When it comes to booking Shinkansen or ‘Limited Express’ trains, you often have to wait in line at the busy ticket office in major stations. The line for changing or canceling tickets can be incredibly long, especially during service disruptions. The good news is that this can be avoided.

I would suggest not going to the Shinkansen station to book, rebook, or cancel tickets, especially during holidays or when there are many train cancellations due to accidents or bad weather. When the Shinkansen service is halted due to adverse weather, many people flock to Tokyo, Shinagawa, Nagoya, Kyoto, and Shin-Osaka to rebook or cancel their tickets. There are often long lines, with people waiting for hours to have their tickets rebooked. To avoid this issue, there are a few things you can do.

Online Booking

I highly recommend booking ‘Limited Express’ and Shinkansen tickets online due to the ease of booking, changing, canceling, and obtaining refunds. There is nothing more frustrating than waiting in line to purchase a ticket on a busy day. Note that these websites are not compatible with the Japan Rail Pass, and you would have to go to a ticket counter each time you book a Shinkansen or ‘Limited Express’ ticket.

Shinkansen between Tokyo to Kyoto, Osaka, Hiroshima, Hakata and Kagoshima

For Tokaido, Sanyo, and Kyushu Shinkansens between Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Hiroshima, Hakata, Kumamoto, and Kagoshima, using the SmartEX website is convenient and offers the cheapest fare. You have a few options for riding the train, such as using a QR code, IC card, or will call ticket. Rebooking and canceling the ticket can be easily done online, as long as you have not picked up the will call ticket at the station. The bonus is that if you purchase a ticket using SmartEX, you can get a discount on the Tokyo Metro and Osaka Metro passes.

Within Kyushu (JR Kyushu)

For train travel within Kyushu, including the Kyushu Shinkansen, using the JR Kyushu website will give you the cheapest fare for some routes. Unlike JR Central’s SmartEX, the JR Kyushu website does not have a QR code or IC card link feature, so you will have to pick up your ticket at a JR Kyushu station. You should note that if you are booking a Shinkansen beyond Kyushu, you should use SmartEX to get the best price and ease of use.

Tokyo, Nagano, Matsumoto, Narita Airport and Tohoku (JR East)

For JR East-operated ‘Limited Express’ and Shinkansen services (generally covering Tokyo and the north), the Eki-net website is the platform to book seat reservations. It works similarly to the SmartEX website, but it is not as user-friendly. As long as you have not picked up the ticket, you can cancel it online. For short-distance trips, I would only purchase the ‘Limited Express’ ticket, as it does not need to be printed as long as you can display it on the screen.

Osaka, Kyoto, Nagoya, Takayama, Kanazawa and Shikoku area “Limited Express”

JR West’s online train reservation can handle booking for JR West, Central and Shikoku operated “Limited Express” trains.

Ticket Vending Machines (reserved ticket vending machine, multifunctional vending machine)

Using a ‘Limited Express’ and Shinkansen ticket vending machine is a good way to purchase and change tickets. Not many people use these machines, and most of them are available in multiple languages. Note that most vending machines won’t accept credit cards without a PIN. Also, if you have the Japan Rail Pass, you will have to go to a ticket office to make reservations.

Ticket Office at Smaller Stations

If you absolutely have to go to the JR (Japan Rail) ticket office, the trick is to avoid major stations. For example, during a recent rainstorm that halted the Tokaido Shinkansen service between Tokyo and Nagoya, many passengers heading to or coming from Kyoto, Osaka, and Hiroshima were stuck in those cities until the service was restored. After 22 hours, the Shinkansen service resumed, but there was a massive line of people at the JR ticketing counters in major Shinkansen stations, with some people waiting for hours to have their tickets changed. It might be worth spending a small amount of money and time to go to the following alternative station’s ticket office to purchase, change, and cancel a paper ticket. This trick is also useful during major Japanese holiday seasons around New Year’s Day, Golden Week in May, and Obon in August.

Sapporo -> Naebo, Shiroishi, Heiwa, Shin-Sapporo, Soen or Kotoni

Tokyo -> Shinbashi, Akihabara, Ochanomizu, IIdabashi or Kinshicho etc.

Ueno -> Akihabara or Nippori

Shinagawa -> Kamata or Meguro

Shibuya -> Ebisu or Meguro

Shinjuku -> Takadanobaba or Nakano

Shin-Yokohama -> Higashi-Kanagawa

Yokohama -> Higashi-Kanagawa, Sakuragi-cho or Kannai

Nagoya -> Biwajima, Otobashi, Chikusa, Kanayama, Atsuta or Tsurumai

Kyoto-> Yamashina, Otsu or Nijyo

Shin-Osaka (or Osaka) -> Tsukamoto, Temma, Noda (loop line only), Shin-Fukushima, Kita-Shinchi or Osakatemmangu

Hakata -> Yoshizuka, Hakozaki, Takeshita or Hakata-Minami (Shinkansen)

The above stations are just examples of alternative stations with a ticket office that you can use to avoid waiting in line during service disruptions and holidays. The general rule is that any station with a JR ticket office can book all JR train and Shinkansen tickets, except for certain rail passes.

Less Popular Ticket Office at Big Stations

If you are already at the train station, for example, Shinagawa station, and you need to book, change, or cancel a JR ticket (paper ticket), you should go to a less popular ticket vending machine or ticket counter. At Shinagawa, there are five ticket offices where you can purchase tickets. Since Shinagawa is a major transfer station, ticket offices 2 and 4 are often crowded, as most transfer passengers use them. Ticket office 1, located by the Takanawa exit, is close to the Keikyu line, so travelers from Haneda airport often stop at ticket office 1. Due to these reasons, ticket offices 3 and 5 are less crowded, as not many transfer passengers use them.

Tourist Information Center

JTB, the travel agency, operates several English friendly Tourist Information Centers in Kyoto, Sapporo, Osaka and major airports. Major airport’s tourist information center can be a good option to buy tickets as it may be less crowded than train train stations in major cities and airports, especially Kansai and Narita airport. A wide variety of tickets and passes including Japan Rail Pass are available at the airport locations and Kyoto location.

The locations are at Kansai Airport, Narita Airport, Haneda airport, Nagoya airport and Kyoto (inside of Kyoto tower)

JR East Travel Service Center at Haneda airport

Even though JR (JR East to be specific) does serve Haneda airport until 2031, it maintains the JR East Service Center by the monorail entrance in Terminal 3. At this location, you can exchange Japan Rail Pass, purchase a “Limited Express” and Shinkansen ticket and various rail passes. JR East has several travel service centers but for purchasing tickets, I would only recommend the Haneda airport location as there is no JR lines at Haneda and people often hop on a Keikyu train or monorail to head to Tokyo’s more crowded train stations.

Travel Agencies

This one is less known but if you are not close to a JR train station, and you need to purchase, change or cancel a JR ticket this is a good option. You just need to be aware that not all travel agencies can issue a JR train ticket. Also note that packaged ticket such as Rail and Hotel combo, cannot be changed or cancelled at JR ticket counters, therefore you have to go back to the same travel agency’s office that issued your ticket for changing and cancelling. This is also true for purchasing a regular Shinkansen and JR train ticket with a credit card but if you purchase it with cash, you can change and cancel at any JR’s ticket office.

JTB, JR Tokai Tours, Kinki Nippon Tourist and Nishitetsuryoko (Nishitetsu Travel) locations are easily searchable on google maps. I would recommend using travel agencies to avoid the crowed train stations.

Conclusion

In conclusion, when it comes to booking the JR (Japan Railway) operated Shinkansen or “Limited Express” trains, there are various ways to avoid waiting in long lines at major train stations during service disruptions or busy holiday periods.

Websites like SmartEX and Eki-net always recommended as they provide ease of use and flexibility, enabling passengers to book, change, and cancel tickets from the comfort of their own devices.

For those who prefer in-person assistance, tourist information centers operated by JTB and other travel agencies, located at major airports and cities like Kyoto, offer English-friendly services and a wide range of tickets and passes, including the Japan Rail Pass. Additionally, JR East’s service center at Haneda Airport proves to be a valuable resource for travelers, despite the absence of direct JR lines at the airport.

Furthermore, considering alternative ticket offices at smaller train stations can be a strategic choice to avoid the crowds during peak times and service disruptions. Opting for less popular ticket vending machines or ticket counters at busy train stations, such as Shinagawa in Tokyo, can also save valuable time.