JR train timetables guide. How to find the timetable of the train in Japan.

Timetable and reservation
2010.08.24

You need to check the train timetable to plan your trip.
In this post, I will introduce several resources where you can find train timetables in Japan.

I will cover the timetables provided by the major train companies later.
However, those alone are not always enough. Some train companies only offer a search engine, so you may prefer to see a hard copy of the timetable.

JR Group’s website

JR used to be Japan’s national railway, but it was privatized many years ago.
Today, there are six separate companies:

  • JR Hokkaido (Hokkaido area)
  • JR East (Tohoku, Kanto, Tokyo and surrounding areas, Nagano)
  • JR Central (Tokaido Shinkansen between Tokyo and Osaka, Nagoya and surrounding areas, Chubu region)
  • JR West (Kansai and Chugoku regions)
  • JR Shikoku (Shikoku area)
  • JR Kyushu (Kyushu area)

Some of these JR companies provide timetable and fare search functions on their official websites.

JR East timetable

This website provides timetables for most limited express trains, Shinkansen services, and popular seasonal trains in the JR East area.
It also includes timetables for JR Hokkaido trains.

JR East official site– the timetable

JR Central timetable

This website offers the timetable for the Tokaido Shinkansen and Sanyo Shinkansen.
These Shinkansen lines connect Tokyo, Nagoya, Kyoto, Shin-Osaka, Okayama, Hiroshima, and Hakata.

JR Central official site – Tokaido and Sanyo Shinkansen timetables

JR Kyushu timetable

This website provides timetables for most limited express trains, Shinkansen services, and popular seasonal trains in the JR Kyushu area.

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

Hyperdia

hyperdia1

If you cannot find the timetable in the links above, please use Hyperdia to find it. Hyperdia covers all train’s schedules, most of domestic flights schedules, airport shuttle bus schedules and fare tables. This is the best website for a traveler who takes a train, and helps you to build your itinerary. It is simple but a bit tricky to use. Please refer the guide of Hyperdia in the link below:

Hyperdia perfect guide, train timetable and route search engine
If you want to build your itinerary by yourself, Hyperdia will help you a lot. This site is transportation search engine. You can search the timetables and routes of all trains, flights and airport shuttle bus. But this site is a bit tricky and too many functions and options to you. This guide will help you to find the way to use this site.
jprail.com
2013.11.26

Comments

  1. Lee says:
    November 9, 2013 at 9:07 am

    Hi Takeshi,

    There appears to be some discrepancies on the hyperdia website on train schedules compared to official JRHokkaido website.

    In such cases, which one should I stick to? Also, is there any fare calculation on their JR website? Many thanks.

    • JPRail says:
      November 9, 2013 at 9:29 am

      Hi Lee,

      JR Hokkaido site is official. So use it to build your itinerary. You can use Hyperdia to calculate fare.

      Cheers,

      Takeshi / JP Rail

  2. swetha says:
    October 15, 2013 at 3:50 am

    can you tell us the trains available from tokyo to lake kawaguchico and back to tokyo…preferably the Limited express and the Bullet train. Can you pls send us the train schedule. Do we need to book the trains before hand or can we do it there itself. thanku

    regards
    swetha

  3. Joyce Aguilar says:
    August 17, 2013 at 2:44 am

    Hello JPrail!

    We are scheduled to arrive Japan Sept1 in Narita Terminal 2 but will stay overnight since time of arrival is night time.

    Following day Sept 2 we want to go directly to Kawaguchiko for an overnight stay near the lake. Are all trains specified in HYPERDIA using all JR pass even if we need to transfer? Do we need to book this route in the JR station in the airport?

    Sept 3 we are staying in Shinjuku for 2nights then we need to be in Sapporo Sept 5. I got the HYPERDIA schedule leaving 6:20 AM and arriving in Sapporo at 15:44. We need to know if there are additional charges that we need to pay for this route since we don’t know if the transfers are using all JR trains.

    DO WE ALSO NEED TO BOOK this ahead when we arrive in Narita Terminal 2 at the JR pass kiosk?

    6:20 Shinjuku JR
    28mins JR Saikyo Line Rapid

    6:48 Omiya Saitama
    6:58
    169mins Shinkansen Hayabusa 1

    9:47 Shin-Aomori arrival track #12
    10:16
    126mins Ltd Exp Super Hakucho 11

    12:22 Hakodate
    12:30
    194 mins Ltd. Exp Super Hokuto 9

    15:44 Sapporo JR arrival track #8

    Your help is greatly appreciated.

    Thanks a lot in advance!

    • JPRail says:
      August 17, 2013 at 8:03 am

      Hi Joyce,

      I recommend you to book all trains which you will take.

      When you go to Kawatuchiko from Narita, you will take Narita Express (Narita airport to Shinjuku), Limited Express Azusa (Shinjuku-Otusuki) and Fuji Kyuko railway. You can book for both Narita Express and Azusa. Fuji Kyuko is not covered by JR Pass, so you have to pay extra on the spot. Please see the following link:
      https://jprail.com/destinations/chubu-area/how-to-use-japan-rail-pass-to-go-to-mt-fuji.html

      Cheers,

      Takeshi / JP Rail

      • Joyce Aguilar says:
        August 18, 2013 at 5:14 pm

        Hello Takeshi!

        Thank you so much for your reply!

        Yes, when we arrive in Narita, we will book all our trains.

        The itinerary I emailed Shinjuku going to Sapporo has no extra charge, right? We’ll book the same when we arrive in Narita.

        We are so excited to see and explore Japan! Your website is my source of information.

        Keep it up! You’re doing wonderful!

        Joyce

        • JPRail says:
          August 18, 2013 at 7:26 pm

          Hi Joyce,

          No extra charge will be required. So go ahead to book all trains right after you arrive in Narita. It will make you enjoy the travel without stress.

          Cheers,

          Takeshi / JP Rail

  4. ph031 says:
    July 17, 2013 at 7:23 am

    i ‘d question i arrive sapporo please help me plan go to tokyo .

    >> from sapporo –>tokyo about time afternoon until night to tokyo early morning about time 9-10 (sleep on train ) use jr japan rail time table i don’t understand http://www.hyperdia.com/en
    >> after to tokyo i continue goto fuji asap i plan how ??? i bookimg stay there.
    please help me and advise

    i ‘d sleep on the train from sapporo to tokyo >>fuji use jr japan rail where down station how

    thank you

    ph031

  5. EPEI says:
    July 15, 2013 at 9:51 pm

    Hi, I am told that I should take the JR Tokaido line to Yugawara station at Hakone. Can you tell me how to book the tickets and how to check the timings? I will also be travelling from Hakone yugaware station to Osaka.

    Cheers!

  6. Limm says:
    June 14, 2013 at 1:17 am

    Hello Takeshi / JP Rail,
    We’d like to travel to Takayama in the end of this month (Arr. at Chubu Airport at 0800 a.m.of 28th June). Can we get on the Limited Express Wide View Hida from Chubu Airport or we have to get on it from Nagoya station? And if we can get on it from the airport, would you please give me the details of which platform we’re gonna take and how to get there?

    Thanks & Best regards,
    Limm

  7. Alex says:
    May 11, 2013 at 5:12 am

    Hello, I’ve been confused with all kinds of trains
    I will have my JP rail pass for 3 weeks
    can I ask few questions:
    1.I will be at Osaka, Tokyo, Hakone,Fuji 5 lakes,Kyoto, Uwajima and Kirishima
    does the JP pass covers all these destinations?
    many thanks for your reply
    with KR’s
    Alex

  8. Pınar Yavaşca says:
    March 24, 2013 at 10:25 am

    I will go to Osaka 11 april and will arrive 07.00 pm. I want to go Hakone but I don’t how can I go. I find some knowledge for example kansai-odawara by JRT but how many hours ? I cant find and after odawara to hakone-yumoto station but I can’t find time table and when is last train time please help me. If between kansai-odawara time is 6 hours (in my opinion ı dont know how many hours) I think I can take a train may be 08.00-.8.30 pm earlier and then 02.00am I will arrive. Can I find a train or bus to hakone?

  9. Gary says:
    March 14, 2013 at 6:37 pm

    Greetings Takeshi:

    The information you provide is so excellent!

    We are interested in scenic rail trips. It seems that one of them is around the mountainous Kii Peninsula. We would like to leave Shin-Osaka on April 16 on board the Kuroshio1 arriving at Kii-Katsuura at about 11:31. Then we would want to take the Wide View Nanki 6 from there departing at about 12:23 to Nagoya. The WVN6 is shown in the 2012 JR English timetable and also comes up in the Jourdan.co.jp website timetable. But no WVN6 in Hyperdia. Has this train been dropped? Also, I have a question about fares but I will ask it in the ‘Fares’ section. THANKS GARY

    • JPRail says:
      March 15, 2013 at 2:51 am

      Hi Gary,

      I don’t know why Hyperdia does not show it. But I found Nanki 6. It will run.
      The fare is same as other Wide View Naki. If you can find other Wide View Nanki at Hyperdia, you can use that fare.

      Cheers,

      Takeshi / JP Rail

  10. Kriz says:
    March 9, 2013 at 9:18 am

    Hi, thank you so much for all your information on the Japan railway. I understand that you have put a link for the shinkansen schedule. However, I guess I am way too noob for that, I don’t understand the the timetable at all. Please kindly advice on the earliest time for departure at the osaka shinkansen. It will be of great help to me. Thank you.

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