When you buy Shinkansen tickets, you can either buy online or go to stations. If you would like to ask questions, you can go to stations.
Where can you buy tickets?
You can buy at Stations. 3 options. You can buy using vending machine, you can go to regular ticket office “Midori no madoguchi みどりの窓口” or if you are in Tokyo, you can go to JR East Travel Service Center. If you have questions, JR East Service Center in Tokyo Station, Ueno Station have English speaking staffs who can answer your questions and help you buy tickets.
Shinkansen Fare systems
To ride Shinkansen, you need Basic Fare and Super Express ticket. They may issue 2 tickets (Basic Fare ticket and Super Express ticket) or sometimes it is combined and have 1 ticket depending where you buy them. Price changes according to distance and types of Shinkansen (in case of Tokaido Shinkansen, Kodama, Hikari and Nozomi has different price) and types of seats.
What types of seats are available?
Non reserved seats, Reserved Seats, Green Car, and in some Shinkansen also has Gran Class
- Non reserved seats: you can ride any bullet train in Non-Reserved seats on the date.
- Reserved Seats: you need to be on the designated seats on the designated train.
- Green Car: more spacious than reserved car. you can also order drinks and food menu from your seat using your smart phone.
- Gran Class: only on limited trains.
How to go through ticket gates?
In case you have 2 separate tickets (Basic Fare ticket and Super Express ticket), you can use JR line from nearest JR station within the central city using the Basic Fare ticket. For example, if you are in Shinjuku or Shibuya, you can use Basic Fare ticket from JR Shinjuku or JR Shibuya station. When you arrive at Tokyo Station to get on the Shinkansen, you need to go through another ticket gate to go inside Shinkansen station. There you need to go through gate with Super Express ticket also. At the Shinkansen gate, please use 2 tickets together and make sure to pick both up to proceed to platform.
If you are not transfering from other JR stations but entering straignt to Shinkansen ticket gate from Tokyo Station (or any other Shinkansen station,) use both ticket together to enter. In case of Tokyo Station, you can enter from Yaesu Shinkansen Entrance and you are already in the Shinkansen area.
In case you only have 1 ticket (combined Basic Fare and Super Express ticket), use this to enter from nearest JR station within the area and use the same ticket again to go through Shinkansen ticket gate. Please make sure to pick up the ticket for you need to have the ticket to go out.
Is there cart service available?
Before covid, there were cart service that you could buy drinks, food and sourvenirs but they stopped. If you would like to enjoy food or drinks, please buy before you get on Shinkansen. There are plenty of Bentos and drinks in the kiosk. For Green cars, you can order through your smartphones.
Where to put your luggage?
If you have large suitcases, you need to purchase seats with luggage space. Other than that, you need to put your luggage on overhead luggage spaces. If you have large suitcases, you can ① reserve Shinkansen seat with luggage suitcase ② if you are coming back to the same hotel, you may be able to ask the hotel to store your large suitcase until you come back ③ Send your suitcase via Takkyubin delivery service to the next destination or airport.
What if I miss the Shinkansen?
If you have Reserved seats, Green Car or Gran Class but missed the train, you can still take the Shinkansen on the same date in Non-reserved seats.
What if I want to chage the Shinkansen ticket to different time/date?
You can change the time or date IF you change it BEFORE the original ticket and only if you have not used the ticket. For example, if you bought ticket for Shinkansen leaving Tokyo on Sep.25 on 15:00, if you change it before this time, you can change it to different time or date. The first change can be made without fee, but from second change ( if you changed once but want to change it again) then, you need to refund the ticket with handling charge and buy the ticket again.
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