Joetsu Shinkansen

Hi everyone. I'm arriving in Japan on 28th December at 8:30 p.m. at Haneda Aiport (Int'l terminal). I want to go to Niigata on the 29th, but won't be able to reserve online as the latest date which I can pick up the tickets is the 28th. Also, I can only activate my railpass on the 29th as the travel offices will be closed. So I'd like to ask, should I forget traveling to Niigata or elsewhere with the shinkansen? I haven't bought the pass yet. Would I have a better chance if i travel to Nagano instead? Many thanks.

Shinkansens will be crowded on Dec 29 or 30, but you can reach Niigata, Nagano or elsewhere by Shinkansen if you definitely wanna go. Be prepared to take one very early in the morning(6am or around), which might help.

You don't say where else you wish to travel to, but I still think a JR pass will be your best option. Depending on what time you wish to be in Niigata I think if you get to Tokyo station by 7:30am when the JR office opens on the 29th, exchange your voucher and book one of the upcoming shinkansen you should make it to Niigata at a reasonable time. It is only 140 mins from Tokyo to Niigata. If you can't book a seat then if you line up early for the non-reserved cars you will probably get a seat, or you can just stand for the whole journey which might be ok for you. The shinkansen are roughly every half an hour so if the first non-reserved one looks too packed then you could just wait for the next one and hopefully be at the head of the queue!

If everything goes smoothly you could possibly try and get to the ShinYokohama JR office either late on the 28th or very early on the 29th and do the exchange and book tickets there. ShinYokohama I think is open from 5:30am-10:30pm which seems to be the earliest/latest in the Tokyo area. Shin Yokohama is roughly 1 hour from Haneda and around 900yen in trains.

Hope you get a seat and enjoy your trip!