Trains in Japan

Before we talk about those all-important Japanese bullet trains, it’s good to know who’s running things. For the most part, that’s going to be Japan Railways (often shortened to JR). JR splits its services across six regions: JR-Hokkaido, JR-East, JR-Central, JR-West, JR-Shikoku and JR Kyushu.

You may have heard about the Japan Rail Pass, which we’ll go into detail about below, but it’s worth mentioning that ‘JR’ is a company that covers more than just trains. They also run local bus services within cities and ferries, so look out for the logo wherever you go! It may be that buses work out cheaper for you within cities (they’re also covered by the JR Pass).

There are also private rail operators across Japan. Some regional rail passes in Japan include these services – see more about Japanese regional rail passes.

Japan Rail Pass

The most well-known of Japan’s travel passes, the national Japan Rail Pass from Japan Railways (JR) covers your travel across the whole country. They’re only available for people not living in Japan, so they’re the best way to get a train pass in Japan as a tourist.

Visit our dedicated Japan Rail Pass page to learn more.

Regional rail passes

There is also a series of regional passes that cover specific areas in Japan, including both JR services and private rail operators. These are perfect if your trip only involves travel throughout a single region – you could find that one of these is the best value for money!

Check out our dedicated regional rail passes in Japan page for more info.

Ah, the almighty Shinkansen. The Japanese version of the bullet train is the original and best, so make sure to take a ride on one at least once in your lifetime! Fast (obviously), clean and super safe, there’s no better way to travel around Japan.

Engineered to be aerodynamically superior, the Shinkansen is unmistakable in its looks and can reach a staggering top speed of 200 mph (up to 275 mph on test runs). Don’t be surprised to see the train tilting sideways as it hits corners – the tracks are designed to allow for the fastest possible travel!

Buying a Japan Rail Pass grants you access to all Shinkansen, except the Nozomi and Mizuho services (these tend to be faster, non-stopping trains). You can travel on Nozomi and Mizuho trains with a Japan Rail Pass if you pay a supplement.

The Shinkansen you see may have different names to represent slight differences in looks, speed and services. Some of the most common types of Shinkansen are as follows:

 

Shinkansen type	Kodama	Hikari	Sakura	Tsubame	Nozomi	Mizuho	Hayabusa	Yamabiko	Hayate	Kagayaki	Asama
Top speed (mph)	178	178	185	160	186	185	200	150	170	160	160
JR lines	Tokaido, San'yo	Tokaido, San'yo	Kyushu, San'yo	Kyushu	Tokaido, San'yo	Kyushu, San'yo	Tohoku, Hokkaido	Tohoku	Tohoku, Hokkaido	Hokuriku	Hokuriku

Shinkansen routes consist of several lines covering the majority of Japan, with bridges and tunnels connecting the islands of Kyushu and Hokkaido for super-fast travel with no limits! See the table below for names of all routes.

Route	Shinkansen type(s)
Hokkaido	Hayabusa, Hayate
Tohoku	Hayabusa, Yamabiko, Hayate
Joetsu	Toki
Hokuriku	Kagayaki, Asama, Hakutaka, Tsurugi
Tokaido	Hikari, Kodama
San'yo	Hikari, Kodama, Sakura
Kyushu	Tsubame, Sakura

Ordinary 

• Commonly arranged in rows of 3+2 seats, Ordinary class offers more than enough legroom (you definitely won’t be squashed in like sardines)
• It’s worth remembering that high standards are adhered to stringently in Japan – so Ordinary class there may even look better than certain ‘First Class’ offerings in other countries
• A drop-down tray on the back of the chair in front of you

Green Car

• Seats arranged in rows of 2+2 or 2+1, with extra legroom
• A footrest that folds out from the chair in front of you
• Extra-wide armrests
• Reading lights embedded in the seats
• Generally quieter carriages, ideal if you’d rather sleep or get some work done

Although WiFi is being rolled out to all Shinkansen trains, it’s not currently available on all services. Look out for the blue WiFi sticker within carriages and follow the instructions to connect if it's available.

If you’re going to travel shorter distances rather than take the Shinkansen across the country, it could make more sense to use regular JR trains. The types of trains running in Japan are as follows:

• Local (most commonly found train that stops at every station
• Rapid (skips some stations on the same route as local trains)
• Express (again, stops at fewer stations than Rapid trains)
• Limited Express (these trains only stop at main stations)

These types of trains are generally metro-style services found within cities.

If you’re not sure whether a train is going to your stop, it’s best to hop on the local trains just in case. You don’t want to be stuck on a Rapid or Express service and miss your stop! That being said, the digital signage at most stations should include English (you may have to wait a few seconds for it to pop up).

If you’ve ever travelled around London, you’ve probably come across an Oyster Card, a type of top-up card for city travel that covers various modes of transport. In Japanese cities, there’s usually a similar system in place, and the most common cards used are Suica Cards and Pasmo Cards (both cover the same services). Simply pick up one of these cards and add money to it and you’ll be able to travel easily on the metro systems within Japanese cities. On top of that, you can also even use your card at certain shops and restaurants, as well as station locker systems, just in case you’re short on cash!

There are also travel cards you can buy at all metro stations that allow you to take an unlimited number of metro trains within a day - perfect if you’ll be doing a bunch of back-and-forth journeys.

Train tickets in Japan are straightforward and easy to understand, with distance being the deciding factor in terms of price.  Japanese train tickets are made up of the following main types:

• Basic Fare
• Limited Express ticket
• Green Car ticket
• Station ticket

Basic Fare

The Basic Fare is the lowest price you’ll be able to pay for any kind of ticket, including one-way and round-trip tickets. For Local and Rapid trains without seat reservations, you’ll only need a Basic Fare ticket.

Limited Express ticket

The Limited Express ticket is a supplement required for travel on Shinkansen or Limited Express services. You can buy these tickets for reserved or non-reserved seating cars. To take a Shinkansen or Limited Express train, you’ll need to purchase a Basic Fare ticket for the distance travelled plus a Limited Express supplement.

Green Car ticket

The Green Car ticket is Japan Railways’ version of a First Class ticket, so this will be one of the most expensive ticket types you can buy. Of course, you’ll enjoy fancier seating on board with lots more legroom and that all-important peace and quiet.

You’ll need a Green Car ticket in addition to your train ticket(s) to sit in a Green Car.

Station ticket

The Station ticket (Nyūjōken) simply allows you to enter a train station or pass through it to the other side. This is useful if you need to pick something up from a locker, meet someone at a platform or to get from one side of the station to the other. (Yep, this is really a thing, certain Japanese stations are sometimes large enough that this ticket becomes a necessity!)

It’s easy to buy train tickets in Japan, but be warned, buying point-to-point tickets for your whole trip can end up being expensive. Check out Japanese rail passes to see if this could be a more cost-effective option for you.

Otherwise, you can simply use ticket machines at Japanese train stations. These machines have multiple language options, including English, so you shouldn’t have any problems finding the tickets you’ll need! First, make sure to locate your destination on the map above the ticket machine, and make a note of the ticket price shown next to it. You select the fare on screen rather than the destination, then decide how many tickets you want.

Alternatively, you can find a staffed ticket counter if you’d rather not deal with any screens. Don’t worry about speaking too much Japanese in this case. It’s ok to say something like ‘two for Osaka please’ as station staff often know some English.