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
Hi Takeshi, one more question. What are the hours of operation of the Takaido Shinkansen Line (Hikari) between Tokyo and Kyoto / Osaka and all stops in between, weekdays and weekends? Thanks Frank
Hi Frank,
Please find a timetable at the link below:
http://english.jr-central.co.jp/info/timetable/_pdf/westbound.pdf
http://english.jr-central.co.jp/info/timetable/_pdf/eastbound.pdf
Cheers,
Takeshi / JP Rail
Hi Takeshi, question abut the eastbound schedule. On Saturday Aug 8th, we wanted to take the Hikari from Shin Fuji to Shinagawa station in the morning as our flight home is that afternoon. Looking at the scheduled in the morning the Hikari trains from Shin Fuji have down arrow symbol and not a time, what does that mean? Can we take the Hikari train from Shin Fuji to Shinagawa that morning (Aug 8th)? Thanks again! Frank
Hi Frank,
Any Hikari trains do not stop at Shin-Fuji. Only Kodama stops at Shin-Fuji station.
So your choice is either taking Kodama all the way to Tokyo or taking Kodama and changing to Hikari somewhere on the way to Tokyo.
Cheers,
Takeshi / JP Rail
Hi Mr Takeshi,
I have seek your advice during my maiden trip to Japan in Jan 2014. Have since been to Japan 3 times and am planning another trip in July 2015. Thanks again for your kind help then.
I am booked to fly to Haneda in July 2015 and plan to visit Fukuoka(festival on 15 July) and Kyoto then back to Tokyo.
Will need your enlightenment if it is possible to travel from Kyoto to Hakata using the JR pass? Or must it be from Shin Osaka?
Also, there seems to be 2 Hikari routes. If there are indeed 2 routes, how can I get a “speedier” route?
Thanks again for your time.
Cheers
Steven
Hi Steven,
You can use JR Pass from Kyoto to Hakata. But there is no direct train service from Kyoto to Hakata. You have to transfer at either Shin-Osaka or Okayama.
You may find a timetable at the link below:
http://english.jr-central.co.jp/info/timetable/_pdf/westbound.pdf
http://english.jr-central.co.jp/info/timetable/_pdf/eastbound.pdf
Cheers,
Takeshi / JP Rail
Dear Mr Takeshi,
Thanks for your reply to my previous query. I will need your advice as to which is a better option:
Traveling from 11-18 July to Haneda airport (should have booked ticket to Fukuoka….). Main thing is to go to Fukuoka. Kyoto if probable – have been there before for a day trip, thought of going back again….but also am concern about amount of time spent on traveling.
Option 1:
From Haneda, take ANA domestic flight to Fukuoka (stay 5nights) and then back to Shinjuku(2nights) then onwards to Haneda to head home.
Option 2:
From Haneda – Tokyo Station – Kyoto (2nights).
After that, Kyoto – Fukuoka (3 nights)
After that, Fukuoka – Shinagawa – Shinjuku(2 nights)
It seems option 2 takes up a lot of traveling time as i checked the direct train back to Shinagawa is about11/12 hours…..(Thought it was 6 hours)
Option 1 seems fine as i have never been to Fukuoka but am wondering if it is too much time to spend in Fukuoka noting i am there mainly for the Gion Matsuri which main day is on 15 July 2015. Hence will depart Fukuoka by 16th July.
Also, for option 1, if i were to travel to Beppu and Kyushu for one day trip each, should i get a JR pass and is it expensive?
Please feel free to suggest any other probable itinery if that is ok with you.
Thanks
Steven
Hi Steven,
You need JR Pass anyway. Because Hakata-Kyoto round trip fare is slightly cheaper than 7 days pass but you will add some other spots in Kyushu. So even if you take domestic flight, you will need JR pass 7 days.
Tokyo/Shinagawa to Hakata trip time is 6 hours. Please see the timetable below:
http://english.jr-central.co.jp/info/timetable/_pdf/eastbound.pdf
http://english.jr-central.co.jp/info/timetable/_pdf/westbound.pdf
You cannot take Nozomi so you have to transfer at Shin-Osaka. But it doesn’t take 12 hours.
If you want to save your cost as much as you want, just use JR pass to complete this trip.
Cheers,
Takeshi / JP Rail
Hi Takeshi….thank you for reading my question. My friend and I will be in Tokyo on Aug 3rd, 2015 and plan take the Tokaido Shinkanson Line (Hikari) to Kyoto for 3 days, do a day trip to Osaka by train, take the train back to Fuji for 2 days and then back to Tokyo to head home. We will buy Japan Rail Passes. Some questions. Does it matter if I buy the Japan Rail Pass before I come to Japan or not? Also given the time of year we are coming, would you suggest reserving seats on the train or just using the non reserved seating cars? We know that the Japan Rail Pass will allow us to use the Tokyo Monorail and some buses as well. I was not sure if I could by the pass at Narita Airport or not. Thanks! Frank
Hi Frank,
You have to purchase JR pass before you leave. JR Pass cannot be purchased in Japan.
JR Pas covers reserved seat fee. I recommend you to reserve your seat as much as you can. You may not find a seat side by side with your friend in non reserved car.
Cheers,
Takeshi / JP Rail
Hi Takeshi,
If we buy a one way Shinkansen ticket from Shinagawa station to Shin-Osaka station,
can we use the same ticket to board the local train from Osaki station to Shinagawa
station & Shin-Osaka station to Osaka station?
Thanks
Simon
Hi Simon,
Yes you can.
Cheers,
Takeshi / JP Rail
Hi Takeshi,
I’ll be in Tokyo from April 2-11 with my friends but on the 9th they be going home & i’ll be left alone. Since Hakone is not on our itinerary I’m planning to go there alone just for a day trip & be back to Tokyo in the evening. Can I ask for an advice the comfortable or convenient way to travel there such as what best transportation to get there? Its my first time to travel to Japan 🙂 Thank you so much
Hi Cheryl,
Odakyu Railway is the best choice and if you visit all places in Hakone, Hakone Free Pass is the best choice. Please find more info at the link below:
https://jprail.com/destinations/chubu-area/fuji-hakone-access-guide-by-train-and-bus-from-both-tokyo-and-osaka-kyoto-nagoya.html
Cheers,
Takeshi / JP Rail
Hi Takeshi,
Will be to Tokyo middle of May 2015, would like to visit Toyama by Shinkansen.
Couldn’t find there is direct link from Tokyo station to Toyama by Hyperdia.
Kindly advise.
Thanks
Hi Habib,
Try to use JR West timetable search.
http://www.westjr.co.jp/global/en/travel-information/timetable/
You can find it in this site.
Cheers,
Takeshi / JP Rail
Hi Takeshi
We arrive with our 2 young daughters [one of them is 3mths old] during the peak season by end of March. Due to unavailable accommodation in Kyoto, we are planning to stay in Nagoya for 2days and cover Kyoto, and, 3 nights in Osaka and cover south of Kyoto.
Any thoughts re use of Shinkansen with young kids?
Thanks much
Prav
Hi Prav,
You will be fine. Of course baby always cry. But if you don’t feel comfortable with it, you can take your baby to passengers deck. You don’t have any spaces on flight, but you can move in Shinkansen. I think Shinkanse is much better than flight and it is less stress.
Cheers,
Takeshi / JP Rail
Hi Takeshi!
We arrive at Narita airport on a friday night. We stay in Mitsui Garden Shinjuku-ku (Akasaka) to explore Tokyo in 4 days.
On day 5, we leave Tokyo & ride a Shinkansen bound for Osaka. In Osaka, we stay in Mitsui Garden Kita-ku Nakanoshima for 3 days exploring Osaka esp Universal Studios.
So we just need a 1 way shinkansen ticket fem tokyo-osaka? we are a group of 5 adults.
Also, along the way to Osaka, is there a shinkansen stop we can take to make our trip to osaka worthwhile but we will be back at the shinkansen station same day.
Is JR Pass worth buying? How about suica card? is there a group discount? And how much is the fare of the shinkansen?
sorry so many questions 😉
Thanks in advance!
Celeste
Hi Celeste,
As long as you have one way to Osaka from Tokyo by Shinkansen, JR pass does not work. If you go to outside Osaka and make a long day trip, like day trip to Hiroshima, it may work. But trip to Nara, Kyoto, Kobe from Osaka, it does not work.
I have a sample itinerary. It’s different from your plan but it may help you about calculating your cost.
https://jprail.com/sample-itineraries/7days/sample-itinerary-of-tokyo-hakone-kyoto-and-osaka-classic-route-in-7-days.html
Unfortunately there is no group discount. Only travel agent can get that rate.
Suica is very convenient, but you cannot use it for long distance trip, like Tokyo-Osaka.
Cheers,
Takeshi / JP Rail
On 29th July I have to reach Kyoto to attend a conference from 29th July to 2nd August 2015.From there I have to proceed to Hiroshima to attend the world Conference Against A&H Bombs at Hiroshima and Nagasaki from 2nd to 9th.What should be the convenient and less expensive travel from Hiroshima to Kyoto
Hi J.Narayana Rao,
Shinkansen is the best choice.
If you arrive in KIX, you can use Kansai Hiroshima Area Pass for KIX-Kyoto and Kyoto-Hiroshima.
https://jprail.com/travel-informations/other-rail-passes/rail-pass-for-visitors/kansai-hiroshima-area-pass-perfect-deal-for-the-traveller-who-wants-travel-both-kansai-and-hiroshima.html
Cheers,
Takeshi / JP Rail
Hai Takeshi,I will go to Tokyo from Kyoto at this April.if want take Shinkansen Nozomi where i can buy tickets?
Hi Nelly,
You can purchase it at any JR stations that has reservation window. In major cities, like Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, all JR stations have reservation window that is called “Midori no Madoguchi”.
Cheers,
Takeshi / JP Rail