Best Ways to Book Shinkansen Tickets Online (2026)
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Only the JRPass.com and Klook links earn us a commission. JR's own sites pay us nothing, and they come first here because they are cheaper. Every fact below comes from each site's own pages.
Book with JR directly when you can. For Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka and on to Hiroshima and Hakata, use smartEX (Tokaido Sanyo Kyushu Shinkansen): free to join, an overseas card works, you pick your seat and board with a QR code. For Tohoku, Hokuriku and other JR East lines, use JR-EAST Train Reservation (Eki-net). If you want the nationwide JR Pass, JR's own site sells the 7-day pass for ¥50,000, against ¥53,000 at JRPass.com and from ¥53,000 on Klook, and only JR's site lets you book seats before you land. Resellers suit you if you want to pay in your own currency or keep every booking in one app. JR East's new JRE GO app is in Japanese only for now.
Seven ways to book, side by side
| Feature | smartEX (Tokaido Sanyo Kyushu Shinkansen) | JR-EAST Train Reservation (Eki-net) | JR-WEST Online Train Reservation | JAPAN RAIL PASS Reservation (official JR site) | Klook (Japan rail and Shinkansen tickets) | JRPass.com | JRE GO (JR East) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Works in EnglishThe booking pages or app can be used in English. | Yes Also 8 other languages | No Japanese only; more languages planned | |||||
| Book before you landA visitor can sign up and pay from outside Japan, with an overseas card. | Yes Visa, Mastercard, JCB, AMEX, Diners, Discover | Yes Visa, Mastercard, JCB, AMEX, Diners; no prepaid | Yes Card payment; card brands not checked | Yes Visa, Master, JCB, AMEX, Diners, Discover | Yes Pays in your currency; card list not checked | Yes Visa, Mastercard, Maestro, Apple Pay | Not checked Not checked: overseas cards not stated |
| Tokyo to Kyoto and OsakaSells seats on the Tokaido Shinkansen (Tokyo, Nagoya, Kyoto, Shin-Osaka). | No None: not in its line list | Partly Regular tickets only; no pickup at JR Central | Partly Hikari and Kodama; Nozomi needs an extra ticket | Yes Tickets between Tokyo, Nagoya, Kyoto, Osaka | No None: JR East area only | ||
| JR East ShinkansenSells seats on the Tohoku, Hokuriku, Joetsu, Yamagata or Akita Shinkansen. | No None: Tokaido, Sanyo, Kyushu only | Partly Hokuriku to Tokyo, some Tohoku and Joetsu | Yes e.g. Hokuriku, Tokyo to Nagano | Partly Only through the JR Pass | Yes Tokyo to Ueno trips excluded | ||
| Pick your seatChoose a reserved seat, or at least window or aisle, when you book. | Yes Seat map | Yes Seat map, or window or aisle | Yes Window or aisle; seat table on some trains | Yes Seat map when booking | Partly Seat type and luggage seats; no seat map seen | Not found None found: pass seats are booked in Japan | Yes Seat map for every train |
| Board without paper ticketsRide with a QR code or an IC card instead of collecting tickets. | Yes QR-Ticket or a registered IC card | Yes Shinkansen e-ticket on an IC card, one per rider | No Shinkansen tickets picked up at a station | No Collect the pass and seat tickets in Japan | Partly QR boarding on most routes, else QR pickup | Partly Point tickets are digital; the pass is paper | Yes IC card or Mobile Suica only |
| Online discountsCheaper fares than the station price for booking online. | Yes EX Hayatoku 1, 3, 7 and 21 | Not found None found on the English site | Partly Discount tickets menu, mostly JR-WEST passes | Partly Pass is ¥3,000 less than via agencies | Not found None found | Not found None found | Partly ¥200 off reserved seats; no Tokudane |
| Sells rail passesSells the Japan Rail Pass or regional JR passes. | Not found None found | Yes JR East area passes | Not found None found |
Checked on each product's own pages. Click a mark to see where. Swipe sideways on a phone to see every column.
Pick them if
Pick smartEX (Tokaido Sanyo Kyushu Shinkansen) if
Visitors riding the Tokaido, Sanyo or Kyushu Shinkansen (Tokyo, Nagoya, Kyoto, Osaka, Hiroshima, Hakata) who want to book from home and board with a QR code or IC card.
- JR's own booking site for Tokyo to Kyoto and Osaka, with free changes up to departure
- Early-booking EX Hayatoku fares (¥12,980 Tokyo to Shin-Osaka vs ¥14,520)
- Board with a QR code or IC card, no ticket pickup
Not for: Trips on JR East lines (Tohoku, Hokuriku, Joetsu) or JR Pass holders; it sells regular fares only.
Pick JR-EAST Train Reservation (Eki-net) if
Visitors heading north or to the Japan Alps side (Tohoku, Hokuriku, Joetsu, Yamagata, Akita Shinkansen) who want JR East tickets or JR East passes in English.
- JR East's own English site for Tohoku, Hokuriku and Joetsu Shinkansen seats, with a seat map
- Ride with a Suica or other IC card (Shinkansen e-ticket), or buy JR East passes
Not for: Trips on the Tokaido Shinkansen (Tokyo to Kyoto and Osaka), which it doesn't sell, and Japan Rail Pass seat bookings.
Pick JR-WEST Online Train Reservation if
Visitors traveling in West Japan (Osaka, Kyoto, Hiroshima, Kanazawa) who want JR West passes or Sanyo and Hokuriku Shinkansen seats booked in English.
- JR West's own English site, with JR-WEST RAIL PASS area passes
- Covers Sanyo, Hokuriku and Kyushu Shinkansen plus limited express trains like the Haruka
Not for: Riders who want ticketless Shinkansen boarding or Tokaido seats collected outside JR West stations.
Pick JAPAN RAIL PASS Reservation (official JR site) if
Visitors on a "Temporary Visitor" stay who want the nationwide Japan Rail Pass at the lowest official price and want to book reserved seats before they land.
- The cheapest official price for the Japan Rail Pass (¥50,000 for 7 days)
- Book Shinkansen seats with a seat map before you arrive, at no extra charge
Not for: Anyone not entering Japan as a temporary visitor, and trips that need the Nozomi or Mizuho without paying an extra ticket each time.
Pick Klook (Japan rail and Shinkansen tickets) if
Visitors who want one English app for Shinkansen tickets on several JR lines and the JR Pass, paying in their own currency with a QR code to board or collect tickets.
- Shinkansen tickets for JR Central, JR East and JR West lines in one English app
- QR code boarding between Tokyo and Shin-Osaka, with free worldwide JR Pass delivery
Not for: People who want the cheapest JR Pass or JR's own early-booking discounts.
Pick JRPass.com if
Visitors who want to buy the Japan Rail Pass or a regional pass from a reseller, in their own currency, with the paper Exchange Order mailed to them.
- Sells the JR Pass and many regional passes on one English site, priced in your currency
- Ships the Exchange Order worldwide by express courier
Not for: People who want the lowest JR Pass price or want to book seats before they land: JR's own site is cheaper and lets you book seats online.
Pick JRE GO (JR East) if
Japanese-reading travelers who want to book JR East Shinkansen seats in about a minute and ride with Suica or another IC card.
- Sign-up in as few as 4 steps instead of Eki-net's 21
- Shows every train with a seat map in one search
Not for: Most visitors for now: it is in Japanese only, and JR East aims to add other languages by the end of fiscal 2027 (March 2028).
Our step-by-step guides
We don't sell tickets. These guides walk you through the sites above, screen by screen:
What to watch out for
- smartEX (Tokaido Sanyo Kyushu Shinkansen): Covers only the Tokaido, Sanyo and Kyushu Shinkansen; JR East lines need Eki-net
- smartEX (Tokaido Sanyo Kyushu Shinkansen): Hayatoku fares can't be changed, have limited seats and skip peak holidays
- JR-EAST Train Reservation (Eki-net): No Tokaido Shinkansen, and no Japan Rail Pass seat bookings
- JR-EAST Train Reservation (Eki-net): Names must be plain Roman letters; JR notes some passports and cards fail at checkout
- JR-WEST Online Train Reservation: You collect paper tickets at a station and need the physical card you paid with
- JR-WEST Online Train Reservation: Its pages disagree on whether Tokaido tickets can be collected at JR Central stations
- JAPAN RAIL PASS Reservation (official JR site): You still pick up a paper pass and paper seat tickets at a JR station; you need a Temporary Visitor stamp
- JAPAN RAIL PASS Reservation (official JR site): Nozomi and Mizuho need an extra ticket each time (¥4,960 Tokyo to Shin-Osaka)
- Klook (Japan rail and Shinkansen tickets): Its JR Pass starts at ¥53,000, ¥3,000 more than JR's own site, and comes as a mailed paper Exchange Order
- Klook (Japan rail and Shinkansen tickets): No EX Hayatoku style early-booking fares; check smartEX for cheaper Tokaido seats
- JRPass.com: Its JR Pass costs ¥3,000 more than JR's own site (¥53,000 vs ¥50,000 for 7 days), plus delivery
- JRPass.com: You get a paper voucher by mail and can't book pass seats online before you arrive
- JRE GO (JR East): Japanese only until about March 2028; visitors should use JR-EAST Train Reservation for now
- JRE GO (JR East): JR East said fall 2026 for the full launch; we did not confirm it is open to everyone yet
Prices side by side (as of Nov 2026)
smartEX (Tokaido Sanyo Kyushu Shinkansen) as of Nov 2026
- Membership: FreeNo annual fee; card holder must be 18 or over. Your card may add a foreign transaction fee
- smartEX Service, Tokyo to Shin-Osaka, Nozomi, reserved: ¥14,520Regular season, adult; ¥200 less off-peak, ¥200 to ¥400 more in peak
- EX Hayatoku 21, Tokyo to Shin-Osaka: ¥12,980Book 21+ days ahead; Nozomi reserved seat; limited seats; ¥320 refund fee; not in Golden Week, Obon, New Year
JR-EAST Train Reservation (Eki-net) as of Nov 2026
- Membership: FreeYou pay the JR fare; no booking fee found
- JR EAST PASS, 5 days, adult: ¥35,00010 days: ¥50,000. Sold on this site; pick up in Japan
JR-WEST Online Train Reservation as of Nov 2026
- Booking: No booking fee foundYou pay the JR fare by card when you book. A refund fee applies if you cancel after paying (amount not stated)
- JR-WEST RAIL PASS: Varies by passNo prices shown on the pass list page we opened
JAPAN RAIL PASS Reservation (official JR site) as of Nov 2026
- 7-day pass, Ordinary car, adult: ¥50,000Online price on the official site. JR lists ¥53,000 when bought from an overseas agency. Child ¥25,000
- 14-day pass, Ordinary car, adult: ¥80,000¥84,000 from an overseas agency
- 21-day pass, Ordinary car, adult: ¥100,000¥105,000 from an overseas agency
- 7-day pass, Green car, adult: ¥70,000¥74,000 from an overseas agency
- Nozomi/Mizuho add-on ticket: ¥4,960 Tokyo to Shin-OsakaNeeded for each Nozomi or Mizuho ride; bought at stations
- Refund of an unused pass: ¥560 per passSeat changes and cancellations are free
Klook (Japan rail and Shinkansen tickets) as of Nov 2026
- JR Whole Japan Rail Pass: From ¥53,000Lowest price on the page in the JPY view (US$334.55 in USD). Packages not opened. JR's own site: ¥50,000 for 7 days. 10% fee if you cancel
- Shinkansen Tokyo to Osaka, non-reserved: From ¥13,870Prices vary by train and time
- Shinkansen Tokyo to Osaka, reserved, Ordinary car: From ¥14,400Green car from ¥19,270
JRPass.com as of Nov 2026
- 7-day JR Pass, Ordinary, adult: ¥53,000Shown as US$353.00 in the USD view. JR's own site sells it for ¥50,000
- 14-day JR Pass, Ordinary, adult: ¥84,000JR's own site: ¥80,000
- 21-day JR Pass, Ordinary, adult: ¥105,000JR's own site: ¥100,000
- 7-day JR Pass, Green, adult: ¥74,000JR's own site: ¥70,000
- Delivery of the Exchange Order: ¥1,570 (FedEx, to the US)Paper voucher only; cost varies by country
- Shinkansen ticket, Tokyo to Shin-Osaka: From USD 94.71Golden Route only; 10% fee if you cancel; no same-day or next-day booking
JRE GO (JR East) as of Nov 2026
- Shinkansen e-ticket, reserved seat: ¥200 off the regular fareSame as Eki-net e-tickets: no discount on non-reserved seats, no Tokudane fares. Credit card only
FAQ
What is the cheapest way to book the Shinkansen from Tokyo to Osaka?
Book on smartEX (Tokaido Sanyo Kyushu Shinkansen) yourself: the regular Nozomi fare there is ¥14,520, and ¥12,980 with EX Hayatoku 21 if you book 21 or more days ahead. Resellers like Klook sell the same trains from ¥14,400 for a reserved seat.
Is it cheaper to buy the JR Pass on the official site?
Yes. The official JR site sells the 7-day Ordinary pass for ¥50,000. JRPass.com sells it for ¥53,000 plus delivery, and Klook from ¥53,000. Only the official site lets you reserve seats before you land. Whether any JR Pass pays off depends on your trips: our guide "Is the JR Pass worth it in 2026?" does the fare math.
Can I use JRE GO in English?
Not yet. Most visitors for now: it is in Japanese only, and JR East aims to add other languages by the end of fiscal 2027 (March 2028).
Which sites take overseas credit cards?
Sites here that let a visitor sign up and pay from abroad: smartEX (Tokaido Sanyo Kyushu Shinkansen), JR-EAST Train Reservation (Eki-net), JR-WEST Online Train Reservation, JAPAN RAIL PASS Reservation (official JR site), Klook (Japan rail and Shinkansen tickets) and JRPass.com. Your card may add a foreign transaction fee.
Do you earn money from these links?
From two of them: JRPass.com and Klook pay us a commission if you buy through our link, at no extra cost to you. JR's own sites pay us nothing, and we still tell you they are cheaper.
We checked every fact on this page on each product's own site in Nov 2026. Spotted an error, or a product we should add? Email support@sblocktechnologies.com and we'll check it within a week. Being listed is free.