JR West 西日本旅客鉄道

Before you travel

• Using passesBuying 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 passesUsing 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.
• FaresChildren'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 reservationsBooking 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.
• Seat reservationsBooking 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 disruptionsGolden 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.
• Seasons and disruptionsTyphoons, 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 stationsHakata 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.
• Big stationsKyoto 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.
• Big stationsOsaka / 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.
• LuggageLarge 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.
• LuggageLarge 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.
• On boardManners 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 propertyLost 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 tipsNight 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.