Train cars

Most Japanese night trains are equipped with couchettes and private rooms with beds, and some have cars with seats. Couchettes and private rooms come in two classes, A and B, with B being the more basic and less costly. In addition, some trains offer a "Special A Class" with rather luxurious suites.

All night trains are equipped with toilets and sinks, and the better ones have also public phones, showers, a restaurant and a lounge or lobby car.

• Couchettes
  Couchettes are bunk beds, two or three stories high, in compartments shared by four to six people. "B class" couchettes cost around 6,000 yen, and "A class" couchettes around 10,000 yen. Most night trains carry at least one couchette car of either or both classes.

• Private Rooms
  Private rooms come in single and twin. "B class" rooms cost around 6,000-9,000 yen per person, and "A class" rooms around 14,000 yen/person. More luxurious suites can cost up to 38,000 yen/person. Most night trains have some private rooms, but only a few have luxury suites.

• Seats
  A few night trains carry cars with seats. Depending on the train, the seats may be non reserved, partially reserved or all reserved. Seat reservations cost about 300 to 500 yen. Seat reservations are free for Japan Rail Pass holders.

 
Japan Rail Pass and night trains

The Japan Rail Pass does not cover the cost for a couchette or private room! Japan Rail Pass holders will have to pay for it separately. In addition, pass holders also have to pay the (limited) express fee, which is typically around 3,000 yen, when using a couchette or private room.

While the Japan Rail Pass does not cover the cost for couchettes and beds, it fully cover the cost for a seat on night trains. Note however, that quite a few night trains do not carry cars with seats.

 
List of trains

Below is a list of Japan's night trains. The following information is given for each train (note that the ticket costs refer to a trip along the complete route):

From Tokyo:

From Osaka:

From Sapporo:

In addition to the above listed trains, there are a few night trains, which run only during certain seasons or selected days of the year, such as the Express Noto between Tokyo and Kanazawa and a few so called "Moonlight" trains, e.g. the Moonlight Nagara and Moonlight Echigo, which are classified as rapid trains (kaisoku) and can be used with the Seishun 18 Kippu.