Japan Rail Pass Seat Reservations: An Easy Guide

Japan Rail Pass Seat Reservation: How to Reserve Seats

The Shinkansen, or bullet train, springs to the top of the list when discussing means of traveling around Japan. Providing high-speed, comfortable rides throughout the country, the Shinkansen is popular with first-time visitors, seasoned travelers, and people living with Japan alike, especially with its ease of access with the Japan Rail Pass that one can order before even arriving in the country. 

With this popularity, reserving seats on the Shinkansen ahead of time is a common practice. This is especially recommended during peak travel times, such as spring, fall, and New Years, and not just for bullet trains but for some express trains as well. For travelers and local people returning home alike, it is often required to book a seat on the number of rail lines that leave from the airport. (This includes the Narita Express from Narita to Tokyo, and the Haruka Limited Express Rail from Kansai Airport to and from Kyoto and Osaka). Reserving seats with the Japan Rail Pass can be done at a number of locations and in a number of ways, but typically through the JR offices at many train stations or through the machines at these stations as well.

Also, travelers with oversized luggage are required to make special reservations for seats with access to the oversized luggage area on certain Shinkansen bullet train rail systems. If you have this oversized baggage, simply notify the JR office staff or follow the prompts on the machines. You can find more information on oversized baggage rules here. There are also the more luxurious Green Cars and First Class Cars along with the special Sleeper Cars that also require reservations to use. 

How do I make a reservation for a train from the airport?

As it will likely be the first train trip and first necessary seat to book for foreign travelers, here is a step-by-step guide to reserving a train seat from the airport to one of the major cities of Japan where most will be staying or traveling. 

1. If you have made the choice to buy a JR Pass voucher to exchange for a JR Pass once arriving in Japan, go to a JR office at the airport. Narita Airport and Haneda Airport nearby Tokyo, Kansai Airport near Kyoto and Osaka, and New Chitose Airport in Hokkaido all have JR offices to exchange a JR Pass voucher at. The operating times for these offices differ and are subject to change depending on the time of year or different holidays.
   • Narita Midori no Madoguchi Office- 6:30 to 21:45
   • Haneda JR East Travel Service Center- 6:45-20:00
   • Kansai Airport JR Ticket Office- 5:30-23:00
   • Chitose Airport JR Ticket Office- 6:30-22:00
2. At this same office, one can exchange a JR Pass voucher for a JR Pass and then immediately book a seat for the number of express lines that run from the airport to nearby major cities. (Even if you choose not to exchange your voucher for any given reason, reserving a seat is most efficiently done at one of these JR Offices, but with an additional cost for both boarding the train and to book a seat, as opposed to completely free for both riding and seat reservation on the JR Pass).
3. The JR Office attendant will inform you on the available departure times of that day or other days as well, in case you will be staying within the vicinity of the airport for some time. Reserved seats will be available on either the Ordinary Car or Green Car on rail systems like the Narita Express and Haruka Express.
4. Upon deciding a departure time, you will receive tickets with information on the rail, cars, and seats.
5. If traveling with a JR Pass, you will insert the pass along with the other slips you received when you reserved the seats and take them back immediately on the other end of the same gate. If not, you will insert all the slips you received at the JR Office.
6. The express rail lines that lead to and from the airport are often directed towards travelers, so there is typically predetermined space on the trains for large luggage that does not require reservations, unlike some Shinkansen lines.
7. Upon departing, in order to exist from the gate, insert your JR Pass if you have one along with the other slips given to you upon the booking at the JR Office. 

 How can I make a reservation with a Japan Rail Pass or Regional Pass?

When using a valid Japan Rail Pass or regional pass that has already gone through a voucher exchange, reservations will be made at the same JR Offices available at a number of JR Stations within major cities in Japan such as Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Fukuoka, and Hokkaido. Reservations can be arranged through a Japan Rail Office representative just like at the offices at the airport, so the process is rather straightforward. 

1. Bring your Japan Rail Pass or regional pass to a JR Office (Midori no Madoguchi).
   • JR offices at different stations are open for as long as the station is operating, from first train to last train.
2. The office representative will ask about your desired departing station along with destination (i.e. Tokyo to Kyoto, Osaka to Tokyo, etc.) and departure time. Train schedules for bullet trains and express trains are able to be researched ahead of time, however, the office representative will provide you with more detailed information there.
3. You will also be asked about what type of seating you desire. On the Shinkansen, typically, the Ordinary Car, Green Car, First-Class Car are available, but certain trains may have different options such as sleeper cars. This will largely depend on the local area and destination as well as what days you will be travelling.
4. You will be given a reservation ticket with the information for which train you will ride, the car, seat information, and both departure and arrival time.
5. Upon the time of departure, you will be required to insert your Passes into the gate along with the other tickets you've received when you made the
6. It is also important to keep your reservation ticket on you, not just to find your reserved seat, but to show it to the station and/or train attendant when they come around to prove that the seat is yours.
7. Upon arriving at your destination, you will need to insert the JR Passes into the gate once again to leave the station. Aside from the JR Pass, you will not receive the other slips back. 

It should be noted that making a seat reservation order is now possible at the electronic machines available at stations as of 2021. The following is a guide to making reservations at one of these machines in English. These machiens are operable from the station open to close. 

1. Once at the machine, press the Reserved Seat button.
2. The default language will be Japanese, but if you wish to change it to another language, there is a number to choose from for non-Japanese-speaking travelers to use.
3. Press Reserve seat with discounted ticket.
4. Insert the JR Pass. (Up to 4 JR Passes can be inserted at one time.)
5. Input the departure and arrival stations along with departure and/or arrival times. After confirming this information, press the Search button.
6. Confirm your route and train combinations (if there are any transfers or multiple trains are to be written), then press the Confirm button.
7. Available seats with information on the type of Shinkansen or express train car, location within the car, and placement by a window, by the aisle, or in-between, will be displayed. Choose an available seat (designated with a large, green O) as so desired. Then press Confirm again.
8. The machine will return your JR Passes along with printing out your reservation tickets. 

How do I reserve a seat on the Shinkansen without a JR Pass? 

If you are traveling without a Japan Rail Pass, the process of reserving a seat is a little bit different. Just as with a JR Pass, reservations can still be made at JR Ticket Offices if you are already in Japan, however, we offer train tickets for popular itineraries throughout the country to purchase before your trip, with the option to reserve seats well ahead of time. 

Here is the process for purchasing a ticket with a reserved seat at a JR Station in Japan:

• Head to a JR Ticket Office.
• Communicate the desired departing station along with the destination you wish to travel to. Choose from the available trains and seats that can be seen online or provided by the office representative.
• When going to the platform, you will be required to insert your ticket into the gates. Most times, you will receive two separate tickets when reserving. You will likely have to insert both of these tickets at the same time. The same ticket(s) will come out of the same machine when entering the gate, and you will need to take these again.
• Just like with the JR Pass, you will need to keep the reservation ticket in order to find your seats, along with showing it to the Shinkansen attendant when they come around.
• Upon arriving at your destination station, insert the tickets you used to enter the gates at your departing station. This time, these tickets will not be redistributed to you. 

Reserved tickets can also be purchased at the same vending machines one can make a reservation at with a JR Pass. 

• Go to a ticket machine at a train station and change to a language other than Japanese if needed.
• Select Reserved Seat on the screen.
• Select For seat reservation on Shinkansen. (There will be other options if you are riding a train other than a Shinkansen.)
• Choose the desired line (or lines) you plan to travel on and a departing station. The default choice is the station one is at at that given time, but for other stations, select Other stations.
• Select an arriving station, a boarding date, the number of passengers.
• Select whether or not you wish to purchase a round-trip ticket or a one-way ticket. If you wish to buy a round-trip ticket, confirm the details of your return ticket as well.
• Pay for your ticket by inserting either cash or card into the machine.
• Take your printed passes and insert them into the gate.

Booking Reserved Seating for Train Tickets with Japan Experience

At Japan Experience, we offer train tickets for some of the most popular itineraries for those visiting the country, including between Tokyo and Kyoto, Osaka to Hiroshima, and more! When ordering tickets with Japan Experience, there is the option to have reserved seating as well as free seating, and all options are easily chosen with our booking process. 

After booking, you'll receive an email with a QR code that can be read at the machines in Japan to easily get your tickets with little to no hassle. The process of using these tickets is the same as using any other tickets purchased directly from the machines at the stations in Japan!

Reading your Reserved Seat Train Ticket

Take a look at the ticket image above. This is an actual example of a reservation Shinkansen bullet train green car (first class) ticket going from Tokyo Station to Shin-Osaka Station. Both holders of the Japan Rail Pass and individual ticket users will receive a ticket for their seat reservation like the one seen above. On the ticket, the following information can be found:

• Departing and Arrival Station
• Departure date
• Departure time and expected arrival time
• Train name and number
• Assigned car number and seat number

This car number and seat information can be found on the center right portion of the ticket. In this case, the car number is car 8 seat 12-A, meaning that it will be the seat located at row 12. Seat A will be located on the window side facing the southern coast. The boarding area for the car number will be labeled at the train station. The train number can be found displayed on the side of the train, but also on the overhead board that will show what time the train will arrive, including any delay statuses, and the departing platform. Make sure the information on your reservation ticket matches the train and seat number when boarding!

When can I reserve a seat and can I change my reservation?