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
- Train operation
- Types of train
- Timetable
- Photo gallery
- The coverage by the rail passes
- The summary
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.
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.
And the Kyushu Shinkansen runs between Hakata, Kumamoto and Kagoshima-Chuo that is owned by JR Kyushu.
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:
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
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 |
| NR | NR | NR | R | R | R | R | G | G | G | R | R | R | R | R | R |
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.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 |
| NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | R | R | G | G | G | R | R | R | R | R | R |
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.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
| NR | NR | NR | R | R | R /G | R | R |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
| NR | NR | NR | R | R | R | R | R |
Hotels in Fukuoka
Hotels in Hiroshima
Hotels in Nagoya
Kodama
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.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 |
| NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | G | G | G | R | R | NR | NR | NR | R |
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.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
| NR | NR | NR | R | R | R /G | NR | NR |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
| NR | NR | NR | R | R | R | NR | NR |
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:
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.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
| NR | NR | NR | R | R | R /G | R | R |
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
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.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
| NR | NR | NR | R | R | R /G | R | R |
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.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
| NR | NR | NR | R | R | R |
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.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
| NR | NR | NR | R | R | R |
A few Tsubame are operated by the following 8 cars formation.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
| NR | NR | NR | R | R | R /G | R | R |
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
Ordinary class seat (reserved and non reserved)
The interior is exactly same in both the reserved and non reserved ordinary class seats.
Sanitary facility
Smoking space
N700-7000/8000 series (Mizuho, Sakura)
All Mizuho, most Sakura and very few Tsubame are operated by this fleet.
Green class seat
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.
Non reserved ordinary class
Non reserved ordinary class is same accommodation as other ordinary class seat.
Sanitary facility
Other facilities
500 series (Kodama on the Sanyo Shinkansen)
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
Non reserved ordinary class seat
Other facilities
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
Other facilities
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 pass | Coverage |
|---|---|
| JR Pass Green | All seats on all Shinkansen trains other than Nozomi and Mizuho |
| JR Pass Ordinary | Both 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 Pass | Only non reserved ordinary seat of all Shinkansen trains on the Sanyo Shinkansen trains between Okayama and Hakata |
| All Kyushu Rail Pass | Both reserved and non reserved seats of all Shinkansen trains on the Kyushu Shinkansen between Hakata and Kagoshima-Chuo |
| Northern Kyushu Rail Pass | Both reserved and non reserved seats of all Shinkansen trains on the Kyushu Shinkansen between Hakata and Kumamoto |
| Southern Kyushu Rail Pass | Both reserved and non reserved seats of all Shinkansen trains on the Kyushu Shinkansen between Kumamoto and Kagoshima-Chuo |
| Kyushu Rail Pass Fukuoka Wide | This 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
Dear Takeshi san,
I plan to go Hiroshima from Fukuoka and stay at Hiroshima 2 nights. Understand that there are number of Shinkansen like Sanyo or Nozomi. Anyway Shinkansen fare from/to Fukuoka and Hirashima is relatively high.
Do you have any advice to save ticket cost?
Does it worth to buy Sanyo pass?
Can the pass use in Northe Kyushu?
Thank you for your kind advice as always.
Best regards
Thashita
Hi Thashita,
Actually return fare is cheaper than any kind of pass. If you need just transfer to Hiroshima from Hakata, single ticket is the cheapest option for you.
If you intend some extra trip at Hakata or Hiroshima, Sanyo area pass or Northern Kyushu pass may be considerable. But you have to make sure what you will do before comparing the pass and single fares.
At this point, unfortunately single fare is the best choice.
Cheers,
Takeshi / JP Rail
Hi there
I’m travelling to takayama by jrpass! After using the hyperdia website, it suggested that I should get off at shinagawa and get on Shinkansen! So wondering if I can get the Shinkansen ticket at shinagawa station with my jrpass? And how?
Thank you so much
Hi Giang,
Are you travelling from Narita airport? If so, you can book it at Narita. If not, you can book it Shinagawa.
JR ticket can be booked at any major JR stations. You don’t need to book one by one. You can complete all bookings when you exchange the pass. That’s much easier and recommended.
Cheers,
Takeshi / JP Rail
Hi Takeshi,
Need some advice, I will travelling to japan for a 10 day trip. My proposed itinerary will be as follow:
Haneda to Tokyo (shinjuku)
Tokyo (Shinjuku) to Hakone via the Odakyu Romance car and spend 2 days in hakone
Hakone to Kyoto
Kyoto to Yokohama
Yokohama to Tokyo
Tokyo to Narita Airport
Is it more economical to buy a 7 Day JR pass or single trips tickets based on my itinerary?
Regards,
BK
Hi BK,
If you use JR Pass 7 days for Hakone-Kyoto-Yokohama-Tokyo-Narita, it works. Actually total fares is not much different from JR Pass 7 days. But JR Pass is much easier and more flexible.
Cheers,
Takeshi / JP Rail
I am staying with a friend in Kameoka for around 14 days. Wewould like to visit Kyoto, Nara, Osaka places around Kyoto and do day trips from there mostly. Is there a good pass option? I heard it is really not valid on many transport options like subways. Thank you.
Hi John,
There is only one pass that covers Kameoka.
https://jprail.com/travel-informations/other-rail-passes/rail-pass-for-visitors/the-newest-jr-west-rail-pass-for-kansai-and-okayama-kurashiki-kinosakai-and-shingu-area-kansai-wide-area-pass.html
But this pass, Kansai Wide Area Pass is designed for the tourist who wants to travel outside of Kansai Area. It is too expensive for your trip in my opinion.
At this point, Kansai Thru Pass is most recommended for Nara and Osaka.
https://jprail.com/travel-informations/other-rail-passes/rail-pass-for-residents/how-to-use-kansai-thru-pass-compare-pass-and-single-fare.html
But before you choose this pass, you have to make the detailed itinerary. Single ticket may be cheaper. Especially when you go to Nara, you can take JR train from Kameoka to Kyoto and Kyoto to Nara. In this case, Kansai Thru Pass does not cover it and single fare is cheaper.
In Kyoto, you can use Kyoto sightseeing card or all day bus pass as you need.
http://www.city.kyoto.jp/koho/eng/access/transport.html
Anyway you have to purchase single ticket from Kameoka to get the center of Kyoto.
Cheers,
Takeshi / JP Rail
Hi takeshi,
My family and I (3 adults&3children) will be arriving in tokyo on 23rd December. We will stay at Hilton and Sheraton. And on 29th Dec we will be going to Osaka and stay at Ark Hotel shinsaibashi for 6 nights.
My question is: is it better off to buy a 7 day JR pass or just a shinkansen ticket from Tokyo to Osaka? It’s gonna be winter and i’m worried if i buy the JR pass we will not be using it a lot. My youngest kid is quite sensitive to cold weather. Since we stay quite close to the city centre already, we plan to go around the metro area and not taking long distance trips.
Pls give suggestions and where can i buy just a one way tokaido shinkansen ticket? Thanks in advance 🙂
Novita
Hi Novita,
One way Shinkansen Tokyo-Osaka ticket is about half of JR Pass 7 days. So as long as you have one way trip, JR Pass is not suitable for your trip.
Shinkansen ticket can be purchased at any stations in Tokyo.
https://jprail.com/destinations/how-to-reserve-seat.html
And also Dec 29 will be busy day. Everybody get out Tokyo and going hometown. So secure the ticket right after arrival in Japan. Shinkansen has non reserved seat too. But there are lots of standee on isle and passengers deck in this period.
Cheers,
Takeshi / JP Rail
Thank you so much for your help Takeshi. They are very useful!
So we will arrive at Haneda airport on 23rd dec late night and stay at a hotel near the airport for that night. The next day we will stay at Hilton bay and go to disneyland. Where is the closest ticket office to buy and reserve seats for the shinkansen (close to haneda airport or to hilton bay) please?
If i buy the shinkansen ticket once in japan, will we for sure get the seats? As you mentioned 29th dec is the date for many people getting out of tokyo? I’ve read your post re-buying shinkansen through travel agent here in australia. Yes it’s much more ecpensive 🙁
Hi Novita,
You can purchase it at Haneda airport international terminal (7:45-18:30) or Maihama station (in front of TDL / 7:00-20:00).
http://www.jreast.co.jp/e/customer_support/service_center_haneda.html
http://www.jreast.co.jp/e/stations/e1414.html
When you purchase and book Shinkansen ticket, you can get seat number.
Cheers,
Takeshi / JP Rail
Great site and info.
My mum and I arrive in Nagoya on Wednesday and have 1 full day there, but thought to go to Atami for the day instead, before going to Takayama the next day. So the JR Pass covers both Atami and Nagoya lines and is better value than separate ticket purchases? Thanks in advance.
Hi Masu,
JR Pass covers both Atami and Takayama. But are you going to use JR pass for visiting Atami and Takayama from Nagoya? If so, single ticket will be slightly cheaper than JR pass. I estimated the difference between single fares and 7 days JR Pass is 3000 yen.
Cheers,
Takeshi / JP Rail
I would like a train that goes from Kofu *Yamanashi prefecture* to Tokyo and from Tokyo to Kyoto or if possible Kofu directly to Kyoto. Does the JR Rail Pass cover this for the 7 day trip? Or would I need to buy to different passes? This trip is for December 17-26. Thanks!
Kofu –> Tokyo –> Kyoto
Kofu –> Kyoto
Kofu –> Tokyo
Hi Judith,
All trips are covered by JR pass. If you want to go to Kyoto from Kofu, take Limited Express Wide View Fujikawa to Shizuoka and then transfer to Shinkansen there.
https://jprail.com/trains/sort-by-type/limited-express/limited-express-fujikawa.html
Cheers,
Takeshi / JP Rail
I would like to travel by train from osaka to hiroshima on april 12th 2015
and hiroshima to tokyo on april 13th 2015.
if i buy a JR rail pass for 7 days will i be able to use it on this route?
thanks!
Hi meera,
Yes, you can. But Nozomi and Mizuho are not covered by JR Pass. You have to take Hikari or Sakura or Kodama.
Cheers,
Takeshi / JP Rail
Dear Sir,
3 sisters plan to go to japan on 27 october. we land in Nagoya on 29 we go to Takayama -31st to osaka. 4t h to Tokyo. i plan to buy Jr pass can Jr pass be used to from Nagoya to Takayama and Takayama to Osaka- many thanks
Hi Dhana,
Yes, you can. It covers all part of your trip.
Cheers,
Takeshi / JP Rail
Hi Takeshi,
I’m planning a trip in dec to the following places. However it’s only a rough guide as I’m still finding out the cities to visit. Would appreciate some info on the transportation needed. Many thanks!
Haneda-hakone-Osaka-Kyoto-Kobe-Hiroshima-Kyushu area. It will be about 12-13 days trip. Many many thanks!
Hi Serene,
As you see this post, Shinkansen takes you most of the places where you want to visit.
Hakone cannot be accessed by Shinkansen. But you can get off at Odawara and take Hakone Tozan Railway to get the heart of Hakone.
https://jprail.com/travel-informations/tips-for-japan-rail-pass/how-to-get-hakone-from-tokyo-compare-japan-railway-and-odakyu-lines.html
In Osaka and Kyoto, you may take local transportation, line subway and bus. Please see the following posts:
https://jprail.com/destinations/kansai-area/guide-to-take-trains-in-osaka-how-to-choose-the-best-route-by-train-to-get-the-major-spots.html
https://jprail.com/destinations/kansai-area/guide-to-take-trains-in-osaka-how-to-choose-the-best-route-by-train-to-get-the-major-spots.html
Hiroshima can be accessed by Shinkansen and Kyushu too. But some part of Kyushu cannot be accessed by Shinkansen. You have to make sure which part of Kyushu you will visit.
At last, you can use 14 days of JR pass for your trip. This is the best deal.
Cheers,
Takeshi / JP Rail
Hi Takeshi,
I have decided on 11 days to go to the following: Haneda-Hakone-Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto-Hiroshima-Northern Kyushu (Tentative Aso,Beppu,Nagasaki,Fukuoka).
For Transport wise, is it possible to get 7 day JR pass (to activate on 2nd day) then when I reach Kyushu and get North Kyushu JR pass?
As for tokyo to hakone, maybe I shall get the hakone day pass from Shinjuku?
Thanks!
Regards,
Serene
Hi Serene,
You made a great choice. JR Pass and Kyushu Northern pass combination is perfect.
You can use Hakone Free Pass from Shinjuku. But you can use JR pass to get Odawara by Shinkansen and purchase Hakone free pass there. You can save more than 1000 yen. But Hakone Free Pass does not included Romancecar limited express surcharge. You can save about 2000 yen if you use JR pass to get Odawara.
https://jprail.com/travel-informations/tips-for-japan-rail-pass/how-to-get-hakone-from-tokyo-compare-japan-railway-and-odakyu-lines.html
https://jprail.com/travel-informations/basic-informations/station-information/odawara-station-guide-how-to-transfer-to-the-train-to-hakone.html
Cheers,
Takeshi / JP Rail
Hi Takeshi,
Thanks a lot for your help!
Regards,
Serene
No problem, Serene. Enjoy your trip.
Cheers,
Takeshi / JP Rail
Hi Takeshi,
I would like to check if I’m traveling to Nagasaki from Hiroshima, do I need to transfer train at Hakata? I have a JR pass and Northern Kyushu pass. Also approximately how long does it take? Thanks.
Regards,
Serene
Hi Serene,
Yes. You have to transfer at Hakata. It takes about 3 hours.
You can find timetable at Hyperdia.
https://jprail.com/travel-informations/basic-informations/timetable-and-reservation/hyperdia-perfect-guide-train-timetable-and-route-search-engine.html
Cheers,
Takeshi / JP Rail