Japan Rail Pass and non-reserved seats

Hello!

I'm heading to Japan in the next month and I want to know a few things about travelling with Shinkasen...

I bought a Japan Rail Pass (ordinary) to make my travelling easier, but I don't know enough about different cars so decided to ask here.

For example, if I want to use Shinkasen (Hikari or Kodama) for Tokyo-Kyoto trip and have a non-reserved seat, how do I know which wagon to step in?
Is there some sign on the car itself or in the display at the platform?
Can I take any place I want?

And because I cannot use automatic gates with JR Pass, where should I go through?
Should I also show my Pass in the train?
Will there be some kind of stamp point before getting into the platform or train?
Should I take a little list of station names, trains or other useful words in japanese kanji or hiragana?

Many thanks! :3

For example, if I want to use Shinkasen (Hikari or Kodama) for Tokyo-Kyoto trip and have a non-reserved seat, how do I know which wagon to step in?

By looking at the signs at the platform and cars, which say "reserved" or "non-reserved".

In case of hikari trains between Tokyo and Kyoto, the non-reserved cars are always cars number 1-5. In case of kodama it varies. It is usually car 1-7 and 13-15, but I don't recommend to take the kodama for a trip beteween Tokyo and Kyoto.

Can I take any place I want?

Yes.

And because I cannot use automatic gates with JR Pass, where should I go through?

Through the manned gate at either side of the automatic gates.

Should I also show my Pass in the train?

Yes, if a conductor asks for tickets to be shown, you might have to show your pass also inside the train.

Will there be some kind of stamp point before getting into the platform or train?

No.

Hi there. Yeah Uji is correct in all the answers.I travelled in Japan on an ordinary Jr pass like yourself back in November and there was no probs at all. Cars are clearly marked reserved or non rserve and if you do manage to make a mistake and take a seat in a reserved carriage then there are info notices on the back of each train seat so you would quickly realize your mistake. Happy travelling

For me, it was useful to take the kanji names of the train station I want to get off at, as well as the one before I get off.

If I recall, there is an LED sign at the 'front' of the train above the door listing the stops that are coming up next. I can't recall if that is displayed in kanji and/or English names.

I'm pretty sure they also announce the stop as the train is approaching the station, but I like advanced warning.

Thanks you two! :)
I'll need those advice!

For me, it was useful to take the kanji names of the train station I want to get off at, as well as the one before I get off.

If I recall, there is an LED sign at the 'front' of the train above the door listing the stops that are coming up next. I can't recall if that is displayed in kanji and/or English names.

I'm pretty sure they also announce the stop as the train is approaching the station, but I like advanced warning.

On the Tokaido Shinkansen they announce the next stop after you leave a station, also they announce it before you arrive, and the LEDs on board the train also indicate what the next stop is. Both the announcements and signs are bilingual.

Once you've done it once, you'll see that it's really pretty easy. Trains in Japan are a joy. And it doesn't take long to learn to use them.

For getting past the barriers, if it's not immediately obvious where to go, just follow the yellow lines on the floor.

If you're on the platform a few minutes before the train goes, there's very often either signs on the floor (often in English, for shinkansens) to show where reserved cars stop, or the over head board tells you which carriages are reserved, and the carriage numbers are marked on the platform, or there may be a train plan on one of the boards on the platform. Otherwise, it's a fair bet that the cars where anyone is queueing more than 2 minutes before departure time are the unreserved ones.

It's worth remembering that reservations are free with your JR Pass, and you might not realise it, but you can often make reservations right before you travel. Unless you've got all your travel planned (in which case, you can make all your reservations for a whole holiday in one go when you exchange your JR Pass voucher), you'll probably turn up at the station, and go to the info/bookings counter to find out when the next train to X is. It's free, and worth it, to ask at the same time whether you can reserve a seat. In fact, in my experience, the act of going to ask about the trains generally makes the railway employee (many of whom are really really helpful) check for a reservation for yu anyway.

Reserved cars aren't any special wonderful thing, but they're often less crowded, and if you're travelling at holiday times then it's great to know you've got a place on the train.

Reserved cars aren't any special wonderful thing, but they're often less crowded, and if you're travelling at holiday times then it's great to know you've got a place on the train.

Actually, the reserved cars on the Hikari Railstar shinkansen service between Shin Osaka and Hakata are a little special. Whereas the unreserved cars have the standard 3-2 seating, the reserved cars are 2-2, making them more like a green car.

Also, I have often found all the reserved seats on a train sold out. This is especially true of the Hayate shinkansen between Tokyo and Hachinohe, even when making reservations a day or two ahead. The problem is that this train is all reserved seating. I have gotten around this problem by reserving seats in different parts of the train throughout the journey. Because, although one seat may not be available for the whole journey, seats become available as people leave the train along the way.

One thing not mentioned is that the stations names on the platforms are bilingual (Japanese and Romanji-the alphabet we use-). Not only that but in each station the boards on the platforms show the station where you are in big letters then, on each side and in smaller letters, the previous station and the next one..very clever and convenient.