Bullet trains in Japan start trial run of "office car" for passengers East Japan Railway Co. started a trial run Monday of a scheme to convert a car on certain shinkansen bullet trains into office space for passengers, as interest in remote work grows in Japan amid the coronavirus pandemic. Passengers would be able to move to the designated car from their seats freely and without extra charge on some Tohoku shinkansen trains between Tokyo and northern cities, according to JR East. A man works remotely in a Tohoku shinkansen carriage converted into an office space on Feb. 1, 2021. (Kyodo) They would be permitted to speak on the phone, which is discouraged on the rest of the train, and hold online meetings.