easy to understand TOKYO STATION

How to Board the 
Shinkansen

  • TOP
  • How to Board the Shinkansen

  • STEP 1 Ticket Purchase

    In addition to ticket offices and Smart EX, tickets can also be purchased at the reserved seat ticket machines shown in the image on the right.

    ticket_machines are located near the ticket gates

  • STEP 2 How to Board the Shinkansen

    How to Pass Through the Shinkansen Ticket Gates

    1. 1. Look for the Shinkansen ticket gates.

    2. 2. Insert both your basic fare ticket and super limited express ticket together into the ticket gate.

    3. 3. Please take your tickets after passing it through the gate.

To board the Shinkansen, you need one of the following tickets: tickets: 1 , 2 or 3 .

  • Regular ticket

    Basic Fare Ticket and Super Limited Express Ticket 1

  • Combination ticket

    The “Basic Fare Ticket” and “Super Limited Express Ticket” may be combined into a single ticket, but the price remains the same.

    Basic Fare Ticket and Super Limited Express Ticket Combined 2

  • Pass

    Japan Rail Pass
    JR East Pass
    JR Tokyo Wide Pass

    Pass 3

How to Read Your Ticket

shinkansen ticket
  1. ❶ Departure Station
  2. ❷ Arrival Station
  3. ❸ Departure Date
  4. ❹ Departure Time
  5. ❺ Arrival Time
  6. ❻ Train Name
  7. ❼ Car Number
  8. ❽ Seat Number
  9. ❾ Non-Smoking Mark​

Non-Reserved Seat

These are seats you can sit in without a reservation, as long as they are available.
Some Shinkansen trains do not have non-reserved seats. Non-reserved seat tickets are valid for the day of purchase. As long as your destination is the same, you can board any Shinkansen on that day.

Tokyo Station 1F:
Shinkansen Ticket Gate Locations

Select your line to see the boarding steps

Tokaido・Sanyo Shinkansen Map
  • Information
  • Picture Area

For customers with a Shinkansen direct boarding QR ticket

(Smart EX)

Please scan the digital code to enter. ​We recommend using the Yaesu side, not the Marunouchi side.

Note: It takes approximately 10 minutes on foot to get from the Marunouchi side to the Yaesu side.

This QR is a sample

How to Board the Tokaido・Sanyo Shinkansen

(Recommended Route)

Platform 14-19

  1. STEP 1

    Move to the 1st floor.
    Head towards the central information counter along the central passage.

  2. STEP 2

    Move to the 1st floor. Head towards the central information counter along the central passage.

    Note: The blue-colored ticket gates are the landmarks.

  3. STEP 3

    Check the platform number on the ellectronic board inside the ticket gate.

  4. STEP 4

    Once you reach the platform, wait at the designated car number.

Tohoku・Joetsu・Hokuriku Shinkansen Map
  • Information
  • Picture Area

How to Board the Tohoku
・Yamagata・Akita・Hokkaido・Joetsu・Hokuriku Shinkansen

(Recommended Route)

Platform 20-23

  1. STEP 1

    Move to the 1st floor. Head towards the central information counter along the central passage.

  2. STEP 2

    Move along the blue arrow on the map. Enter either of the ticket gates shown in

    Note: The blue-colored ticket gates are the landmarks.

  3. STEP 3

    Check the platform number on the ellectronic board inside the ticket gate.

  4. STEP 4

    Once you reach the platform, wait at the designated car number..