![[Unit 5 Tips 2] – JR Seat Reservation and Fare Rules](https://www.easyjapanesee.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/IMG_5773-scaled.jpg)
Seat Reservation
If you are travelling over a long distance on a JR “express” train, you can reserve your seat(s) one month in advance. Some suburban trains may also have a car or two with “reserved seats.”
If you are travelling during the following periods:
- New Year: the end of December to the beginning of January,
- Golden Week: the end of April to the beginning of May,
- Bon Festival: the middle of August,
I would recommend you book your seat(s) ASAP.
Reserving Seats before you arrive in Japan
If you are buying a JR pass, it looks like you can purchase the pass and make reservations here from 4 am JST on the day 1 month before your rail travel. I’ve never used this service before so I don’t know how reliable the service is.
If you are NOT using a JR pass, you can reserve your seat(s) from 4 am JST on the day 1 month before your rail travel though each of the website below. Make sure you book through the company which covers the area where you are going to start your train journey. You may not be able to pick up your ticket(s) in Tokyo if you book through any company other than JR East that covers the Tokyo area.
If you are travelling at other times, it is very rare for seats to get sold out weeks before the travel. I usually go to a ticket office after I arrive in Japan and so far I haven’t had a time when I could not travel on the day I wanted to – of course, I do avoid travelling around during the fore-mentioned periods.
Cost for Seat Reservation
If you have a JR pass, you do not need to pay any extra to reserve a seat.
If you don’t have a JR pass, a distance-dependent seat reservation fee starts from 330 yen per seat per train and this will be added to the “express ticket” price.
If you are reserving seats in person
If you are not booking online, most JR stations have “Tickets Office” like the photo below. You can go into any of them and tell them where and when you want to go (give a piece of paper with your destination, date and time jotted down). They will issue tickets for you. You do NOT need to go to the departing station.
If you couldn’t reserve a seat
If you couldn’t get hold of a seat on the preferred train, many trains have one or more “non-reserved” cars and you can try to find a seat there.
If you are travelling on a shinkansen from Tokyo, all shinkansens start from Tokyo Station, so as long as you wait in a queue, you will be able to get a seat in a non-reserved car.
You are allowed to travel standing in a non-reserved car and/or in the decks of reserved cars as long as you are not blocking the way.
If you miss the train you reserved a seat on
If you have missed the train you reserved a seat on, you can use the same ticket as it is for a non-reserved seat on a subsequent train on the same day but if you want to book a new seat on the next train, you will have to pay for the express ticket as well as a seat-reservation fee again unless you are traveling with a valid JR pass.
The following information is for those who decided not to use a JR (or any other valid) pass. IF you are using a pass, skip this section.
Travelling on Express (kyuukou or Tokkyuu) trains
In order to use Express or Limited Express trains (including Shinkansen bullet trains) in any JR network(s), you need to purchase at least 2 separate tickets*:
- Jousha_ken: a ticket for the fare based on the distance you travel
- Tokkyu-ken or Kyuukou_ken: a ticket for the (limited) express surcharge for the train you get onboard. This may or may not include a seat reservation fee. The price of a Tokyuu-ken (or Kyuukou_ken) varies depending on the distance you travel and the period (season) you are travelling in.
Jousha_ken (based on the distance) can be issued for the entire distance you are travelling although you are not allowed to backtrack, and, depending on the distance you travel, it can be valid for multiple days. However, if you need to use more than one express trains to get to the destination, you will need as many Tokyuu_ken or Kyuukou_ken as the number of express trains you will use.
For instance, if you are travelling from Tokyo to Kanazawa via Kyoto, the quickest way to travel is to use a shinkansen to Kyoto and a limited express to Kanazawa, so you will need at least the following 3 tickets per person:
- 1 x Jousha_ken from Tokyo to Kanazawa via Kyoto
- 1 x Tokkyuu_ken from Tokyo to Kyoto
- 1 x Tokkyuu_ken from Kyoto to Kanazawa
The jousha_ken for the above trip will be valid for a few days, so you can get off the train and get out of any station on the way as long as you are prepared to purchase more Tokkyuu-ken. For instance, if you decide to have a break at Nagoya, you will need (per person):
- 1 x Jousha_ken from Tokyo to Kanazawa via Kyoto
- 1 x Tokkyuu_ken from Tokyo to Nagoya
- 1 x Tokkyuu_ken from Nagoya to Kyoto
- 1 x Tokkyuu_ken from Kyoto to Kanazawa
If you have bought a Tokkyuu_ken from Tokyo to Kyoto and decided to get off at Nagoya after you have commenced the trip, the portion of the tokkyuu_ken between Nagoya and Kyoto will be forfeited. You will need to buy a new tokkyuu_ken for that portion (or travel on a slower train that does not require an express surcharge). However, if you changed your mind before you get on the first train, you can have your tickets changed once only if you pay the difference.
*Depending on how you travel, sometimes they issue one ticket per person which includes both Jousha_ken and Tokkyuu_ken. I know it’s confusing!
You can actually make a round trip if you add a portion between Kanazawa and Tokyo using a Hokuriku Shinkansen to the above example. If you are staying only one night in Kanazawa, you will get a transfer discount on the tokkyu_ken between Kyoto and Kanazawa, which will make it quite a bit cheaper than using a JR pass.
If you want to use “Green car” (business class) or “Gran Class” (first class), you need to buy a Tokkyuu_ken with a surcharge for that class.
Refund
If you change your mind and take your ticket(s) back to the “Tickets Office” (doesn’t have to be the same office as you bought it from) BEFORE the train leaves, you will get a partial refund if you paid for the ticket. If you obtained the ticket with your JR pass or the ticket was included in a packaged tour, you will not get any refund.
Delay in a limited express
If you bought (not obtained with a JR pass or handed by a travel agency as part of your packaged tour) a limited express ticket and if your limited express train (this includes all shinkansen) got delayed more than a predetermined amount of time (usually 2 hours), you are entitled for a refund of the express potion of the ticket. If you had a reserved seat on the delayed train, your tokkyuu_ken will be returned to you when you go through the automated gate (otherwise, machine will keep it). Bring this returned tokkyuu_ken to a Fare Adjustment office to receive the refund. If you don’t have time on the day, you can do it later. You don’t have to go back to the same station for a refund. If you didn’t have a reserved seat, then you should go through a manned gate at the end of the delayed journey to have the tokkyuu_ken stamped (This has to be done on the spot). Once it’s stamped, you can also take that to any Fare Adjustment office. Remember, only the “express” portion of the ticket will be refunded, not the full amount.
If you want to travel in a “Green car” on a non-express service
Some non-express trains have a green car (business class) or two connected. If you want to get a seat in a green car, unless you have a JR pass for green cars, you need to pay a “green car supplemental charge” which is set depending on the distance you travel, whether on a weekday (more expensive) or weekend/holiday (cheaper), and whether or not you pay before you commence the journey. If you buy the ticket before you go through the gate, it is slightly cheaper.
