Shinkansen Seat Reservations

Is seat reservation allowed only 2 days before departure and only after ticket is validated? Validating ticket has to be on the day of train travel right?

We'll be buying the 7day rail pass and travelling quite a bit from Tokyo to kyoto to Osaka to Nara to Kyoto to Narita. However, we'll only start using this Pass 1 week after arrival in Japan.

As our itinerary is quite firm, can we make seat reservation online before arriving Japan or maybe at Narita airport upon arrival for the entire trip? If at airport, where is the counter or office to do it? We'll be arriving in Terminal 1.

Is seat reservation allowed only 2 days before departure and only after ticket is validated?

You can make seat reservations until departure time.

You can make free reservations with the Japan Rail Pass only after you have changed your voucher to an actual pass.

If you use regular tickets, you will have to buy a base fare ticket and a shinkansen supplement ticket, which includes seat reservation. The two tickets can be bought completely seperate from each other and in any order, although they are usually bought at the same time. Both tickets come with a date (or date range) of validity, which you indicate at the time of purchase.

As our itinerary is quite firm, can we make seat reservation online before arriving Japan or maybe at Narita airport upon arrival for the entire trip?

Yes, you can make seat reservations for your entire trip at Narita Airport (after exchanging the voucher to the actual pass), unless the ticket counter is too crowded, in which case I recommend to make only urgent reservations in order not to delay other travelers.

Certain trains can be reserved online:
http://jreast-shinkansen-reservation.eki-net.com/pc/english/...

If at airport, where is the counter or office to do it?

Just next to the ticket gates in the basement of each airport terminal.

When I exchange the voucher into actual ticket, does it mean the start or 1st day of the JR Pass? Since we're not using the Pass till 1 week later.

Or can the Pass be validated and seat reservations made at any JR train station in Tokyo? If so, perhaps we can do that if airport counters tend to be crowded.

Isee,

When you exchange the JR Pass voucher, you get the JR Pass, which is like a passport type booklet (so you have to use the manned gate each time instead of automatic gates)

When you exchange your voucher, the form will ask what date you wish to start using the pass on. So just put down the date you want to start using it, they will stamp you pass with that date.

Yes you can make reservations at any Japan Railways Ticket reservation office or JR East Travel Service center in Tokyo.
And yes you can make reservations beforehand, even though your pass is not active yet, as long as the date of travel is within the specified travel dates of you pass.

As mentioned you can make reservations up until departure (no 2 days before, not sure where you got that bit of information) however, I usually don't recommend this, as you rush yourself from the ticket office to the platforms.

Thanks for the detailed info!

If we make seat reservations and missed the train, any penalty? Can re-make reservations on the spot?

Is it possible to board train without rseervations? How do we identify non-reserved seats?

Thanks for the detailed info!

If we make seat reservations and missed the train, any penalty? Can re-make reservations on the spot?

There is no penalty but I really don't recommend you miss the train, or if you know you will miss it cancel your reservations BEFORE the train leaves. I'm afraid that if people keep making reservations for free with the JR Pass but keep missing the train, JR will start charging JR pass in the users.
Also, because there might be other passengers who want a reservation but could not get one because the computer system says it is already reserved, so if you know you're going to miss a train, its just common courtesy to cancel them in advance or not make reservations at all.


Is it possible to board train without rseervations? How do we identify non-reserved seats?

It depends on the train.
Many shinkansen trains (minus some on JR East) do have Unreserved seating sections. You can identify them by looking for the signs on the platform and on the train it will say "un-reserved/non-reserved" car, they are clearly marked.

Trains like the Narita Express (from Narita Airport) is ALL reserved, so you must have a reservation, night trains again are usually all reserved.

However the Shinkansen between Tokyo-Kyoto/Osaka etc (the Tokaido/Sanyo Shinkansen) have both reserved and unreserved seats, again just look for the signs.

Ok Thanks! Got a good idea about seat reservations already.

most of the time it's not necessary to make a reservation. Since JR has increased the number of Nozomi's (which can't be used with the JR-railpass), the Hikari or Kodama isn't crowded at all, even during rush hours. And if you wanna make a reservation for, let's say, Tokyo-Kyoto, there is a big chance that they say 'train is full', in that case make a reservation for Tokyo-Nagoya and Nagoya-Kyoto, if that's also not possible (ie there is only one smoking car, and if you are a smoker..), be at the platform one train before the train you wanna take (ie if your train leaves at 09:15, the previous one leaves at 08:45, be at the platform around 08:45), in that case you will be the first in line for your train :) If you have suitcases, there is little space for suitcases at a Shinkansen train, only behind the last seats of a car.

If you have a 24" suitcase or smaller you can put it on the rack above you or in front of you if you aren't too big. Note also that one can squeeze more than 1 suitcase behind the last row of seats (this is actually the first row if you enter that way and they have their back towards the wall (at the end of the line all the seats rotate for the return trip to ensure that all seats face forward).

We actually have 26" and 22" suitcases since we're travelling with 3 kids... We should try to reserve the last row seats so that we can put our suitcases there? How to say that in Japanese to the reservations staff? Or do they speak English?

We're travelling in late Nov so feel better to have reservations as I read it's a very popular period to head for Kyoto's foliage. I've planned to be early for each of our train ride so that won't miss it. However, I guess that means we also shouldn't board an earlier train when it comes? I notice interval between trains can be only 20 or 30min.

of course the staff speak English! at least for anything relating to trains. You can put some suitcases in the back, the other above your seat or on the floor near you. Don't jump on an earlier train than the one you reserved as this mean other people wouldn't be able to use he seats you had booked but not used. If you take a Nozomi yes there are lots of them but the Hikari--for JR pass holders--are less frequent. 2 per hours may be? They do have more open seats as many locals will take the faster and barely more expensive Nozomi.

of course the staff speak English! at least for anything relating to trains.

I don't agree with this. The majority of JR staff that I have spoken to could speak little or no English.

Sorry, I can't help with a translation, but you should ask another question in the language section of this forum for the best results.

Will note all these info down. Really appreciate i.

lsee,

If you are travelling in a group (of 5?), I would strongly recommend getting seat reservations if you wish to sit all together.
As mentioned, you can put larger suitcases behind the last row of seats in each car, and it doesn't really matter if you are not actually sitting in that row. There is no real worry about someone pinching your bags, but there are signs up saying that staff may ask whose bags they are (for security reasons), so you may want to keep an eye out just in case. Also note that really big suitcases may prevent people from being able to recline their seats back, but I don't think this is a problem for regular size luggage.

Point noted. Thanks Dave. Yes,we're a group of 5 people.