There were originally 53 government post stations along the Tōkaidō, where travelers had to present traveling permits at each station if wanting to cross. In 1619, the Ōsaka Kaidō (????) was developed to extend the Tōkaidō so that it would reach Kōraibashi in modern-day Osaka.
How did the tōkaidō road help unify, stabilize, and centralize Japan? Commerence, manufacturing, and agricultural production. Had a vibrant urban culture emerge catering to merchants, samurai, and townspeople rather than the nobles or daimyo, traditional patrons.
The JR Pass is valid on all Shinkansen services in all the Shinkansen lines, except for the Nozomi and Mizuho services on the Tokaido and Sanyo Shinkansen lines. You will not have access to the trains with the fewest stops on the Tokaido and Sanyo lines.
Hikari is the second fastest train. Hikari stops at the big stations where Nozomi doesn't stop, such as Odawara (not all Hikari trains), Shizuoka or Hamamatsu besides the largest stations above. For example, Hikari runs through from Tokyo to Shin-Osaka for about two hours 53 minutes (20 minutes more than Nozomi).
Four Hikari trains depart each hour, two in each direction. Departures take place approximately every half hour. Hikari trains stop only at major cities, but these stops differ by train.
Many passengers buy a food and drink before boarding. Now this service is available on the Shinkansen trains and a few limited express trains as of December, 2019.
The JR Tokaido Shinkansen requires 15 minutes and costs 1440 yen for an unreserved seat between not so centrally located Shin-Osaka Station and Kyoto Station. A reserved seat costs about twice as much. The Japan Rail Pass covers Hikari and Kodama trains between Shin-Osaka and Kyoto, but it does not cover Nozomi trains.
Note that the Shinkansen does not run overnight.
The Hikari Shinkansen is the second fastest bullet trian, taking about 3 hours from Tokyo to Shin-Osaka. Hikari Shinkansen run about every 30 minutes (please check timetables for details). It stops at all the major cities (Tokyo, Yokohama, Nagoya, Kyoto, and Osaka), and it makes just a few extra stops along the way.
Shinkansen Tickets. Regular paper tickets for the shinkansen can be purchased at ticket counters, at ticket machines or online. Alternatively, IC cards can be used on selected shinkansen lines. Last but not least, there are several rail passes and other types of discount tickets that can be used on the shinkansen.
