A Guide To Buying Train Tickets in Japan

Buying train tickets in Japan is simple, once you understand how to do it. You’ll find automatic ticket machines for short trips at almost every station in Japan. They’re easy to use and will save you time.

For longer journeys, there are ticket counters and special long-distance train ticket machines. You can buy tickets and reserved seats with both of these options.

How to Buy Local Train Tickets

Using a Ticket Machine

Buying train tickets in Japan for a Rapid or Local train is fairly easy. First, go to the ticket machines and look up at the map. The map shows all the train lines and stations in the area. Find your destination and check the price next to it. You’ll need to know the price to buy the correct ticket.

JR Train Ticket Machines | James Cridland from Brisbane, AU, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

On most machines, you’ll find a button that allows you to change the language. I recommend this.

Then, tap the Ticket button on the screen. The next screen will be a display of all the available ticket prices. Tap the button that shows the same price as the price next to your destination on the map above the machines.

You can also select the number of tickets that you wish to buy. The default is one, so if you are traveling alone, you can skip this step.

Now, you’ll need to feed your money into the machine. They take 10, 50, 100, and 500 yen coins and also accept 1,000 yen bills. If you only have a large bill, just look for the machines that accept 5,000 yen and 10,000 yen bills.

Finally, collect your ticket(s) and change, and head to the ticket gates, or wickets as they’re typically called in Japan.

Using a Fare Adjustment Machine

Let’s say you’re in Tokyo, and you bought a ticket with the appropriate fare to Shibuya. You’re on the train out exploring for the first time, and you decide you want to get off at Shinjuku. You’ve heard a lot about Shinjuku and you really want to check it out before going to Shibuya.

No problem. On your way to the wickets, keep a look-out for the fare adjustment machines.

Fare Adjustment Machines | Asacyan, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Stop at this machine. Insert your ticket, and add the additional money needed for the fare difference. Collect your new ticket and head to the wickets.

Fares are based on distance, rather than destinations, so it’s easy to make adjustments to your final destination. If there is no difference in fare, the machine will just spit out your original ticket, and you’re good-to-go.

How to Buy Long-Distance Train Tickets

Using a Ticket Machine

When buying train tickets in Japan for a Limited Express train or Shinkansen, you need to use machines specifically labeled Reserved Seat Ticket Vending Machine. The machines prominently display the word Shinkansen, but if you look closely, you’ll also see Limited Express written on them.

Far Right is Limited Express and Shinkansen Ticket Machine | Mister0124, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

You can get reserved seat tickets from these machines on the day of travel or up to 30 days in advance. Please note that even if you don’t want to reserve a seat, you still need to buy a non-reserved seat ticket. See Understanding Train Ticket Pricing below.

Once again, at the top of the screen, you’ll find a button that allows you to change the language. I highly recommend this.

Purchasing at a Ticket Counter

It is also possible to purchase train tickets at a ticket counter. You’ll need to provide some basic information to the ticket agent to accomplish this, and I recommend having it all ready in advance.

The most important information to include are your departure and destination points, your travel date, and the number of travelers. The ticket agent will also ask if you’d like reserved or non-reserved seating. If you’re buying shinkansen bullet train tickets, then the JR employee will ask if you’d like ordinary or green car.

JR Ticket Counter | Mister0124, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

If you have a specific train in mind, be prepared with either the train name and number, or its departure time. You can find this information by using the Route Finder on the Japan Travel by Navitime app.

The process for getting tickets is pretty straightforward, but having this information ready will ensure a smooth transaction.

If you don’t speak Japanese, it’s very helpful to write this information down on a piece of paper before you get in line. This will make things go much smoother when it’s your turn.

JR-Kyushu Reserved Seat Form

Many stations have special forms for this, and occasionally, they even have them in English. It’s a smart way to avoid any language mix-ups at the ticket counter.

Remember, a little preparation and a smile go a long way. This simple trick can save you time and stress when you’re trying to get train tickets.

Understanding Train Ticket Pricing

Basic Fare Tickets

A basic fare ticket is required to ride any JR train in Japan. The cost varies based on your destination and is all you need to ride local trains. These tickets are easy to buy from ticket machines. See How to Buy Local Train Tickets above.

Super (Limited) Express Train Tickets

Train tickets for the Shinkansen and Limited Express trains have two parts. The basic fare is the cost of traveling from one point to another, covering the basic transportation service. The second fare is called the Super (Limited) Express ticket, which is required when taking the shinkansen or limited express trains.

It’s important to note that both components are necessary for travel on these trains. The basic fare allows entry to the rail network, while the Super (Limited) Express ticket guarantees a place on a specific train. These two fares may be issued as separate tickets or as one combined ticket.

There are three main types of Super (Limited) Express tickets.

1. Green Car ticket: This is a premium ticket with an assigned seat in one of the green cars. It’s significantly pricier than the reserved and non-reserved tickets.
2. Reserved Seat ticket: Reserved seat tickets assign you a specific seat in a specific car. These tickets cost a little more than non-reserved seat tickets, and a lot less than green car tickets.
3. Non-reserved Seat ticket: These tickets let you sit in any open seat in the non-reserved cars. This ticket and a basic fare ticket are the minimum needed to ride a shinkansen, or a limited express train. You need a non-reserved seat ticket to ride the train, even if you plan on standing.

Some trains don’t have non-reserved cars at all. The entire train is reserved seating only. These trains, like the Narita Express, the Hayabusa Shinkansen, and the Kagayaki Shinkansen, only offer reserved seats. You can’t ride any of these trains if you don’t have a reserved seat.

The Narita Express (NEX)

It’s worth noting this difference to avoid any confusion during your trip. Knowing which trains have non-reserved cars can save you time and stress. Plan ahead to make sure you’re on the right train with the correct ticket.

How to Calculate Ticket Price

Let’s say you want to go to Himeji from Kyoto. You can take either a local train for 1 hour and 40 minutes, or a shinkansen bullet train for just 45 minutes.

Local Train: The basic fare of 2,310 yen is all that is required to ride a local train. This train stops at nearly every station, and has no reserved seats.

Shinkansen: To ride the shinkansen, you must pay both the basic fare of 2,310 yen and the Super (Limited) Express fare. There are three tiers to choose from with the shinkansen. You can get either a non-reserved seat for 2,530 yen; a reserved seat for 2,860 yen; or a green car seat for 5,130 yen.

We’ll use a non-reserved seat ticket for our example, since the ride is only about 45 minutes. Here is the equation: 2,310 yen basic fare + 2,530 yen non-reserved seat fare = 4,840 yen.

As you can see, the cost of taking the shinkansen bullet train from Kyoto to Himeji is a bit pricier than the 2, 310 yen local train option, but saves nearly an hour of travel time.

Don’t Discount the Japan Rail Pass

I’ve seen plenty of false rhetoric online bashing discount passes because bullet train tickets aren’t expensive. This is just bad advice from ill-informed individuals who have never spent enough time in Japan to fully understand the system.

Japan Rail Pass

I will admit that with the increased price, the rail pass doesn’t always make sense. But before you write it off, make sure you’re doing your travel cost calculations correctly. Omitting one fare on all your train tickets can easily double what you thought you were going to spend.

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