What Is Reserved Seat and Seat Fee?

Hello,

Eand of March next year I will be travelling to Japan for the first time (my real first time then was just a tansit at Narita, if it could be counted :p).

I am taking morning train from Nagoya Chubu Airport to Nagoya station, then transfer to a Wideview Hida train heading for Takayama, my main destination.

I have used Hyperdia extensively to estimate journey taken, etc.

However, I couldn't seem to find answers to a couple nudging qns:
1. Is reserving seat on JR train essential? I am travelling on a weekday in end of March. And how is reserving and not reserving seat different, since in both cases we have to still purchase train ride tickets?

2. Can we buy tickets from automated machines in the train station rightaway on the day of travel? (i don't intend to use JRpass)

3. In Hyperdia website, they charge additional seat fee, what is this? And is this fee still incurred if i were to make direct purchase in train station?

Thanks for your enlightenment :)

1. Is reserving seat on JR train essential? I am travelling on a weekday in end of March. And how is reserving and not reserving seat different, since in both cases we have to still purchase train ride tickets? If you reserve a seat then you get allocated a specific seat in one of the reserved carriages eg. Car 1 Seat 3A. So you know exactly where you will sit, and that you will be guaranteed a seat.

If you don't have a reserved seat then you can only use the non-reserved carriages and it is a "first come, first served" basis, so you may not get a seat or may not get a seat together if the train is busy.

2. Can we buy tickets from automated machines in the train station rightaway on the day of travel? (i don't intend to use JRpass)It will probably be easier to just use the JR ticket office in Nagoya (or at the airport when you arrive) to purchase your tickets.

3. In Hyperdia website, they charge additional seat fee, what is this? And is this fee still incurred if i were to make direct purchase in train station?This fee is an additional fee to reserve your seat as explained above. Yes it is charged no matter how you buy your reserved seat ticket. In your case the additional fee is 610yen per person for the train ride from Nagoya to Takayama.

So, if you don't feel the train will be busy and you don't mind sitting wherever is available then you can save yourself 610yen purchase the non-reserved ticket and sit in the non-reserved car. If you want to guarantee a seat then you pay the extra 610yen.

Hope this enlightens you!

3. In Hyperdia website, they charge additional seat fee, what is this? And is this fee still incurred if i were to make direct purchase in train station?

Hyperdia mixes things up a bit.
The "seat fee" you see on Hyperdia is really a limited express fee + seat reservation (you will notice if you change it to unreserved it only changes a few hundred yet).

Any case if you ride any express train (by express I mean anything other then JR local or rapid trains) you incur the additional charge.

for your thourough explanations :)

think i am clear on how things work with the Japan rail system now:)