Shinkansen reservations online?

Hi everyone,

A couple of months ago I posted for advice for our itinerary for a family holiday around Japan - this forum came up with fantastic help! We now have our trip planned and have bought our JR 14 day passes as we will be travelling a lot and calculated it as the best option.
With a month to go until our trip I am now trying to reserve the Shinkansen for the main legs of our journey, but i'm really struggling. I've managed the Hyperdia website fine, found the trains I want to reserve but now can't get anywhere on the JR reservations site.

First trip I'm trying to book is an early morning train on monday 19 August from Ueno to Nagano and on to Matsumoto. 6:22 UENO Shinkansen Kagayaki 501, change at Nagano onto the Ltd Express Shinano 4, arriving Matsumoto 8:35.
I checked the map and saw that Kagayaki are in the JR west region so then followed the link in the guide on this site to the JR West Reservations page (westjr.co.jp) to reserve. I read the guidance on that page and, under the banner 'JR-WEST ONLINE TRAIN RESERVATION' I clicked on the link that says 'Special Discounted Tickets, JR WEST Rail Pass....'.

But this seems to just take me through to boxes to choose which discounted tickets I want to buy. I tried clicking on the JR Rail Pass as it was the only one that at least mentioned rail pass but that just goes to a further brakdown of psases to buy - nothing to reserve trains if you already have your pass. The other options for 'reserve by selecting train' and 'reserve by selecting station' are only for regular tickets and not rail passes and still seem to take me to the purchasing page rather than just reserving a seat on a set train.

What am i doing wrong???!!! I'm sure its something really obvious but after an hour of clicking everything I can see on the website I'm stumped. Am I even on the right website for this??!! Anyone that can help would be really appreciated.

Thanks so much
Seren

You seem to have got caught in the first "trap"
when you chose a JR website.

Your first leg Ueno -- Nagano -- Matsumoto
is fully inside the JR-EAST network.
Your seats in Shinkansen Kagayaki and Limited Express Shinano trains
can be reserved through JR-EAST Train Reservation website.

- JR-EAST Train Reservation
https://www.eki-net.com/pc/jreast-shinkansen-reservation/English/wb/co...

Please make sure
that you can pick up your tickets booked through this website
by 21:00 (9 p.m.) of the day before your rides,
at a JR-EAST ticket window in Tokyo.
(Some ticket windows get closed before 21:00.)
https://www.jreast.co.jp/e/ticketwindow/trainreservation.html

To use this reservation website,
you first register your membership
with your credit card of a designated brand.
https://www.eki-net.com/top/train_reservation/english/faq/faq.html#q10...

JR seat reservation is doable
from the day one month before the train departs from its first station.

While the Hokuriku Shinkansen is composed of
the JR-EAST part (Tokyo -- Nagano -- Joetsumyoko)
and the JR-WEST part (Joetsumyoko -- Kanazawa),
the reservation websites of both JR-EAST and JR-WEST
cover any section regardless of their operation boundary.

However,
the recently-launched JR-WEST reservation website
seems not designed for passengers traveling with any JR pass.

You are not doing anything wrong, but you have fround one of the big downsides of the national JR pass - the lack of advance reservations for most of the country. JR East provide some coverage, but for the other areas you are out of luck Even a simple trip to Kyoto you have to come to Japan, exchange your voucher and then do the ticket bookings. (And in cases find popular trains/times are sold out so adjustments to schedules is required.)
Press release from JR West states you can buy the discount tickets/passes, not that you can make bookings when travelling on those passes.
https://www.westjr.co.jp/global/en/pdf/press_20181225.pdf

Thanks very much for your replies.

That is disappointing that there is no full online coverage for our reservation but thankfully we have 4 days in Tokyo before our first journey so we will use that time to make the reservations. We will be reserving trips from

Ueno - Nagano - Matsumoto
Matsumoto - Nakatsugawa (with bus to Magome)
Nakatsugawa - Hiroshima (with ferry to Miyajima)
Hiroshima - Kyoto
Kyoto - Nara (and maybe Osaka) - but day trips only
Kyoto - Ueno

Can all of those reservations be made in Ueno station in Tokyo near where we are staying for the first days? Or even in the train station at the airport where we will exchange our ticket?

If so then I can print a list of the trains that we would like to take and hopefully it should be quite straightforward!!

Thanks for the help,
Seren

The lack of online bookings for the JRP is just one of the features/downsides and has been that way for a long time.
You can book all your JR trips at any JR ticket office. If you are exchanging at the airport (and it's busy), the staff will only do your immediate travel (into Tokyo or onward same day). Some other JRP exchange offices only do same/next day bookings if it is busy.

I don't think it's fair to say that the lack of online booking is a downside of the JRP specifically. Even without a pass, for a long time the only way to book online was through Japanese sites, which can't really be used by most visitors anyway, so it's more a downside of the railway system in general.

No, not a significant downside for many, but it is one of several. And, not being able to book a reserved seat until you exchange the voucher in Japan is a serious disadvantage on some routes (and times of year), which is why - for some of our tours - we do not use the JRP. We know which trains regularly sell-out and to improve the experience for our guests we will and do pay extra to be able to book certain legs in advance, or avoid extra transfers.
For people using the JRP there is a trade-off - price being the usual major advantage, and the downsides are things like the time to exchange the voucher and fewer trains on some routes.

For all of Japan's reputation for high tech, many processes are still very paper/manual oriented. The growth in tourist numbers over the last decade has largely not been matched by supporting infrastructure. Those lucky enough to be able to buy/use the JRP and the potential huge savings it gives are just that - lucky. Talk to Japanese people about being able to travel unlimited train travel for two weeks for just 46,390 yen and they will stare at you with amazement.

Please be noted that no reservation for the train from Kyoto to Nara is required since there are not Limited Express Trains on JR Nara Line except for Rapid trains and local trains.

Thanks again for the responses,

Yes I agree with the comments that this is not a huge downside - for us as a family of 5 with a need to be as economical as possible, the advantage of being able to see as much of Japan as possible at such a saving far outweighs any inconvenience in the booking system. We will be able to be flexible if needed.

And after traveling around much of the world where the thought of being able to rely on a train even showing up the right day, let alone to the hour and minute scheduled, we will be enjoying and praising Japan�fs trains not being frustrated at the booking system.

I think for most users of the JRP it will just come as a surprise because every website you read about JRP is keen to encourage the message that you must reserve seats in advance at busy times. But few, even including the guidance on this site, actually spell it out that it isn�ft possible to do so before arriving in Japan and there is limited online reservations.

One final question please - if you don�ft manage to reserve seats, can you still enter the unreserved carriage even if it�fs full if you are prepared to squeeze in and stand for the journey/sit on your bags etc? Or do they limit the number of people able to board to the number of unreserved seats available?

Thanks
Seren

I've seen cars with about 20-25 people standing in each for trips from Nagano to Tokyo during Golden Week. I am not certain if there is a safety limit on the number of standing people per car.

One final question please - if you don�ft manage to reserve seats, can you still enter the unreserved carriage even if it�fs full if you are prepared to squeeze in and stand for the journey/sit on your bags etc? Or do they limit the number of people able to board to the number of unreserved seats available?
If you can physically get onto the train, then yes you can get on the train. The other usual thing to do is pick an earlier or later train.
The "trick" is to line up early and not be fussy about seats. Occasionally I have to do non-reserved from Hiroshima and so far have only had one trip where I used my suitcase as a seat in the space between cars (and learned it's a very uncomfortable seat).
I have been at Takayama where there way more people than I thought could physically get onto the train and I'm not sure if they did manage it (I had reserved seats.)
As for absolute numbers/safety, a little like commuter trains that run up to and over 250% capacity, the same applies to shinkansen - if you can get on, it is ok. You might not be able to move or go to the toilet for a few hours.
The most crowded shinkansen I have ever been was a trip Nagoya to Tokyo. Due to cancelling of services (typhoon) the JR staff spent an hour getting people onto the train (standing for an hour without moving), and all 16 cars were absolutely jam packed - it was incredible, but we got to Tokyo and my guests were lucky to get seats after the first stop, I stood for four hours.
Note, the above cases are some of the extremes that I've encountered in regular travels, but I do a lot more travelling than the average person - chances are you'll have few issues.

6:22 UENO Shinkansen Kagayaki 501, change at Nagano onto the Ltd Express Shinano 4, arriving Matsumoto 8:35.

In the Shinkansen Kagayaki, all the seats require reservation.
It should be better
to choose a car which is convenient for the transfer at Nagano Station;
Car No. 8 seems closest to the elevator.

At Nagano Station,
you have to make the transfer quickly,
because the Limited Express Shinano 4 departs within several minutes:
you get off the Kagayaki (arriving at Track 12) ,
go up to the concourse,
pass through the transfer gate,
go down to the nearest platform,
and get on the Shinano (departing at Track 6).

Nakatsugawa - Hiroshima (with ferry to Miyajima)

Will you stay over night near Nakatsugawa Station?

Thanks again - the generosity of people on this forum to help is remarkable. we appreciate it!

No, we will not stay at Nakatsugawa but we will get the bus from there to Magome where we have reservations to stay. I have noted that the last bus from Nakatsugawa is not very late so we will ensure to arrive in good time.

It is very helpful to know about the best carriage to make a quick transfer. This is one of my concerns as we have small children (4, 6 and 8 years old) and will have just two small carry on sized cases that we can easily carry. The children are (usually!) very obedient and used to following instructions in busy areas so I am sure they will travel as fast as they can to the next train but if it is very busy we may find the transfers challenging. We will try to reserve in coach 8 if possible.

Seren

If possible I strongly suggest traveling from Tokyo to Nagano the previous evening and spending the night in Nagano. Maybe it's just that I'm not a morning person but I always struggle with early morning trains, and with young children on top of it...

The seven minute transfer at Nagano station is pretty easy and actually lots of time. Just make sure you use the transfer gate (really obvious).
Curious, why you need to arrive Matsumoto so early - probably due to other things you have planned and onward travel.

Ok, thanks that is reassuring.

We are arriving at Matsumoto early because really it is just an extra treat for me to see the castle and not a full part of our agenda. That monday is really just for our travel to Magome so we can do some hiking starting the next day. We have a dinner with friends in Tokyo on Sunday night so we can�ft leave any earlier.

But when I read about Matsumoto castle I was fascinated and saw that because we have the rail pass we could spend a morning exploring the castle and still get to Magome without spending much extra money. We don�ft mind the extra train journey or the early start (school bus leaves at 6:30am each day so we are used to it!). I know we won�ft do Matsumoto justice in just a morning but we will enjoy the time we have!

We have only 2.5 weeks in Japan so we will be fitting in as much as possible and we know this will only be a glimpse of what is in Japan! We can sleep on the flight home at the end!

Seren

Maybe the direct train to Matsumoto would be better than going via Nagano?

Limited Express Azusa

Hi, thanks for the suggestion. When I looked previously it seemed that as we will be staying right next to Ueno station that going via Nagano was the best option to avoid having to change in Tokyo to get the direct train to Matsumoto and also was just as quick? But I would be interested to hear how that direct train might work - where does it start from and is that station easy to get to from Ueno?

thanks!
Seren

Those trains leave from Shinjuku mostly. They're also slower than by Shinkansen, so if you'll be staying in Ueno it's not really interesting.

https://www.eki-net.com/pc/jreast-shinkansen-reservation/English/wb/co...

Hi, thanks for the suggestion. When I looked previously it seemed that as we will be staying right next to Ueno station that going via Nagano was the best option to avoid having to change in Tokyo to get the direct train to Matsumoto and also was just as quick? But I would be interested to hear how that direct train might work - where does it start from and is that station easy to get to from Ueno?

thanks!
Seren