Japan Rail Pass NowAustralia's No.1 Choice
1300 635 500Mon-Fri, AEST
Buy Now
Japan Rail Pass NowAustralia's No.1 Choice
Traveling on Japan’s iconic Shinkansen—better known as the bullet train—is an experience in itself. With speeds of up to 320 km/h and an unparalleled level of efficiency, it’s a must for anyone exploring the Land of the Rising Sun. But let’s face it: navigating ticket purchases for Japan’s train system can feel daunting. Don’t worry—we’re here to make it simple. Read on for our ultimate guide to booking Shinkansen tickets online.
The Shinkansen is more than just a train; it’s a symbol of Japan’s innovation and reliability. Connecting cities from Tokyo to Osaka, Kyoto to Fukuoka, and beyond, this high-speed rail network delivers not only speed but also stunning views of Japan’s diverse landscapes.
Booking your tickets online saves time and ensures a smoother travel experience. The process is simple, and it’s a user-friendly way to secure your seat. With options to compare prices and schedules, booking in advance is a no-brainer.
For specific routes—like the Tokaido Shinkansen (Tokyo to Shin-Osaka), Sanyo Shinkansen (Shin-Osaka to Hakata), and Kyushu Shinkansen (Hakata to Kagoshima-Chuo)—you can board directly with your QR code. This hassle-free option is perfect for travelers who prefer to skip the ticket counter.
Travelers with items exceeding 160 cm (combined height, width, and depth) must book specific seats with oversized luggage storage. These seats are easy to reserve online, so make sure to check your baggage dimensions beforehand.
Booking online isn’t just convenient; it’s smart. You’ll lock in your seats, avoid language barriers, and have the flexibility to plan your trip down to the last detail. Plus, it allows you to browse schedules, compare prices, and secure the best deal without rushing at the station.
With Japan’s unparalleled train network at your fingertips, the country is yours to explore. Whether it’s the neon lights of Tokyo, the cultural treasures of Kyoto, or the serene landscapes of Hokkaido, the Shinkansen will get you there quickly and comfortably. So book your tickets, pack your bags, and get ready for a journey to remember!
There is no single website that sells every Shinkansen ticket. Japan Railways is six separate companies, and each runs its own booking service for the lines it operates. Working out which one you need is most of the job.
| Booking service | Lines it covers | Typical routes |
|---|---|---|
| Smart EX | Tokaido, Sanyo and Kyushu Shinkansen | Tokyo to Kyoto, Osaka, Hiroshima, Hakata and on to Kagoshima |
| JR East train reservation | Tohoku, Hokkaido, Joetsu, Hokuriku, Yamagata and Akita Shinkansen | Tokyo to Sendai, Nagano, Niigata, Aomori and Hakodate |
| JR West online reservation | Western Hokuriku, Sanyo and Kyushu Shinkansen, plus JR West limited expresses | Osaka to Kanazawa, Kyoto to Hiroshima, airport expresses in Kansai |
Smart EX is the one most Australian visitors end up using, because the Tokaido Shinkansen between Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka is the busiest tourist route in the country. If your trip is Tokyo to Kyoto to Osaka and back, Smart EX covers all of it.
If you are heading north to Nagano for the snow monkeys or the ski fields, or up to Sendai and Hokkaido, that is JR East territory and a different account.
Reserved seats go on sale exactly one month before the departure date, at 10am Japan time. A train leaving on 15 April goes on sale at 10am on 15 March. Japan is one hour behind Sydney during Australian standard time and two hours behind once daylight saving starts, so check what 10am Japan time means for you before you set an alarm.
For most journeys you do not need to be sitting at your laptop the moment booking opens. The exceptions are worth knowing: Golden Week in late April and early May, the Obon holidays in mid August, and the New Year period. On those dates popular trains genuinely do sell out, and the Shinkansen gets very full with Japanese families travelling.
Smart EX and the JR East service both let you queue a request before the booking window opens, so the system submits it for you when sales start.
Usually, yes. The main services accept Visa, Mastercard, JCB, American Express and Diners Club.
The thing that trips people up is not the card brand, it is the verification step. These sites require 3D Secure, the one time code your bank sends by text or through its app. If your phone is on an Australian number and you are already in Japan, or roaming is playing up, that code may not arrive and the payment fails. It is worth doing your bookings before you fly, while your phone is working normally on your home network.
If a payment will not go through, you have not lost the trip. You can buy the same ticket at any station machine or ticket office once you land.
You will not usually be handed a paper ticket, which surprises people expecting something to show a conductor.
If you do not already have an IC card, that is worth sorting out early, because it also covers subways, local buses and convenience stores, which no rail pass does. We sell a Suica card you can have in your hand before you leave Australia.
This is the part that saves people the most money and the most time, and it is the part that almost never gets explained properly.
A Japan Rail Pass already includes your seat reservations. You do not pay a booking fee, you do not pay a seat fee, and you do not need a Smart EX account at all. You walk up to a ticket office, show the pass, say where you are going, and they print your reserved seat ticket for nothing.
The office you want is the one marked Midori no Madoguchi, the green window, and every major JR station has one. Bring your passport along with the pass. You can book as many reservations as you like across the life of the pass, and you can book several journeys at once, which is worth doing on arrival so your whole week is locked in.
So the real question is not which booking app to use. It is whether a pass is cheaper than buying your journeys one at a time. If your trip is Tokyo to Kyoto and back, plus a day trip or two, the sums are usually close. If you are covering more ground than that, the pass normally wins, and it also removes the booking admin entirely.
Both work. They suit different trips.
Booking each journey yourself makes sense if your plans are loose, if you are only taking one or two Shinkansen trips, or if you would rather decide on the day. You pay the exact fare with no mark up. The cost is the admin: an account per rail company, a payment that has to clear 3D Secure, and a booking window that opens at an awkward hour Australian time.
Sorting your rail travel before you fly makes sense if you are covering real distance, travelling with family, or simply do not want to spend the first hour in Japan queueing at a ticket office. You arrive with the thing in your hand and the fares are locked in Australian dollars, so a move in the exchange rate between booking and travelling is not your problem.
We would rather you worked out which one actually suits your trip than sold you something you do not need. If you are taking two trains in two weeks, buy them individually. If you are crossing the country, look at a pass.
Nothing is lost if you arrive with no tickets booked. Every Shinkansen station sells tickets from machines with an English option and from staffed ticket offices, and outside the holiday peaks you can usually get on a train within the hour.
Two practical notes. Machines take cash and most cards, but a handful are fussy about foreign cards, so keep some yen on you. And if you are travelling on the Tokaido or Sanyo lines with a large suitcase, oversized luggage over 160cm in total dimensions needs a reserved space booked with your seat, which is free but has to be done at the time of booking.
Yes. Smart EX and the JR East service both accept overseas bookings with a foreign credit card, from one month before departure. A Japan Rail Pass can be bought any time before you travel and covers your reservations once you are there.
Most Shinkansen have non reserved carriages you can walk onto without booking. On quiet days that is perfectly fine. On busy routes, at weekends and in holiday periods you may end up standing for two hours, so a reserved seat is worth having.
Nozomi and Mizuho are the fastest services on the Tokaido and Sanyo lines, and they are not included in the standard pass as a matter of course. Pass holders can ride them by paying a supplement. The Hikari and Sakura services are included and are usually only a little slower.
With a reserved seat on the Tokaido or Sanyo Shinkansen you can generally take a later train the same day in a non reserved carriage. With a rail pass it does not matter at all, you simply get a new reservation or sit in a non reserved car.
Yes, through the same service you booked with, up to a cut off before departure. A fee applies and it rises the closer you get to the departure time. Check the operator’s own terms, as they differ between the JR companies.
If you are not sure how to find the Shinkansen gates once you arrive, our station guides walk through the layout of the main stations.
