Platt Kodama - discount Shinkansen tickets between Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka 🚅
Guide on using Platt Kodama plan for discounted travel on the Tokaido Shinkansen, including booking, pickup, and free drink perks. Stations include Tokyo, Shinagawa, Shin-Yokohama, Nagoya, Kyoto, and Shin-Osaka.
Overview
Platt Kodama (ぷらっとこだま) is a discount plan for the Tokaido Shinkansen between Tokyo and Shin-Osaka. In exchange for taking the "local" Kodama Shinkansen, you can get a discount.
Seating options under the Platt Kodama plan:
- Ordinary car; reserved seat
- Green car; reserved seat
It is a great option for those who want to save money on Shinkansen tickets and are willing to take a slower train.
TIP
Great option for those working remotely or want a less-crowded train. Due to slower speed, the train is often less crowded than the faster Nozomi or Hikari trains.
Comparing travel times
Here are travel-time estimates from Tokyo to Nagoya, Kyoto, and Shin-Osaka stations.
| Name | Nagoya | Kyoto | Shin-Osaka | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Nozomi (のぞみ) | ~ 1.67 hr | ~ 2.27 hr | ~ 2.53 hr | Not covered by the JR Pass; requires an additional ticket. Fastest and most frequent type. |
Hikari (ひかり) | ~ 2.00 hr | ~ 2.67 hr | ~ 2.93 hr | Covered by the JR Pass. Fastest JR Pass option. |
Kodama (こだま) | ~ 2.77 hr | ~ 3.65 hr | ~ 4.00 hr | Covered by the JR Pass. Stops at all Tokaido Shinkansen stations, and tends to be less crowded. |
Naming
- Japanese:
ぷらっとこだま普通車指定席プラン - English: Platt Kodama
Pricing - is it worth it?
Following are price estimates comparing the cheapest Platt Kodama fare (Type A) with regular Nozomi reserved-seat fares, as of the June 2026 fares.
NOTE
Platt Kodama fares vary by departure date across four tiers (Type A to Type D), so the price you pay may be higher than the Type A figures below. For example, the Tokyo to Shin-Osaka ordinary-car fare rises to roughly 12,220 yen in peak periods.
| Trip | Regular price | Platt Kodama price (Type A) | Savings | Added travel time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tokyo ↔ Shin-Osaka | 14,720 yen | 11,360 yen | 3,360 yen | ~ 1.47 hr (~ 58% longer) |
| Tokyo ↔ Kyoto | 14,170 yen | 10,960 yen | 3,210 yen | ~ 1.38 hr (~ 61% longer) |
| Tokyo ↔ Nagoya | 11,300 yen | 9,000 yen | 2,300 yen | ~ 1.10 hr (~ 66% longer) |
Restrictions
- Book from one month before departure (from 10:00) until 23:30 the day before.
- Same-day purchase is not possible.
- Fixed trip plan - you cannot take any other trains.
- Seat assigned - you cannot use any other seat or change the seat.
- No stopover allowed - your ticket expires once you get off the train.
- A handling charge is charged when issuing a refund
Details
NOTE
JR Tokai Tours moved the official Platt Kodama pages to the travel.jr-central.co.jp domain. The plan is now ticketless and requires a SmartEX or Express Reservation (EX) membership.
Japanese
- Plan features: ぷらっとこだまの特徴 - JR 東海ツアーズ
- Booking site: ぷらっとこだま予約サイト - JR 東海ツアーズ
- Reservation guide: ぷらっとこだま予約ガイド - JR 東海ツアーズ
- From application to departure: 申込から出発まで - JR 東海ツアーズ
English
- Homepage: One-way Shinkansen travel packages - JR TOKAI TOURS
- One-way and day-trip site: Shinkansen day trip and one-way trip - JR TOKAI TOURS
- Example tour: Platt Kodama, Tokyo to Shin-Osaka, ordinary car - JR TOKAI TOURS
Booking methods
IMPORTANT
JR Tokai Tours closed all of its station travel counters and ended in-person travel sales on March 31, 2024. Platt Kodama is now booked online only - there are no branch offices to visit or book at.
Before you start, make sure you have the following ready:
- An EX service account (SmartEX or Express Reservation) - you log in to the booking site with it.
- A credit card, plus a backup card, since some cards are declined.
- Your travel date - booking opens one month ahead and closes at 23:30 the day before.
- The IC card you plan to tap at the gate, or your phone for the QR code.
Online booking
- Book online through the Japanese booking site 😭
- ぷらっとこだま予約サイト - JR 東海ツアーズ ⚠️
- ⚠️ Booking requires a SmartEX or Express Reservation (EX) membership.
- ⚠️ Google Translate will break the website
⚠️ Warning for online booking ⚠️
- Their website is terrible and can run into bugs!
- Some credit cards are denied without reason given.
- Reservations on this site are ONLY available from 5:30 to 23:30
- Apparently, their servers need to sleep...
⚡ Tips for online booking
- Sign up for an EX service account first (SmartEX or Express Reservation)
- You log in to the booking site with this EX service account
- Reserve tickets well ahead of 23:30
- Prepare multiple credit card options
Search query
| Japanese | English | Example Values |
|---|---|---|
乗車日 | Boarding date | 2026/07/15 |
乗車駅 | Boarding station | 東京 (Tokyo) |
降車駅 | Arrival station | 京都 (Kyoto) |
出発時刻 | Boarding time | Select the earliest desired boarding time |
Online booking steps
商品選択- Product selection選択内容確認- Confirm your selection取引条件確認- Confirm transaction conditions申込情報入力- Enter application information申込情報確認- Confirm application information申込完了- Application completed
Boarding the Kodama
Platt Kodama is fully ticketless. After you book, there is no paper ticket to collect before you travel. You board the Kodama in one of two ways:
- Tap a registered IC card at the Shinkansen ticket gate.
- Show the QR code displayed in the EX service app or on the booking site.
Register the IC card you plan to tap, or open your reservation's QR code, before you reach the gate.
IMPORTANT
Use the Shinkansen ticket gates operated by JR Central (JR東海), not the regular JR line gates.
Prefer a physical ticket? Paper pickup is still available as an optional fallback - see Optional: collect a paper ticket.
Drink or regional coupon
Each traveler receives one electronic coupon as a perk. Since April 1, 2026, you choose between:
- Drink coupon - redeem for a drink.
- Regional select coupon (
ご当地セレクトクーポン) - redeem for a local product.
How it works:
- The coupon appears in the EX service app on your travel date.
- Present its QR code at a participating shop.
- The coupon is valid only on your travel day.
- Participating shops are in Tokaido Shinkansen stations (Tokyo to Shin-Osaka) and display this sticker:
- ⚠️ The coupon cannot be redeemed on board the Kodama, as there is no trolley service.
Optional: collect a paper ticket
Paper pickup is an optional fallback, not the default - most travelers board ticketless with an IC card or QR code. If you prefer a physical ticket, you can collect one from a JR reserved-seat ticket machine (指定席券売機) within 7 days before your travel date.
Two steps:
- Prep - Get your pickup QR code (or 16-digit pickup code) and your EX service login password (4-8 characters) ready.
- Pickup - Scan the QR code (or enter the 16-digit pickup code), then enter your EX password to collect your ticket from a reserved-seat ticket machine (
指定席券売機).
Prep - getting the ticket pickup code
- Navigate to the Platt Kodama booking site and log in with your EX service account (SmartEX or Express Reservation)
- Open your reservation from your booking list and view its details
- Display the JR ticket pickup information for the reservation
- Your 16-digit pickup code and a pickup QR code will be shown; you will also need your EX service login password (4-8 characters) at the machine
- {Optional} Repeat the process to display the return trip's pickup code
NOTE
The screenshots below show the earlier booking site and are kept for general reference; the current travel.jr-central.co.jp site uses the EX service login and may look different.
| Step | ScreenShot |
|---|---|
| 2 ~ 3 |  |
| 4 |  |
Pickup - using the ticket machine
⚠️ Navigate to the Correct Ticket Machine
| ✅ Correct Ticket Machines | ❌ Incorrect Ticket Machines |
|---|---|
 |  |
| Steps | Screenshots | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |  | Please press the "Pick up JR TOKAI TOURS tour ticket" button |
| 2 |  | Scan the Platt Kodama ticket's pickup QR code (or select manual entry and type the 16-digit pickup code) |
| 3 |  | Enter your EX service login password (4-8 characters) and press the "Confirm" button |
| 4 |  | Confirm the ticket details and press the "Print" button |
| 5 |  | Please take all the vouchers and documents: Platt Itinerary (1x), Kodama Coupon (number of passengers), Drink Voucher (number of passengers) |
Pickup locations
Tickets are collected at JR reserved-seat ticket machines (指定席券売機), not at travel branches (the branch offices have all closed). You can pick up your tickets at the reserved-seat machines in major Tokaido Shinkansen stations, including:
- Tokyo Station
- Shinagawa Station
- Shin-Yokohama Station
- Shizuoka Station
- Hamamatsu Station
- Nagoya Station
- Kyoto Station
- Shin-Osaka Station
Call JR Tokai Tours support
- JR Tokai Tours /
JR東海ツアーズ - Platto Travel Support /
ぷらっと旅・コールセンター - Platt Kodama "Online Reservation" Tour Desk /
ぷらっとこだま"ネット予約"ツアーデスク - Business days: Open all year round (excluding year-end and New Year holidays)
- Business hours: 10:00-18:00
- Phone number: 03-6854-4160
Sources
- 東京・京都のお得な利用法 - 新幹線旅行研究所
- Platt Kodama, one-way deal among Tokyo, Nagoya, Kyoto, and Shin-Osaka by the Shinkansen - JPRail.com
⚠️ JR Central's servers are down from 23:30 ~ 5:00 JST ⚠️
You cannot book tickets during this time.
JR Central's Tokaido Shinkansen Line
- JR Central operates the Tokaido Shinkansen Line, which connects Tokyo and Shin-Osaka.
- The line is served by 3 types of trains: Nozomi, Hikari, and Kodama
- Nozomi is the fastest, express train. Nozomi is not covered by the Japan Rail Pass.
- Hikari is the second fastest. Hikari is covered by the Japan Rail Pass.
- Kodama is the slowest, stopping at every station. Kodama is covered by the Japan Rail Pass.
Stations on the Tokaido Shinkansen Line
| Station | Nozomi | Hikari | Kodama |
|---|---|---|---|
| TOKYO | ⬤ | ⬤ | ⬤ |
| SHINAGAWA | ⬤ | ⬤ | ⬤ |
| SHIN-YOKOHAMA | ⬤ | ⬤ | ⬤ |
| ODAWARA | ▲ | ⬤ | |
| ATAMI | ▲ | ⬤ | |
| MISHIMA | ▲ | ⬤ | |
| SHIN-FUJI | ▲ | ⬤ | |
| SHIZUOKA | ⬤ | ⬤ | |
| KAKEGAWA | ▲ | ⬤ | |
| HAMAMATSU | ▲ | ⬤ | |
| TOYOHASHI | ▲ | ⬤ | |
| MIKAWA-ANJO | ▲ | ⬤ | |
| NAGOYA | ⬤ | ⬤ | ⬤ |
| GIFU-HASHIMA | ▲ | ⬤ | |
| MAIBARA | ▲ | ⬤ | |
| KYOTO | ⬤ | ⬤ | ⬤ |
| SHIN-OSAKA | ⬤ | ⬤ | ⬤ |
Legend
- ⬤ = Stop
- ▲ = Some trains stop
- (Blank) = No stop