The is a limited express

Limited express

A limited express is a type of express train service. It refers to an express service that stops at a limited number of stops in comparison to other express services on the same or similar routes.- Japan :...

 train service in Japan

Japan

Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

 operated by Central Japan Railway Company

Central Japan Railway Company

The is the main railway company operating in the Chūbu region of central Japan. It is officially abbreviated in English as JR Central and in Japanese as . Its headquarters are located in the JR Central Towers in Nakamura-ku, Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture.The company's operational hub is Nagoya Station...

 (JR Central) which runs between Shizuoka

Shizuoka Station

is a major railway station on the Tōkaidō Main Line of Central Japan Railway Company in Shizuoka, Japan, on the Tōkaidō Shinkansen and Tōkaidō Main Line. The station is 180.2 rail kilometers from Tokyo.-History:...

 and Kōfu

Kofu Station

is the central railway station managed by East Japan Railway Company , in the city of Kōfu, Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan.- Lines :*East Japan Railway Company **Chūō Main Line*Central Japan Railway Company **Minobu Line...

. Since October 1995, it has been branded as Wide View Fujikawa, following the introduction of new 373 series

373 series

The is an electric multiple unit train operated by Central Japan Railway Company on mid-distance limited express services in Japan since October 1995.-Operations:As of 2011, the 373 series sets are used on the following services....

 EMUs replacing the previous 165 series

165 series

The was an express electric multiple unit train type introduced in 1963 by Japanese National Railways .-History:In the early 1960s, the Chūō Main Line and Shinetsu Line were electrified, requiring new EMUs for express services...

 trains.

History

• 20 March 1956: Semi Express service introduced between Fuji and Kōfu using 80 series 4-car EMUs.
• 1 October 1964: Service extended to Shizuoka.
• 5 March 1966: Service between Shizuoka and Kōfu upgraded to Express.
• 15 March 1972: 80 series EMUs were replaced by 165 series EMUs displaced by the opening of the Sanyō Shinkansen
  Sanyō Shinkansen
  The is a line of the Japanese Shinkansen high-speed rail network, connecting Shin-Ōsaka in Osaka with Hakata Station in Fukuoka, the two largest cities in western Japan...
  
  .

From 1 October 1995. the service was upgraded to become a Limited express

Limited express

A limited express is a type of express train service. It refers to an express service that stops at a limited number of stops in comparison to other express services on the same or similar routes.- Japan :...

 following introduction of new 373 series

373 series

The is an electric multiple unit train operated by Central Japan Railway Company on mid-distance limited express services in Japan since October 1995.-Operations:As of 2011, the 373 series sets are used on the following services....

 EMU trains. The name was also changed to in hiragana

Hiragana

is a Japanese syllabary, one basic component of the Japanese writing system, along with katakana, kanji, and the Latin alphabet . Hiragana and katakana are both kana systems, in which each character represents one mora...

.

From 18 March 2007, all cars were made no-smoking.