Trains in Japan: shinkansen, Japan Rail Pass, seat reservations and IC cards

In Japan, the long legs of a trip are covered by shinkansen, the high-speed trains of the JR companies (Japan Railways, the six rail companies that grew out of the former national railways): Tokyo to Kyoto takes about 2 hr 10 min, Tokyo to Kanazawa 2 hr 30 min and Tokyo to Hiroshima 4 hours. The Japan Rail Pass, sold only to foreign visitors, opens almost the whole JR network for 7, 14 or 21 days, from 50,000 ¥ (about 282 €) on the official website. This guide covers prices, what the pass includes, journey times between the regions of a trip to Japan, seat reservations, the rules for large suitcases and contactless travel cards.

The Japan Rail Pass: prices and conditions

The pass comes in two classes: ordinary, and Green, the first-class car on JR trains. As of 30 October 2026 there are two sets of prices. The pass's official website, run by the JR companies, sells at the current rate in the first column; JR-authorised agencies outside Japan have charged the higher prices announced by the JR Group since 1 October 2026. The official website is keeping its prices for a limited time, with no end date announced.

Children aged 6 to 11 pay about half: 25,000 ¥ (about 141 €) for the 7-day ordinary pass on the official website, 27,000 ¥ (about 153 €) from an agency. From the age of 12, the adult price applies. Agencies sell the pass as an exchange order, converted into local currency at the rate on the day the order is issued.

The conditions set by the JR companies:

• Entry status. The pass is reserved for foreign tourists who entered Japan as a "Temporary Visitor", with the stamp or sticker in their passport. The automated gates at the airport do not stamp passports: go through a staffed booth, or ask for the stamp. Entry rules are covered in our entry requirements guide.
• Passport at all times. Station staff and conductors may ask to see it.
• Duration. Once the pass has started, its period of use cannot be extended. Refunds are possible only before the start date, with a fee of 10% of the yen price for an exchange order bought abroad and 560 ¥ (about 4 €) for a pass bought on the official website.
• Loss. A lost or stolen pass is not replaced.

What the pass covers

The pass is valid on JR shinkansen, limited express and ordinary trains, on local JR bus lines, on the Tokyo Monorail and on the JR West ferry to Miyajima. JR express buses and private railways are paid separately: the Odakyu Romancecar to Hakone, for example, and Kintetsu trains to Nara.

Nozomi and Mizuho trains, the fastest on the Tokaido, Sanyo and Kyushu lines, require a special ticket sold only to pass holders, bought for each journey. The price is the same in the Green Car, a reserved seat or an unreserved seat:

The ticket is sold at reserved-seat ticket machines and at JR ticket offices, known as Midori-no-madoguchi, from one month before the journey up to the day itself, while the pass is valid. Without it, the pass covers the Hikari, Kodama, Sakura and Tsubame trains on the same lines: Tokyo to Kyoto then takes about 2 hr 50 min by Hikari, against 2 hr 10 min by Nozomi.

Regional passes. JR West, the company serving western Japan, sells passes limited to its area, for visitors with the same entry status. The Kansai-Hiroshima Area Pass, 5 consecutive days for 17,000 ¥ (about 96 €), covers Kyoto, Osaka, Nara, Okayama, the Sanyo Shinkansen from Shin-Osaka to Hiroshima and the Miyajima ferry. The Kansai-Hokuriku Area Pass, 7 consecutive days for 19,000 ¥ (about 108 €), covers Kyoto, Osaka, the Thunderbird express, the Hokuriku Shinkansen from Tsuruga to Kanazawa and the Haruka express from Kansai Airport. The Tokaido Shinkansen between Tokyo and Kyoto is outside both.

Journeys between the regions

Journey times between the stops on our trips:

Between Kanazawa and Takayama, the express bus, about 2 hr 15 min, is the direct link. Our pages on Kyoto, Kanazawa and Kaga Onsen and Hiroshima and Miyajima describe how to reach each stop.

Is the pass worth it? It depends on the number of long JR journeys. Our 12-day Tokyo, Hakone, Kyoto and Osaka trip has only one long train journey, from the Tokyo area to Kyoto; Hakone is reached by the Odakyu Romancecar, outside the pass, and Kyoto, Nara and Osaka are 30 to 40 minutes apart. A trip linking Tokyo, Kanazawa, Kyoto and Hiroshima is a closer match for the 7- or 14-day pass, plus Nozomi tickets. For each trip, we compare the pass with single tickets on the actual journeys.

Reserving a seat

Seat reservations are free with the pass. A pass bought on the official website lets you reserve online before collecting it; otherwise, seats are reserved at JR station ticket machines, generally open from 4:00 to 23:30, or at Midori-no-madoguchi offices. Changes or cancellations after the ticket is issued are made at the station ticket office.

During peak periods, all Nozomi trains on the Tokaido-Sanyo line run with reserved seats only, according to JR Central, the company that operates the Tokaido Shinkansen. These periods match Japanese holidays, including Golden Week; our seasons guide lists the 2027 public holidays. At those times, book as soon as sales open, one month before the journey.

Large suitcases on the shinkansen

On the Tokaido, Sanyo, Kyushu and Nishi-Kyushu Shinkansen, between Tokyo, Shin-Osaka, Hakata and Kagoshima-Chuo, the rule depends on the total of the bag's three sides:

A bag of 161 to 250 cm brought on board without a reservation is charged 1,000 ¥ (about 6 €) and stowed where the conductor says; if the train is full, you may be asked to take a later one. Each passenger may carry two bags, each up to 30 kg and 200 cm long. Large travel suitcases often exceed 160 cm: reserve one of these seats, or send the bags ahead. Yamato, Japan's main parcel carrier, offers left-luggage and same-day baggage delivery from its counters. Luggage space cannot be reserved on conventional lines.

IC cards and bank cards

IC cards, prepaid contactless travel cards, pay for trains, subways, buses, convenience-store purchases and a growing number of shops and restaurants. Suica and Pasmo are the Tokyo cards, ICOCA is JR West's card in the Kansai. ICOCA costs 2,000 ¥ (about 12 €), including a 500 ¥ (about 3 €) deposit refunded when the card is returned; it is sold at Midori-no-madoguchi offices and at machines bearing its logo, which take cash.

International bank cards are accepted for shinkansen tickets and the Narita Express, but not always for short train or subway journeys. In the cities, a topped-up IC card is the simplest option. Our guide to money and taxes in Japan covers cash withdrawals and payments.