From Tokyo to Kyoto
If you are traveling from Tokyo to Kyoto with JR, you would choose the Tokaido Shinkansen, the earliest shinkansen line in Japan and the oldest high speed train in the world. This line is named after the main roads in Kyoto, the capital in Edo period, and Tokyo, the capital today. Because Tokaido Shinkansen stops by many major cities, including Tokyo, Nagoya, Kyoto, it is the most used among other shinkansen lines. Thus, it has the most departure time, about once in every ten minutes.
Tokaido Shinkansen served the public starting 1964 at a speed of 210 Km/hr. As technology advances, they reach speeds of 285 Km/hr nowadays. Three train categories operate on the Tokaido Shinkansen: Nozomi, Hikari, and Kodama. Because Nozomi only stops at major cities like Shinagawa, Shin-Yokohama, Nagoya, Kyoto, the whole trip only takes about 2.5 hours. However, beware that Nozomi is one of the few trains that cannot be covered by JR Pass. Hikari makes more stops than Nozomi including to Odawara, Shizuoka, thus the whole trip takes longer, about 3 hours, to complete. Kodama stops at all the stops including Shin-Fuji, and Hamamatsu, thus it takes the longest to the final destination. During peak hours in weekdays, all the seats are non-reserved.
The three Shinkansens all offer Ordinary Seat and Green Car Seat. With more space and adjustment functions, Green Car Seat are usually more comfortable and pricey. For Ordinary Seat, you can also choose non-reserved and reserved seat, which is a little more expensive. Green Car Seats are all reserved seats, and they are the highest class offered by these three.
If you have other questions, please feel free to contact our Shinkansen ticketing specialists and advise your specific request as follows:
A/ Number of travelers
Adult (12 years old and above), Child (6~11 years old)
B/ Date and Time of taking the train
We will arrange the train departs closest to your selected time. If you have any specific train that you wish to take, please leave a message.
C/ Departure station
What is your departure station? If you are not sure, please tell us your departure city and we can help you to choose.
D/ Destination station
What is your destination station? If you are not sure, please tell us your destination city and we can help you to choose.
E/ Type of Seat
Reserved Seats: Guaranteed assigned seat with seat number in regular cabin
Unreserved Seats: Seats are not assigned, and choose any available seat in designated area upon boarding
Green Reserved: Spacious assigned seat with seat number in the high class cabin.
Get Your Bullet Train Ticket:
A/ We can email to your hotel or residential address in Japan
B/ Pick up in our Tokyo Office
C/ Mail to address outside of Japan.
If you are traveling from Tokyo to Kyoto with JR, you would choose the Tokaido Shinkansen, the earliest shinkansen line in Japan and the oldest high speed train in the world. This line is named after the main roads in Kyoto, the capital in Edo period, and Tokyo, the capital today. Because Tokaido Shinkansen stops by many major cities, including Tokyo, Nagoya, Kyoto, it is the most used among other shinkansen lines. Thus, it has the most departure time, about once in every ten minutes.
Tokaido Shinkansen served the public starting 1964 at a speed of 210 Km/hr. As technology advances, they reach speeds of 285 Km/hr nowadays. Three train categories operate on the Tokaido Shinkansen: Nozomi, Hikari, and Kodama. Because Nozomi only stops at major cities like Shinagawa, Shin-Yokohama, Nagoya, Kyoto, the whole trip only takes about 2.5 hours. However, beware that Nozomi is one of the few trains that cannot be covered by JR Pass. Hikari makes more stops than Nozomi including to Odawara, Shizuoka, thus the whole trip takes longer, about 3 hours, to complete. Kodama stops at all the stops including Shin-Fuji, and Hamamatsu, thus it takes the longest to the final destination. During peak hours in weekdays, all the seats are non-reserved.
The three Shinkansens all offer Ordinary Seat and Green Car Seat. With more space and adjustment functions, Green Car Seat are usually more comfortable and pricey. For Ordinary Seat, you can also choose non-reserved and reserved seat, which is a little more expensive. Green Car Seats are all reserved seats, and they are the highest class offered by these three.
If you have other questions, please feel free to contact our Shinkansen ticketing specialists and advise your specific request as follows:
A/ Number of travelers
Adult (12 years old and above), Child (6~11 years old)
B/ Date and Time of taking the train
We will arrange the train departs closest to your selected time. If you have any specific train that you wish to take, please leave a message.
C/ Departure station
What is your departure station? If you are not sure, please tell us your departure city and we can help you to choose.
D/ Destination station
What is your destination station? If you are not sure, please tell us your destination city and we can help you to choose.
E/ Type of Seat
Reserved Seats: Guaranteed assigned seat with seat number in regular cabin
Unreserved Seats: Seats are not assigned, and choose any available seat in designated area upon boarding
Green Reserved: Spacious assigned seat with seat number in the high class cabin.
Get Your Bullet Train Ticket:
A/ We can email to your hotel or residential address in Japan
B/ Pick up in our Tokyo Office
C/ Mail to address outside of Japan.
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Most Frequently Asked Questions
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How do I check if my reserved train will be operational or canceled?The latest train status information can be checked on the official website provided by each JR company. Some websites don't show the information in detail, so we recommend using the JR station website directly to find the latest information and make any changes to your ticket if needed.
The JR East also provides a telephone-based service for non-Japanese customers. The information is provided in English, Chinese, and Korean. -
I missed my train, what should I do?If you missed your train, your ticket can still be used for unreserved seats (in an unreserved cabin) of later trains on the same day without reissuing the ticket or visiting a ticket counter. Please ask the station staff if you have any questions.
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Am I able to change my seat after receiving the tickets?In most cases, yes you can. Please visit the ticket desk at the JR station to change your seat assignment. However, you may not be able to change your seats depending on your schedule. Trains depart in the morning and evening, and during peak seasons it is most often fully booked in advance.
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There are more than 2 people in my party, can I get seats next to each other?If you are in a party of more than 2, your seats will be assigned together, so you do not need to ask us to request for seats next to each other. We will inform you separately in case we cannot arrange for your seats to be together. If you have more than 4 people in your party, we recommend you purchase your tickets 30 days in advance so we can arrange your seats together.
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Where does the Shinkansen go?The nine Shinkansen lines all go in different directions around Japan. From Tokyo to south of the Tokaido Shinkansen line, connects the capital with Osaka. The Sanyo Shinkansen line connects Osaka with Fukuoka and the Kyushu Shinkansen line runs north to south through the island of Kyushu.
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What station is Shinkansen in Tokyo?The two Shinkansen terminals in Tokyo are at "Tokyo" and "Shinagawa" stations. There are no Shinkansen terminals at the Shinjuku station. Tokyo station is the main Shinkansen terminal and connects to Tokaido (Kyoto and Osaka), Tohoku (Shin-Aomori), Joetsu (Niigata), and Hokuriku Shinkansen bullet train lines.
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Where do I take the Hikari Shinkansen in Tokyo?Getting from Tokyo to Kyoto with the Japan Rail Pass is not difficult. From either the Tokyo station or Shinagawa station in central Tokyo, you can take the Shinkansen Hikari bullet train. You will arrive at the Kyoto station. Three trains run on the Tokaido Shinkansen line: Nozomi, Hikari, and Kodama.
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Which Shinkansen line goes from Tokyo to Kyoto?If you want to take the Shinkansen from Tokyo to Kyoto, you should take the Tokaido Shinkansen line.
There are 3 types of trains serving this line: the Nozomi, Hikari, and Kodama.
The Nozomi is the most frequent and the fastest, as it takes 2 hours and 20 minutes to travel between Kyoto and Tokyo. -
Is bento available for purchase on the Shinkansen?The ekiben is a bento, Japanese lunch box that can be bought at the Shinkansen station. It is available for purchase in shops at the terminal or even on the platform.
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Can you purchase tickets for my family in advance?We can purchase tickets (Tokyo to Kyoto) for your family. Please contact our specialists.
Japan Office
- Tel: +81 50-3701-6391
- Email: info@japanholiday.com
- Working Hours: 8am-7pm, (Japan)
USA Office
- Tel: +1-6265617117
- Email: info@japanholiday.com
- Working Hours: 8am-7pm, Pacific Time
