Many people wonder if they can book a Shinkansen (bullet train) ticket and a JR ticket overseas. In the past, it was not possible. However, starting from the end of March 2019, you can book JR tickets overseas! Although there are some restrictions, you can make reservations for Shinkansen tickets, JR Express tickets, and JR Passes on the JR website. After booking, just pick up your tickets in Japan.

You don't need to worry about seat availability, waste time waiting in line, or communication problems with staff at the station. Now, let Centrip Japan introduce you how to book, pay, and pick up JR tickets as well as recommended areas to visit!

[Step 1]Confirmation: Does the ticket I need support overseas online reservation?

Is my destination in the available area?

Online reservations can be made through JR West, JR East, and JR Kyushu. Depending on your destination, you might need to use an additional reservation site.

Chubu, Kansai, Kyushu, Shikoku, and More: Use the JR-West Online Train Reservation Service by JR West.

Service provided by JR West, includes reservation options for JR Tokai, JR Kyushu, certain areas of JR East, and JR Shikoku. Simply put, it covers routes from Tokyo to Nagoya, Osaka, and Kyushu, and naturally includes the Chubu region as well. However, JR Hokkaido is not included. Please refer to the map above for more details.

Kansai and Kyushu: Use JR Kyushu Train Reservation Service

Reservation options partially overlap with those offered by JR West. You can make reservations for places such as Osaka, Kyoto, Hakata, and Kagoshima, among others.

Kanto, Tohoku, Hokkaido, and More: Use JR East's JR-EAST Train Reservation Service

Reservations are available for Tokyo, Nagano, Kanazawa, Sendai, Hakodate, and more. Please refer to the map above for further details.

*The JR Group operates both the Shinkansen and Japan Railways. The JR Group consists of 6 individually-run regional operators: JR Central (Aichi, Shizuoka, Gifu), JR East (Tokyo, Nagano), JR West (Osaka, Kobe, Hiroshima), JR Kyushu, JR Shikoku, and JR Hokkaido. Please be advised that JR West news regarding online booking applies to all JR routes.

Do I need a JR ticket?

If you are traveling outside the scope of the JR Pass, be sure to check if you need additional tickets. Please note that only JR tickets can be booked online. Tickets for other services, such as subways, private railways like Meitetsu and Kintetsu, and monorail trains, are not available through this service. Keep this in mind when making your online reservations.

Please note that not all JR train tickets can be reserved. The Shinkansen, Limited Express (similar to the express train), reserved seat tickets & non-reserved seat tickets can be reserved on the JR-WEST ONLINE TRAIN RESERVATION website.

For example you can reserve the Shinkansen from Nagoya to Osaka, and you can book a Limited Express ticket from Nagoya to Kanazawa, or from Nagoya to Takayama.

How do I know if I need a JR ticket? You can input the station name directly on the reservation website, and if there is no corresponding station name or available reservation information, it is not a JR ticket.

Can I book a special ticket for international travelers?

Yes, it is possible; the JR Pass and other discount tickets for foreign visitors to Japan can be reserved through the website. Please see the following page for details.

JR West Japan Discount Ticket

JR Kyushu Discount Ticket

JR East discount ticket

[Step 2] Reservation: How do I reserve & pay online?

For example, purchasing a General Ticket: JR Conventional Line Express Ticket using JR West's reservation website.

1. Go to the JR-WEST ONLINE TRAIN RESERVATION website and find the reservation page. On the general ticket page, there are two options for making reservations: Reserve by Selecting Train and Reserve by Selecting Stations. Since the train names are only in English, and there are dozens of kinds of trains. It can be very difficult for a foreign visitor to understand it all. Selecting stations will be an easier way to make your reservation.

2. Enter the information such as the name of the desired departure or arrival station. If you don't know how to spell the station name, you can check it on the website.

3. The related trains will be shown on the page. You can choose an ordinary car or non-reserved seating. What you should pay attention to is that the reserved seat tickets are only available when paying by credit card (immediate payment), for non-reserved seat tickets you can choose to pay by credit card or at the station (pay after the reservation is completed).

4. Fill in your personal information. Follow the instructions in the next step.
The passenger name should be entered in half-width English characters, and the identification number is a 4-digit password set by yourself. You can use it when you pick up your ticket, so don't forget it.

5. On the last page, you can select your payment method (if you chose a reserved seat, only payment by credit card will be available).
If you choose to pay by credit card the transaction will be processed immediately.
If you choose to pay at the station, you will receive an email titled JR-WEST ONLINE TRAIN RESERVATION-Reservation Completed.

The user guide on the official website contains detailed information, that you can check here too.

[Step 3] Pick up the ticket: How can I get the ticket after arriving in Japan?

The following is an example for receiving a ticket reserved through JR West.
It's simple, tickets can be received from JR ticket machines displaying the e5489 mark, or JR Ticket Office, Midori-no-Madoguchi.

For special discounted tickets a passport is required. You will need to go to the green ticket vending machine displaying the passport mark, or the JR Ticket Office for purchasing and receiving. It should be noted that the location for getting your ticket differs depending on which special discounted tickets you buy, don't forget to check it at the beginning. It's simple, tickets can be received from JR ticket machines displaying the e5489 mark, or JR Ticket Office.

Ticket Reception Stations

The tickets for JR Central, JR West, JR Shikoku, and JR Kyushu can be received at any JR station.
JR East tickets can only be collected at Japan Travel Centers and cannot collect tickets for JR Central. For example, the Shinkansen from Tokyo to Osaka, or the JR lines in Nagoya and to Takayama are not available.

Check the available station information: JR WEST Stations Where Tickets Can Be Collected
Click here for JR Central stations where tickets can be collected.

Receive ticket from a ticket machine

There is also a credit card ticket vending machine, where you can receive tickets paid for by credit card.

Receiving ticket at ticket offices

If you want to purchase and receive tickets at ticket offices, you must go to a JR Ticket Office. (the ticket vending machines at Nagoya Station cannot read passports, the special discounted tickets can only be purchased at ticket offices)

For more information on how to receive reserved tickets, please check JR West User Guide.

Reservations required for oversized baggage on Shinkansen

Currently, on the Tokaido, Sanyo, Kyushu, and Nishi Kyushu Shinkansen lines, passengers bringing oversized baggage exceeding 160 cm (63 inches) in length and 250 cm (98 inches) in three dimensions are required to reserve a special seat.

To translate for clarity, if you are traveling on the Shinkansen between Tokyo and Osaka, Osaka and Fukuoka, Fukuoka and Kagoshima, or Takeo Onsen and Nagasaki, you must reserve a specialty seat if you have a suitcase larger than approximately 73 cm (29 inches).

Seats with oversized baggage space and seats with oversized baggage corners can be reserved at no extra charge, but we recommend making reservations in advance as the number of seats is limited.

If you do not have a reservation for oversized baggage, you must pay an additional fee of ¥1,000 and contact station staff for guidance on where to place your baggage.

Detailed description of oversized baggage

Summary

Reserving with the overseas online reservation service of JR Online Train Reservation is very convenient. As a foreign traveler, most of us prefer to minimize the uncertainty of traveling before going aboard. Booking tickets in advance will reduce one more thing we don't have to worry about! Next time when you travel to Japan try the JR ONLINE TRAIN RESERVATION, you can do it!