Passengers on Japan's superfast shinkansen have long enjoyed ordering coffee, ice cream or boxed lunches from staff pushing a snack cart, savoring the treats as they whipped past landmarks such as Mount Fuji.
But faced with a looming labor shortage and a trend for more people to buy food before boarding the train, onboard snack cart services between the cities of Tokyo and Osaka will reach the end of the line on Oct. 31.
Central Japan Railway said Tuesday it would phase out the famed onboard snack cart services in which a uniformed vendor dispenses beverages and light refreshments, pushing their cart through the aisles of the moving train and bowing as they enter or leave the carriage.
Snack and food sales have been a mainstay on the bullet train since it began running in 1964, the year Japan hosted the first Tokyo Olympics, a railway spokesperson said, although it was not clear when the cart services began.
The online response to the news was despondent, with "Super-Cold Shinkansen Ice Cream" trending fifth on the X platform, formerly known as Twitter, and "In-Train Service" sixth within hours of the announcement.
"I remember that I enjoyed the ice cream every time I got on the train, and when I jumped on the last train without eating, I was saved by the sandwiches sold there," one user said.
Passengers on first-class cars will be able to order food and drink using QR codes starting Nov. 1, the railway company said.
"While cost reductions are important for a company, onboard snack cart services are also important for the enjoyment of the traveler's experience," another user wrote.