services. In revenue service since 16 March 2024,^[1] it will progressively replace theE3 series from 2024 onwards, raising the top speed of the service from 275 to 300 kilometers per hour (171 to 186 mph). It is designed byKen Okuyama, in cooperation withKawasaki Heavy Industries.^[2]

Though 17 sets were originally planned to be built, this was reduced to 15 sets due to reduced travel demand caused by theCOVID-19 pandemic.^[3] These sets are to be built byKawasaki Railcar Manufacturing andHitachi.^[4]

The first set, numbered G1, was delivered to Sendai Shinkansen Depot on 30 January 2023.^[5]

The train was designed to invoke the richness of the landscape of theYamagata region, and the "weaving together of nature and people". The exterior coloring is unchanged from the re-liveried E3 series, also designed by Ken Okuyama: white, evoking the snow ofMount Zaō; deep purple inspired by theMandarin duck, the prefectural bird for Yamagata Prefecture; and yellow and red for thesafflower, the prefectural flower of Yamagata Prefecture.^[6]

All cars are equipped with fullactive suspension.^[2]

The increased top speed from 275 to 300 kilometers per hour (171 to 186 mph) is possible due to its 9-meter-long (29 ft 6 in) nose, 3 meters (9 ft 10 in) longer than the current E3 series.^[7]

The E8 uses the same 5M2T-formation as theE3 andE6 seriesmini-shinkansen, meaning that it consists of 5 powered (motor), and 2 non-powered (trailer) cars.^[2][4]

• Cars 12 and 16 are each equipped with a single-armpantograph.

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The 7-car trains have two service classes: ordinary cars and Green cars, with a seating capacity of 355. This is 39 fewer seats than theE3 series trains it replaces. Both seating configurations are 2+2 abreast, as is the case for all other mini-Shinkansen trains. AC power outlets are available in both classes. Both the cabins and vestibules are equipped with security cameras. The green car has room for one wheelchair user, while each ordinary car has room for two. All seven cars are equipped to handle large baggage.^[9]

The color scheme of the Green car seating is inspired by the blue waters of theMogami River, combined with the lush greenery coveringMount Gassan. The ordinary car seating draws inspiration from the traditional process of extracting the color of the safflower, which is why the color gradually becomes less saturated moving from the seat cushion to the headrest. The center aisle carpet was designed based on the image of the safflower, represented by the seats, reflecting on the waters of the Mogami River as it flows between them.^[2]

• 
  Green car interior
• 
  Wheelchair space
• 
  Multipurpose Room
• 
  Public spaces
• 
  Toilet

On 17 June 2025, four E8 series trainsets experiencedauxiliary power unit (APU) malfunctions.^[10][11][12]

In the most prominent case, the newest E8 series train—set G11, delivered earlier in June^[11]—was undergoing a test run fromUeno Station toMorioka Station^[13] when its APU failed, disrupting power supply to the cooling system for its motor control circuitry.^[10][14] This caused circuit protection systems to activate,^[12][14] bringing the train to a stop at 11:24 am^[14] inTochigi Prefecture, betweenUtsunomiya Station andNasushiobara Station.^[11][12]

With the track obstructed, the next two northbound trains following immediately behind were also forced to stop between stations, leaving 682 and 480 passengers stranded onboard respectively. Shortly after 3 pm, occupants of the first train were transferred viagangway to a southbound train that pulled up alongside, making the vacant train available for coupling to the defective E8 as a potential recovery option. The second stranded train turned back towards Utsunomiya Station at roughly 3:15 pm. The faulty train was ultimately repaired on the spot and was moved to Nasushiobara Station under its own power shortly after 4 pm.^[13]

This incident caused operations to be suspended in both directions on theTōhoku Shinkansen betweenTokyo andSendai until 5 pm, with approximately 54,700 passengers impacted by the cancellation of 86 Tōhoku,Akita, andYamagata Shinkansen trains and delays to a further 138 trains.^[10][15]

The other three incidents also involved the newest trainsets in the fleet:^{[10][11][12][14][16]}

• At 1:56 pm, E8 series set G10 (delivered May 2025) was also on a test run when it became unable to proceed under its own power after stopping atKōriyama Station.
• At 2:38 pm, set G9 had just departed with passengers fromFukushima Station when a fault was indicated on itsinstrument panel. It stopped for inspections atSasakino Station and was returned to service about half an hour behind schedule.
• At 3:26 pm, set G8 was in passenger service when it encountered a malfunction while stopped atOyama Station and was subsequently withdrawn from service.

East Japan Railway Company (JR East) launched an investigation and discovered that six APUs on the four defective trains had malfunctioned due to damage incurred to semiconductor components inside.^[17][18][19] Each E8 series trainset has two APUs, providing redundancy in case one has a fault,^[17][19] but the two newest trainsets that were undergoingshakedown following their recent deliveries were immobilized when both APU units broke down.^[19] Additionally, cases of semiconductor component damage were also previously detected on 21 May and 16 June.^[17] JR East indicated that it was working with the manufacturer to examine if the semiconductor components' operating parameters (such as voltage) had been exceeded,^[19] as well as look into whether environmental factors such as hot weather could have contributed to the problem.^[14][17] As of 25 June 2025, the root cause behind the damaged semiconductor has yet to be identified.^[17][18][19]

While the investigation is ongoing, JR East has suspended the use of the E8 series in independent operation, requiring E8 trains to run inmultiple working,^[10][11] effectively precluding its use on the Yamagata Shinkansen. With theE3 series originally slated to be phased out by the end ofFYTooltip fiscal year2025,^[18] JR East prioritized allocating the available rolling stock to ply between Fukushima Station andYamagata/Shinjō stations while cancelling mostthrough services between the Tōhoku and Yamagata Shinkansen.^[14] Even so, the Yamagata Shinkansen is only operating at a reduced capacity of approximately 80% of its normal schedule.^[19]

• List of high-speed trains

• Press release (in Japanese)
• Media related toShinkansen E8 at Wikimedia Commons

• East Japan Railway Company
• Shinkansen train series
• Train-related introductions in 2024
• Passenger trains running at least at 300 km/h in commercial operations
• Kawasaki multiple units
• Hitachi multiple units
• 20 kV AC multiple units
• 25 kV AC multiple units

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