Travel tips
Large luggage, seat reservations and other things to sort out before you ride, from the railways' own rules.
Using passes
- Buying a pass: who can, where and when
The JAPAN RAIL PASS is for foreign tourists entering as Temporary Visitors; get the stamp at immigration. Buying on the official website is cheaper than an exchange order from an agency abroad. Pick the pass up in Japan with your original passport. JR passes run on consecutive days and the start date cannot be changed once you have the pass. - Using a rail pass at the gates and on board
Put a paper JR pass through the automatic gate (not the IC-only ones) or show it at the staffed gate; app passes are shown to staff. Always carry your passport. Seat reservations are free with the pass, but the JAPAN RAIL PASS does not cover Nozomi/Mizuho, private railways or JR highway buses, and a lost pass is not reissued.
Fares
- Children's fares
Children aged 6 to 11 (and 12-year-olds still in elementary school) pay half fare; under-6s ride free, up to 2 per paying adult or child. A small child who takes their own reserved seat needs a child ticket. Child IC cards (Welcome Suica Child, child ICOCA) need the child's ID, and rail passes for children are half price.
Seat reservations
- Booking seats on JR East Shinkansen and limited expresses
Reserved seats go on sale at 10:00 one month before travel. Book online on Eki-net (Japanese) or JR-EAST Train Reservation (for visitors), or at reserved-seat ticket machines and ticket offices. Hayabusa, Komachi, Kagayaki and the Narita Express have reserved seats only. - Booking seats on JR Hokkaido limited expresses and the Hokkaido Shinkansen
All JR Hokkaido limited expresses are reserved-seat only. Book on Eki-net (JR East's service) or, as a visitor, on JR-EAST Train Reservation from 10:00 one month before travel, then collect tickets at a JR Hokkaido ticket machine or office. - Booking seats on JR Kyushu trains
Use JR Kyushu Net Reservation (QR ticketless) for limited expresses, D&S trains and the Nishi-Kyushu Shinkansen, and smartEX / Express Reservation for the Kyushu Shinkansen Hakata – Kagoshima-Chuo. Seats go on sale at 10:00 one month ahead; visitors can use JR-KYUSHU Train Reservation in English. - Booking seats on JR West: e5489 and JR-WEST ONLINE TRAIN RESERVATION
JR West sells reserved seats from 10:00 one month before travel. Book online on e5489 (Japanese) or JR-WEST ONLINE TRAIN RESERVATION (English), then collect paper tickets at a ticket machine with the 5489 logo, or ride ticketless where offered. - Booking the Tokaido, Sanyo and Kyushu Shinkansen (smartEX / EX)
Reserved seats go on sale at 10:00 one month before travel; with smartEX or Express Reservation you can book up to one year ahead and ride by tapping your IC card. Nozomi has non-reserved cars 1–2, except in peak periods when it is all reserved.
Seasons and disruptions
- Golden Week, Obon and New Year: crowded trains and all-reserved Shinkansen
In the busiest periods every Nozomi between Tokyo and Hakata runs with reserved seats only, and the Hida, Shinano and Nanki limited expresses do too. For winter 2026/27 that means 25 December to 5 January plus the long weekends. Seats go on sale at 10:00 one month before travel; book as early as you can. - Typhoons, snow and suspended trains
Before a big typhoon, railways announce planned suspensions (計画運休) in advance; check the operator's service status page. If your train is cancelled you get a full refund or a free ride back, and limited express fees are refunded when a train is 2 hours or more late. Rail passes are not extended or refunded for delays or cancellations.
Big stations
- Hakata Station: lines, transfers, lockers and step-free routes
Hakata is shared by JR Kyushu (local lines and the Kyushu Shinkansen), JR West (Sanyo Shinkansen) and the Fukuoka City Subway (Airport and Nanakuma lines). The Hakata exit faces Tenjin, the Chikushi exit faces the airport side; Shinkansen gates are towards the Chikushi side, and there are transfer gates between JR local lines and the Shinkansen. - Kyoto Station: lines, transfers, lockers and step-free routes
Kyoto Station is shared by JR West, JR Central (Tokaido Shinkansen), Kintetsu (Kyoto Line) and the Kyoto City Subway Karasuma Line. The Shinkansen and Kintetsu are on the south (Hachijo) side, JR local lines and the main Central Gate on the north (Karasuma) side. - Nagoya Station: lines, transfers, lockers and step-free routes
JR Central (Shinkansen and local lines), the Higashiyama and Sakura-dori subway lines and the Aonami Line share the name Nagoya; the private railways next door are called Meitetsu Nagoya (名鉄名古屋) and Kintetsu Nagoya (近鉄名古屋). The Shinkansen is on the Taiko-dori (west) side, the subway, Meitetsu and Kintetsu on the Sakura-dori (east) side. - Osaka / Umeda: lines, transfers, lockers and step-free routes
JR calls its station Osaka (大阪); Hankyu, Hanshin and Osaka Metro call theirs Umeda (梅田, 大阪梅田, 東梅田, 西梅田). They are separate stations joined by streets and underground passages, so you leave one operator's gates and walk to the next. - Shinjuku Station: lines, transfers, lockers and step-free routes
Shinjuku is several stations joined together: JR East, Odakyu, Keio (Keio Line and Keio New Line), Tokyo Metro Marunouchi Line and the Toei Shinjuku and Oedo lines. Each operator has its own gates; transfer gates link JR with Odakyu and Keio. - Tokyo Station: lines, transfers, lockers and step-free routes
Tokyo Station is shared by JR East, JR Central (Tokaido Shinkansen) and Tokyo Metro (Marunouchi Line). The Shinkansen gates are on the Yaesu side; allow 10–20 minutes to change between the Shinkansen and local lines.
Luggage
- Large luggage on JR East and JR Hokkaido Shinkansen and limited express trains
No luggage booking is needed on the Tohoku, Hokkaido, Akita, Yamagata, Joetsu and Hokuriku Shinkansen: use any free luggage space, or keep the bag at your feet. - Large suitcases on the Tokaido, Sanyo, Kyushu and Nishi-Kyushu Shinkansen
Bags over 160 cm (length + width + height) need a seat with an oversized baggage area, booked in advance at no extra cost. Without one you pay a 1,000 yen fee. - Travel without your suitcase: delivery and lockers
Send bags from the airport, a station or your hotel to the next hotel the same day, or leave them in a station coin locker (about 300 to 1,000 yen). - What you can take on Japanese trains
On JR and most private railways you can take 2 bags free, each up to 250 cm (length + width + height), 2 m long and 30 kg. Small pets in a carrier cost a small fee.
On board
- Manners on trains and platforms
Put your phone on silent and don't make calls in the car. Give priority seats to those who need them. Line up on the platform, move inside the car, wear your backpack in front and keep big bags out of the way. Some lines have women-only cars, mostly in the weekday morning rush.
Safety and lost property
- Earthquakes, emergencies and help on trains
In a strong earthquake trains stop at once and stay stopped until staff have checked the line, which can take a long time. Stay in the car and follow the crew; never climb down to the tracks on your own. Use the SOS/emergency call button in the car or the emergency stop button on the platform in a real emergency. Dial 110 for police and 119 for fire or ambulance; JNTO runs a 24-hour visitor hotline (050-3816-2787) and the Safety tips app. - Lost something on a train?
Ask station staff straight away, or contact the railway's lost-property service: most big operators use the "find chat" online form (open 24 hours) plus a phone line. Say when and where you lost it, which train or stations, and describe the item in detail. Items move after a few days to a central office and, in Tokyo, then to the Metropolitan Police Lost and Found Center. Bring photo ID such as your passport to collect it.
More tips
- Night travel: sleeper train and night buses
The Sunrise Seto (Tokyo to Takamatsu) and Sunrise Izumo (Tokyo to Izumo-shi) are the overnight sleeper trains JR lists today; berths cost extra, even with a rail pass. Overnight highway buses are another option; JR Bus Kanto sells seats from 10:00 one month and one day before travel. Buy night tickets early: ticket offices may be closed late at night.