Shinkansen Guide: Everything You Need to Know About Japan's Superfast Bullet Trains

Рет қаралды 112,499

Күн бұрын

Wondering whether the Shinkansen (that’s the bullet train) might be the best way to get from one part of Japan to another? This is a comprehensive guide to taking some of the fastest trains in the world, from speeds to seat reservations, luggage and the Japan rail passes.
Useful links mentioned in this article
★ Where to buy your Japan Rail Pass:
tokyocheapo.com/travel/which-...
★ Understanding the new Shinkansen Luggage Rules: tokyocheapo.com/travel/transp...
0:00 Shinkansen guide
0:34 Why take the shinkansen?
1:06 Japan Rail Pass
2:31 Japan Regional Rail Passes
3:08 Buying shinkansen tickets
4:35 Shinkansen luggage rules
6:16 How to take the shinkansen
★★★ TokyoCheapo ★★★
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Website : tokyocheapo.com/
Community : community.tokyocheapo.com/
Twitter : / tokyocheapo
Newsletter : tokyocheapo.com/newsletter
★★★ Credits ★★★
Intro sequence by the most talented Peter Laugesen
Creative commons images used in the intro:
* Gundam Robot Statue in Odaiba www.flickr.com/photos/picsofl...
* Japanese Salaryman Asleep www.flickr.com/photos/istolet...
* Domestic Cat commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Us...
* Saraninman commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Us...
* Wild Cat www.geograph.org.uk/profile/34298
* Ginza Holiday Promenade www.flickr.com/photos/yoshika...
* Shibuya Crossing www.flickr.com/photos/3102986...

Пікірлер: 120

@benrainbird7971 Жыл бұрын

So glad to see Tokyo Cheapo back. It made such a difference to our first trip in 2018 and our 2nd trip in 2019. I look forward to seeing more content so we can plan trip number 3.

@teradaloo Жыл бұрын

Cheapo's back! Love this channel. It was my main guide for my 2018 Japan trip and all their recs were on point

@rons3634 Жыл бұрын

Nice and easy to follow video. I'm not much for train travel, but the Shinkansen rides I've taken have been awesome.

@Kapurikon_No_Shura Жыл бұрын

Thank you so much for this video. I will go to Japan in two weeks and will come to Osaka first before going to other cities (Kyoto, Nara, Tashirojima, Tokyo and then retake the plane in Osaka) and your videos are very clear and helping a lots, I am so grateful for all of those useful information provided ❤

@alanbassig5761 Жыл бұрын

Whoa after 2 long years. Welcome back! Your channel really helped me and my family to go around Japan a few years back, and by not spending too much. Expecting some new stuff 👍🏻👍🏻

@AmbientWalking Жыл бұрын

Yes! Another amazing and beautiful trip! Love this a lot. Please make more!

@tokyocheapo Жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching! More videos are on the way.

@klaudiusz6233 Жыл бұрын

Your videos are really so helpful! Right now I'm booking a two week trip to Osaka and Tokyo in March, and I am totally soaking up all your vids!

@tokyocheapo Жыл бұрын

We're glad they're helpful! Hope you have heaps of fun on your trip!

@H.pylori Жыл бұрын

Short and to the point. Great information. I see from the comments that your channel has just returned. Thanks for the help.

@tokyocheapo Жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching! Glad it helped 😊

@cerka27 Жыл бұрын

Great video. Thanks ❤

@carluy6129 Жыл бұрын

I missed you guys!

@catalinacurio Жыл бұрын

Thank you so much! I’m visiting Japan unexpectedly in August. If I was travelling alone I’d just chill and travel around but there’s my niece and nephew so I need to consider everything carefully. 😊

@skm3613 26 күн бұрын

This video will be very useful for the first time visitors. We have recently been to Japan. I wish we could have seen it before. Arigato

@morgangraham2549 Жыл бұрын

Thank you for your Video! I was stressing about getting my Snowboard bag to Hakuba 😅

@a5tro25 Жыл бұрын

OMG they are back!

@tokyocheapo Жыл бұрын

We are! 😀 Lots more videos coming too!

@galaxyfarrahway Жыл бұрын

welcome back!

@milliosmiles5160 2 ай бұрын

Very good video.

@dwalker6868 6 ай бұрын

Thank you for your video

@paulccrimmins Жыл бұрын

Aloha 🤙from Honolulu! Wow! It's been awhile since you've posted a video. Welcome back!

@tokyocheapo Жыл бұрын

Thank you! We've got plenty more videos coming 😊

@paulccrimmins Жыл бұрын

@@tokyocheapo Thanks for the great video! Hope everyone is well 🙏. We all really missed you guys ❤️

@keegan2crow Жыл бұрын

God this is so helpful I’m hoping from Tokyo to Ube then to Kochi. I’m currently researching everything right now

@ak7570 Жыл бұрын

This would have been so helpful to see before my trip to Japan! I found working out the CBA of the JR pass confusing. Great video!

@SyaoranLiClow Жыл бұрын

This last trip, from October 22th to November 19th, I took more than 20 Shinkansen. Some long trips and some short ones. Like going from Kyoto to Shin-Osaka, or going from Shin-Yokohama to Shigagawa. Banzai Japan Rail Pass

@tokyocheapo Жыл бұрын

Sounds like you made good use of the shinkansen!

@mrmarzo Жыл бұрын

Personally, the JR Pass is very useful within Tokyo because there’s several JR stations. However, people will indeed have a harder time once they go to small towns outside some of the major cities.

@shaunpierce4174 Жыл бұрын

Perfect timing. Today I booked flights to Tokyo (arriving at the end of April 2023) and was wondering how to go about using the Shinkansen. It's too early for me to devise an itinerary yet but I'd like to visit Hiroshima, Kyoto, Nara and Osaka. I will be there for 3 weeks, just wondering if maybe I might try to do too much too quickly and not enjoy it as much. But I'm so damn excited to finally be visiting Japan, I've just started to learn a little of the language.

@tokyocheapo Жыл бұрын

Those cities sound perfect to visit for a three-week itinerary and are reasonably close to each other. Will it be your first time?

@TheRyliks Жыл бұрын

Holy sh1t! Not too sound sorta creepy. But this (almost) is exactly what I booked yesterday and not am planing to do.. Also end of April to mid may. Plus. I just got to this video to inform myself ABT the shinkansen. I wish you an awesome trip mate!! =)

@shaunpierce4174 Жыл бұрын

@@tokyocheapo yes, my first ever visit to Japan

@shaunpierce4174 Жыл бұрын

@@TheRyliks how spooky is that? You never know, we might even bump into each other.

@Multicrafts1 5 ай бұрын

Does Shinkansen have something about the “personal item” such as backpack or the backpack + luggage must be under the 160 cm? Or the backpack is excempt too?

@MRCLT-qi7tg 6 ай бұрын

This is great. Thank you. Just to clarify, can I make a luggage reservation if booking online? I’d like to make all my rail bookings etc in advance and don’t want to go into a station just to book luggage. Cheers

@ksbma Жыл бұрын

Hello, for Shinkansen trains, how do you know if your on the Nozomi trains? When I use google maps, it keeps showing me the Shinkansen Nozomi train options for transit

@OmnipresentOneness Жыл бұрын

Could you please do an updated video on this once the new JR pass price increases are implemented?

@tokyocheapo Жыл бұрын

Thanks for the suggestion! That's on our list to do.

@solrun9524 Жыл бұрын

I wish you would talk about the different types of shinkansen, would be interesting to hear+ you can’t use the nozomi and mizuho shinkansen with jr pass. otherwise thanks for the video :)

@tokyocheapo Жыл бұрын

That's a great point - you'll need to use the slightly slower Hikari or Kodama shinkansen from Tokyo to Osaka and the Sakura shinkansen from Osaka to Kyushu with the JR Pass. Thanks for bringing this up and thanks for watching!

@ladyinpink2241 2 ай бұрын

Can you reserve single tickets online? If not, how early can you buy the train tickets at the kiosk?

@HarleyPanda Жыл бұрын

If your suitcase is 160cm exactly, would you need to make a reservation for this or not? And are you allowed to bring two suitcases? I will be bringing 1 big one and 1 much smaller one which I use as carry on for my flight. I didn't realise they had new rules so glad I watched this video! My partner and me will be travelling to Japan beginning of May (after Golden Week), spending 1 week in Tokyo and then travelling down to Osaka to travel around there and other cities for 1 week and a half before going back up to Tokyo to fly back. I'm unsure if we should book our train tickets online somehow first or book them on the day at the station.

@tokyocheapo Жыл бұрын

A 160cm suitcase should be fine without a reservation 😊 You can bring up to two suitcases per person. If you buy your JR Pass online at this site: japanrailpass.net/ you can make seat reservations online or grabbing tickets at the station is also doable.

@BrunaMBastos 11 ай бұрын

Hey! Great video! If I get a JR and decide to use the Green sits, would be possible to just pay the difference?

@tokyocheapo 11 ай бұрын

You should be able to pay for a Green car seat reservation at a JR Ticket Office. Depending on how far you travel though, It might be more cost effective just to get the Green car JR pass

@kirsch-pf6jx Жыл бұрын

So, it’s better for me to buy single tickets to Osaka and back to Tokyo. I’m only staying in Osaka for 3 days and then plan to go back to Tokyo. Can I always get a seat in the Shinkansen? Would it be a problem to buy the ticket on the day I want to take the train or is it better to buy it at least 7 days beforehand? Idk how to train system works and how many trains leave

@efya2777 Жыл бұрын

Thanks for the useful videos, question pls: would it be possible to book seats without JR pass, for nozomi trains for example? to buy it somewhere online and reserve a seat?

@tokyocheapo Жыл бұрын

Glad it was useful for you! You can book tickets for the Tokaido, Sanyo and Kyushu shinkansen lines on this website: smart-ex.jp/en/lp/app/

@efya2777 Жыл бұрын

@@tokyocheapo thanks a lot!

@ollie2074 10 ай бұрын

Do the luggage limits also apply to non-shinkansen intercity services ? We're planning on using the Asuza between Tokyo, Matsumoto and Hakuba. Also can you take luggage on the coach between Nagano and Hakuba

@tokyocheapo 10 ай бұрын

Hi there! Luggage restrictions on services such as the Azusa aren't as strict. There are dedicated luggage racks in cars 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 10 and 12 on the Azusa. The highway coaches have luggage compartments under the bus for large luggage.

@abdulmueizabdulahad5775 Жыл бұрын

Thank you for this meaningful info, can I ask, for one way reserved ticket on shinkansen, it is preferable to buy online or at the train station itself? Thank you

@tokyocheapo Жыл бұрын

Hi there! It's really up to you and what will be most convenient. If you're catching the Tokaido, Sanyo or Kyushu shinkansen, you can use this website smart-ex.jp/en/lp/app/ to book online.

@Alejandra653 Жыл бұрын

@@tokyocheapo can you make an online reservation on that website using a JRpass?

@RussellCambell 10 ай бұрын

Question: The Nozomi and Mizuno are off limits for the Tokyo to Kyoto trip on a JR pass . That leaves the Kodama and Hikari trains. How do these compare in speed? Also when i put my trip in Google maps it says my skinkansen trip is so long like 8 hours from Tokyo to Kyoto. This seems way high. Maybe its just all my connecting trains. I am glad to hear that time is much less

@tokyocheapo 10 ай бұрын

From Tokyo station to Kyoto station, the Hikari is just over 2 and half hours, the Kodama is about 3 and a half hours. The Nozomi is about 2 hours and ten minutes.

@user-sw9fw7xx3t Жыл бұрын

Hey. I'm landing in Japan on April 16th, bought my 7-day JR Pass through Klook, and plan to pick up my pass at the Haneda airport. I set the activation date for April 17th. Is that fine? Or does it activate when I pick it up? Or does it activate the first time I use it? THANKS SO MUCH FOR YOUR HELP; LOVE THE VIDEOS!

@tokyocheapo Жыл бұрын

Hi there! That’ll be completely fine to pick it up the day before. It will still activate on the activation date you chose - April 17th. Have a great trip!

@copf98 5 ай бұрын

Love your video on Shinkansen guide, I have been trying to decide if I should by one. You indicate a 14 day pass will cost 47250 Yen but when I try to buy one it cost 80000 yen. Could you please clarify difference for me. Could it have almost doubled in past year? thanks

@tokyocheapo 5 ай бұрын

Hi there! Glad you found the video useful 😊 Yes that's right actually. Since October 2023, the price of the JR Pass has been increased by almost 70%. We made a video covering whether the JR Pass is still worth it with the new prices: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/hrWgiKSQ0LGqZJ8.html The video mostly covers the 7-day pass but the general idea is, unless you're doing a lot of long, inter-city travel, it's more cost-effective to buy individual shinkansen tickets.

@sitimahdaria5006 Жыл бұрын

Hi, kindly help answering my question, can we reserve our seat in Shinkansen months before our trip if we use JR Pass? Thank you

@tokyocheapo Жыл бұрын

Hi! The official website allows you to reserve shinkansen seats up to one month before the start date of your JR pass.

@sitimahdaria5006 Жыл бұрын

@@tokyocheapo Thank you! Really appreciate it!

@shakilkhoja Жыл бұрын

Hi, is the Jr pass activation starts when you receive or the first time you use the card? I am planning to receive few days before my first trip.

@tokyocheapo Жыл бұрын

You can set the activation date so even if you receive it a few days early, it won't start until the date you choose 😊

@fachrulrza2742 Жыл бұрын

hello, I want to ask. Are there any restrictions on using the Shinkansen covered by the JR Pass in one day? Or free? example on the same day I want to travel from hiroshima to osaka in the morning, during the day from osaka I want to go to okayama then return to osaka in the afternoon or evening of the same day

@tokyocheapo Жыл бұрын

The JR Pass gives unlimited travel on the shinkansen so that plan should be fine 😊 Just be aware, you can't use the fastest Nozomi or Mizuho shinkansen with the JR Pass.

@kimtran8849 Жыл бұрын

Which of the website that you can make a reservation online with the Jr pass when you re ready to travel within cities inJapan.

@tokyocheapo Жыл бұрын

Hi there! If you buy the JR Pass through the official website, you can also make reservations online: japanrailpass.net/

@casonhall5268 Жыл бұрын

I am taking the train from Shingawa to Kobe. The Tokaido Line ends in Osaka, so will I have to switch trains and buy another ticket for the Sanyo line or will I be able to stay on the train until I reach Kobe?

@tokyocheapo Жыл бұрын

Apologies, just a correction here - many of the shinkansen travelling from Shinagawa only go as far as Shin-Osaka, however there are some that are direct through to Shin-Kobe. Just check the timetable to see which ones go further.

@kenkeller48 Жыл бұрын

I have a first class ticket on the bullet train from Osaka to Tokyo. Do I need to reserve space for my luggage? Does this train stop at Shin Yokohama?

@tokyocheapo Жыл бұрын

There’s usually less people in the first class carriage so it’s more likely you can get one of the seats with extra luggage space without advance reservation. And yes, Shin-Yokohama is 2 stops before Tokyo.

@cynthiagoh4207 Жыл бұрын

I’m just wondering the luggage size rule does it applicable when travelling from the airport to Tokyo?

@tokyocheapo Жыл бұрын

Hi there! In general these luggage rules don't apply to the transport to and from the airport. The main thing to watch out for is some low cost buses only allow one piece of standard luggage. If you're travelling from Narita, we have a video covering transport to and from Tokyo: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/p6uEpdpzur_Jlo0.html

@quiet-kun1032 3 ай бұрын

can I use the card to pay on more then one person ?

@raistlinec Жыл бұрын

You mentioned in your video the size of below 160cm / 160cm to 250cm / 250cm and above… this is the width right?

@tokyocheapo Жыл бұрын

That is overall dimensions: width + depth + height. More info in our article: tokyocheapo.com/travel/transport/new-shinkansen-luggage-rules/

@christopherpaul7588 Жыл бұрын

I'm confused. You say the JR Pass is good for all trains for traveling around Japan. However, I read somewhere that there are actually limitations? I have to take certain trains? I don't know.

@tokyocheapo Жыл бұрын

Hi there! The JR Pass is good for all JR (Japan Rail) lines around Japan, including the Shinkansen, express trains and local trains. There are quite a few train lines however that are not run by Japan Rail and rather by private rail companies such as the Tokyo Metro subway lines. For these lines, you won’t be able to use the JR Pass. So the pass is best used for travel between cities on the Shinkansen.

@solomani5959 9 ай бұрын

Curious. Is there a way to get oversized luggage from Osaka to Tokyo if the Shinkansen is not an option?

@tokyocheapo 8 ай бұрын

There are luggage delivery services which we cover in our article here: tokyocheapo.com/travel/luggage-delivery-services/ but a lot of them do have size restrictions as well.

@solomani5959 8 ай бұрын

@@tokyocheapo Nice, thank you. We decided to book a flight instead. It's about ¥8000-¥9000 while the Shinkansen is ¥14,500 between Shin Osaka and Tokyo. Plane is also 1h vs 2.5h. Our plan is to have the "Shinkansen experience" on a day trip to Hiroshima instead 🙃

@tokyocheapo 8 ай бұрын

Nice! That sounds like the perfect plan 😊

@raistlinec Жыл бұрын

Good Afternoon… I have purchase my JR Pass but yet to exchange then (travel is Jan 5th)… am I able to reserve the seats first?? If yes which website? Can help??

@tokyocheapo Жыл бұрын

Hello! If you purchased the pass directly through the dedicated pass website, you unlock the ability to reserve seats up to one month prior to your first day of planned travel here. You can do that here: www.japanrailpass-reservation.net/

@tokyocheapo Жыл бұрын

More info on JR Passes on our website here: tokyocheapo.com/travel/which-jr-rail-pass-to-choose/

@raistlinec Жыл бұрын

@@tokyocheapo I didn’t buy thru the official site… via Klook in Singapore… means I have to wait till I land in Japan and do it at the Ticket office??

@tokyocheapo Жыл бұрын

That's right. When you pick up your rail pass, you'll be able to make reservations at the same time.

@ajm87k Ай бұрын

Does luggage limit applies on tokyo sendai shinkansen???

@tokyocheapo Ай бұрын

No it doesn't apply on the Tohoku shinkansen 😊 Although you just want to be careful in busy periods, as the baggage area is first come first serve and can get full quite quickly.

@reptilesgamers00 4 ай бұрын

Can you make a new video on the JR pass? It no longer 29k yen is more like 50k yen.

@tokyocheapo 4 ай бұрын

Actually we already did - check this out: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/hrWgiKSQ0LGqZJ8.html

@rashminot Жыл бұрын

Whats the difference between Suica and JR pass?

@tokyocheapo Жыл бұрын

Hi! The JR Pass is a special pass for tourists that allows unlimited use of the shinkansen and JR line trains in cities for the length of the pass. Suica is a rechargeable card anyone can buy that can be used to pay for almost any transport (trains and buses), at convenience stores and at vending machines, among other places. We also have a video guide on using Suica here: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/pLtllb16rLzJcaM.html

@unboundrebel6963 10 ай бұрын

JR pass is not for ALL Shinkansen trains. The express train ( the fastest trains) line Nozomi is not included. The Hikari for instance is. Osaka to Tokyo on Nozomi is 2,5 hours. On the Hikari its 3 hours. So NOT ALL TRAINS!!!!!!!

@MeTheCoolDude 6 ай бұрын

Shinkansen Nozomi and Mizuho bullet trains (reserved and non-reserved) will be included in the JR Pass from October 2023. Both types of train operate on the Tokaido, Sanyo and Kyushu Shinkansen lines. To use these trains, JR Pass holders must purchase a special complementary ticket. This is a supplement to the Japan Rail Pass.

@robd92 Жыл бұрын

Might be a dumb question. Can I get my ticket a day in advance using my jr pass?

@tokyocheapo Жыл бұрын

There's no dumb questions! You can pick up your JR pass and reserve seats before the pass start date.

@robd92 Жыл бұрын

@@tokyocheapo awesome! That’s good to know. Thank you for your help!

@redangel2301 7 ай бұрын

Hi, I want to.go.to.gala.yuzawa but can i use suica card ?

@tokyocheapo 7 ай бұрын

Hi there! To go from Tokyo to Gala Yuzawa, you'll need to purchase a shinkansen ticket. If you buy it through the JR-EAST Train Reservation site, you can link the ticket to your suica card, which you can then use to tap through the gates.

@redangel2301 7 ай бұрын

@@tokyocheapo thank you

@mylovesongs2429 Жыл бұрын

one day in California, there will be a bullet train that goes from Victorville to Las Vegas. It's being built right now, but in maybe 15 years, the train will be in operation. I am sure that eventually, maybe in 20-30 years, a train in L.A. will speed passengers to Vegas. Maybe the train will go 200mph. Maybe technology will up the speed to 300mph. I have never flown on a plane, so 300mph will be the fastest i have ever travelled.

@fuzzybutt Жыл бұрын

For 28inch (20.5 x 11x 29) luggage, does this fall within the max for reservation or does it need to be scheduled for an alternate transport? Not sure if I convert everything to cm first and then add it all up or how to get the final number.

@tokyocheapo Жыл бұрын

The luggage rules use the total dimension (width x height x depth) for the measurement. So it seems the total dimension of your luggage is 60.5 inches which is 154cm 😊

@fuzzybutt Жыл бұрын

@@tokyocheapo Thanks!!