TOKYO -- Women-only washrooms will soon be installed on shinkansen bullet trains running in west and central Japan to meet passenger needs, two operators announced on Dec. 13.

The changes will apply to JR Central and JR West bullet trains on the Tokaido and Sanyo lines. From the companies' train schedule update next March, about half of the unisex restrooms on all of their 16-car bullet trains will be made women-only. The changes began to be rolled out the day after the announcement.

Until now, the Tokaido Shinkansen trains have featured men's urinals, genderless restrooms and accessible toilets. A JR Central official said, "Roughly half of shinkansen passengers are women. We decided to install the system in response to customer needs."

According to JR Central, the women-only bathrooms will occupy one of two public toilet facilities in odd-numbered cars of the 16-car trains, except for the 11th cars which have accessible toilets. Pink banding and guidance signs nearby will be used to inform passengers they are for women only.

(Japanese original by Kazuki Sakuma, Business News Department)