The Tokaido, the Sanyo and the Kyushu Shinkansen (Bullet Train) train ride guide. Most popular train between Tokyo, Nagoya, Kyoto, Osaka, Hiroshima, Hakata and Kagoshima.

Atami, Ito, Shimoda, Mishima, Shuzenji
2014.05.27
Shinkansen is the high speed train service in Japan. It is known as Bullet Train too.
The Shinkansen is the high speed train service in Japan. It is known as Bullet Train too.

The Shinkansen is the high speed train and the speed of the Shinkansen save your trip time. There are many Shinkansen lines in Japan now. In this post, I will explain you the Tokaido Shinkansen which is the first Shinkansen line in Japan. And also I will explain you the Sanyo and the Kyushu Shinkansen too. Because these two Shinkansen lines are connected with the Tokaido Shinkansen.

Overview

The Shinkansen line between Tokyo and Kagoshima-Chuo is one train line but this line is divided by three different segments. Because three JR companies own this Shinkansen line and the name of the line is the different by the segment.

The first segment is called the Tokaido Shinkansen runs between Tokyo, Nagoya, Kyoto and Shin-Osaka.

The Tokaido Shinkansen route map. “Chuo Shinkansen” is shown in the map too but this is not opened yet. This will be the maglev train which is expected to open in 2027 between Shinagawa and Nagoya. (C) Hisagi (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 or GFD], via Wikimedia Commons

It is the first ever Shinkansen line in Japan. And this is known as the busiest Shinkansen line and one of the busiest train line in all Japan railway lines. The Tokaido Shinkansen is owned by JR Central.

The Sanyo Shinkansen is operated between Shin-Osaka, Okayama, Hiroshima and Hakata (Fukuoka) which is owned by JR West.

The Sanyo Shinkansen operation route (C) Hisagi (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 or GFDL], via Wikimedia Commons

And the Kyushu Shinkansen runs between Hakata, Kumamoto and Kagoshima-Chuo that is owned by JR Kyushu.

Click to enlarge the image of map (C) Hisagi (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0) or GFDL], via Wikimedia Commons

But in the train operation, many trains cross the border and run on two segments.

Train operation

Shin-Osaka and Hakata are the border station but you may not be able to find the difference and the border. Please see the operation map below:

Click to view large size map

Many trains, such as Nozomi, Mizuho cross the border and run through two Shinkansen lines, such as Tokyo to Hakata by Nozomi, Shin-Osaka to Kagoshima-Chuo by Mizuho.

Types of train

There are six types of trains on the Tokaido Shinkansen, the Sanyo Shinkansen and the Kyushu Shinkansen.

Nozomi

Nozomi is the fastest train on the Tokaido Shinkansen and the Sanyo Shinkansen. Nozomi runs every 10 minutes during daytime between Tokyo and Shin-Osaka, and run every 30 minutes between Shin-Osaka and Hiroshima or Hakata.

All Nozomi stops at Tokyo, Shinagawa, Shin-Yokohama, Nagoya, Kyoto, Shin-Osaka, Shin-Kobe, Okayama, Hiroshima, Kokura and Hakata. Some Nozomi stops Nishi-Akashi, Himeji, Fukuyama, Tokuyama and Shin-Yamaguchi. Nozomi does not go further than Hakata. Mizuho and Sakura run between Shin-Osaka, Kumamoto and Kagoshima-Chuo. I will explain about these trains later.

JR Pass is NOT valid for Nozomi. If you want to take Nozomi, you have to pay the full fare. There is no deals available to cover Nozomi between Tokyo, Nagoya, Kyoto and Shin-Osaka other than the travel package by some travel agents.

Approximate travel time between the major stations by Nozomi

Tokyo
1 hour 40 minutes
Nagoya
35 minute
Kyoto
15 minute
Shin-Osaka
50 minute
Okayama
40 minutes
Hiroshima
1 hour 5 minutes
Hakata

*The trip tims may be varied by the train, the departure time and the season.

Nozomi train formation

12345678910111213141516
NRNRNRRRRRGGGRRRRRR

R – Ordinary class reserved seat
NR – Ordinary class non-reserved seat
G – Reserved Green class

Hikari

Hikari is the second fastest train on the Tokaido Shinkansen and the Sanyo Shinkansen. If you travel between Tokyo, Nagoya, Kyoto and Shin-Osaka by JR Pass, Hikari is your choice because Nozomi is not covered as I explained above.

Most of Hikari runs between Tokyo, Shin-Osaka and Okayama. Hikari which goes to Hiroshima and Hakata is very few. I will explain about other train, Sakura later which is covered by JR pass on the Sanyo and the Kyushu Shinkansen.

All Hikari stops at Tokyo, Shinagawa, Shin-Yokohama, Nagoya, Kyoto, Shin-Osaka, Shin-Kobe, Himeji, Okayama, Fukuyama, Hiroshima, Shin-Shimonoseki, Kokura and Hakata. Many Hikari stop at Shizuoka, Hamamatsu, Gifu-Hashima, Maibara, Nishi-Akashi and Aioi. Some Hikari also stop at Odawara, Atami, Mishima and Toyohashi.

Approximate travel time between the major stations by Hikari

Tokyo
1 hour
Shizuoka
45 minute
Nagoya
40 minute
Kyoto
15 minute
Shin-Osaka
40 minute
Himeji
30 minutes
Okayama
40 minutes
Hiroshima

*The trip tims may be varied by the train, the departure time and the season.

Hikari train formation

Most Hikari are operated by the following 16 cars formation.

12345678910111213141516
NRNRNRNRNRRRGGGRRRRRR

R – Ordinary class reserved seat
NR – Ordinary class non-reserved seat
G – Reserved Green class

However very few Hikari which run between Shin-Osaka and Hakata are operated by the following 8 cars formation.

12345678
NRNRNRRRR /GRR
12345678
NRNRNRRRRRR
Find your hotels in 500 cities throughout Japan!!!

Hotels in Fukuoka
Hotels in Hiroshima
Hotels in Nagoya

Kodama

Kodama which runs on the Sanyo Shinkansen is operated by this 500 series.

Kodama is the slowest train and stops at all stations on the Tokaido Shinkansen and the Sanyo Shinkansen. At this point, only Kodama stops at the following stations:

  • Shin-Fuji
  • Kakegawa
  • Mikawa-Anjo
  • Asa

This is covered by JR Pass. But the trip time is significantly longer than Hikari and Sakura. If you need to access one of these above stations, you have to take Kodama. Otherwise try to take Hikari or Sakura to save your trip time.

Kodama runs all part of the Tokaido Shinkansen and the Sanyo Shinkansen. But there is no Kodama which goes through from Tokyo to Hakata. Kodama run between Tokyo and Nagoya, Tokyo and Shin-Osaka, Shin-Osaka and Hakata. But many Kodama run on the short distance, such as Tokyo to Mishima.

Kodama train formation

All Kodama on the Tokaido Shinkansen are operated by the following 16 cars formation.

12345678910111213141516
NRNRNRNRNRNRNRGGGRRNRNRNRR

R – Ordinary class reserved seat
NR – Ordinary class non-reserved seat
G – Reserved Green class

All Kodama which run between Shin-Osaka and Hakata are operated by the following 8 cars formation.

12345678
NRNRNRRRR /GNRNR
12345678
NRNRNRRRRNRNR

Platt Kodama, Tokyo-Nagoya-Kyoto-Osaka deal

Kodama is covered by JR Pass. But if you want to travel one way from Tokyo to Nagoya, Kyoto, Osaka or versa, Platt Kodama is a good deal. JR Pass is too much for just one way trip between Tokyo and Osaka or Kyoto. Please refer the post below to find the detailed information:

Platt Kodama, one way deal among Tokyo, Nagoya, Kyoto and Shin-Osaka by the Shinkansen
This post explains you about Platt Kodama which is a sort of the Shinkansen deal. It offers one way trip between Tokyo, Nagoya, Kyoto and Shin-Osaka by the Shinkansen Kodama.
jprail.com
2016.11.05

Mizuho

Mizuho is the fastest train on the Sanyo Shinkansen and the Kyushu Shinkansen between Shin-Osaka and Kagoshima-Chuo. This train runs about 6 to 8 round trips a day. The number of trips are varied by the season.

All Mizuho stops at Shin-Osaka, Shin-Kobe, Okayama, Hiroshima and Kokura, Kumamoto and Kagoshima-Chuo. Some Mizuho stops Himeji, Kurume and Sendai.

JR Pass is NOT valid for Mizuho. If you want to take Mizuho, you have to pay the full fare. But if you use JR West deals and JR Kyushu deals, such as Sanyo Sanin Area Pass, Kansai Wide Area Pass, Kansai Hiroshima Area Pass, Hiroshima Yamaguchi Area Pass, Kyushu Rail Pass and some more deals, you can take Mizuho.

Approximate travel time between the major stations by Mizuho

Shin-Osaka
50 minute
Okayama
40 minutes
Hiroshima
1 hour 5 minutes
Hakata
35 minutes
Kumamoto
45 minutes
Kagoshima-Chuo

*The trip tims may be varied by the train, the departure time and the season.

Mizuho train formation

All Mizuho are operated by the following 8 cars formation.

12345678
NRNRNRRRR /GRR

R – Ordinary class reserved seat
NR – Ordinary class non-reserved seat
G – Reserved Green class

Nozomi and Hikari provide exactly same accommodation in both the reserved ordinary class and the non reserved ordinary class. But Mizuho and Sakura offers better seat in the reserved ordinary class. If you travel between Shin-Osaka, Okayama, Hiroshima and Hakata, Mizuho and Sakura are better choice than Nozomi and Hikari. I will show you the photos later in this post.

Sakura

N700 series will be used as Mizuho and Sakura.
Mizuho and Sakura are operated by N700-7000/8000 series.

Sakura is the second fastest train on the Sanyo Shinkansen and the Kyushu Shinkansen. If you travel between Shin-Osaka, Okayama, Hiroshima, Hakata, Kumamoto and Kagoshima-Chuo by JR Pass, Sakura is your choice because Nozomi and Mizuho is not covered as I explained above. You can take Hikari as well between Shin-Osaka and Hakata but Sakura has better seat in reserved ordinary class. I will show you the photos later in this post.

Most of Sakura runs between Shin-Osaka and Kagoshima-Chuo. All Sakura stops at Shin-Osaka, Shin-Kobe, Okayama, Fukuyama, Hiroshima, Kokura, Hakata, Shin-Tosu, Kurume, Kumamoto, Sendai and Kagoshima-Chuo. Many Sakura stops at Fukuyama, Shin-Yatsushiro, Shin-Minamata and Izumi. Some Sakura also stop at Himeji, Tokuyama, Shin-Yamaguchi, Shin-Shimonoseki, Chikugo-Funagoya, Shin-Omuta and Shin-Tamana.

Approximate travel time between the major stations by Sakura

Shin-Osaka
50 minute
Okayama
40 minutes
Hiroshima
1 hour 5 minutes
Hakata
40 minutes
Kumamoto
50 minutes
Kagoshima-Chuo

*The trip tims may be varied by the train, the departure time and the season.

Sakura train formation

Most Sakura are operated by the following 8 cars formation.

12345678
NRNRNRRRR /GRR

R – Ordinary class reserved seat
NR – Ordinary class non-reserved seat
G – Reserved Green class

A few Sakura are operated by the following 6 cars formation.

123456
NRNRNRRRR

Nozomi and Hikari provide exactly same accommodation in both the reserved ordinary class and the non reserved ordinary class. But Mizuho and Sakura offers better seat in the reserved ordinary class. If you travel between Shin-Osaka, Okayama, Hiroshima and Hakata, Mizuho and Sakura are better choice than Nozomi and Hikari. I will show you the photos later in this post.

Tsubame

Tsubame is the slowest train and stops at all stations on the Kyushu Shinkansen between Hakata and Kagoshima-Chuo. But in the day time, Tsubame mostly runs between Hakata and Kumamoto. Sakura covers the segment between Kumamoto and Kagoshima-Chuo. This train is covered by JR Pass.

Tsubame train formation

All Tsubame are operated by the following 8 cars formation.

123456
NRNRNRRRR

A few Tsubame are operated by the following 8 cars formation.

12345678
NRNRNRRRR /GRR

R – Ordinary class reserved seat
NR – Ordinary class non-reserved seat
G – Reserved Green class

Timetable

You may find the timetables in JR Central and JR Kyushu official sites in the links below:

JR Central official site – The Tokaido and the Sanyo Shinkansen timetable

JR Kyushu official site – The route map and the timetable of JR Kyushu trains

Photo gallery

The accommodation is a bit different from the fleets. There are several kinds of the fleet to be used for the Shinkansen trains.

N700 and 700 series (Nozomi, Hikari, Kodama)

All Nozomi and most Hikari are operated by these train sets. And also these train sets are also used for Kodama 16 cars formation on the Tokaido Shinkansen. N700 and 700 almost same in these two train sets.

Green class seat

2+2 seat layout
The leg space is 1,160 mm. The footrest is equipped.
The power outlet is equipped at all Green seats.

Ordinary class seat (reserved and non reserved)

The interior is exactly same in both the reserved and non reserved ordinary class seats.

The seat layout is 2+3.
The leg space is 1,040 mm. The power outlet is available at the window side seats, the very front row and the very back row seats only.

Sanitary facility

Some washrooms have the diaper changing table.

Smoking space

There are several smoking rooms available. Smoking is allowed in this room. But some trains still have smoking cars. Smoking is available in the designated cars.

N700-7000/8000 series (Mizuho, Sakura)

All Mizuho, most Sakura and very few Tsubame are operated by this fleet.

Green class seat

2+2 seat layout is the standard of the Shinkansen Green class seat.
The leg space is 1,160 mm. The legrest and the footrest are equipped.
The power outlet is equipped at all Green seats.

Reserved ordinary class seats

N700-7000 offers better accommodation in the reserved ordinary class seat than other Shinkansen fleets. This is the reason why I recommend you to take Mizuho or Sakura more than Nozomi and Hikari.

This ordinary class seat provides same layout as Green class seat, 2+2. This is much better than other ordinary class standard seat, 2+3 seat layout.
The leg space is same as other ordinary class seat, 1,060 mm. The power outlet is available at the window side seats, the very front row and the very back row seats only.

Non reserved ordinary class

Non reserved ordinary class is same accommodation as other ordinary class seat.

2+3 seat layout
The leg space is 1,040 mm.

Sanitary facility

Some washroom provide the diaper changing table.

Other facilities

On board sales is not available between Hakata and Kagoshima-Chuo. The vending machine helps you when it is not available.
Smoking is allowed in this room only.

500 series (Kodama on the Sanyo Shinkansen)

One of 500 series train sets is now operated as Hello Kitty Shinkansen. It was operated as EVA Type 500 before. (C) Rsa [CC BY-SA 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons

This fleet was used for Nozomi before. The style of this fleet is still very updated and cool. Now this fleet is used for Kodama on the Sanyo Shinkansen between Shin-Osaka and Hakata. This train set does not provide Green class seat. But the reserved ordinary seat is better than non reserved seat.

Reserved ordinary class seat

2+2 seat layout is more comfortable than the standard ordinary class seat.
The leg space is 1,040 mm which is same as the standard ordinary class seat. But some seat has much bigger leg space.

Non reserved ordinary class seat

2+3 seat layout is same type of the ordinary class seat as other Shinkansen train sets.
The leg space is 1,040 mm.

Other facilities

Washroom is available.
Smoking spaces are available.

800 series (Tsubame and a few Sakura)

This train set is used for Tsubame on the Kyushu Shinkansen between Hakata and Kagoshima-Chuo. It is also used for a few Sakura which runs in Kyushu only. This train set does not run on the Sanyo Shinkansen segment.

This train set provide only one class seat which is the ordinary class. There is no difference between reserved and non reserved. But this ordinary class is much wider than other ordinary class seat. And this is made of lots of wood material. The atmosphere is totally different from other Shinkansen fleets.

Ordinary class seat

2+2 seat layout is default of this train set. It is much nice than other ordinary class seat. And also the seat is made from lots of wood material and has Japanese atmosphere.
The leg space is 1,040 mm which is the ordinary class standard. The curtain is also made from the wood material.

Other facilities

Bathroom is available.
The “Noren” which are traditional Japanese fabric dividers are hung at the bathroom sink.

The coverage by the rail passes

There are many rail passes available. You may be confused which Shinkansen train and class are covered by the pass. Please see the table below:

Type of passCoverage
JR Pass GreenAll seats on all Shinkansen trains other than Nozomi and Mizuho
JR Pass OrdinaryBoth reserved and non reserved on all Shinkansen trains other than Nozomi and Mizuho
JR West
Kansai Area Pass		This pass does not cover any Shinkansen trains
JR West
Kansai Wide Area Pass		Only non reserved ordinary seat of all Shinkansen trains on the Sanyo Shinkansen trains between Shin-Osaka and Okayama
JR West
Kansai Hiroshima Area Pass		Only non reserved ordinary seat of all Shinkansen trains on the Sanyo Shinkansen trains between Shin-Osaka and Hiroshima
JR West
Sanyo Sanin Area Pass		Both reserved and non reserved seats of all Shinkansen trains on the Sanyo Shinkansen between Shin-Osaka and Hakata
JR West
Hiroshima Yamaguchi Area Pass		Only non reserved ordinary seat of all Shinkansen trains on the Sanyo Shinkansen trains between Hiroshima and Hakata
JR West Hiroshima Okayama Yamaguchi Area PassOnly non reserved ordinary seat of all Shinkansen trains on the Sanyo Shinkansen trains between Okayama and Hakata
All Kyushu Rail PassBoth reserved and non reserved seats of all Shinkansen trains on the Kyushu Shinkansen between Hakata and Kagoshima-Chuo
Northern Kyushu Rail PassBoth reserved and non reserved seats of all Shinkansen trains on the Kyushu Shinkansen between Hakata and Kumamoto
Southern Kyushu Rail PassBoth reserved and non reserved seats of all Shinkansen trains on the Kyushu Shinkansen between Kumamoto and Kagoshima-Chuo
Kyushu Rail Pass Fukuoka WideThis pass does not cover any Shinkansen trains.

The summary

If you take the Shinkansen by JR Pass, Hikari is the choice for your travel between Tokyo, Nagoya, Kyoto and Shin-Osaka. But if you travel to the west from Shin-Osaka, Sakura has better interior as you saw. Sakura is more recommended.

If you use JR West passes, you can use any trains. But most JR West deals cover only non reserved seat. You cannot get a benefit of better seat in the reserved car.

If you travel in Kyushu by Kyushu Rail Pass, 800 series is very interesting train set. Tsubame is slow train but this is operated by this series. You may take this train too.

I hope this Shinkansen ride guide gives you many ideas. And I am glad if you use this guide to build your trip plan.

Comments

  1. Jane Lee says:
    January 3, 2016 at 12:22 am

    Hi Takeshi,

    I am travelling to Tokyo for 9 days. Besides the 7 , 14 and 21 days JR pass, is there any other pass that can be more economical to travel around for two days as the pass is only cover up to 7 days ?

    I would also like to know is there any service run under Hikari and Komada from Tokyo – Nogoya , likewise Nogoya Tokyo ?

  2. Andrew says:
    January 2, 2016 at 5:20 am

    Hi Takeshi,
    im from Singapore vising Nagoya for a business trip.
    i will be travelling from Nagoya to Tokyo by (Shinkansen).
    I do not have a JR Pass , i only need a one way trip from
    Nagoya to tokyo (Shingawa station).

    How much is the train fare – single trip by Shinkansen ?
    Which Shinkansen should i take ?
    Can I buy the ticket over the counter at Nagoya Station ?

    Please kindly advise.
    Best regards
    andrew

  3. zanz says:
    December 15, 2015 at 7:11 pm

    hi takeshi-san,

    Me and my sister will be arriving at Kansai International Airport (KIX) on 21 April 2016 around 8-9am. It is a return flight ticket as this was the cheapest we get here. My draft itinerary as below:-

    day 1 – Arrive Kansai KIX early morning
    – travel to ito and stay overnight
    day 2-4 – travel to kakunodate (thought of taking train from tokyo)
    day 4-8 –Tokyo (taking a night bus from atami to shinjuku)
    day 8-10 – Kyoto
    day 10 – Kansai KiX

    do you think we should change or drop any of the places since i feels like this itinerary is quite a challenge itself & wondering what type or JR pass is suitable for my plan with most economical expences, kindly advise..

  4. Alice says:
    November 29, 2015 at 8:35 pm

    Hi! Takeshi,

    I am Alice from Malaysia. We will be arriving at Narita airport by MAS, which terminal will MAS be landing on 20/12/2015 please?

    We will be arriving in Tokyo on 20/12/2015 and will be leaving for Osaka on 26/12/2015. As I browsed through difference wedpages I notice that by flight is faster than by bullet trains.

    Is it J R Pass good while moving around in Tokyo? or pay single ticket as we move!

    I notice you have mentioned about 29,000 yen 7 days pass, will that be good and convenient for us since we will be going to Osaka on 26/12/2015 from Tokyo? Is that the 7 days pass have to purchase online in advance? Can we use Shinkansen Sanyo/Hikari? from Tokyo/Osaka/Tokyo by using the 7 days J R Pass?

    Thank you.

    Alice
    Malaysia

    • Takeshi / JPRail.com says:
      November 29, 2015 at 9:40 pm

      Hi Alice,

      Please ask your airline about the terminal. I think it mentions on your ticket.
      If you use JR pass, you have to make round trip between Tokyo and Osaka by Shinkansen. If you want to use the domestic flight, forget about JR Pass. Because 7 days pass price is almost same as round trip fare by Shinkansen.
      You have mentioned that flight is cheaper than Shinkansen between Tokyo and Osaka. Actually it’s not true. Trip time by flight is much shorter. It takes about one hour and it takes 2.5 hour by Shinkansen. However you will spend one hour each for arrival and departure if you use the flight. Because airports are not located in the center of downtown. You have to check in and pick up the baggage. On the other hand, Shinaksnen stations are located in downtown. If you have JR pass, you can book your seat without any extra in advance. So you can go to the station just 5 minutes before departure time. You don’t need to check in and drop off the baggage. Just show your pass and ticket at the ticket gate and proceed to the platform. It is much easier to take flight.

      You can use JR pass in Tokyo and Osaka. Please find more info at the link below:
      https://jprail.com/travel-informations/best-way-efficient-how-much-can-we-use-japan-rail-pass-in-downtown-tokyo.html
      https://jprail.com/travel-informations/tips-for-japan-rail-pass/best-way-efficient-how-much-can-we-use-japan-rail-pass-in-downtown-tokyo.html

      Of course you can take Shinkasnen other than Nozomi and Mizuho.

      Cheers,

      Takeshi / JPRail.com

  5. Mopeey says:
    November 18, 2015 at 10:34 pm

    Hi, I will be travelling with my husband to Japan in January and would like to find out the most efficient way to get from Tokyo – Hakone – Kyoto – Osaka. And then from Osaka it’s back to Tokyo again.

    Previously, I took the Nozomi from Tokyo to Osaka. Is it worthwhile to do the same and then make day trips to Kyoto and Hakone?

    Thanks,
    Mopeey

  6. Casey says:
    November 18, 2015 at 10:23 am

    Hi Takeshi san,

    May I know if there is a train pass that can cover from Osaka and stop at Lake Kawaguichiko first and then proceed to Yokohama? Otherwise what is the best option to take?

    Awaiting your kind reply. Thank you.
    Regards
    Casey

  7. Nan says:
    November 14, 2015 at 10:24 am

    Takeshiさん、
    こんばんは。

    I would say thank you before, for your reply my question at Furano thread.
    This 2nd time I would ask journey from Tokyo to Hiroshima.
    (I’ll use JR Pass).
    I searching at hyperpedia my plan trip to Hiroshima ;
    http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b125/Nan-kano/hyperpedia%20Nakano%20tokyo%20-%20Hiroshima_zpsw8921ae6.jpg
    My question is, when I take LTD. EXP SUNRISE IZUMO
    (from Tokyo sta. to Himeji sta.) is it sleep train right, Can JR PASS get reserve seat for free?.
    Or which one I should reserve better (I choice a free way), because too many options (sleeper car A & B, up, low, middle), a little bit confuse.

    If yes I can reserve seat, can I reserve the seat two days before I go at JR counter (anywhere right) ? or must be a day before?
    I still need learn using JR Pass (even if you already told at others page).

    Thank you again~
    regards,
    Nan.

  8. haris says:
    November 14, 2015 at 8:56 am

    Sir/Madame,

    I am a 60 years old retiree from Malaysia travelling with my wife and 16 years old child. We arrive Osaka evening of 13 December 2015. Spent 3 nights to experience Universal Studios Japan. Move on to Tokyo 16 December for 5 nights stay and visit Mount Fuji/Hakone and Tokyo Disneyland. We return Osaka 21 December for 4 nights and visit Kyoto and Hiroshima Atomic Dome for 1 day trips. I want to buy the Japan Rail Green Pass but i was told that there is no first class service to Hiroshima and Kyoto from Shin-Osaka, is this true? As a tourist, i have to purchase Japan Rail Pass from Japan Tourist Board in Kuala Lumpur . Before i make a purchase, can you please advise me correctly.

    Thank you and best wishes,

    Haris & family.

  9. Hoo says:
    October 26, 2015 at 10:16 pm

    Hi,

    We are a group with 6 adults and 1 teenage. We’re going to Osaka in Feb 2016 for 7 days. My draft itinerary as below:-
    day 1 – Arrive Osaka @ night
    day 2 – explore Osaka
    day 3 – day trip to Himeji & Okayama, Kobe
    day 4 – Kyoto
    day 5 – Nara
    day 6 – Rinku Premium Outlet & Sakai
    day 7 – back to home

    wondering the 5 days JR Kansai wide area pass is suitable for my plan, kindly advise..

    regrds,

    Hoo

  10. Vee Lee says:
    October 18, 2015 at 3:05 am

    Hi there,

    I have been researching online for the best options for traveling from Tokyo to Kyoto to Osaka and back to Tokyo again but could not decide which is most cost effective for my trip. I will be traveling with my husband and 6 yr old. I have booked the discount shinkansen 7 day round trip ticket package from Tokyo to Kyoto on japanican.com, however I will have to go Osaka after Kyoto and so, have to travel back to Kyoto to make use of my ticket. (I can still cancel at no charge before 25Oct)

    Will it be too much of a hassle for me to travel from Osaka to Kyoto to board the Nozomi back to Tokyo, as I can’t travel directly from Osaka to Tokyo using the ticket. I paid 54,000yen for that package, so I’m not sure if there are other better deals I can use for my tokyo-kyoto-osaka-tokyo journey. Kindly advise and thank you so much. If there are any better options, please let me know and I can still cancel the japanican tickets.

    Best regards
    Vee

1…910111213…19
Copied title and URL