Everyone has experienced changing and canceling their trip due to various reasons. Changing or getting a refund is often not straightforward. When it comes to changing and getting a refund for JR (Japan Railway) train tickets, particularly the “Limited Express” tickets, the process can be a bit complicated. In this installment, I will describe the best way to book a “Limited Express” ticket and explain how to change and claim a refund for a canceled ticket.

What is JR?

JR stands for Japan Railways, which is a group of companies that operate the majority of Japan’s railway network. Previously known as Japan National Railways (JNR), the government privatized the railway system in 1987, leading to the establishment of several regional JR companies. There are seven JR companies in total, each operating in different regions of Japan:

• JR Hokkaido: Operates in Hokkaido, the northernmost island of Japan. It is responsible for the railway network in that region, including the Hokkaido Shinkansen. The corporate color is light green
• JR East: Operates in the eastern part of Japan, covering the Tokyo metropolitan area, Tohoku region, and Nagano. It operates multiple Shinkansen lines, including the Tohoku, Joetsu, Yamagata, Akita, and a portion of the Hokuriku Shinkansen. The corporate color is green.
• JR Central: Operates in central Japan, with a focus on Nagoya, Shizuoka, and Takayama. It operates the Tokaido Shinkansen, which is the most profitable Shinkansen line. The corporate color is orange.
• JR West: Operates in western Japan, including the Osaka, Kyoto, and Hiroshima areas. It operates the Sanyo and a portion of the Hokuriku Shinkansen lines. The corporate color is blue.
• JR Shikoku: Operates in Shikoku, the smallest of Japan’s four main islands. It is one of the two JR companies that do not operate Shinkansen lines. The corporate color is light blue.
• JR Kyushu: Operates in Kyushu, the southernmost of Japan’s main islands. It operates the Kyushu and Nishi-Kyushu Shinkansen lines. The corporate color is red.
• JR Freight: Operates as a nationwide freight company, responsible for transporting goods across the country. Unlike freight companies in some other countries, JR Freight owns only a small portion of the railway tracks and pays fees to other JR companies to use their tracks for freight transportation.

Each JR company has its own distinct corporate color and operates within its designated region, providing passenger and freight services to millions of people in Japan.

Web ticket vs. Paper Ticket: Which is better for Changing, Cancelling and Refund?

The process of canceling and obtaining a refund varies depending on the type of ticket and how you purchase it. Generally, there are three types of tickets sold by JR. The base fare is the amount you pay to ride the train, applicable to all kinds of trains, from local to limited express and Shinkansen. If you are traveling on a limited express or the Shinkansen, you will need to pay a “Limited Express” fee. The “Limited Express” fee provides you with speed and comfort. There are two types of “Limited Express” fees: Reserve seat and Non-Reserve seat. The former is slightly more expensive but guarantees you an assigned seat on a specific train, while the latter does not provide a seat assignment but offers more flexibility and a straightforward refund process.

When I travel between Osaka, Kyoto, and Tokyo on the Shinkansen, I generally buy a Non-Reserved ticket unless I can find a deal on the SmartEX website. If the Non-Reserved cars are full, I can skip and take a later train.

Booking is the easy part, but what if you have to change or cancel your trip? What is the process, and how much does the refund fee cost? Let’s find out.

Web ticket:

This is the easiest ticket to change and cancel. Most web tickets are designed for booking “Limited Express” and Shinkansen tickets. Usually, the ticket is a combination of the base fare and a “Limited Express” fee. By registering your IC card on the website or displaying a QR code, you will not have to pick up a physical ticket. The IC card or QR code serves as your ticket. Changing, canceling, and obtaining a refund can be done online, making this the easiest way to book, change, and cancel your trip. I would recommend avoiding the will call ticket option since once you pick up the physical ticket, changing and canceling is no longer possible online.

Paper ticket:

Once the ticket (physical ticket) is issued, you will have to go to the Ticket Office, Travel Service Center, or use a Reserved Seat Ticket Vending Machine at a JR train station.

Will call ticket:

When you have a voucher, you will have to get a physical ticket issued. This is true if you choose to pick up your web ticket. The process for changing and canceling the will-call ticket is the same as for a paper ticket. You will have to go to the station to make changes or cancel.

Change, Cancellation and Refund fees

Fare (i.e. Kyoto to Osaka on a local train):

No change is permitted. You will have to cancel and get a refund.

As long as you haven’t used the ticket, you can get a refund within the ticket’s validation day (usually one day). As of 2023, the refund fee is 220 yen across all JR companies.

If you have used the ticket (e.g., passed the turnstile), no refund will be provided. The only exception is if you bought a long-distance ticket, and the station where you claim the refund is still farther than 100km from the destination. For example, if you purchase a one-way ticket from Osaka to Tokyo (556km) and decide to get off at Atami, you can only get a partial refund equivalent to the fare between Atami and Tokyo (105km). If you get off at Odawara, you won’t get a refund at all since Odawara is only 84km away from Tokyo.

Limited express fee with a “Reserved” seat (e.g., Tokyo to Narita airport on the “Narita Express”):

For a paper ticket, you have to go to the ticket counter or use a vending machine at the train station to make changes, cancel, or request a refund. This rule also applies to a will-call ticket after picking it up.

In most cases, you can change your limited express reservation for free up to two times as long as the train has not departed. After that, you won’t be able to change the ticket but will need to cancel and rebook.

The refund fee after canceling the ticket is 340 yen if canceled two days prior to departure. If you cancel the ticket on the day of or the day before departure, the refund fee is 30% of the ticket price or 340 yen, whichever is greater.

For example, the regular Shinkansen ticket from Tokyo to Kyoto costs 13,970 yen (fare: 8,360 yen + “Limited Express” Reserved seat fee: 5,610 yen). If you cancel the ticket two days before departure, your refund fee is 560 yen (fare: 220 yen + “Limited Express”: 340 yen). You will get a refund of 13,970 – 560 = 13,410 yen. If you cancel the ticket on the day of departure, your refund fee is 1,903 yen (fare: 220 yen + “Limited Express”: 1,683 yen). So, you will get a refund of 13,970 – 1,903 = 12,067 yen.

Using the above scenario, what if you ditch the train at Atami? This is considered as the ticket being “used,” and you will only get a refund of 1,980 yen, equivalent to the fare between Tokyo and Atami. You won’t get a refund for the “Limited Express” fee. What if you get off the train at Shin-Yokohama? Unfortunately, you won’t get a refund at all.

What if you miss your train? In most cases, you can hop on a later train’s “Non-reserved” seating section on the same day. If the train does not have a Non-reserved section (e.g., Narita Express), you can sit in an empty seat but will have to give it up if someone with a seat reservation comes. If there are no available seats, you will have to stand. Please note that this does not apply to some trains (e.g., Saphir Odoriko, Shiki-Shima, or Sunrise Express).

Limited express fee with Non-Reserved seat (i.e. Tokyo to Kyoto on “Shinkansen”)

Even though the ticket is a combination of fare and limited express fee, the “Non-Reserved” seat fee provides more flexibility, and it is slightly cheaper than the Reserved seat.

Since there is no seat reservation, you can take the train whenever you want within the ticket validation date. You do not have to do anything to change the ticket.

For canceling an unused ticket within the ticket validation date, the refund fee is 220 yen.

Using the above scenario (Tokyo to Kyoto on the Shinkansen), the refund fee for the Non-Reserved ticket is 440 yen (fare: 220 yen + limited express “Non-Reserved” fee: 220 yen). So, you will get a refund of 13,320 – 440 = 12,880 yen.

If you pass the turnstile (ticket is marked as used), you won’t get a refund for the limited express fee.

You will get a refund if your scheduled “Limited Express” or Shinkansen is delayed more than 2 hours

If the train you are on is delayed for more than 2 hours, the train operator will give you a full refund for the “Limited Express” portion of the ticket. The process is simple if you have a “Reserved” seat ticket. At the destination station, simply put the ticket through the turnstile, and the machine will give you back a ticket with a note written on it. You can get a refund by bringing the “noted” ticket to the ticket counter within 1 year from the date of the incident, so hold on to your “noted” ticket. If you have a “Non-Reserved” seat ticket, you should NOT put the ticket through the turnstile. Instead, you should go to the attendant at the turnstile window. The attendant can give you a ticket back with a stamp on it for you to claim a refund later on.

Conclusion:

When it comes to JR ticket options, web tickets offer the easiest and most convenient way to book, change, and cancel tickets. They eliminate the need to pick up physical tickets and allow for online management of reservations. On the other hand, paper tickets and will call tickets require a visit to the Ticket Office or Travel Service Center at JR train stations for changes and cancellations.

Understanding the intricacies of JR’s ticketing system, including ticket types, refund fees, and refund eligibility, can greatly facilitate a smooth and hassle-free travel experience. Being aware of the specific rules and conditions associated with each ticket type will help travelers make informed decisions and effectively manage their bookings when traveling on Japan’s extensive railway network.