Getting around

Shinkansen with a JR Pass: seats, Nozomi and big bags

Free guide: 20 quiet rules →

Yes, the Japan Rail Pass covers the shinkansen: every JR bullet-train line, except Nozomi and Mizuho trains. Seat reservations are free. Two things catch people out: the extra ticket for those fast trains, and the booking rule for big suitcases.

The short version

  1. Ride Hikari, Kodama, Sakura, Tsubame and every shinkansen outside the Tokaido, Sanyo and Kyushu lines on the pass alone.
  2. For a Nozomi or Mizuho, buy a separate "NOZOMI MIZUHO Ticket" for each ride, or take the next Hikari or Sakura.
  3. Reserve a seat for free: online (if you bought the pass online), at a reserved-seat ticket machine, or at a JR ticket office.
  4. A suitcase over 160 cm in total (length + width + height) needs a seat with an oversized-baggage area, booked ahead.
  5. At the gate, put the pass itself through the slot. A seat ticket alone won't open it.

Which trains the pass covers

  • The nationwide pass covers all JR Group railways, shinkansen included, plus the Tokyo Monorail, local JR buses and the JR ferry to Miyajima.
  • The exception: you can't use the pass for any seat, reserved or non-reserved, on Nozomi and Mizuho trains. Those run on the Tokaido, Sanyo and Kyushu shinkansen (Tokyo–Osaka–Hakata–Kagoshima).
  • On those same lines, Hikari and Kodama (Tokaido and Sanyo) and Sakura and Tsubame (towards Kyushu) are covered. Hikari stops a few more times than a Nozomi. Tokyo to Kyoto takes roughly 2.5 to 3 hours instead of about 2 hours 15 minutes.
  • Every other shinkansen line, such as the Tohoku, Hokkaido, Joetsu and Hokuriku lines, is covered on any train, in Ordinary class with an Ordinary pass. Gran Class cars cost extra.
  • Private railways and city subways aren't JR. Use your IC card for those.

Nozomi and Mizuho: the special ticket

  • JR sells a "NOZOMI MIZUHO Ticket" only to pass holders. It is a separate, distance-based ticket, and you need a new one for every Nozomi or Mizuho ride.
  • Buy it at reserved-seat ticket machines, JR ticket offices (Midori-no-madoguchi) or JR Travel Service Centers, from one month before your travel day up to the day itself.
  • It's valid for one day, only for the section printed on it, and only with a pass that is valid that day.
  • Standard-car pass holders can't buy it for the Green Car.
  • In peak periods every seat on Nozomi trains is reserved. With a non-reserved Nozomi ticket you'd stand, so reserve.
  • The official site lists the price for each section. For most first trips, the simpler choice is the next Hikari or Sakura, which the pass already covers.

How to reserve a seat (free)

  • Online: if you bought the pass on the official site, reserve on the JAPAN RAIL PASS reservation site, then pick up the seat ticket at a JR ticket machine or office.
  • At a ticket machine: scan the QR code on your pass (or enter your reservation number), enter your passport number, choose the train, and print the seat ticket. Some JR stations don't have one.
  • At a ticket office: show your pass at a Midori-no-madoguchi or a JR Travel Service Center. Expect a queue at busy stations.
  • There's no extra charge for reserving, and you can reserve once your train is decided. The system won't book two trains that overlap.
  • To change or cancel a seat ticket you've already printed, go to a ticket office.
  • In the busiest weeks (May 1–6, August 7–16, September 18–23 and December 29–January 3), JR says seats aren't guaranteed. Reserve as early as you can.
  • smartEX, the JR Central booking app, can't be combined with the JR Pass. A seat bought there isn't a pass seat.

Big suitcases: the oversized-baggage rule

  • On the Tokaido, Sanyo, Kyushu and Nishi Kyushu shinkansen, a bag up to 160 cm in total (length + width + height) needs no booking. It goes on the overhead rack.
  • From 160 cm to 250 cm, reserve a seat with an oversized-baggage area or compartment. It costs the same as a normal reserved seat, and pass holders reserve it the same way, free. At a ticket office, tell the staff about the bag.
  • Board with a bag that size and no reservation, and you pay a ¥1,000 fee and store it where the crew tells you.
  • Over 250 cm isn't allowed on board. You may bring up to two bags.
  • Other shinkansen lines don't have this rule, but space is just as tight. The easy answer is to send your suitcase ahead and travel with a day bag.

Through the gates

  • Insert the pass into the slot of an automatic gate and take it back on the other side. Your seat ticket can't open the gate on its own.
  • Gates marked "IC only" won't take the pass. Use another gate.

When the pass is worth it (and when it isn't) - Often worth it: long rides close together. Tokyo to Hiroshima and back inside a week, or a trip north to Aomori or Hakodate and back. Our 10-day route is a fair test: a 7-day pass started on the day you leave Tokyo covers every long ride to the end. - Often not: a Tokyo–Kyoto–Osaka week with one long ride out and the flight home from Osaka. Single tickets, or a regional pass, usually come out ahead. See the 7-day route. - The test: list every JR ride you'll really take inside the pass's 7, 14 or 21 days, price each one as a single ticket, and add them up. If the total is clearly above the official pass price, buy it. If it's close, skip it and keep the freedom to take any train, Nozomi included.

Questions

Can I ride the Nozomi if I pay the difference on board?

Don't count on it. The pass isn't valid for any seat on Nozomi or Mizuho. Buy the NOZOMI MIZUHO Ticket at a machine or office before you board.

Do I have to reserve, or can I sit in the non-reserved cars?

Hikari, Kodama and Sakura have non-reserved cars you can use with the pass. Reserving costs nothing, though, and on busy days it's the difference between sitting and standing.

Does the pass cover the Green Car?

The Green pass does. The Ordinary pass is for standard cars, so choose the class when you buy the pass.

What if my bag is just over 160 cm?

Measure length + width + height before you go, wheels included. If it's over 160 cm, book the oversized-baggage seat. It's free with the pass.

psst, the fastest train isn't always the best one. Hikari trains run through the day on the Tokyo–Osaka line, you can sit down without the extra ticket, and the view of Mt. Fuji is the same.

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