Japan’s iconic bullet trains, generally known as the Shinkansen, are world-famous—and for good purpose. The Shinkansen high-speed trains are quick, futuristic, environment friendly, secure, and cozy, making them arguably essentially the most well-known trains globally. Greater than only a technique of transport, the Shinkansen is a must-see vacationer attraction that has grow to be synonymous with Japan.
Touring on a bullet practice in Japan is a bucket-list expertise for a lot of guests, akin to visiting the Eiffel Tower in Paris or the Statue of Liberty in New York. It additionally gives the additional advantage of enabling you to achieve locations throughout this spectacular nation.
In our full information to experiencing Japan’s Shinkansen high-speed trains, we’ll present every little thing it is advisable learn about touring by rail in Japan. From reserving seats to exploring essentially the most cost-effective ticket choices with the JR Cross for limitless journey, the most recent routes, enjoyable information, and far more—All aboard!
Overview:
Get Your JR Cross
We extremely advocate getting the JR Cross for limitless practice journey in Japan. Right here’s why:
✔ Limitless Journey: Take pleasure in limitless entry to most JR railways, together with high-speed Shinkansen, native trains, and buses.
✔ Value Financial savings: Save considerably on journey prices, notably helpful for long-distance and a number of journeys.
✔ Simplicity: Keep away from the trouble of buying particular person tickets by utilizing your cross to simply entry trains.
✔ Flexibility: Expertise the liberty to discover spontaneously with out worrying about additional ticket prices.
✔ Extra Advantages: Profit from extras like free reserved seat bookings and reductions on different JR transport companies.
Get your JR Cross now!
What’s the Shinkansen Excessive-Pace Prepare?
The Japanese phrase for ‘bullet practice,’ Shinkansen, interprets on to ‘new trunk line’. It additionally references the Japanese time period ‘dangan ressha’ (弾丸列車), in addition to the bullet-shaped nostril of the very first Shinkansen practice sequence. Though initially that means ‘new trunk line,’ the time period Shinkansen has been extra generally used for many years to check with each the trains and the tracks they function on.
Operated by the Japan Railways (JR) Group, the nation’s Shinkansen trains join Japan’s major islands from Sapporo within the north to Kagoshima within the south. These unbelievable high-speed trains cease at almost all main Japanese cities—Tokyo, Nagoya, Kyoto, Osaka, and lots of others—throughout numerous interconnecting Shinkansen traces and practice classes. With only a few exceptions, these traces are solely for Shinkansen trains, making nearly no metropolis off-limits, particularly when paired with a Japan Rail Cross. This particular ticket gives limitless journey on your entire nationwide JR community, together with the high-speed Shinkansen traces.
The Tokaido Shinkansen, arguably the nation’s hottest line, travels from Tokyo via Kyoto to Osaka, servicing a number of main cities alongside a route of historic significance since feudal Japan, initially important for commerce. Immediately, the road options three classes of trains, every differing when it comes to pace and availability.
One other key line is the Sanyo Shinkansen, touring via Okayama and Hiroshima, and generally known as the ‘spine of the JR railways’. It gives 5 sorts of trains, additionally various by pace and availability. The Nagasaki Shinkansen, formally the Nishi Kyushu or ‘West Kyushu’ Shinkansen, which started operations between 2022 and 2023, connects Nagasaki Metropolis to Fukuoka with a brand new high-speed practice named ‘Kagome’, that means ‘seagull’.
Lastly, an extension to the Hokuriku Shinkansen, extending the road to Tsuruga, providing journeys to Fukui Prefecture.
The Evolution of Shinkansen
Ever since its launch, Japan’s Shinkansen has been celebrated for its record-breaking pace, effectivity, and security. The long-lasting design has frequently advanced for the reason that Sixties, and extra lately, it has been refined into numerous aerodynamic nostril shapes, together with a duck-billed design, to mitigate the noise difficulty attributable to sonic booms when passing via tunnels.
One of many newest fashions is the N700S ‘Supreme’ Shinkansen, operated by JR Central on the Tokaido and Sanyo Shinkansen traces. This practice boasts a formidable new high pace of 362 km/h (225 mph).
Ideas For Touring on the Shinkansen Excessive-Pace Trains in Japan
In the event you’re visiting Japan for the primary time, navigating the nation’s distinctive rail community might sound daunting, however it’s a lot less complicated than it seems. Nonetheless, it’s nonetheless essential to do your analysis earlier than your journey. We’re right here to help with a collection of the perfect normal Shinkansen journey suggestions to make sure a easy expertise.
Checklist of Shinkansen Strains
- Tokaido Shinkansen
- Sanyo Shinkansen
- Tohoku Shinkansen (plus Yamagata and Akita)
- Hokkaido Shinkansen
- Joetsu Shinkansen
- Hokuriku Shinkansen
- Kyushu Shinkansen
- Nishi Kyushu Shinkansen
Shinkansen Seat Courses
Shinkansen trains supply three major seat courses: Extraordinary, Inexperienced Automobile, and Gran Class.
Extraordinary seats are akin to financial system class, offering primary consolation. Inexperienced Automobile seats resemble enterprise class with added facilities and house, whereas Gran Class gives a luxurious expertise just like top quality. All seat courses enable the seats to be rotated 180 levels to make sure passengers can all the time face the route of journey.
Moreover, seats might be adjusted to face one another, which is good for teams. Seat configurations usually are 2×2 in Inexperienced Automobile and Gran Class, with a 3×2 configuration extra widespread in Extraordinary Class.
The best way to Reserve Seats on the Bullet Prepare
Shinkansen trains supply each non-reserved and reserved seating in separate automobiles. Sure companies require reservations, and a few could change to completely reserved throughout nationwide holidays such because the New Yr, Obon, or Golden Week, so it’s essential to test earlier than you journey.
In case you are touring with a Japan Rail Cross, one of many nice benefits is the flexibility to make advance seat reservations at no extra price. Seats might be reserved at Midori no Mado Guchi ticket workplaces, that are identifiable by their inexperienced indicators, or at Journey Service Centres and JR-associated Journey Businesses.
For a number of years, JR East has been the one service offering a web-based English language reservation system accessible from outdoors Japan, whereas all different traces require reservations to be made in individual as soon as in Japan.
To order a seat, merely current your JR Cross on the Midori no Mado Guchi, specify your practice and choice for smoking or non-smoking, and you’ll obtain your reserved seat ticket. Simply present your Japan Rail Cross on the ticket gate, proceed to your platform, and make sure you maintain maintain of your ticket as you would possibly must current each your JR Cross and seat reservation to the ticket inspector.
Boarding the Shinkansen
Boarding a Shinkansen is easy: upon arriving on the station, cross via the common ticket gates, head to the Shinkansen platform, and cross via the Shinkansen ticket gates to your platform.
Your carriage quantity might be indicated in your ticket, with carriage numbers additionally marked on the bottom and on indicators overhead (non-reserve carriages are usually numbered 1-5). Line up behind the white line and wait in your practice. Upon its arrival, enter and discover your seat (seat numbers are indicated above the home windows).
In the event you’re in an unreserved carriage, chances are you’ll sit in any out there seat. As soon as settled, merely loosen up and revel in your journey!
What’s the Baggage Allowance on the Shinkansen?
When boarding the Shinkansen, passengers could deliver as much as two items of luggage on board freed from cost. The mixed size, width, and peak of every bag should not exceed 250 centimeters, with no particular person facet longer than two meters, and the burden should not exceed 30 kilograms.
Luggage measuring lower than 160 cm (mixed dimensions) might be introduced on board with out prior reservation. For baggage between 160 cm and 250 cm, a previous reservation is required, which might be made for free of charge. Failure to order upfront could end in a 1,000 yen positive, and the bags could also be relocated by the practice conductor. Baggage exceeding 250 centimeters just isn’t permitted on the practice and would require different transport preparations.
Reservations might be made by way of the Eki-Web App, at ticket machines, or in individual at ticket counters. In case you are utilizing a JR Cross, it’s advisable to make each your seat and baggage reservations concurrently.
Normal Shinkansen Guidelines
Touring on the Shinkansen, like every public transportation, comes with its personal etiquette:
- Free Wi-Fi: Most Shinkansen trains supply free Wi-Fi entry (be taught extra about Wi-Fi entry in Japan)
- Bento Packing containers: A collection of trains present boxed meals (bento) for buy.
- No-Smoking: Smoking is prohibited on all Shinkansen trains.
- Queueing: Passengers are anticipated to type orderly traces to facilitate secure and environment friendly boarding.
- Telephones on Silent: Preserve cell phones on silent mode and keep away from taking calls within the seating space. In the event you should take a name, use the designated spots between automobiles.
- Use of Headphones: To take care of a snug atmosphere, passengers ought to use headphones when listening to music or watching movies.
- Baggage Necessities: Confer with the bags coverage detailed above for measurement and weight restrictions and test the JR Group web site for updates.
How To Purchase Tickets to Journey on the Shinkansen Excessive-Pace Prepare
- Ticket Buy: You should buy common Shinkansen tickets at ticket counters, by way of ticket machines, and on-line.
- JR Cross: The JR Cross gives limitless journey on Japan’s home rail community and is offered for buy on-line. It may be used on all Shinkansen practice traces, though a supplemental payment is required for the Nozomi and Mizuho trains. As famous earlier, JR Cross holders additionally profit from complimentary seat reservations. The JR Cross might be bought for 7, 14, or 21 days, relying on the period of your keep and your journey plans.
Purchase your JR Cross immediately with the operator
High 5 Shinkansen Information
Japan’s outstanding Shinkansen trains are celebrated for far more than their iconic look. Listed here are our high 5 information about Shinkansen:
- Spectacular Passenger Numbers: In its debut 12 months, the Shinkansen transported 11 million passengers. Immediately, it carries over 150 million passengers yearly.
- Document-Breaking Pace: Recognized for his or her pace, Shinkansen continues to interrupt information. The Alpha-X, one in all Japan’s quickest trains, can journey from Tokyo to Sapporo in simply three hours—a journey that beforehand took seven hours. This 10-car experimental bullet practice, operated by JR-East on the Tohoku Shinkansen line, can attain speeds as much as 400 km/h.
- Unmatched Security: Regardless of their pace, Shinkansen trains boast a formidable security document with no passenger fatalities in almost 50 years of operation. They’re outfitted with superior security options, resembling automated air brakes for earthquakes, full lively suspension, and a brand new ATC braking system in fashions just like the N700S Supreme Shinkansen. The Alpha-X additionally incorporates modern security applied sciences, together with air brakes on the roof and magnetic plates close to the rails.
- Unbelievable Punctuality: Shinkansen trains are so environment friendly that the common delay per practice is simply 12 seconds.
- Eco-Pleasant Journey: Shinkansen are considerably extra environmentally pleasant in comparison with airplanes, producing 92% much less carbon emissions per seat.
These information spotlight not solely the technological marvels of the Shinkansen but additionally their crucial function in Japan’s transportation infrastructure and environmental efforts.