Shinkansen Guide
Choose a train, buy the right ticket, and get through the gate with your bags.
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Taking the Shinkansen from Tokyo to Kyoto or Osaka? Choose a reserved seat if you want a guaranteed place to sit, and book space for a large suitcase at the same time. Here’s how to buy your ticket and get through the gate.
Choose the line for your destination
Kyoto and Shin-Osaka are on the Tokaido line; Hiroshima and Hakata are farther west on the Sanyo line. From western Tokyo, Shinagawa may be a simpler westbound boarding point than Tokyo Station.
| Line | Operator | Key Route | Top Speed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tokaido | JR Central | Tokyo → Nagoya → Kyoto → Osaka (Shin-Osaka) | 285 km/h |
| Sanyo | JR West | Shin-Osaka → Hiroshima → Hakata (Fukuoka) | 300 km/h |
| Tohoku | JR East | Tokyo → Sendai → Morioka → Shin-Aomori | 320 km/h |
| Hokuriku | JR East / JR West | Tokyo → Nagano → Kanazawa → Tsuruga | 260 km/h |
| Joetsu | JR East | Tokyo → Niigata | 275 km/h |
| Hokkaido | JR Hokkaido | Shin-Aomori → Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto | 260 km/h |
| Kyushu | JR Kyushu | Hakata → Kumamoto → Kagoshima-Chuo | 260 km/h |
Choose between Nozomi, Hikari and Kodama
| Type | Speed | Stops | Nationwide JR Pass? | Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nozomi | Fastest | Fewest (major stations only) | Only with the additional Nozomi/Mizuho ticket | Tokyo→Shin-Osaka: from 2h21m |
| Hikari | Fast | Moderate | Yes | Tokyo → Shin-Osaka |
| Kodama | Slower | All stations | Yes | Tokyo → Shin-Osaka |
| Mizuho | Fastest (Sanyo/Kyushu) | Fewest | Only with the additional Nozomi/Mizuho ticket | Shin-Osaka → Hakata |
| Sakura | Fast (Sanyo/Kyushu) | Moderate | Yes | Shin-Osaka → Hakata |
The nationwide Japan Rail Pass covers eligible Hikari, Kodama and Sakura journeys. For Nozomi or Mizuho, buy the dedicated pass-holder ticket before boarding and use it with your valid pass. Regional passes have their own rules.
Compare actual times, including connections. The 2h21m Tokyo–Shin-Osaka example in JR Central’s guide is a fastest journey, not every train. See the Nozomi/Mizuho pass-holder conditions.
Reserved or unreserved seats: if you need a wheelchair space or boarding assistance, use the operator’s dedicated booking guidance before choosing an ordinary seat
| Reserved (指定席) | Unreserved (自由席) | |
|---|---|---|
| Seat guarantee | Your booked seat | First come, first served |
| What you pay | Fare + reserved-seat charge | Fare + non-reserved charge |
| JR Pass holders | Included on covered services | Covered trains with non-reserved cars |
| Recommended | Peak season, weekends, long routes | Off-peak, short trips |
Both seats need a basic fare and a Shinkansen limited express charge, sometimes combined into one ticket. Prices vary by train, season and product. Pass reservations depend on availability and reservation limits.
Hayabusa, Komachi and Kagayaki are all-reserved. So is Nozomi during designated peak periods: reserve if you want to sit. On these peak-period Nozomi trains, a qualifying non-reserved ticket may allow standing in an Ordinary-car deck, but crowding can prevent boarding. Ask staff; an empty reserved seat is not available for you to take.
Ticket combinations; Hayabusa/Komachi seating; Kagayaki seating; Nozomi peak periods and standing; Pass reservations.
Buy your ticket and prepare to board
Book online with SmartEX
SmartEX covers the Tokaido, Sanyo and Kyushu Shinkansen: Tokyo–Shin-Osaka–Hakata–Kagoshima-Chuo. Use the website if the app is unavailable in your country. For other lines, use the relevant JR operator. Nationwide JR Pass reservations use a separate system.
Register with your name, date of birth, email and a supported payment card; card authentication may be required. Choose your train and seat, then check the fare’s change and missed-train conditions. The registration instructions explain the required details.
Buy tickets at the station
JR reserved-seat machines (指定席券売機) have English menus and accept cash or card. At a counter marked みどりの窓口 (Midori no Madoguchi), show your destination and departure request on your phone or paper.
Nationwide JR Pass holders can reserve covered seats at suitable machines or counters. Official direct-online pass buyers can also use JAPAN RAIL PASS Reservation. Collect the pass and reserved-seat tickets before boarding.
At the Shinkansen gate
Each SmartEX passenger needs a boarding QR-Ticket, a compatible IC card linked to their paid booking, or paper tickets. Scan the QR at a QR-marked gate or tap the linked IC card. Your payment card pays for the Shinkansen, not your IC balance. Conventional trains need a separate fare.
Take the Seat Information slip after entry; use your boarding QR or IC card again at the exit. Insert separate paper fare and limited express tickets together, then take them back. Keep all required tickets until your final exit.
Follow the QR boarding or IC boarding instructions for your booking.
Where your suitcase goes
Add your suitcase’s length, width and height. On the Tokaido, Sanyo, Kyushu and Nishi Kyushu Shinkansen, over 160 cm and up to 250 cm means you need a seat with an oversized baggage area. Book it with your seat; it costs the same as the equivalent reserved seat.
Ordinary seats can be available when baggage-area seats are full; choose another departure if needed. For a connection, reserve the baggage-area seat on every leg that requires one. Without the required booking, you can face a ¥1,000 fee and crew-directed storage. Paying the fee does not guarantee space.
- 160 cm or less: No oversized-baggage reservation is required for an ordinary suitcase. Use suitable racks, foot space or available storage. Keep heavy or unstable bags off overhead racks.
- Over 250 cm: Ordinary luggage cannot be carried. The general allowance is two pieces, each up to 30 kg and 2 m long, excluding small personal items.
The Tohoku, Hokkaido, Akita, Yamagata, Joetsu and Hokuriku Shinkansen do not use this reservation requirement. Their available luggage storage is first come, first served, within size and safety limits.
Some Tokaido/Sanyo deck compartments are shared, unreserved storage for bags no larger than 160 cm. They do not replace the reservation for oversized suitcases. Strollers, sports equipment and musical instruments have separate handling rules; reserve the associated seat if you want their designated space behind the last row.
Route-specific rules: JR Central, JR Kyushu and JR East. See also the general carry-on limits.
A few useful details for the ride
- Time at the station: Aim for the platform about 10 minutes early, with extra time for ticket collection or large stations. Follow the displayed departure time.
- Mount Fuji: On a standard Tokaido layout, choose window seat E in Ordinary Class or D in Green Class in either direction. Clear weather matters.
- Food: Buy an ekiben (station bento), snacks and drinks before boarding. Ordinary Class on the Tokaido Shinkansen has no onboard food sales.
- Wi-Fi: Free Wi-Fi is offered on Tokaido Shinkansen trains, but save the boarding QR and essential journey details before travel in case the connection is unavailable.
- Power: Tokaido N700S trains have outlets at every seat. On N700A/N700 trains, Ordinary Class outlets are at window seats and the first and last rows; Green Car has them at every seat.
- Smoking: Tokaido Shinkansen trains are smoke-free. Onboard smoking rooms closed on March 16, 2024.
JR Central’s passenger guide, train facilities and the smoking-room announcement.
For pass and route decisions, cross-check our JR Pass guide and station navigation guide.
FAQ
Do I need to print my ticket?
No, if each passenger on your SmartEX booking has a boarding QR-Ticket or correctly linked IC card. A booking email or paper-ticket pickup code cannot open the gate. See the boarding instructions above.
Can I change trains mid-route?
Changing trains within your booked journey differs from leaving the station: on a SmartEX Tokyo–Shin-Osaka booking, exiting at Kyoto invalidates the unused section. Book separate journeys for that stop.
Some normal JR basic-fare tickets allow stopovers, depending on distance, route and city-zone rules. Limited express and seat tickets do not carry the same permission. Ask the counter for the right combination; check SmartEX conditions and JR Central’s stopover rules.
What if I miss my train?
Change before departure if you can; gate entry and ticket collection limit online changes. If you miss the train:
- Standard reserved-seat tickets or basic smartEX Service: You lose your booked seat. Later same-day non-reserved travel over the eligible section may be allowed. A new reserved seat normally needs another limited express charge.
- SmartEX Hayatoku: This later-train rule does not apply. Another train or seat facility requires new tickets under that product’s conditions.
If your suitcase is over 160 cm on a route requiring a baggage-area seat, you still need a new baggage-area seat reservation on the later train. Ask staff before using an all-reserved service. An unreserved ticket guarantees no seat. See SmartEX missed-train rules and JR Central’s change rules.
Is Green Car worth it?
On Tokaido N700 trains, Green Car has wider seats, two on each side, and footrests. Compare your departure’s price if extra space matters to you. See the train layout and N700S seat specifications.
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AI-assisted research and editing. Ticket, reservation and baggage conditions rechecked October 7, 2026; selected onboard details checked October 6.