How to Book Shinkansen Tickets Online: Tokyo to Kyoto Step by Step

You can book Shinkansen tickets online before you fly to Japan, on the railways’ own websites. This guide shows you exactly how, using the most popular trip as a worked example: buying Tokyo to Kyoto Shinkansen tickets on smartEX. You will see which official website to use for your route, how to register, each booking step from Tokyo or Shinagawa to Kyoto, what it costs, and how to get through the ticket gate with a QR ticket, an IC card or a paper ticket. It also covers what to do if your card is declined, your plans change or you miss your train.

All prices, booking windows and rules in this guide were checked on the official railway websites on October 15, 2026. Railway companies change their services, so check the official page before you pay.

Where to Book Shinkansen Tickets Online

There is no single website for every Shinkansen line in Japan. Each JR company runs its own booking service, and each one only sells certain routes. Pick the site that matches the line you will ride. If you are new to how Japan’s rail network fits together, start with our guide to transport in Japan.

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For Tokyo to Kyoto, use smartEX. JR-WEST ONLINE TRAIN RESERVATION can also sell the Tokaido Shinkansen, but only as a regular ticket that you must collect on paper with your card, and its own guide lists restrictions on collecting Tokaido Shinkansen tickets in JR Central and JR East stations, so you may not be able to pick it up in Tokyo. If you choose it anyway, check its list of collection stations before you book.

How to Book Tokyo to Kyoto Shinkansen Tickets on smartEX

These steps follow smartEX’s official English registration and booking guides (checked October 15, 2026). Button names are quoted as they appear in those guides. The screens may look slightly different on the app, and smartEX notes that its guide screenshots are examples.

When Can You Book Shinkansen Tickets?

There are three different booking windows, and mixing them up is the most common source of confusion.

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What “one year ahead” really means. When you book the standard smartEX fare more than a month ahead, you choose a train from a provisional timetable, pay immediately, and smartEX holds a place for you. Your final train number, departure time and seat number are fixed about one month before travel, when smartEX emails you. (smartEX’s own pages give slightly different times for this, 8:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. Japan time, so simply watch for the email.) You can change a confirmed booking from 10:00 a.m. on that day. Discounted Hayatoku fares, oversized baggage seats and wheelchair seats cannot be booked a year ahead.

Late-night bookings. Between 11:30 p.m. and 5:30 a.m. Japan time, smartEX queues requests until 5:30 a.m., shows no seat maps and limits each booking to 3 people. From Europe or the Americas, Japan’s morning is usually your evening.

Peak days when Nozomi is reserved-only

On set peak days, JR Central and JR West turn every Nozomi seat into a reserved seat. With an unreserved ticket you can only stand on the Nozomi, or use the unreserved cars of a Hikari or Kodama. The remaining 2026–27 periods listed by JR Central are:

• November 21 – 23, 2026
• December 25, 2026 – January 5, 2027
• January 9 – 11, 2027
• March 20 – 22, 2027

Earlier 2026 periods included Golden Week, Obon, September’s holiday week and October 10 – 12. Always check JR Central’s peak-period page for the current list.

How early should you book? Outside peak periods, booking a few days ahead is usually fine. Book as soon as your dates are fixed if you travel on the peak days above, in spring or autumn, if you need an oversized baggage seat, or if you want a Hayatoku discount.

Tokyo to Kyoto Shinkansen Ticket Prices

All prices below are official smartEX prices for Tokyo or Shinagawa to Kyoto, one way, checked on October 15, 2026. They include both the base fare and the Shinkansen charge.

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• Seasons: reserved-seat prices change by date. For an adult, off-peak days are ¥200 cheaper than regular season, peak days ¥200 more and top-peak days ¥400 more, so a Nozomi reserved seat costs ¥13,770 to ¥14,370. Green Car prices are also adjusted. smartEX publishes a calendar of season dates. Hayatoku prices are the same on every day they are sold.
• Station prices: smartEX says its reserved seats are cheaper than buying the same seat at the station, while non-reserved seats cost the same.
• Children: under smartEX’s rules, children are 6 to 11. Children under 6 ride free, but need a child ticket if they take a reserved seat of their own, travel alone, or are one of more than two under-6s with one adult or child.
• Getting to the station: smartEX prices cover the Shinkansen journey only. Your train, subway or bus ride to Tokyo or Shinagawa Station, and from Kyoto Station onwards, is paid separately, for example with an IC card.
• Fees: membership and booking are free. Cancelling costs ¥320 per person before departure (see changes and cancellations).
• Your card company’s fees: smartEX charges in Japanese yen. Your card issuer may add a foreign transaction fee, and because every change is processed as a new payment plus a refund, that fee can be charged again each time you change a booking.

Planning the whole trip? Our 7-day Tokyo and Kyoto itinerary shows where the Shinkansen fits in and what the week costs overall.

Reserved, Unreserved or Green Car?

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For a first trip with luggage, a reserved Nozomi seat is the simplest choice.

How to Board: QR Ticket, IC Card or Paper Ticket

smartEX gives you three ways to get through the Shinkansen ticket gate. You can use different methods for different people in your group.

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Boarding with a QR ticket

1. Before you go, open My Trips, tap Details, then Display QR-Ticket, and choose the seat. Print it, or add it to Apple Wallet on an iPhone.
2. At the station, use a Shinkansen gate with the QR mark and hold the code over the scanner.
3. Take the “Seat Information” slip that the gate prints. The conductor may check it, and without it you can be charged the full fare again. It is not a ticket, so do not insert it into a gate.
4. Keep your QR ticket: you need it again to exit at Kyoto.

smartEX recommends printing the QR ticket before you arrive, because some phones are not read reliably by the gates and screen protectors can block the scan. Its FAQ says iPhone users can board without printing by using Apple Wallet, but also that Apple Wallet QR tickets cannot be used on an iPhone that has the Mobile Suica app installed. smartEX’s guides do not list screenshots as a boarding method, so do not rely on one. A printout also protects you if your phone battery runs out.

Boarding with an IC card

1. Register the card number in your smartEX account (or when you book), then designate a card for each seat under the booking’s details. Each traveler needs their own card, and a child booking needs a child IC card.
2. At a Shinkansen gate, touch the card. The Shinkansen fare was already paid by credit card; nothing is taken from your IC balance for it.
3. Take the “Seat Information” slip from the gate.

Your Suica or PASMO on its own is not a Tokaido Shinkansen ticket. It only works at the Shinkansen gate after it is linked to a smartEX booking. Visitor cards such as Welcome Suica and PASMO PASSPORT can be registered, but they expire 28 days after purchase, and smartEX says a card bought overseas must first be used at a Suica or PASMO area gate before it will work for the Shinkansen. For everyday IC card use, see our Suica and PASMO guide.

Boarding with a paper ticket

1. In My Trips, tap Issue pickup code. smartEX emails a one-time password; enter it to get your pickup code (a QR code and a 16-digit number). The code is valid for 31 days and covers all your bookings.
2. At the station, find a ticket machine with the EX logo, select “Pick up tickets”, scan the QR code (or enter the 16 digits) and enter your login password.
3. Choose the reservations to print and hand each traveler their ticket.

Tickets can be collected at Tokaido, Sanyo and Kyushu Shinkansen stations, at ticket counters in major JR Central, JR West and JR Kyushu stations, and at JR East ticket machines within Tokyo’s 23 wards, Yokohama, Kawasaki, Odawara and Atami. Machines release tickets only shortly before travel (smartEX’s pages say from 3 or from 7 days before; for earlier collection ask at a staffed counter). Staff may ask to see the credit card you paid with, and you may not be able to use a machine on the day you register. Keep the “Sales Slip and Receipt” printed with your ticket; you need it for refunds.

At Tokyo, Shinagawa and Kyoto stations

• Coming straight from the street: go to the Shinkansen gates and use your QR ticket, IC card or paper ticket.
• Coming by JR train or another line: at stations such as Tokyo and Shinagawa you often pass a JR local-line gate first. With an IC card, touch it at both gates; the local fare is deducted from its balance. With a QR ticket and an IC card for the local train, hold the QR code over the transfer gate and then touch your IC card. If you are collecting paper tickets at Tokyo Station, use a JR Central machine on the Yaesu side or at the Shinkansen transfer gate.
• At Kyoto: exit through the Shinkansen gate with the same QR ticket, IC card or paper ticket. If you continue by JR local train or subway, that ride is paid separately.

For station signs, platforms and transfers in general, see how to use trains in Japan.

Booking for More Than One Person

• One smartEX member can book for 1 to 6 people in a single reservation (up to 3 between 11:30 p.m. and 5:30 a.m. Japan time). The other travelers do not need their own accounts.
• QR tickets: each seat has its own QR ticket. Print one per person, or send each traveler their QR ticket by email. If you later change the date, route or number of people, resend the QR tickets; a change of train only on the same day does not need a resend.
• IC cards: designate a different IC card for each seat. A child seat needs a child IC card.
• Paper tickets: the member collects all the tickets at once and hands them out.
• Splitting up: if the train is busy, tick “Seats can be separated” to find seats for everyone (you cannot choose them in that case).
• Families of 2 to 6 can check EX Family Hayatoku 7 on Hikari and Kodama trains.

How to Reserve a Seat for Oversized Luggage

On the Tokaido, Sanyo and Kyushu Shinkansen, the size of your luggage decides whether you need a special seat. Measure length + width + height, including wheels and handles.

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How to book it on smartEX: in Search Train, select “Seat with oversized baggage area” as the seat type, pick a train, then use View seat map to confirm that one of those seats (the last row of certain cars) is free; the availability shown on the train list is for the whole train. These seats are reserved or Green Car only, so you cannot use non-reserved tickets with oversized luggage. They go on sale one month ahead and are limited, so book early. Up to 5 people per booking can reserve them (4 in the Green Car). Strollers, musical instruments and sports equipment are exempt from the oversized rule, but you need one of these seats if you want to use the space behind the last row. On some trains, seats with an “oversized baggage compartment” can also be reserved; check JR Central’s luggage page for details.

What If Your Credit Card Doesn’t Work?

Card problems are the most common reason visitors cannot book. smartEX lists Visa, Mastercard, JCB, American Express, Diners Club and Discover, but also says that a card company may limit overseas payments and that some cards are not accepted for security reasons, so no card type is guaranteed to work.

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If nothing works, you can still travel: buy your ticket after you arrive at a JR ticket office (Midori-no-madoguchi) or a reserved-seat ticket machine at the station. For Tokyo to Kyoto outside peak periods, seats are usually available on the day or a few days ahead. More tips are in our guide to what to do when your credit card doesn’t work in Japan.

How to Change or Cancel a Shinkansen Reservation

On smartEX, a change and a cancellation (refund) are different things with different costs. Both are done in My Trips: tap Change or Refund on the booking. You can only do this online before you collect a paper ticket or pass the gate with a QR ticket or IC card, and before your train leaves.

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• Each change is a new payment. smartEX charges the new price and then refunds the old one, so check your card limit, and remember your card company may charge a foreign transaction fee each time.
• Fewer travelers: reducing the number of people counts as a refund for those seats (¥320 each).
• After collecting paper tickets: you can no longer change or cancel online. Take the tickets, the sales slip and the credit card you paid with to a ticket counter at a major JR Central, JR West or JR Kyushu station before your train leaves. A change there means buying a new ticket at the normal (non-smartEX) price, with the original refunded without a fee. As a one-off exception, the standard fare can be switched once, free, to another train of the same type on the same day at a machine or counter.
• After passing the gate with a QR ticket or IC card: ask the gate staff, who can reopen the booking so you can change it yourself before departure.

What If You Miss Your Shinkansen?

• Before departure: change your booking in My Trips to a later train. With the standard fare it is free.
• Standard smartEX fare, after your train has left: you can ride a non-reserved seat on any later train on the same day for the same journey. On Nozomi-reserved-only peak days, that means standing on a Nozomi or taking an unreserved seat on a Hikari or Kodama.
• Hayatoku fares: they are valid only on the train you booked, not even in non-reserved cars of a later train. If you miss it, you need to buy a new ticket. The unused booking is refunded automatically after your travel date, minus the specified amount.
• Oversized luggage: you cannot take it to a non-reserved seat, so you will need to book a new seat with an oversized baggage area.
• Delays caused by another JR line: smartEX’s FAQ says station staff may help you find a seat on a following train if there are free seats. Ask Shinkansen staff at the station.

Delays and cancellations

• If your train arrives 2 hours or more late, smartEX refunds the specified amount for the journey automatically when you traveled with a QR ticket or IC card. With paper tickets, claim it at a JR Central, JR West or JR Kyushu station.
• If your train is cancelled and you decide not to travel, smartEX refunds the full price with no fee. During typhoons or major disruption, smartEX posts notices at the top of its screens explaining which bookings can be refunded free.
• On a day with delays, searching by departure time shows expected times, and you can book or change to a delayed train up to 5 minutes before its expected departure.
• Check live service status on JR Central’s Shinkansen operation information.

Can JR Pass Holders Reserve Shinkansen Seats Online?

Yes, but not on smartEX. smartEX cannot be combined with a Japan Rail Pass, and seats booked on smartEX cannot later be used as pass seats.

• Booking seats: if you bought your pass on the official JAPAN RAIL PASS Reservation website, you can reserve seats there free of charge from one month before travel, then collect the seat tickets at a reserved-seat ticket machine or ticket office in Japan before boarding. Passes bought elsewhere are used to reserve seats at station machines and ticket offices after arrival.
• Which trains: the pass covers Hikari and Kodama on the Tokaido Shinkansen. It does not cover Nozomi on its own.
• Nozomi with a pass: buy a “[ONLY WITH JAPAN RAIL PASS] NOZOMI MIZUHO Ticket” for each ride: ¥4,960 between Tokyo or Shinagawa and Kyoto. It is sold from one month before travel at station machines and ticket offices in Japan, and cannot be reserved online before you arrive.
• Peak days: JR Central recommends reserving a seat in advance; non-reserved seats on Hikari and Kodama may be very crowded.

For a Tokyo and Kyoto trip, a pass usually costs more than individual tickets. Our Japan Rail Pass guide helps you decide whether one makes sense for your route.

Common Booking Mistakes

• Using smartEX for the wrong line. It only covers the Tokaido, Sanyo and Kyushu Shinkansen. Tokyo to Sendai, Kanazawa or Hokkaido needs a different site.
• Expecting a seat number a year ahead. Early standard bookings are confirmed about one month before travel.
• Choosing EX Hayatoku 21 with uncertain plans. It cannot be changed, and missing the train means buying a new ticket.
• Showing a screenshot or confirmation email at the gate. Board with a printed QR ticket (or Apple Wallet), a linked IC card or a paper ticket.
• Throwing away the Seat Information slip. Keep it until you leave the train.
• Assuming Suica alone works on the Tokaido Shinkansen. It must be linked to a booking.
• Getting off early. smartEX tickets do not allow stopovers. If you exit at a station before Kyoto, the rest of the ticket becomes invalid.
• Forgetting the oversized baggage seat for a large suitcase.
• Getting the date wrong. smartEX works in Japan time, which may already be tomorrow where you are.

Frequently Asked Questions

Final Booking Checklist

• Your route is on the Tokaido, Sanyo or Kyushu Shinkansen (if not, use the matching JR site).
• You registered on the website, received your 10-digit membership ID, and saved your password.
• Your card passed 3D Secure and the cardholder name is registered in Roman letters.
• Date and times are in Japan time, and the stations are Tokyo or Shinagawa → Kyoto.
• Train type (Nozomi or Hikari), fare name and the number of adults and children are correct.
• You booked a seat with an oversized baggage area if any bag is over 160 cm.
• If you booked more than a month ahead, you received the confirmation email with your final train and seat.
• Each traveler has a printed QR ticket, a linked IC card or a collected paper ticket.
• You know you must take the Seat Information slip at the gate.
• You checked JR Central’s peak-period list and service status on your travel day.

Related Travel Guides

• Transport in Japan: trains, passes and airport access
• 7-day Tokyo and Kyoto itinerary for first-time visitors
• Japan Rail Pass: do you really need it?
• How to use Suica and PASMO in Japan
• How to use trains in Japan

Official Sources

Checked on October 15, 2026.

• smartEX – smartEX Service (booking period, fares, changes, refunds)
• smartEX – How to Register
• smartEX – Make Reservations
• smartEX – Reception Times/Time-Periods
• smartEX – EX Hayatoku 21 and EX Hayatoku 7
• smartEX – Change reservations and Refund reservations
• smartEX – Boarding with QR-Ticket, IC card and picking up tickets
• smartEX FAQ – I can’t register my credit card and 3D Secure
• smartEX FAQ – What happens if I miss my reserved train?
• JR Central – Reserved-only Nozomi during peak periods
• JR Central – Luggage information and oversized baggage
• JR Central – NOZOMI MIZUHO Ticket for Japan Rail Pass holders
• JR West – JR-WEST ONLINE TRAIN RESERVATION and reservation conditions
• JR East – JR-EAST Train Reservation
• JR Kyushu – JR-KYUSHU Train Reservation
• Japan Rail Pass – How to book a reserved seat and NOZOMI/MIZUHO trains

This guide is for general travel information. Prices and rules are set by each railway company and may change. Always confirm on the official website before you book.