On each Shinkansen line there are express,
semi express and local trains. They all bear a different name. For example, the one linking Tokyo to
Osaka on the Tokaido Shinkansen line is called the
Nozomi (It's the fastest train, but keep in mind that
the Japan Rail Pass does not give access to it). On the same line, the
Hikari stops at 1 to 4 train stations more than the Nozomi and
is available for Japan Rail Pass holders, as is the Kodama which stops at all train stations.
It is a similar idea on the Shinkansen line that goes North to Shin-Hakodate. The
Hayabusa leaves from Tokyo and only serves the following train
stations : Omiya, Sendaï, Morioka, Shin-Aomori and Shin Hakodate. The
Yamabiko, a slower train, goes as far as Morioka, and then the
Nasuno, with an even shorter route ending at Koriyama. The
Hayate trains operate one return service per day between Morioka and Shin Hakodate and one return service per day between Shin Aomori and Shin Hakodate. The
Hokuriku Shinkansen has many types of train to reach Kanazawa.