How to Buy Shinkansen Tickets Online 2024 🚅🚅🚅 (including SmartEX & Japanese express trains)

A guide to buying Japanese train tickets online, including shinkansen and express trains, on SmartEX and other ticket sites.
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There are so many sites selling bullet train tickets for Japan; it can be hard to know which are genuine, and which to choose. The video covers the best options for where to buy shinkansen tickets, including official sites from Japan Railways, third party agents like Klook, and SmartEX, with the benefits of each. It also includes whether you need to book tickets in advance, seat reservations, how to get discounts on shinkansen tickets and how far in advance to book. There's a guide to buying bullet train tickets on SmartEX, including the most common problem: what to do if your card isn't accepted on SmartEX.
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00:00 Intro
01:22 Do you need to buy tickets in advance?
03:17 Seat reservations
05:04 Discounts
07:09 Platt Kodama
07:45 SmartEX
13:16 Offical JR ticket sites
15:00 Other ticket agents
15:26 Regional rail passes
#japan #japantravel #shinkansen #japanesetrains #bullettrains #bullettrainjapan #japantrip

[@GodAtum]

smartex is so amazing. I make the bookings 1 month in advance (the max amount). on the day if I need to change the departure time (eg in Hiroshina i finished sightseeing an hour earlier, so I changed my booking so I didn't need to wait around), I can do that for free. so much better then in UK!

[@cakeswithfaces]

Trains in Japan are better than in the UK in every way!! 😂 It really is so convenient.

[@alysonfordyce3415]

Yes! A regional pass video please :)

[@cakeswithfaces]

Thanks! It helps to know what you guys are interested in!

[@kevinceruleocava4543]

Just today i was going to check this information and this video pops up 🎉🎉

[@cakeswithfaces]

What a coincidence!! Hope it's useful!

[@osobear7781]

For people registering with kids, if you want to get the discounted seats, you have to book them separately. Otherwise the discounted fares will not appear. I just came back from a trip from Japan and the IC card assignment was really, really convenient as my whole family just go through like a normal train ride.

[@cakeswithfaces]

Good tip, thank you! It's great that it works so smoothly. The kids must have enjoyed scanning their IC cards.

[@axios101]

Nice suggestion, thanks!

[@cakeswithfaces]

Thanks!

[@KenshoQuest]

We've been trying various different ways to purchase Shinkansen tickets, but there are so many! I'm still a fan of regional passes, when they are applicable, for the convenience of being able to change plans and take any included train. 🌸Heidi

[@cakeswithfaces]

Yes, with a regional pass it's nice to know you could go anywhere and hop on any train to go explore! :-)

[@TheDrCamilla]

thank you, this is the information we needed, we're travelling in June/July

[@TheDrCamilla]

We would like further information on the regional passes, as we're considering buying JR West passes

[@cakeswithfaces]

Excellent, hope it helps! :-)

[@matf1036]

Thank you Amy, setting off to Tokyo tomorrow for my 3rd time in Japan. Can't remember anything about the subways lol. Beautiful country, can't wait!!!!

[@cakeswithfaces]

How exciting!! Have an amazing time - enjoy getting lost on the subway!! 😛

[@mra6335]

Hi there. I'm in tokyo from now till may 21st? . Do you want to hangout?

[@cakeswithfaces]

@@mra6335 I'm in the UK now, but have a great time! Have a Fanta Grape for me!

[@mra6335]

@@cakeswithfaces thank you :)

[@AlanVByrnes]

Appreciate more helpful train tips from Japan Amy, I’ll be sure to keep these in mind and save this video for sure, 🤩🤩🤩

[@cakeswithfaces]

Glad you enjoyed the video!

[@the_activefoodie]

Thank you so much for the info! This will definitely help make my next trip (hopefully the end of this year) a little cheaper! lol

[@cakeswithfaces]

Always good to save a few yen where you can! Hopefully the excellent exchange rate (well excellent for tourists anyway..!) will hold up for you!

[@dwarfagp]

Each time Ive gone, I gone to the shinkansen ticket counter, and the people their have always been very helpful. 😁 Always booked on the day without problem. But we go in Winter, which is probably not as busy. But thanks for the Info, will give the app a go on at least 1 of the legs of our upcoming trip 😁

[@cakeswithfaces]

Glad it went well - I've always found the service really good at the counter too! There are lots of advantages to going in the off-season when everywhere's less crowded!

[@alastairmurray5061]

Yes to a regional pass video. Looking at taking the Hokuriku Arch Pass in October.

[@cakeswithfaces]

It's a good option! I hope the regional passes encourage people to explore different places.

[@stuff8575]

Thanks for the great info Amy. Think we will just take a chance and get our tickets on the day. With regards to not being able to buy tickets online during out of Japan working hours. I had this issue with my Suica mobile top up too on my apple wallet. It happened twice before I realised that this may be the case but all ok now though. 😊

[@cakeswithfaces]

It's strange isn't it, especially as Suica mobile top-up must be automated - there must be some reason! :-)

[@j_609]

We ended up buying the JR pass and to us, it was still worth it. We didn't have to worry about going out of our way to buy tix. But I did notice that the queue to pick up the pass was non existent which means that much more people are just buying the tickets outright.

[@cakeswithfaces]

That is one thing I missed this year when I was travelling without a JR Pass - it does seem easier knowing you could just jump on almost any train, and gives you a feeling of freedom.

[@user-nm3ii9mq1w]

Such great information. Thank you. I’m so excited to be planning my family trip in October.

[@cakeswithfaces]

Thanks so much! I love trip planning! Where are you thinking of going in Japan?

[@user-nm3ii9mq1w]

@@cakeswithfaces Tokyo (Disneyland and Disney Sea), Kyoto and Osaka(Universal Studios) my eldest turns 30 on the trip and he loves anime. I’m want to see Akihabara and anything Godzilla

[@cakeswithfaces]

@@user-nm3ii9mq1w Sounds like a great plan! Don't miss Nakano Broadway for anime stuff, and there's more and more in Ikebukuro recently. As well as the famous one in Kabukicho, there's also a Godzilla statue in Hibiya (also Tokyo) - it's on Google Maps!

[@kc3302]

Great video as always Amy 😎 Spot on regarding Japanese websites being temperamental with credit cards. It's frustrating but often the only thing you can do is try another card if you have one. Similarly *some* train ticket machines don't accept certain cards but if you go to the counter your card works fine. One tiny correction to the Tokaido Shinkansen now being reserved seats only during holiday periods - this is only for Nozomi trains (the fastest ones). The slower Hikari and Kodama trains still have unreserved carriages at all times.

[@cakeswithfaces]

And other train ticket machines don't accept cards at all! I made sure I had cash for mine just in case. Yes, it can be frustrating so fingers crossed you're blessed with a card that works! 😅

[@roskorabbit1763]

Super helpful thank you, so pleased to find your videos for planning our upcoming first trip. Is it possible to get around Tokyo using JR pass alone? Wanting to do Teamlab planets, Sunshine City mall for all the Pokemon 😂, Tokyo tower , possibly some other things we haven't planned yet. We are getting the pass as taking a crazy trip to Rabbit island/ Okunoshima via Osaka for USJ and I think it will pay for itself and so hoping to avoid buying any other passes.

[@cakeswithfaces]

In Tokyo you can use the JR Pass on the JR Yamanote line, which is a loop line, and the JR Chuo /Sobu line which goes across the middle. You might need to take the metro sometimes, so for that I'd recommend getting a Suica (or other IC card) that you can top up with a small amount of credit and use it when you need to. You can use it in other areas of Japan too, if you need to go on any non-JR train lines.

[@flyffpsy]

3:17 If you start in Tokyo, you do not need a reservation. It is the start train Station. No one will sit in the unreserved seats. If you board the train some station before Tokyo and want to travel to Tokyo, it is probably better to make a reservation,

[@cakeswithfaces]

That's a good point - you'd just need to get there early and make sure you're in the queue for the unreserved car.

[@troutdude891]

Amy, Your videos are very informative - thank you. Quick question, if I have a party of 5 and use SmartEX (and buy all 5 tickets at once) will each person need a copy of the QR code or will I tap it once and we all go through the gate?

[@cakeswithfaces]

Thanks so much! You'll get a QR code per person so you can all scan one each. :-)

[@Malkaras]

Great information! We are planning to take the Gran Class on the Hayabusa from Tokyo station to Shin-Aomori when we visit! I know I will want to purchase Tickers at least 30days out

[@cakeswithfaces]

Gran Class looks amazing, I'd love to try it one day! Super-luxurious! 🥂

[@Malkaras]

@@cakeswithfaces This is My bucket-List trip to Japan so I am willing to spend the extra ¥ on the Super fancy Ride up North as we make our way to Hokkaido.

[@cakeswithfaces]

@@Malkaras I'm sure it'll be worth it! It'll be an unforgettable trip!

[@gailcrockett9883]

Going to Morioka and Aomori in September via Narita to TS then in Hayabusa too!

[@cakeswithfaces]

@@gailcrockett9883 Sounds like a great plan!

[@Matto-91]

Thank you for the video ! We are going to Japan for ~ 5 Weeks. We are planning on using Tokyo as our main hub ( as we have a place to stay there) but planning on getting a JR Pass and doing multiple day trips to Osaka / Kyoto / Nara , but then doing some overnight trips to Fukuoka and Akita or maybe even Sapporo, I think the JR pass will pay off for us, just wondering how much of a hassle it is to do day trips to Osaka or when the last train leaves from Osaka back to Tokyo 🤔

[@cakeswithfaces]

Glad you'll be exploring lots of places and making full use of your JR Pass! You can check train times on the app Japan Travel by Navitime (the free version does everything you need). It's better than Google because there's a filter to only see trains covered by the JR pass. While Osaka is do-able as a day trip from Tokyo, personally I think it's better to stay there as a side trip. The train there is 2 hours 40 mins, so it's a long journey for a day trip. Kyoto, Osaka and Nara are so close together that you can stay in Kyoto or Osaka and conveniently visit them all on easy day trips without much travelling time.

[@Matto-91]

@@cakeswithfaces thank you for the info! I will definitely get that app and will consider staying in Osaka or Kyoto instead of day trips :)

[@deborahachen7214]

Thank you. Very helpful. Is it possible to cancel a booking for a refund on Shinkansen, eg., if you book early and reserve a seat on Tōhoku Shinkansen ? Thank you.

[@cakeswithfaces]

I haven't tried cancelling a booking myself but it looks like you can: www.jreast.co.jp/multi/en/ticket/changes.html That info's from JR East (who run the Tohoku shinkansen), so I'd check the details from the company/site you're buying it from, just to be sure, in case they're different.

[@flyffpsy]

I'll be at the fireworks in Nagaoka at the beginning of August this year. Unfortunately, I didn't get a hotel there although I kept looking for hotels 1 year in advance. Now I have a hotel in Niigata. So I have to come to Niigata in the evening. Although I will buy the JR-Pass for 3 weeks (worthwhile for me despite the price increase) I have now bought the tickets for the two evenings at Klook. I hope that they will be booked. Otherwise I probably won't make it to Niigata that evening.

[@cakeswithfaces]

Hotels usually don't go on sale until 6 months or sometimes even 3 months in advance, so that's why they weren't available a year before. I hope it works out - I'm sure the fireworks will be amazing! Japanese fireworks are on another level. 🔥

[@Nemuimori]

I forgot what platform you originally posted on it about, and I don't know if it was used in this video, but thank you for investing in the anti-flicker tool. Flickering lights/strobe effects are a migraine trigger (and not sure if the are the frequency for triggering epilepsy like Pokemon back in the day) so it's more than just an annoyance you are protecting your viewers from

[@cakeswithfaces]

Ah really, I didn't realise that (I don't know much about migraines tbh). I'm glad it helps! Next I need to invest in a new computer as the anti-flicker plug-in takes so long to run...! 😅 Wish I'd realised about the frame-rate on my new camera before I filmed all the videos... you live and learn!

[@londoncreative]

Thanks Amy, we were about to book tickets today for our travel from Osaka to Tokyo but now we are going to buy our tickets next week, as the smart-ex and all the other sites you mentioned are under redevelopment on the 16/17/20/23/30th May (typical you posted the video this week!). We have discovered an issue with the IC cards, we are flying into Osaka and all the IC cards have to be activated in Tokyo first - unless you know otherwise?! 13 days and counting 😁

[@cakeswithfaces]

Of course they'd be down for maintenance now...! 😅😝 I've never heard of that - which IC cards do you have? Are they cards you have already or have you ordered them from somewhere?

[@londoncreative]

@@cakeswithfaces No we are in the process of trying to buy them, but we can't get them because we are not flying into Tokyo. We may be able to get the ICOCO but only in person when we land, that seems to work in JR West but then we have to get out deposit back when we leave and buy another card in Tokyo. Unless you know different?

[@cakeswithfaces]

@@londoncreative Most of the regional IC cards work throughout Japan, so you'll be fine getting an ICOCA and using it there and in Tokyo - and everywhere else! :-) ICOCA also hasn't had the availability issues that Suica's had, so you should be able to get one with no problems!

[@carissarigiltomo2666]

Hi. I'm from UK as well. What card do you use?

[@cakeswithfaces]

It was a Mastercard debit, that uses an app.

[@hwangjoanne]

Is there a processing fee for booking on the JR official website or SmartEx? I know that Klook charges a processing fee (on top of the ticket price). Thanks!

[@cakeswithfaces]

Processing fees are annoying! Thankfully there were no processing fees from SmartEX or JR Kyushu. 🙏

[@ebotebot5]

Hi there. Im travelling with a group of 11. All of us has 1 big luggage each. May I ask should we book the Shinkansen Osaka to Tokyo early? And from which station in Osaka to take the train?

[@cakeswithfaces]

Shinkansen between Osaka and Tokyo are very frequent, however if you all want to sit together, consider booking earlier, at least at the start of your trip when you arrive in Japan. If you're going at a popular/busy time of year, consider booking earlier. Note that there are 4 seats per carriage with extra space for luggage (the back row). The front row probably has more space in front of your knees too. Otherwise, options for where to put your luggage are shown in this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/gpy4oo18bdqfbdk The shinkansen station in Osaka is called Shin Osaka Station.

[@axios101]

Question: can You buy from SmartEx also the Saphir Odoriko tickets? Ho far in advance? 28 days because You have to choose the seat?

[@cakeswithfaces]

SmartEX is only for bullet train tickets. Saphir Odoriko is run by JR East so you can book it on their site.

[@8bg201]

Super useful thanks! One thing I don't understand about buying tickets on SmartEx: you first put in your origin and destination. But then when it shows the list of departure times, underneath the time it will show your origin but then a bunch of different destinations. For example we bought Tokyo to Kyoto, but the time slot we picked had Tokyo-->Shin-Osaka underneath. After paying it does show Tokyo to Kyoto...what's with that? I couldn't find any information explaining the help pages. Thanks!

[@cakeswithfaces]

I don't have SmartEX open now to check, but it sounds like it could be showing the train's final destination? Eg the train stops in Kyoto, but then goes on to Osaka. That would also help you identify which train to take at the station, as it'll display the final destination on signs, etc.

[@8bg201]

@@cakeswithfaces Ah, that makes sense. I mistakenly thought that each type of train had a fixed route.

[@dmorisawa8621]

The account was fully set up, it would not let me log back in. I started over so I’m hoping it will work now. Thank you for the reply

[@cakeswithfaces]

Hope you get it sorted!

[@bexxcooper2969]

how easy was it to buy the ferry tickets? and do you feel the ferry was worth it?

[@cakeswithfaces]

The ferry was a fun experience! It cost less than the train tickets and hotel would have been, so I'm glad I tried it out. The booking process was a little odd but not difficult - it involved the office in Japan manually confirming the booking and emailing me back, then I had to pay at the ferry port on the day. There'll be a video coming up about it, can't wait to edit it!

[@luzgoodman-estrada6590]

Do you need an IC card for SmartEX?

[@cakeswithfaces]

No. You can add your tickets to your IC card if you want to, but you don't have to do that and you don't need an IC card. IC cards are more for local trains and the metro.

[@Bloodrunsreddownthenile]

We booked the seats with the oversized luggage and several times other foreigners still had their luggage behind our seats when we got on. So I had to make them move them, or just moved them myself.

[@cakeswithfaces]

I've heard of that happening - it's annoying that not everyone knows the rules!

[@Bloodrunsreddownthenile]

Even more annoying when they know, but still don’t follow them…

[@joeward8302]

Hi all, if I use the the QR ticket from my phone or print off, does the gate produce the seat information ticket that is needed for reserved seats? I've heard that you absolutely need this on the train or they'll charge a basic fare/charge.

[@cakeswithfaces]

The seat information ticket is the slip that the ticket gates printed automatically when I scanned the QR code. Don't worry about being charged extra ☺️

[@joeward8302]

Perfect! Thanks for replying Amy. Your channel and book have been amazing assets for booking my trip. Thanks again!

[@cakeswithfaces]

@@joeward8302 That's great to hear, thanks so much!

[@aturouoomura9504]

Climbing Mt. Fuji now requires advance reservations. Please introduce.

[@cakeswithfaces]

Yes, that's in my recent Japan News video! 🗻

[@evicencio31863]

I have my 'Google Wallet-VISA Card' in my android. Can I use it?

[@cakeswithfaces]

It's tricky to say from that - it depends what security it has. I'd give it a try and see if it works!

[@amandahayward]

Thank you for the information Amy. I would definitely be interested in seeing a video on the regional passes 🫶

[@cakeswithfaces]

Thanks, there are lots of different options! They can be good for getting ideas of places to go actually.

[@amandahayward]

@@cakeswithfaces It would be good to get away from the crowds 😂😊

[@jessel5138]

Does anyone know what card she is talking about at 14:23? I rewatched that sentence 10 times and i'm still so confused what that person did wrong to have to re-buy their tickets.

[@cakeswithfaces]

The credit/debit card used to purchase the tickets online didn't have the card details (card number, expiry date, etc) printed on the card. Most credit/debit cards have the card number, and expiry date printed on them. However, some newer cards from certain banks don't have the card number, etc on the physical card (for security - they're available in an app instead). That meant the person at the desk in Japan couldn't check that the card number was the same as the one used to buy the tickets online. Hope that makes sense! :-)

[@przemekpawlowski1656]

Hi, I bought train tickets from the official JR West website. Tokyo to Osaka. Later, there was a problem with collecting these tickets, do you know where I can collect my ticket in Tokyo? At what station can I do it?

[@cakeswithfaces]

Here's a list of stations where you can pick them up: railway.jr-central.co.jp/station-guide/_pdf/e5489info.pdf In Tokyo, head to Tokyo Station or Shinagawa Station. Make sure you're in the Japan Railways section of the station (follow signs to the JR lines and the shinkansen) and go to the ticket office. In Tokyo Station, you'll want the JR ticket office with the orange sign for JR Central, not JR East (if you go to the wrong one, I'm sure they'll direct you to the right one).

[@cakeswithfaces]

You can collect them at Tokyo Station or Shinegawa Station. Follow signs to the JR lines and shinkansen, and you can pick them up at the ticket office. Ideally, the one with the orange JR logo, for JR Central.

[@dmorisawa8621]

Having problem logging back into the EX site. Why is that? I just created the account but it timed out and now won’t let me back in

[@cakeswithfaces]

Was the account fully set up or did it time out before it was created? Maybe go back to it and see if it recognises your log-in, or if you need to start again?

[@DCSWCCkingpin1]

The reason for the shinkansen pick-up code being separate from the QR code is that some stations do not have turnstiles with QR code readers.

[@cakeswithfaces]

Yes, you have to make sure you use the right one!

[@8bg201]

Do Tokyo and Kyoto Stations have qr readers? If so that's a great tip you gave about avoiding the extra ticket step

[@cakeswithfaces]

@@8bg201 Yes - JR East and a number of other train companies are actually getting rid of tickets with magnetic strips and only using QR codes, so they'll be more and more common.

[@AlanVByrnes]

🚆🚆🚆🚆🚆🚆🚆

[@AlanVByrnes]

🤖🇯🇵✈️

[@briannotbryan3888]

Great recommendations Ami.🚉 The choice of offerings can make reserving overly complicated. Regional passes seems the way to go especially as the JR pass is more expensive now.🚄

[@cakeswithfaces]

Regional passes are certainly a more attractive option now! And they can give you ideas for places to go as you concentrate on exploring that region.