Bullet train - Shinkansen guide โ
Table of contents โ
- Main Shinkansen lines
- How to buy Shinkansen tickets
- SmartEX - Tokaido, Sanyo, and Kyushu Shinkansen lines
- More information
Main Shinkansen lines โ
Here is the map of the main Shinkansen lines in Japan: 
Hokkaido Shinkansen line
- Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto
Akita Shinkansen line
- Akita
Yamagata Shinkansen line
- Yamagata
Joetsu Shinkansen line
- Niigata
Hokuriku Shinkansen line
- Toyama
- Kanazawa
Tohoku Shinkansen line
- Shin-Aomori
- Morioka
- Sendai
- Fukushima
Tokaido Shinkansen line
- Tokyo
- Shin-Yokohama
- Odawara
- Nagoya
- Kyoto
- Shin-Osaka
Sanyo Shinkansen line
- Okayama
- Hiroshima
- Hakata
Kyushu Shinkansen line
- Kumamoto
- Kagoshima-Chuo
How to buy Shinkansen tickets โ
There are three websites that you can use to buy Shinkansen tickets:
- SmartEX - run by JR Central; fully supports English.
- Eki-net.com - run by JR East; partially supports English.
- Klook - a third-party website that sells Shinkansen tickets.
How do these three websites compare?
| Website | Coverage | Pros | Cons | Who should use it? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SmartEX | All Shinkansen stations south of Tokyo | Fully supports English | Account setup required (30 minutes) | Anyone buying tickets for the Tokaido, Sanyo, and Kyushu Shinkansen lines |
| Eki-net | All Shinkansen stations west and north of Tokyo | Allows seat reservations for JR Rail Pass users | Limited English support | JR Rail Pass users traveling on the Joetsu, Hokuriku, Tohoku, and Hokkaido lines |
| Klook | All Shinkansen stations | Easiest to use | Additional fees; cannot specify exact seats | Casual travelers who want a hassle-free experience; modifying tickets could be difficult |
SmartEX - Tokaido, Sanyo, and Kyushu Shinkansen lines โ
I recommend using SmartEX to buy Shinkansen tickets for the Tokaido, Sanyo, and Kyushu Shinkansen lines.
- SmartEX is run by JR Central and offers the best support both online and in-person at stations.
- SmartEX is available in English and is relatively easy to use.
Which train stations are covered by the Tokaido, Sanyo, and Kyushu Shinkansen lines? โ
The following are the major Shinkansen stations covered by the Tokaido, Sanyo, and Kyushu Shinkansen lines:
- Tokyo
- Shinagawa
- Shin-Yokohama (near Yokohama Station)
- Nagoya
- Kyoto
- Shin-Osaka (near Osaka Station)
- Shin-Kobe
- Okayama
- Hiroshima
- Kokura
- Hakata
- Kumamoto
- Kagoshima-Chuo (near Kagoshima Station)
How to use SmartEX โ
Confirm, change, and refund reservations โ
How to change a reservation?
- Steps: How to change
- Details: Change reservations
How to cancel a reservation and get a refund?
- Steps: How to refund
- Details: Refund reservations
Important notes about SmartEX โ
- SmartEX only supports tickets for the Tokaido, Sanyo, and Kyushu Shinkansen lines.
- Use either Eki-net or Klook for other Shinkansen lines.
- You cannot use SmartEX with the Japan Rail Pass or other passes.
- When you click
Purchase, your credit card will be charged.- After this point, there is a cancellation fee.
- Changing the reservation is free.
- Luggage - you must reserve a seat with an oversized baggage area if you have luggage larger than carry-on size. Details
Additional notes on using SmartEX โ
- All dates and times are in Japan Standard Time (JST).
- All prices are in Japanese Yen (JPY).
- If you want a paper ticket, you will need the
pickup codeand account login credentials. - If your credit card does not support 3-D Secure Authentication, you will need to enter a security code each time you buy a ticket.
- You cannot mix train classes (regular vs. Green) on the same ticket.
- Example: You need two tickets if you want to use the Green car (first-class car) on the first train, followed by a reserved car (ordinary car) on the second train.
- You cannot mix train types (express vs. local) on the same ticket.
- Example: You need two tickets if you want to use the Nozomi on the first train, followed by a Hikari on the second train.
Quick breakdown of Tokaido, Sanyo, and Kyushu Shinkansen lines โ
- Tokaido Shinkansen (Tokyo to Shin-Osaka)
- Sanyo Shinkansen (Shin-Osaka to Hakata)
- Kyushu Shinkansen (Hakata to Kagoshima-Chuo)