Train Tickets in Japan: Fares, IC Cards & How to Buy Tickets

What ticket do you need?

Start with the type of train, not the distance. Find your situation below.

• Local JR or private commuter train

  →Use: An IC card or a base fare ticketUse an IC card where the line accepts it. Look for the IC logo on the gate.

• Subway

  →Use: An IC card or a subway ticketTap in and out, or buy a ticket for your fare from a machine.

• Limited express train

  →Use: Base fare plus a limited express ticketIn some areas an IC card can pay the base fare. The limited express ticket is still separate.

• Shinkansen

  →Use: A valid Shinkansen ticket or bookingA tap of an ordinary IC card is not enough on its own.

• A train with reserved seats

  →Use: A reservation, depending on the serviceSome trains sell only reserved seats. Others also have non-reserved cars.

• A long trip that leaves your IC card area

  →Use: A paper ticket or a bookingIC cards work within their own areas, not for travel between areas.

• JR Pass holder

  →Use: The pass plus any reservation the pass rules requireSeat reservations are free with the pass but issued as a separate ticket.

This is a general pattern, not a rule for every railway. Private railways, regional operators, and special products can differ, so treat the ticket machine or a staff member as the final word. Rail passes have their own rules: see the JR Pass guide and regional rail passes.

Why did I get two tickets?

Because a fare has parts, and some systems print each part on its own ticket. Getting more than one ticket is normal.

What you might receive

Two tickets: a basic fare ticket and a limited express ticket

A common pair on limited express and Shinkansen trips. One ticket covers the distance and the other covers the fast train and its seat. JR East and JR Central both describe this setup.

One combined ticket

Some products print both parts on one ticket. JR East describes a combined basic fare and limited express ticket, and the SmartEX basic service combines them for the Tokaido, Sanyo, and Kyushu Shinkansen.

No paper: an IC-linked booking or a QR ticket

With some online bookings you tap a registered IC card or scan a QR code at the gate. The booking holds the fare parts, so there is nothing to insert.

A pass plus a reserved seat ticket

A rail pass covers the fare on eligible trains. A reserved seat is booked at no extra charge and issued as its own ticket. Keep the pass and the seat ticket together.

A local ticket plus a Shinkansen ticket

If you enter through a local gate, you may hold a local ticket and Shinkansen tickets, and both may go into the transfer gate.

Which one you get depends on the route, the operator, and how you bought. Before you leave the machine or counter, check that each ticket shows the right date, stations, and train. If you are not sure what a ticket is for, ask staff.

Buying train tickets

Machines and counters differ between railways and even between stations. The steps below are the general pattern, so follow the on-screen instructions if a machine looks different.

Which machine or counter?

When a staffed counter helps

• Your trip is complicated, or you are unsure which tickets you need.
• You are booking several long-distance journeys at once.
• You hold a rail pass and need seat reservations.
• You need accessibility assistance or a wheelchair-accessible seat.
• Something on a ticket looks wrong, or you want to change or refund it.
• A fare problem does not fit a machine, such as an unusual route.

Booking online

Japan has no single booking system for every railway. Use the one that matches the railway running your train. This is only an orientation, and each system has its own account, rules, and pick-up steps. How to book Shinkansen tickets covers SmartEX setup, payment cards, seats and changes.

SmartEX

Covers the Tokaido, Sanyo, and Kyushu Shinkansen. Tickets can be picked up at a machine, or you can board with a QR ticket or a registered IC card. SmartEX official site (opens in a new tab)

JR-EAST Train Reservation

Covers JR East trains, including Shinkansen and limited express services. JR Hokkaido points overseas visitors to the same system for its own trains. JR East ticket guide (opens in a new tab)

JR-WEST ONLINE TRAIN RESERVATION

Covers basic fare tickets and limited express tickets in West Japan and beyond. Tickets are received at machines marked e5489. JR-West reservation overview (opens in a new tab)

JR-KYUSHU Train Reservation

Handles regular price tickets for Kyushu Shinkansen and limited express trains. Tickets are collected at a JR Kyushu station. JR Kyushu reservation (opens in a new tab)

Paying with cash or a card

Cash

Ordinary ticket machines take cash. Keep some yen for machines and counters that do not accept cards.

Credit cards

It depends on the machine and the railway. JR East's reserved seat ticket machines accept credit cards, and JR-West accepts them at ticket offices and its green machines with a PIN. Tokyo Metro's ordinary machines accept cards only for passes.

Foreign cards

The operators we checked do not list which foreign cards work. JR-West says a PIN is required for card purchases, so know your card's PIN and carry cash as a backup.

Card at the machine or card at the gate

Paying for a ticket by card is not the same as tapping a card at the gate. Whether a bank card opens the gate depends on the line, and the IC cards guide covers contactless bank-card transit.

How to read a train ticket and a departure board

Layouts differ by operator and some have no English, but the core information is the same.

What to check

• At the machine or counter, read the date, stations, train name, departure time, and class before you leave. JR East asks you to check when you buy.
• At the platform, match the departure time, train name or number, and car number to your limited express ticket.
• A basic fare ticket has no seat. Only the limited express ticket carries the train, car, and seat.

Words you may see on a ticket

乗車券

Basic fare ticket (JR East writes it Joshaken)

特急券

Limited express ticket

指定席

Reserved seat

自由席

Non-reserved seat

グリーン車

Green Car

Reading a departure board

Boards in stations and on platforms list the next trains. Look for these five things, and wait a moment if the board switches between Japanese and English.

Departure time

When this train leaves. Match it to your ticket.

Train type or name

For example local, rapid, limited express, or a named train. It tells you whether your ticket covers it.

Destination

The train's final stop, which may be well beyond yours.

Platform

The platform number to head for.

Train number, if shown

Named trains often carry a number. Match it to your ticket.

Shinkansen platforms and car positions are covered in the Shinkansen boarding steps.

If something goes wrong

Most ticket problems are simple for staff to fix. Ask early, and keep every ticket and card you used.

Fare adjustment

If you travel further than your ticket covers, pay the difference at a fare adjustment machine near the exit gates. Insert your ticket, and the machine shows the difference you owe. Pay it, take your ticket, and go through the gate.

With an IC card in a supported area, the fare for an ordinary local trip is worked out and taken at the exit, so there is usually no ticket to adjust. If a gate stops you, go to staff. Buy the ticket for the journey you plan, and use adjustment for a change of plan.

You missed your reserved train

The rules depend on the ticket and the service, so speak to staff before you leave the station. In general:

• Your basic fare ticket is valid for a set number of days, so it can normally still be used.
• The reserved seat is tied to the train you booked. JR Central says a limited express reserved seat ticket cannot be used or refunded after the scheduled departure, except that it can be used for a non-reserved seat on a later train the same day. JR East says the same for limited express trains.
• Discounted tickets tied to one train can be excluded.

The Shinkansen details are in the Shinkansen problem guide.

You lost your ticket

Tell station staff or the train attendant right away and explain the route and ticket you bought. JR East says a lost ticket cannot be reissued: you buy a new one at full price, and you receive a certificate at the staffed gate of your destination station, which you should keep. JR East notes that refunds carry a handling fee. Other operators may handle it differently, so follow the instructions staff give you and keep any receipt or replacement ticket. Passes cannot be reissued.

Common train ticket mistakes

Small checks that keep a simple ticket simple.

• Assuming Suica covers every train

  Instead: An IC card works only in supported areas and on lines that accept it. Limited express and the Shinkansen need more, and IC cards cannot cover travel between areas.

• Throwing away a ticket too early

  Instead: Keep every ticket until you have left your final station. The exit gate may need it.

• Forgetting to take a returned ticket

  Instead: If a gate gives a ticket back, take it. You may need it at the next gate.

• Entering the wrong gate

  Instead: Gates marked IC only do not take paper tickets, and a Shinkansen trip may use a separate transfer gate.

• Assuming every machine sells reserved tickets

  Instead: Ordinary local machines often do not. Use a reserved-seat or Shinkansen-capable machine, or a staffed counter.

• Boarding a limited express without the extra ticket

  Instead: The base fare alone does not cover it. Get the limited express ticket before you board.

• Thinking fare parts always mean separate paper

  Instead: Combined tickets, IC-linked bookings, and QR tickets carry the same parts without extra paper.

• Panicking because two tickets were issued

  Instead: Two tickets are normal. Keep both and insert them together.

• Assuming every train has non-reserved seats

  Instead: Some limited express and Shinkansen trains are all reserved. Check your train before you assume you can sit anywhere.

• Confusing a train line with a named service

  Instead: Hikari is a train type, and the line is the Tokaido Shinkansen. Your ticket names the train, so match both.

Train ticket checklist

Screenshot this for the day you travel.

Keep planning

Use the next guide that matches the decision you still need to make.