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, and these are JR-Hokkaido, JR-East, JR-Central, JR-West, JR-Shikoku and JR Kyushu.

You may have heard about the Japan Rail Pass (or JR 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).

Rail Passes

There are several Rail Passes available for travel in Japan, namely the National Japan Rail Pass from Japan Railways (JR), as well as JR’s Regional Passes, which cover specific areas. These Rail Passes are the best way to go for high value when visiting for Japan for one, two or three weeks. They’re also only available to those who don’t reside in Japan, so they’re the best way to get a train pass in Japan for tourists.

Visit our dedicated Japan Rail Pass page to learn more and to see current prices. You can also order yours through Trainline.

Regional Rail Passes

JR also has a series of Regional Passes that cover specific areas in Japan. These are perfect if your trip only involves travel throughout a single region, as you’ll stand to save a tonne of money potentially!

Check out our dedicated Regional Rail Passes 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!

If you’re buying tickets while in Japan, you can ride on any of these, just bear in mind that the fastest trains in Japan with fewer stops are quite expensive. The cheaper alternative to this is to buy a Japan Rail Pass, which grants you access to all Shinkansen except the Nozomi and Mizuho services (these tend to be faster, non-stopping trains).

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

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.

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 makes much more sense to book tickets or reserve seats on regular JR trains, as it will be much more cost-effective. 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 the 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). To check online in advance where your train is stopping, visit Hyperdia for up-to-date train times.

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 Suica 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.

Japan train tickets are made up of the following main types:

• Base Fare
• Limited Express Fee
• Green Car Fee
• Station ticket

Train tickets in Japan are straightforward and easy to understand, with distance being the deciding factor in terms of price. The ‘Base Fare’ is the lowest price you’ll be able to pay for any kind of ticket. Base Fare starts at around 20 yen per kilometre for short distances (for long distances an extra 10 yen per kilometre is added on).

The Limited Express Fee is for generally faster services covering longer distances, such as Shinkansen trains and other Express trains. They tend to be more expensive as a result, especially if bought from a station.

The Green Car Fee 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.

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, they’re expensive if purchased in this way. Head to our Rail Passes section for a cheaper alternative.

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.