How to ride the Shinkansen: tickets, seats and luggage

The Shinkansen is the fastest and most comfortable way to cross Japan. Tokyo to Kyoto takes two hours and fifteen minutes, trains leave every few minutes, and delays are measured in seconds. The only confusing part is the ticket.

Pass or single tickets

The Japan Rail Pass only pays for itself on a long loop. As a rule of thumb, it is worth it if you make at least two long round trips in seven days, for example Tokyo to Hiroshima and back, plus a side trip. For a simple Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka route, single tickets are cheaper.

Note that the pass does not cover Nozomi and Mizuho, the fastest services, without a supplement.

Reserving a seat

Every train has reserved and non-reserved cars. Reserve when you travel at weekends, in the morning rush or during national holidays. You can do it:

• at a ticket machine with an English menu, in any JR station,
• at the staffed ticket office, shown by a green seat sign,
• online through the SmartEX app, which also issues a QR ticket.

For a view of Mount Fuji between Tokyo and Kyoto, ask for seat E in a standard car, on the right-hand side heading west.

Luggage rules

Bags with a combined height, width and depth over 160 cm need a reserved oversized-baggage seat on the Tokaido, Sanyo and Kyushu lines. It costs nothing extra, but without the reservation you pay a fee on board. Anything smaller goes on the overhead rack, which is larger than on a plane.

On the platform

Your ticket shows a car number and the platform has matching markings on the floor. Line up at your car's marking, let passengers off, and board promptly: the train stops for about a minute.