As an American who was used to driving everywhere, public transportation in Japan really boggled my mind when I first moved to Fukuoka in 2014. Here are a few things to keep in mind when taking trains in Japan:
Train companies
There are a staggering 16 major private railway companies in Japan, in addition to the Japan Railways Group (JR). Now, the really fun part about this is that each of these companies has their own ticketing system and ticket gates. So if you’re changing trains and also changing rail companies, you will need to exit the ticket gates of the first company, walk to a different area of the station (sometimes this is a nearby station with the same name), and then enter the ticket gates of the new company.
Is this confusing? Yes, definitely. But once you wrap your mind around what’s happening, and give yourself a bit of extra time when changing trains, it isn’t too bad. English signage is generally very good, and each train line and company has its own logo and colors, which make finding different trains a bit easier.
Reserved vs non-reserved seats
For all shinkansen (bullet train) routes, and long distance trains, there will be a choice between non-reserved cars and reserved seats. This is exactly what it sounds like: reserved seat cars are only for passengers with tickets that have an assigned seat, and non-reserved cars are first come, first served. During public holidays or at busy times of year, non-reserved seat tickets will not guarantee you a seat on the train - you may need to stand in the corridor at the end of the compartment.
Can I book in advance?
All long distance trains with reserved seat tickets can be reserved in advance 1 month in advance of travel. Many train companies, like Tobu, have a workable online booking system that can be used overseas. Japan Rail (which operates all shinkansen lines) has a.. sort of workable online booking system. This system has been recently updated and as long as your foreign credit card works (the biggest issue I’ve noticed), you will be able to use the QR code tickets that are sent directly to your phone!
If you are booking JR trains once you arrive in Japan, you can go to the ticket window at most major JR stations, or use the self-service ticket machine at nearly any JR station across the country. At the ticket window, you can use a credit card, but at the time of writing, you can only use cash to purchase tickets at the machine. If you buy your tickets in person, you will have physical tickets - there are no electronic versions of these tickets so make sure you keep these somewhere safe!
Should I get a Japan Rail Pass?
Speaking of JR tickets, is the JR pass worth it? Short answer is no, they are now so expensive that unless you plan to ride up and down the country on a daily basis, the cost isn’t worth it. I wrote a whole blog post on Japan Rail Passes here.
Fare ticket and seat ticket
Another fun (read: confusing) thing about train tickets in Japan is that you need both a fare ticket and a seat ticket. The way I understand it is the fare ticket is what gets your body from point A to point B. The seat ticket is the price for your butt to be somewhere en-route from point A to point B.
The fare ticket is the same price for all adult passengers; the seat price varies depending on whether your butt will be in a green car seat, regular reserved seat, non-reserved seat, or hanging out in the hallway.
When you’re booking tickets on long-distance trains, make sure you’re paying for both the fare ticket and the seat ticket! For some trains, you will be able to use your IC card (more on this below) to pay for the fare ticket, and then you will need to just purchase your seat ticket. It looks like this will change in 2026, but currently you cannot use your IC card to board the shinkansen - you will need to purchase both a seat and fare ticket.
If you have physical tickets, make sure you insert both the seat ticket and the fare ticket into the ticket gate together (one on top of the other), and collect all tickets that the ticket gate spits back out.
Child fare
In general, children under the age of 6 (before starting elementary school) are considered infants and are allowed to ride for free on all trains on an adult’s lap - if you do not pay for a seat, they are not guaranteed a seat! Children aged 6 to 12 generally pay 50% of the adult fare, and children 13 and over are considered adults.
IC Cards
IC transit cards are best known internationally as Suica cards. Suica is Tokyo’s version of the IC card, and most cities have their own name for the IC card. Any IC card will work on *almost all* local trains, subways, streetcards and public buses around Japan.
Shinkansen (bullet trains)
Japanese bullet trains, or shinkansen, are a fun and efficient way to get around the country. Shinkansen stations are in or near city centers, with great local train and subway connections to local areas. More than 1 million passengers ride the shinkansen each day, and speeds on the fastest trains reach up to 320km/h (200mph).
Seat classes
Shinkansen trains have 3 different classes: Ordinary, Green Car, and Gran Class.
Ordinary Class
Just what it sounds like - these seats are ordinary. Perfectly fine seats with plenty of space and foot room, but no frills. Most trains have a 2 seat x 3 seat arrangement.
Green Car
Usually described as first class, I would consider Green Car to be more of an economy plus or business class experience. Seats are a bit larger and more plush, with a 2 seat x 2 seat arrangement. The food cart will pass by Green Car seats a bit more often, but otherwise there isn’t a huge difference between Ordinary Car and Green Car. Green Car is the highest class of seat available on trains running between Tokyo, Kyoto, and Hiroshima (Tokaido, Sanyo, and Kyushu Shinkansen lines).
Gran Class
Gran Class is the true first class experience on the shinkansen. Gran Class seats look a bit like they belong on a futuristic spaceship, and can recline to a 45% angle and include a leg and footrest. There is more space at and between seats, with seats in a 2 seat x 1 seat configuration in Gran Class cars. My personal favorite feature of Gran Class is the sound and motion dampening technology used so that you barely hear and feel the motion of the tracks. Complementary food and drinks are available on longer trips in Gran Class. Gran Class is only available on the route that runs between Tokyo and Kanazawa, and north from Tokyo towards Hokkaido (Hokuriku and Tohoku Shinkansen lines).
Can I take my luggage with me on the shinkansen?