Japan Railways Group - Train and seat types


	JR offers a wide variety of trains to meet your travel needs. There are basically three levels of service you will use: Shinkansen, Limited Express and Local. The Shinkansen is the world-famous 'bullet train' high-speed network connecting major cities. Limited Express and Express trains provide rapid long-distance service to cities not served by the Shinkansen while local trains provide commuter service in urban areas and to smaller towns in rural areas. On long-distance trains youcan generally get Ordinary (reserved or non-reserved coach) or Green (reserved first class) seating. All Shinkansen, Limited Express and Express trains require the payment of express surcharges in addition to a base fare ticket.

The Shinkansen (literally 'New Trunk Line') system of high-speed trains serves as the heart of the Japanese rail network. Shinkansen trains connect major cities throughout the country with frequent, comfortable and extremely safe service. The different Shinkansen trains each bears a distinct name such as Nozomi, Hikari etc. The Japan Rail Pass covers all Shinkansen trains except for the Nozomi type. Please note that all English signs in Japan use the word Shinkansen, not 'bullet train.'

> For more info go to our SHINKANSEN PAGE

Most long-distance trains that are not part of the Shinkansen system are called Limited Express trains, 'tokkyu' in Japanese, because they are fast and make a limited number of stops. A few similar trains are designated Express ('kyuko'). These trains serve many cities and towns that are not on Shinkansen lines including popular tourist locations such as Nagasaki, Takamatsu, Takayama, Kanazawa, Matsumoto, Sapporo and others. For example, to go from Tokyo to the scenic mountain city of Takayama you will take the Shinkansen from Tokyo to Nagoya and then change to the L'EX 'Hida' to travel inland. Limited Express trains include the rapid airport shuttle trains in Tokyo and Osaka. Some L'EX trains provide overnight service with standard seating. All Limited Express and Express trains are covered by the Japan Rail Pass or appropriate regional pass.

Important: Limited Express trains often have unique design features and frequently travel on very scenic routes. We encourage you to give them a try!

JR also operates a limited number of sleeper trains ('shindai-sha'), especially from Tokyo or Osaka to more distant spots in Kyushu or Hokkaido. Sleeper trains offer a variety of berths and compartments; the selection differs from train to train but most offer some inexpensive berths. A few trains have dining and lounge cars. Sleepers are considered express trains and require an express surcharge plus a berth or compartment charge in addition to the base fare. The Japan Rail Pass covers only the base fare portion of sleeper costs.

Japan is a country where a large part of the population commutes to work, school or shopping by train. There are tens of thousands of local trains operating daily to carry the millions of passengers who rely on fast and punctual service. JR offers basically two types of local trains: rapid local ('kaisoku') service and local ('futsu') service. Rapid local trains make fewer stops and are most common on longer commuter lines. They are faster than the standard local trains that may make all stops. In urban areas service on both types of trains is very frequent so you may not need to worry at all about scheduling: just go to the platform and wait for the next train. In rural areas you may require more schedule information in order to make good connections. Note that at the local level there are some private companies operating rail lines that are not part of Japan Railways. These lines may use train designations different from above, and their service is not included in any of the JR rail passes. Costs on these lines is generally inexpensive.

Most long-distance trains (Shinkansen, Limited Express) and some local trains offer a choice of Ordinary Cars (coach) and Green Cars (first class). Although Green Cars definitely offer greater comfort, the difference between the two classes is not as extreme as on airlines.

Ordinary cars on long-distance trains generally offer a choice of reserved or non-reserved seating; the price difference is very small so reserved seating is often recommended, especially in busy periods. Ordinary Cars offer comfortable seats, luggage racks and of course you have complete access to phones, toilets etc. There is little reason not to economize with Ordinary if that fits your budget. Reserved seats are free of charge to any rail pass holder.

First class cars are called Green Cars and feature a green clover symbol near the entrance on the outside of the car. They have larger seats, more legroom, more luggage space than Ordinary Cars and sometimes feature a hot towel and/or beverage service. Unlike Ordinary Cars there is no standing permitted during peak holidays so the car is never crowded. Some local trains offer commuters Green Car seating, usually unreserved. Green Cars are fully covered by any Green rail pass.

Sleeper trains provide a variety of berths, compartments and sometimes seating. The most common inexpensive berths come as four in a compartment so you may be sharing space with other people. Some trains have private one-person or two-person berth areas. Compartments range from inexpensive one and two person roomettes to more expensive rooms with private toilet and shower. Exact configurations differ by train. In a few cases there are reclining seats available: these are less expensive and are fully covered by the Japan Rail Pass.