How to Ride the Shinkansen: A Step-by-Step Guide for First-Timers

How to Ride the Shinkansen in 7 Steps

Riding the Shinkansen comes down to seven steps, from getting a ticket to using it again at the exit gate. None of them is difficult, but the gates and the short stops catch out first-time riders, especially families with luggage and small children.

1. Get your ticket online, at a ticket machine, or at the ticket office.
2. Find the Shinkansen gates, which are separate from the gates for local trains.
3. Pass through the gate with a QR code, an IC card or paper tickets.
4. Check the departure board for your train name, time and platform.
5. Wait at your car number painted on the platform.
6. Board quickly, store your bags and find your seat.
7. Keep your ticket and use it again at the exit gate.

Which trains and lines there are, and what they cost, is in our hub guide to the Shinkansen in Japan. For first-time visitors, the wider picture of trains, money and data is in our Japan travel tips.

1. Get Your Ticket Before You Go to the Platform

You need a valid ticket before you pass the gates. Reserved seats cannot be bought on board. A Shinkansen ticket has two parts, a basic fare ticket for the distance and a limited express ticket for the train.

They may be printed as two cards, combined on one card, or stored digitally on a QR code or IC card.

There are three ways to get one.

• Online. Book on smartEX for the Tokaido, Sanyo and Kyushu lines, or on JR East's site for lines heading north and west from Tokyo, and ride with a QR code or registered IC card.
• At a ticket machine. The reserved-seat machines in major stations have English menus and take foreign credit cards.
• At the ticket office. Staff at the Midori no Madoguchi can book seats together for a family and handle Japan Rail Pass reservations.

With children, book reserved seats together rather than queuing for non-reserved cars. Children aged 6 to 11 pay the child fare, and children under 6 ride free if they share a seat.

The full buying guide, with prices and booking times, is in our page on Shinkansen tickets.

2. Find the Shinkansen Gates at the Station

Follow the blue Shinkansen signs and the name of your line, not the general JR signs. Large stations such as Tokyo have separate gates for each operator, so at Tokyo Station the Tokaido Shinkansen to Kyoto and Osaka and the lines heading north (Tohoku, Joetsu, Hokuriku) use different gate areas.

There are two kinds of entrance.

• From the street. A Shinkansen entrance takes you straight from the station concourse into the Shinkansen area.
• From a local JR train. If you arrive on a JR local line, you stay inside the gates and use a Shinkansen transfer gate, inserting the tickets that cover both trains. Do not leave through the exit gates first, or you may have to pay again.

At Tokyo Station, allow at least 15 to 20 minutes from the subway or the street to the platform with children and bags. Our Tokyo Station guide shows where the main entrances are.

3. Pass Through the Ticket Gate

How you pass the gate depends on your ticket.

Ticket type	What to do at the gate	Exit gate
QR ticket (smartEX)	Hold the QR code over the scanner	Scan the QR code again
Registered IC card	Tap the card on the reader	Tap the card again
Paper tickets	Stack both tickets and insert them together	Insert both again
Japan Rail Pass	Insert the pass into the slot	Insert the pass again

With paper tickets, JR Central's advice is to stack the basic fare ticket and the limited express ticket and insert them at the same time, not one after the other. Collect them at the other side of the gate, because you need them to leave the station at the end.

With a QR ticket, the gate prints a small slip showing your seat number. It is a reminder, not a ticket, so do not insert it at the exit gate.

Each family member needs their own ticket or QR code to pass, so hand children their tickets just before the gate.

4. Read the Departure Board and Find Your Platform

Once inside, check the departure board for your train name, number and departure time, then go to the platform it shows. The boards alternate between Japanese and English.

On the Tokaido line, the train names are colour-coded, with yellow for Nozomi, red for Hikari and blue for Kodama.

Trains on the busiest lines leave every few minutes, and two trains to the same city can leave from neighbouring platforms within minutes of each other. Check the train number on your ticket as well as the destination.

If you are early, buy food and drinks inside the gates before going up to the platform. There are shops and ekiben stands on the concourse.

5. Wait at Your Car Number on the Platform

Every Shinkansen stops at exactly the same spot, so the platform has a car number painted on the floor or shown on a sign above each door position. Find your car number on your ticket and wait there.

Passengers queue in neat lines behind the marks, and the next train's queue often forms beside the current one. If you have a non-reserved ticket, the non-reserved cars on the Tokaido Shinkansen are cars 1 and 2 on the Nozomi, cars 1 to 5 on the Hikari, and cars 1 to 6 and 13 to 16 on the Kodama, according to JR Central. Seats there are first come, first served.

Arrive on the platform about 10 minutes before departure. The train comes in a few minutes early for cleaning at terminal stations, and the doors open when the cleaning crew has finished.

6. Board, Store Your Luggage and Find Your Seat

Let passengers off first, then board quickly. At intermediate stations, the train stops for only a minute or two, so put children on first with one adult and have the second adult bring the bags.

Inside, the car number and seat letters are shown above the seats. In ordinary cars, seats are in rows of five, with A, B and C on one side and D and E on the other. Bags go in these places.

• Small bags. Put them on the overhead rack or at your feet.
• Large suitcases. On the Tokaido, Sanyo and Kyushu lines, any bag over 160 cm in total dimensions needs a reserved seat with an oversized baggage area, at the back of the car. Without the reservation there is a ¥1,000 charge.
• Strollers. They are exempt from the oversized rule. Fold the stroller and use the rack, the luggage area on the deck or the space behind the last row.

In ordinary cars, a row of seats can be turned round to face the row behind, which suits a family of four or six. Check that the people behind you do not mind, and turn the seats back when you get off.

Food, Toilets, Phones and Etiquette on Board

The Shinkansen is relaxed. You can eat, drink, talk quietly and walk around. A few habits keep it pleasant for everyone.

Eating and drinking

Eating at your seat is normal, and an ekiben (station lunch box) is part of the trip. Buy it before boarding. On the Tokaido Shinkansen, food and drink are no longer sold in ordinary cars, and only Green Car passengers on the Nozomi and Hikari can order snacks from their phone.

Our guide to ekiben in Japan explains what to choose.

Toilets

On the Tokaido Shinkansen, toilets are in the odd-numbered cars (1, 3, 5 and so on), and car 11 has a large multipurpose toilet with more room for a parent and child. Most trains also have washbasins on the deck between cars.

Phones, Wi-Fi and power

Free Wi-Fi is available on all Tokaido Shinkansen trains. On the newest trains every seat has a power outlet. On older ones, the outlets are at the window seats and the front and back rows.

Texting and browsing are fine, but take phone calls on the deck between cars, and use headphones for videos.

General manners

Keep voices low, keep bags off the empty seat beside you, and take rubbish to the bins on the deck. Smoking is not allowed anywhere on the train.

7. Get Off at Your Station

Start getting ready five minutes before your stop. The screens above the doors and the announcements in English give the next station, and the train will not wait for families still collecting bags.

1. Gather everything while the train is still moving, including bags from the rack, jackets, toys and rubbish.
2. Move to the door in the last minute or two, with children holding an adult's hand.
3. Exit through the gate with the same ticket, QR code or IC card you used to enter. Paper tickets are kept by the gate at the end of the ride.

If you are changing to a local JR train, follow the signs for the transfer gate. If you are leaving the station, follow the yellow exit signs.

What If You Miss Your Train or It Is Delayed?

If you miss your reserved train on the Tokaido Shinkansen, you can still travel the same day. JR Central says you can take the non-reserved cars of a later train on the same route, with either a QR ticket or a paper ticket.

Discount tickets can have stricter rules, so check yours.

Smart EX and JR East bookings can be changed online before departure, and QR tickets on smartEX can be changed as many times as you like until shortly before the train leaves. If the line is delayed or suspended, check JR's operation status pages and the station boards, and ask at the ticket office about refunds or changes.

On the rare days when typhoons or snow stop the trains, the ticket offices are busy, so the online route is usually quicker.

Riding the Shinkansen with Children

The Shinkansen is the easiest long-distance transport in Japan for young children, because there are no seatbelts, no security queue and room to walk the aisle. Four habits make the day smoother.

1. Reserve a row together. A row of three (A, B, C) suits a parent and two children. The last row of a car gives space for a stroller.
2. Board with hands free. Fold the stroller on the platform before the train arrives.
3. Pack food and water. There is no trolley in ordinary cars, so buy everything before the gate or on the concourse.
4. Plan for the stop. Know which side the doors open and how long the train waits. At busy stations, it is a minute or two.

Our private tours are on foot in Tokyo and Yokohama. Your guide rides the trains with you, and each of you pays your own fare with an IC card. See our private tours in Tokyo.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I use a Shinkansen ticket at the gate?

Stack your basic fare ticket and limited express ticket and insert them together into the gate slot, then take them back on the other side. QR tickets are scanned, and registered IC cards are tapped. Use the same ticket again to exit.

How early should I arrive for the Shinkansen?

Be on the platform about 10 minutes before departure, and allow 15 to 20 minutes extra at large stations such as Tokyo to reach the gates. With children and luggage, add more time.

Can I board any Shinkansen with my ticket?

No. A reserved ticket is for one train and one seat. A non-reserved ticket lets you use the non-reserved cars of any train on that route and date. On the Tokaido line, a Japan Rail Pass needs an extra ticket for the Nozomi.

Where do I put my suitcase on the Shinkansen?

Small bags go on the overhead rack. On the Tokaido, Sanyo and Kyushu lines, bags over 160 cm in total dimensions need a reserved seat with an oversized baggage area at the back of the car. Strollers are exempt.

Can I eat on the Shinkansen?

Yes. Eating and drinking at your seat is normal. On the Tokaido Shinkansen, there is no food sale in ordinary cars, so buy an ekiben and drinks at the station before you board.

What happens if I miss my Shinkansen?

On the Tokaido Shinkansen, you can ride the non-reserved cars of a later train on the same route on the same day. Some discount tickets do not allow this, so check the conditions of your ticket.

Sources

https://global.jr-central.co.jp/en/goldenroute/shinkansen/
https://global.jr-central.co.jp/en/info/oversized-baggage/
https://global.jr-central.co.jp/en/tickets/type/adults_children.html
https://smart-ex.jp/en/product/plan/service/
https://www.jreast.co.jp/en/multi/