What to say at the shinkansen ticket window
The shinkansen is the easiest train in the world to ride and a surprisingly easy ticket to buy badly. The train does all the hard work: it arrives on the minute, it leaves on the minute, and the seat is wider than the one on your flight over. The friction is all in the ninety seconds at the ticket counter, where an extremely efficient person asks you three quick questions in polite Japanese while the queue behind you grows.
This page is that ninety seconds, written out. It covers the two words that decide your entire ticket, what changes when you are travelling on a rail pass, the oversized-luggage reservation that ambushes anyone with a real suitcase, and what to say when a conductor finds you in someone else's seat. Everything is in polite masu form.
One thing before you go: a shinkansen ticket is usually two pieces of card, not one, and both go into the gate together. If you freeze completely, point at your destination on a map and say koko made โ as far as here. Staff at the green ticket windows do this all day.
Reserved or non-reserved seat: what do I actually say?
Every shinkansen ticket is really two decisions: which train, and which kind of seat. Shiteiseki (ๆๅฎๅธญ) is a reserved seat, with a car number and seat number printed on the ticket. Jiyuuseki (่ช็ฑๅธญ) is non-reserved: a bit cheaper, no assigned seat, first come first served in a few cars at one end of the train. Staff ask which you want almost immediately, so decide before you reach the window.
Off-peak, non-reserved is genuinely fine and lets you take whatever train shows up. On a Friday evening out of Tokyo, or anywhere near New Year, Golden Week or Obon, it means standing in the vestibule for two hours with your knees against a stranger's suitcase. In those peak periods some fast services drop non-reserved cars entirely, so the choice gets made for you.
| What you want to say | Say it like this | Japanese |
|---|---|---|
| Two tickets to Kyoto, please. Swap the place name and the counter: ichi-mai (1), ni-mai (2), san-mai (3). | Kyouto made ni-mai onegai shimasu. | ไบฌ้ฝใพใงไบๆใ้กใใใพใใ |
| Does this train have non-reserved cars? | Kono ressha ni jiyuuseki wa arimasu ka. | ใใฎๅ่ปใซ่ช็ฑๅธญใฏใใใพใใใ |
| Non-reserved is fine. | Jiyuuseki de daijoubu desu. | ่ช็ฑๅธญใงๅคงไธๅคซใงใใ |
| What time is the next train to Kyoto? Lead with the destination, then the question. Staff and on-board announcements call a shinkansen a ressha; densha is for ordinary commuter trains. | Kyouto made no tsugi no ressha wa nan-ji desu ka. | ไบฌ้ฝใพใงใฎๆฌกใฎๅ่ปใฏไฝๆใงใใใ |
| Could we sit together? Narabi no seki is the standard term for seats side by side. Say it after you've said how many tickets. | Narabi no seki wa toremasu ka. | ไธฆใณใฎๅธญใฏๅใใพใใใ |
| Is this seat free? Only useful in the non-reserved cars. Every other seat already belongs to somebody. | Kono seki, aite imasu ka. | ใใฎๅธญใ็ฉบใใฆใใพใใใ |
How do I use a rail pass at the ticket window?
A rail pass does not remove the conversation, it just changes what you hand across the counter. You still queue at the same green window, still say where you are going, still get asked reserved or non-reserved. What changes is that money never comes up and your passport does: bring it, because staff must see it when a pass is exchanged.
Seat reservations on a nationwide pass are normally free and unlimited, so there is no reason to gamble on the non-reserved cars for a long leg. The very fastest services on the Tokaido and Sanyo lines are the exception: with a pass you either pay a supplement or take the next-fastest train, which is included and rarely much slower. Ask rather than assume, because these rules get revised.
| What you want to say | Say it like this | Japanese |
|---|---|---|
| Can I take this train with this pass? | Kono pasu de kono ressha ni noremasu ka. | ใใฎใในใงใใฎๅ่ปใซไนใใพใใใ |
| Is there an extra charge? | Tsuika ryoukin wa kakarimasu ka. | ่ฟฝๅ ๆ้ใฏใใใใพใใใ |
| I'd like to reserve a seat with this pass. Toru is the verb staff use for getting you a seat; yoyaku is the noun for the booking itself. | Kono pasu de shiteiseki o toritai no desu ga. | ใใฎใในใงๆๅฎๅธญใๅใใใใฎใงใใใ |
| Which trains can I use this on? | Kore de dono ressha ni noremasu ka. | ใใใงใฉใฎๅ่ปใซไนใใพใใใ |
| Can I cancel this reservation? Worth doing rather than no-showing if your plans change. | Kono yoyaku o kyanseru dekimasu ka. | ใใฎไบ็ดใใญใฃใณใปใซใงใใพใใใ |
What do I say if I have a big suitcase?
This is the rule nobody warns travellers about. On the Tokaido, Sanyo, Kyushu and Nishi-Kyushu shinkansen, a bag whose height plus width plus depth comes to more than 160 cm counts as oversized and has to travel in the shallow space behind the last row of a car. That space belongs to specific seats, so you book the seat and the luggage space together. Done in advance at the counter it costs nothing; turn up without it and staff charge a handling fee on board and stow the bag wherever they can. Past 250 cm it is not allowed on at all.
Normal cabin-size luggage is nowhere near this and goes on the overhead rack, which is deeper than an aeroplane's. The rule targets the enormous check-in trunk. If you are unsure, say so at the window and let staff decide.
| What you want to say | Say it like this | Japanese |
|---|---|---|
| I have a large suitcase. Do I need to book a space for it? | Ookina suutsukeesu ga aru no desu ga, yoyaku wa hitsuyou desu ka. | ๅคงใใชในใผใใฑใผในใใใใฎใงใใใไบ็ดใฏๅฟ ่ฆใงใใใ |
| A seat with the oversized-baggage space, please. Tokudai-nimotsu supeesu tsuki zaseki is the exact product name on the signs and the booking screens. Say it as one block. | Tokudai-nimotsu supeesu tsuki zaseki o onegai shimasu. | ็นๅคง่ท็ฉในใใผในใคใๅบงๅธญใใ้กใใใพใใ |
| Where should I put this suitcase? | Kono suutsukeesu wa doko ni okeba ii desu ka. | ใใฎในใผใใฑใผในใฏใฉใใซ็ฝฎใใฐใใใงใใใ |
| Are there coin lockers at this station? | Kono eki ni koin rokkaa wa arimasu ka. | ใใฎ้ง ใซใณใคใณใญใใซใผใฏใใใพใใใ |
| Excuse me, just coming through. For the aisle, with a bag, at exactly the wrong moment. | Sumimasen, chotto toorimasu. | ใใฟใพใใใใกใใฃใจ้ใใพใใ |
What happens if I sit in the wrong seat or miss my train?
Both are ordinary, survivable events and neither involves a fine. If you are in a reserved seat that is not yours, a conductor or its owner will point it out politely; apologise and walk to the non-reserved cars. If you miss the train you booked, a reserved ticket can generally still be used for non-reserved seating on a later train the same day, so the money is not gone. Ask at a window rather than guessing.
The mistake that catches most people is subtler: boarding a service that does not stop where you are going. The fastest trains skip a lot of stations. Read the train name on the platform display, not just the departure time.
| What you want to say | Say it like this | Japanese |
|---|---|---|
| Sorry, I think that might be my seat. The trailing no desu ga softens it into a question rather than an accusation. Show your ticket while you say it. | Sumimasen, soko wa watashi no seki da to omou no desu ga. | ใใฟใพใใใใใใฏ็งใฎๅธญใ ใจๆใใฎใงใใใ |
| I missed my train. Can I use this ticket on the next one? | Ressha ni noriokuremashita. Kono kippu de tsugi no ressha ni noremasu ka. | ๅ่ปใซไนใ้ ใใพใใใใใฎๅ็ฌฆใงๆฌกใฎๅ่ปใซไนใใพใใใ |
| Could I change this to a different train? | Betsu no ressha ni henkou dekimasu ka. | ๅฅใฎๅ่ปใซๅคๆดใงใใพใใใ |
| Which car is non-reserved? | Jiyuuseki wa nan-gousha desu ka. | ่ช็ฑๅธญใฏไฝๅท่ปใงใใใ |
| Sorry, I got on the wrong train. | Sumimasen, ressha o machigaemashita. | ใใฟใพใใใๅ่ปใ้้ใใพใใใ |
What will I see written on the ticket and the platform?
Six pieces of written Japanese carry almost everything you need. Learn the shapes rather than the readings and the station stops being noise.
- ใฟใฉใใฎ็ชๅฃ (midori no madoguchi) โ the staffed ticket office. Green sign, human behind it, the place for anything complicated.
- ๆๅฎๅธญ / ่ช็ฑๅธญ (shiteiseki / jiyuuseki) โ reserved / non-reserved, printed on your ticket and painted on the platform floor.
- ไน่ปๅธ + ็นๆฅๅธ (joushaken + tokkyuuken) โ base fare ticket plus express ticket. That is why you have two cards; feed both into the gate at once.
- ๅท่ป (gousha) โ car number, as in 8ๅท่ป. It is on your ticket and on the platform sign, and matching the two is the whole game.
- ใฐใชใผใณ่ป (guriin-sha) โ first class, and an extra charge unless your pass says otherwise.
- ็นๅคง่ท็ฉ (tokudai-nimotsu) โ oversized baggage. If it appears on your ticket, the space behind your seat is yours.
| What you want to say | Say it like this | Japanese |
|---|---|---|
| Which platform is it? | Nan-bansen desu ka. | ไฝ็ช็ทใงใใใ |
| Excuse me, is this the platform for Kyoto? | Sumimasen, Kyouto wa kono hoomu de ii desu ka. | ใใฟใพใใใไบฌ้ฝใฏใใฎใใผใ ใงใใใงใใใ |
What else is in PlaneHopper for this
Everything above is free to read and use. The full course adds 1 more scenario for these situations โ each with the complete phrase set, every reply you might hear, and a 10-second roleplay that makes you produce the line under time pressure instead of just reading it.
๐ Shinkansen seats & JR Pass
The full counter exchange, drilled until you can answer the reserved-or-unreserved question without thinking about it.
- Kyouto made otona ichi-mai, shitei-seki de onegai shimasu. ไบฌ้ฝใพใงๅคงไบบไธๆใๆๅฎๅธญใงใ้กใใใพใใ
One adult to Kyoto, reserved seat please. - Madogawa no seki o onegai shimasu. ็ชๅดใฎๅธญใใ้กใใใพใใ
A window seat, please. (Mt. Fuji side is seat E on the TokyoโKyoto run!)
+10 more phrases, replies and a timed roleplay in PlaneHopper.
None of this needs to be fluent. Staff at a shinkansen counter are running a script, and once you can hear the two or three questions coming, three words each is enough to get a perfect ticket. Anything you get wrong is fixable at a window, usually in a minute and for free.
If you are travelling with a big bag, book the luggage space at the same time as the seat. It is the one part of this that is genuinely annoying to fix later.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between shiteiseki and jiyuuseki on the shinkansen?
Shiteiseki is a reserved seat with a car number and seat number printed on your ticket, and it is yours for that specific train. Jiyuuseki is non-reserved: slightly cheaper, no assigned seat, and you take any free seat in the small group of non-reserved cars. Non-reserved is fine off-peak, but on Friday evenings and around New Year, Golden Week and Obon it can mean standing the whole way.
Do I need to reserve a space for a big suitcase on the shinkansen?
On the Tokaido, Sanyo, Kyushu and Nishi-Kyushu lines, yes, if the bag's height plus width plus depth exceeds 160 cm. You book a seat that comes with the luggage space behind it, and doing this in advance costs nothing extra. Arriving without the reservation means a handling fee on board and your bag being stowed somewhere else on the train.
Can I ride the Nozomi with a Japan Rail Pass?
You can, but not for free: pass holders pay a supplementary fare for the fastest Nozomi and Mizuho services. The Hikari, Sakura and Kodama are covered by the pass with no extra charge and are usually only a little slower. These rules have changed before, so confirm at the ticket window when you exchange or first use the pass.
What happens if I miss my reserved shinkansen?
You have not lost the ticket. As a general rule, a reserved ticket can still be used for non-reserved seating on a later train the same day on the same route. Go to a staffed window, say you missed your train, and let them tell you what your ticket is good for rather than boarding and hoping.
Do shinkansen ticket staff speak English?
At major stations, often enough to complete the transaction, and there is usually a translation tool or a printed pointing sheet on the counter. At smaller stations it is less certain. Knowing the words shiteiseki, jiyuuseki and tokudai-nimotsu covers the questions you will actually be asked, in either language.
Why does my shinkansen ticket come as two pieces of card?
One is the basic fare ticket (joushaken) and the other is the express ticket (tokkyuuken) that pays for the shinkansen itself. Insert both into the automatic gate at the same time, stacked together, and take both back on the other side. You need them again at your destination, so do not throw either away.