Shinkansen (Bullet Train)

The world-renowned bullet train offers the highest rail speeds to match its peerless comfort, allowing travelers to travel around the country at regular intervals.

The shinkansen rockets down a number of different routes across Japan.

Shinkansen have different stops to accommodate passengers' destinations and schedules. For example, there are three types of Tokaido-Sanyo Shinkansen, namely, Nozomi, Hikari, and Kodama. The Nozomi Shinkansen stops at fewer stations compared to the other two, and is your quickest route to the Kansai region of Kyoto , Shin-Osaka, Shin-Kobe and beyond. Note that Japan Rail Passes cannot be used on the Nozomi without purchasing an additional ticket.

There are three types of seats: Non-reserved seats, Reserved seats, and Green Car (first class) seats. Also, the Hokkaido, Tohoku, Joetsu and Hokuriku Shinkansen feature ultra-premium “GranClass” seats. (Rail pass users will require an extra ticket.) For detailed information on all available routes and fares, see the following links — JR Hokkaido ,JR East , JR Central , JR West and JR Kyushu .

Taking a trip on the shinkansen will almost certainly be one of the highlights of a trip to Japan. The sleek trains snake through the country's mountainous regions—or sometimes straight through the mountains—to a wide range of destinations. While this service is suitably priced for super quick express train travel in unrivalled comfort, costs can be reduced by purchasing one of a variety of passes. Take a look at the following link for all the regional passes and their respective routes and costs — Regional JR Rail Passes

If you are planning to use the shinkansen to travel throughout Japan, doing some research into how to buy shinkansen tickets (JR Hokkaido , JR East , JR Central , JR West ,JR Kyushu will make the process smoother. To reserve a Japan Rail Pass, please follow the instructions on this page .