JAPAN TRAIN
Japan Bullet Train Tickets:
Search and Book Shinkansen
Fares in Minutes
Compare live Shinkansen fares between Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Nagoya and Hiroshima, then book your seat in the same search — no ticket counter required.
Is Shinkansen the Train You Need?
Japan has five main train categories — Shinkansen, limited express, express, rapid and local — and this page focuses on the first, the country's fastest mode of transport.
Shinkansen trains are Japan's high-speed bullet trains, running at up to 320 km/h, and built for long trips between major cities — that's what you search above. For shorter hops, like getting from your hotel to the station or between stops within a city, you'll switch to a limited express, rapid or local train instead, usually tapping an IC card like Suica or Pasmo to board rather than buying a separate ticket. Together, these five categories form a single national rail network — one of the most extensive railway systems in the world — moving passengers with a precision few other countries match.
Popular Shinkansen Routes
Tokyo Station is the network's hub, with direct Shinkansen service to Kyoto, Osaka, Nagoya and Hiroshima — part of one of the busiest high-speed rail corridors in the world. Search any of these routes above, or use the table below as a starting point. These five routes link some of Japan's busiest major stations, from Tokyo Station in the capital to Kyoto Station in the historic west.
| Route | Distance | Fastest time | Fares from |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tokyo → Kyoto | ~513 km | ~2h 15m | $147 |
| Tokyo → Osaka | ~515 km | ~2h 21m | $153 |
| Osaka → Kyoto | ~43 km | ~15 min | $32 |
| Tokyo → Nagoya | ~366 km | ~1h 40m | $117 |
| Tokyo → Hiroshima | ~894 km | ~4h | $202 |
Japan Train Stations
Which Japan Railway Company Runs Your Shinkansen
Japan Railways (JR Group) splits into six regional railway companies, and two of them operate the routes in the table above: JR Central runs the Tokaido Shinkansen from Tokyo through Nagoya and Kyoto to Osaka, and JR West — officially the West Japan Railway Company — runs the connecting Sanyo Shinkansen on to Hiroshima, alongside its Osaka-area Urban Network, with trains roughly every two minutes at peak times. JR East, the country's largest railway operator, along with JR Kyushu, JR Shikoku and JR Hokkaido, run Shinkansen and other lines further north and south that aren't part of this search — JR East alone also operates the world's busiest commuter rail network, in Tokyo. Beyond JR, major private railways and private lines like Kintetsu and Odakyu, plus metro systems like Tokyo Metro, cover the local legs of a trip that Shinkansen doesn't reach.
Nozomi, Hikari or Kodama: Which Shinkansen to Book
These three service tiers run on the same Tokaido/Sanyo Shinkansen line just described — the route linking Tokyo, Nagoya, Kyoto, Osaka and Hiroshima. The difference between them is how many stations each one stops at.
| Service | Stops | Speed & frequency | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nozomi | Fewer stations than any other service — mainly Shinagawa, Shin-Yokohama, Nagoya, Kyoto | Up to 285 km/h, up to 12 trains/hour | Fastest and most frequent; needs a small supplement (about ¥4,960 Tokyo–Kyoto) with a JR Pass |
| Hikari | More stations, including Hamamatsu, Shizuoka and Toyohashi | Up to 285 km/h, runs every 30 minutes | Fully covered by the Japan Rail Pass; a small money-saving trade-off in time |
| Kodama | Most stations on the line | Up to 285 km/h, runs every 20–30 minutes | Convenient for smaller Shinkansen stations; also fully covered by the pass |
Good to Know Before You Board
Stops Along the Way
The Tokaido/Sanyo line makes about 20 stops between Tokyo and Hiroshima. Nozomi skips most for speed — Hikari and Kodama add the smaller stations in between.
Departure Frequency
Nozomi trains run up to 12 times an hour at peak times on the busiest stretch — rarely a need to plan far ahead.
Departure Stations
Tokyo has two Shinkansen stops — Tokyo Station and Shinagawa — and Shin-Osaka is separate from Osaka's main JR terminal. Always check your exact departure station.
Luggage Rules
Bags over 160cm combined (up to 250cm) need a reserved oversized-luggage seat on Tokaido/Sanyo trains, or a fee applies onboard. Standard suitcases need no extra booking.
Onboard Amenities
Most trains offer free Wi-Fi, reclining seats and power outlets in Green Car and at window seats, plus a trolley service on longer routes.
Basic Fare, Green Car and the Japan Rail Pass
Basic Fare + Shinkansen surcharge
Every fare combines a Basic Fare (priced by distance) with a Limited Express surcharge for the Shinkansen. Trips over 100 km include unlimited stopovers at no extra cost.
Green Car: Japan's first class
Wider seats, more legroom, a quieter car — for a supplement on top of the ordinary fare. Worth adding to your itinerary on long legs like Tokyo–Hiroshima; skip it on short hops like Osaka–Kyoto.
Is a JR Pass worth it in 2026?
A 7-day pass runs ¥50,000 (¥70,000 Green Car) and covers most Shinkansen, limited express and local trains. Pays off on loops through 3+ cities — for one round trip, point-to-point tickets are usually cheaper.
IC cards and children's fares
Suica or Pasmo cover local trains, subway and buses with a single tap — not reserved Shinkansen seats. Children 6–11 travel at half fare; under 6 ride free with an adult.
Popular questions
Not always — every train has non-reserved cars — but during peak travel weeks (New Year, Golden Week, Obon) those cars fill standing-room only. Reserved ordinary-class seats cost nothing extra with a rail pass, and a small fee without one.
No. Most trips combine Shinkansen for the long legs with a local train or other trains run by private railways for the last stretch, into a smaller city center the bullet train doesn't reach.
Among Shinkansen services, Nozomi and Mizuho trains are the fastest, reaching up to 320 km/h (199 mph) in commercial service.
Roughly 30,625 km, reaching nearly every region of the country from major cities to remote towns — one of the densest rail networks in the world.
Yes — the average annual delay across Shinkansen services has historically been measured in seconds, not minutes, often cited around 54 seconds a year system-wide.
For most city-to-city trips, yes: Shinkansen stations sit in city centers instead of requiring an airport transfer, seats have more legroom than economy class with room to move around, and there's no traffic to sit in like a rental car. Tokyo–Osaka is faster door-to-door by train than by plane once airport transfers are counted.
The longest route in our search, Tokyo to Hiroshima covers about 894 km in around four hours on the fastest Nozomi services, running at up to 285 km/h along the Tokaido and Sanyo lines.
The first Shinkansen line opened in 1964, timed to the Tokyo Olympics, running between Tokyo and Osaka. Six decades later, that same Tokaido line is still the busiest Shinkansen route in the country.
Yes — station concourses sell eki-ben (station bento boxes) made for the journey, and trolley service still runs on many long-distance trains.
Major stations are signed in English as well as Japanese, and apps like Google Maps handle Japan's train and subway transfers accurately, platform numbers included.
No. Station ticket machines switch to English with one tap, and major stations post English signage throughout — or skip the machine and the queue by searching your route above.
Search your route in the widget above, pick a departure and class, and reserve your seat and board on the spot — no ticket office visit required.
Japan's train system breaks into five main categories — Shinkansen, limited express, express, rapid and local — with Shinkansen trains running at up to 320 km/h on dedicated high-speed tracks, including long mountain tunnels.
The Japan Rail Pass is sold exclusively to tourists visiting on a temporary visitor visa; residents of Japan aren't eligible, though regional JR passes cover specific areas for those who are.
From travelers who've booked this route
"Booked the Tokyo–Kyoto leg in five minutes and the seat map matched exactly what we got on the platform."
"Compared Hikari and Kodama fares side by side and booked in under two minutes — no ticket counter, no guesswork."
"Searched Tokyo to Hiroshima and the fare matched exactly what showed up at the station machine."
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Live fares, every Shinkansen service, one search — find your Japan train route and book your seat today.
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