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,
We are looking at purchasing a Sanyo Area Pass for our trip to Japan in January. Are we able to take the Nozomi Shinkansen from Kyoto directly to Hiroshima with this pass or will we need to change trains at Shin-Osaka? Thank you.
Regards,
Carly
Hi Carly,
Sanyo Area Pass does not cover any Shinkansen trains between Kyoto and Shin-Osaka. Because this segment does not belong to JR West. JR Central own this segment and Sanyo Area Pass cover only Shinkansen train that is owned by JR West.
So you have to take Special Rapid Train to Shin-Osaka from Kyoto. And then transfer to Shinkansen (any trains) to Hiroshima.
https://jprail.com/trains/sort-by-type/rapid-service/special-rapid-service.html
Cheers,
Takeshi / JP Rail
Hi Takeshi,
Can I ask, how / where do we purchase our JR tickets to Osaka from Tokyo? We alr bought our JR pass here.
And are Tokyo & shingawa station the only stations to get onto the tokaido Shinkansen?
Sorry to ask you so many questions. Thanks!
Best Regards,
Jacq
Hi Jacqueline,
If you have JR Pass, you don’t need to purchase anything if you take non reserved seat. Just show your JR Pass at the ticket gate, you can proceed.
JR Pass cover reserved seat with no extra charge. You can book it at most of stations in Japan. You don’t need to book it at Shinagawa or Tokyo. In Tokyo, most of stations has reservation window. Just go there and show your JR Pass. They will ask date, time, destination. And you will receive your reserved seat ticket at free of charge.
To learn more about reservation, please see the following post:
https://jprail.com/travel-informations/basic-informations/timetable-and-reservation/how-to-reserve-seat.html
Cheers,
Takeshi / JP Rail
Hi Takeshi,
Thank you very much for all your inputs! I will update you of our train travel after our trip! More power!
-Gemma 🙂
No problem, Gemma.
Enjoy your trip! 🙂
Takeshi / JP Rail
Hi Takeshi,
Thank you very much for the immediate reply and for the very detailed answer ! I truly appreciate it! I will definitely check at Narita Airport if I can purchase in advance the ticket from Odawara to Kyoto and Kyoto back to Tokyo. Thank you for this site where people can ask these questions and have somebody expert like you have spare time to reply, as many of our agencies here in our country cannot answer them. Again thank you!
Sincerely,
Gemma
Don’t worry Gemma.
Japan’s rail system is too complicated to explain by even travel agency. That’s why I stand for it. 🙂
If you have any more questions, don’t be shy to contact me.
Cheers,
Takeshi / JP Rail
Hi Takeshi,
Again, thank you.As you recommended I already understood that I can buy our tickets from Kyoto to Tokyo in advance when I arrive at Narita Airport (will look for JR Customer service). My problem is where to purchase the Odawara to Kyoto train ticket, does it sell at same JR Customer service at Narita Airport? or there’s no problem in just purchasing it as soon as we arrive at Odawara Station before departure? Scared that there will be NO more seats available to ride. Our tour operator suggests to buy departures after 7pm as the tour in Hakone will be finished before then, but no suggestion where and when to buy it. Thanks again for taking time to read this. 🙂
-Gemma
Hi Gemma,
Of course. You can purchase it at Narita too. All JR ticket, Green , Ordinary, Sleeper can be purchased at any JR stations that has reservation window.
So you should complete all your booking right after you arrive in Narita. It will make your trip easier.
Cheers,
Takeshi / JP Rail
Hi Takeshi,
Your post is very helpful. Planning to travel as a family from Odawara to Kyoto.Please help me plan. Can we purchase the ticket on that day itself when we finally finish our day tour and we are actually at Odawara station already? The tour operator advises to get a train leaving 7pm onwards .I noticed also from the other website that there is one transfer at Shizuoka, will there be announcements if time to transfer already? will there be sign as to where to board the next train?Also, we have medium luggages in tow (2 sizes bigger than luggage allowed to hand carry in plane) will we have a problem with this?(one luggage each person and we are a family of 4people).
Also from Kyoto going back to Tokyo, can we also buy the Green Car reserved on the day itself we are going to travel? I cannot plan on purchasing tickets in advance as the day tours might not finish at the right time. Lastly, may I know if the ticket counters have customer service speaking in English? I don’t want any miscommunication. Thank you very much and sorry for the long questions 🙂 – Gemma
Hi Gemma,
As long as you are in Shinkansen, you don’t need to worry about language. Information signs are written by both Japanese and English. And even announcement in the train is made by both English and Japanese. And station sings are shown in English too. So don’t worry about transfer at Shizuoka. As long as trains is on time, it will be no problem. Shinkansen mostly runs on time.
Regarding luggage, please see the following post:
https://jprail.com/travel-informations/travel-tips/baggage/managing-luggage-how-to-carry-your-baggage-on-board-and-how-to-store-your-baggage-at-the-station.html
At last, regarding ticket booking, it is very hard to say. In ordinary class, there are non reserved cars. So if you cannot make it, you can still get on the train. But sometimes there are standing passengers. Green car booking is same thing. I cannot say anything at this moment.
If you arrive in Narita or Haneda, you can book any JR trains ticket at JR Narita airport station or JR customer service beside Tokyo Monorail station. If you stay in Tokyo, you can purchase it in advance at most of stations in Tokyo. If you don’t have a time, you can purchase Green ticket from Kyoto to Tokyo at Odawara. I recommend you to book it in advance.
Some stations staffs cannot speak English very fluently. But it will not be a big issue.
Cheers,
Takeshi / JP Rail
Hi Takeshi San,
My alternative is to go for Nozomi, unreserved seat option since it is same amount as Hikari unreserved ¥13240. Plus, I might able to get a seat for my 3 years old child with unreserved arrangement.
However, we like to find out what is consider as “outside rush hour” to board this train?
We have large luggages and will try to avoid the rush hour crowds and hopefully to find seats.
Waiting for your advise.
Thank you so much.
Hi Chris,
If you access to Shinkansen station directly, it will be okay. But if you take local train, such as Yamanote line or subway or other commute train, try to avoid peak hour. It will be stressful so much.
Cheers,
Takeshi / JP Rail
Hi Takeshi San,
May I ask if you know about Hikari Hayatoku Kippu? I am trying to find information if this ticket is available for online booking but can’t seem to find it.
I read this ticket has to be purchased one week advance to travelling date from any JR ticket counter.
unfortunately, we arrive Tokyo on 28/6 and travelling to Osaka on 1/7 which is less than a week to purchase.
Do you have any idea? Or any suggestion to get given my situation.
Thank you.
Hi Chris,
Unfortunately this ticket is available at the station only. Even Japanese cannot buy it online.
In your case, only regular fare is available.
Cheers,
Takeshi / JP Rail
Hi
I wonder if you could advise me to get from Kyoto to Kashiwa of Chiba-prefecture, cheap tickets and I don’t mind taking time. If you could advise me the option of two routes would be good. If there are highway bus I wouldn’t mind. Or if you can’t could you tell me where I can find them.
Thank you very much in advance.
Takee
Hi Takee,
I think highway bus is the best way. But I’m sorry that I’m not familiar with it. Only this company provide info in English.
http://willerexpress.com/en/
Cheers,
Takeshi / JP Rail
Hello there! Thank you for your great website full of valuable information.
Please confirm if going from Tokyo to Hakata (Fukuoka), should we change trains at Shin-Osaka or is just the same train with different line names?
Arigato gozaimashita.
Hi Fernando,
Some trains (Nozomi only) go through Hakata from Tokyo. But if you use Japan Rail Pass, you cannot take Nozomi but Hikari. There is no Hikari go to Hakata from Tokyo. You have to change the train at Shin-Osaka. Please find the timetable for Shinkansen at the following link:
http://english.jr-central.co.jp/info/timetable/index.html
Cheers,
Takeshi / JP Rail
Hi,
I wanna buy a Tokaido/Sanyo Shinkansen ticket from Tokyo to Kyoto
I checked the schedule in http://www.hyperdia.com/en, but I can’t buy it.
I will travel on 19 Nov. and I don’t know how and where should I buy it.
could you please help me with that? ans is the ticket fare is changing by getting close to departure time?
Hi Laleh,
The fare is always same. If you are in Japan, there are some discounted tickets. But basically it is same. It is not changing like flight ticket.
You can purchase a ticket on the spot at the station.
Cheers,
Takeshi / JP Rail
Dear Takeshi,
Thanks for answer. I’m not in Japan at the moment, but I’ll be there 16 of November and I’m planning to go to Kyoto on 19th of November.
then, can I buy it prior the departure time on trail station?
Thanks in advance,
Laleh
Hi Laleh,
Yes, you can. You can buy it anytime within one month prior to departure date.
Cheers,
Takeshi / JP Rail