Railways Unravelled: Navigating Japan's Train Ticket Maze
Everything you need to know about buying tickets
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In this month’s special edition, I’m focusing on the minefield that is buying train tickets for your trip. I hope it guides you to the best option!
The (mostly) complete guide to buying train tickets
For a country that will soon have a train capable of speeds in excess of 600 kph/375 mph, Japan is shockingly behind when it comes to train ticketing. The biggest railway operator, Japan Railways (JR) is a group of regional companies, and while they all use the same ticketing system, there’s no single website or app to make bookings. Yes, really.
You could buy a national JR Pass to avoid dealing with this utter mess, but you may not have the itinerary to justify that expense. So instead, let me explain the different booking services, what journeys they’re good for, and their pros and cons.
Smart EX
This service is exclusively for Shinkansen (bullet train) journeys between Tokyo and Kagoshima. This covers destinations like Kyoto, Osaka, Okayama, Hiroshima, and Fukuoka. It’s designed for booking simple point-to-point journeys, and gives discounts ranging from 200 yen to 2-3000 yen if reserving well in advance. Board with paper tickets picked up from machines/ticket offices, with an IC card (like ICOCA or SUICA), or by scanning a QR code at the ticket gate.
Pros: the app is well-designed and easy to use, offers discounts
Cons: you may find that it doesn’t accept your credit card; can’t book connecting express trains
JR West
Despite the name, JR West’s online reservation service allows you to book tickets in a surprisingly wide area. It covers the Shinkansen from Tokyo all the way down to Kagoshima, just like Smart EX. But you can also book trains up to Nagano, Niigata, other destinations around Tokyo, as well as express trains.
Pro: allows booking combinations of shinkansen and express trains
Con: you need to pick up tickets at machines or ticket offices
JR East
Sometimes referred to as “Ekinet”, this service is your go-to for trips in the region around Tokyo, as well as journeys up north. This includes shinkansen rides all the way up to Niigata, Akita, Aomori, and Hakodate. However, you can also use this website to get your Hokkaido trains booked too! If you’re using the Shinkansen, you can use an IC Card to act as your ticket, but for other trains you’ll need to visit a machine or ticket office.
Pro: Since machines are everywhere, it’s easy to pick up your tickets
Con: The booking engine often needs babysitting to get what you want. If the train you’re looking for doesn’t come up, try setting the departure time at 4am. This is especially useful when a train only runs a few times a day.
Klook
All of the Shinkansen lines in Japan, as well as some limited express trains (like the Narita Express) are available to reserve through Klook’s booking engine. You’ll get a QR code to scan at machines to pick up tickets, but sometimes you’ll need to visit the ticket office. This is a convenient way of booking since the train coverage is so wide, but know that you need to pay a fulfilment fee.
Pro: you can book all your Shinkansen in one place
Cons: fulfilment fee; you don’t get to choose your exact seat
Ticket machine or office
Do you actually need to book ahead? There are only 3 situations in which I’d advise reserving your tickets well in advance:
When you’re travelling during Golden Week, Obon, or over New Year
When you need to use the oversized baggage area on the Shinkansen (hint: the overhead shelf is almost always sufficient, 🎬 except when you have a monster suitcase)
You want to take a “special” train that only runs a few times a day. For example, the Fuji Excursion Limited Express (Tokyo to Lake Kawaguchi), which can book out, especially during cherry blossom season
Otherwise, you’re going to be fine buying tickets on the day, or at the very most, 1 or 2 days beforehand. Yes, really. Of my most recent trips, the only train I booked weeks ahead of time was the Sunrise Express. And the only time I’ve had problems booking on the day was when I needed to use the oversized baggage area. I had to take the next available train, which meant waiting another 25 minutes. For most people, time wasted trying to get Smart EX to accept your credit card is better spent on almost any other activity.
If you’re going to the ticket counter, show the staff the train you want to use in a journey planner app (🎬 recommendations), or just write it out in English. If you visit early or late, most ticket offices have minimal queues. Otherwise, go to the ticket machine and hit that “English” button to get started.
Pros: staff are extremely efficient and have enough English skills for you not to worry / ticket machines have an English button
Con: Yes, it will take a bit of time out of your trip, but not enough to cry over
Further options
If you’re doing the Tokyo>Kyoto>Hiroshima route, you can save money using a method I explain using toast and jam. But you may find that one of the regional passes is the best way of cutting crusts costs.
Trip Essentials
Everything you need in one place - get ready and support my work at the same time!
Basics: eSIM / Sim Card / Pocket Wifi / VPN / Travel Insurance
Youtube: 🎬 Get ready for Japan playlist
Transport: JR Pass / Regional Passes / Shinkansen Tickets / Car rental
That’s all for this month! See ya!
Andrew
*There are some affiliate links in this email: I will earn a small commission if you buy something, and it costs you nothing. Cheers!
A couple years ago we were on a family trip and on our way back from Nagoya there was an electrical problem affecting all of the Tokaido Shinkansen. Because we bought the tickets with Smart Ex it was (relatively) easy to change to (much) later tickets but people with paper tickets were lined up all the way outside the station. Then, we knew we were entitled to a partial refund because of the delay but before we even attempted to ask for it the refund was delivered electronically. As you wrote, we have had problems with it not accepting some credit cards though.