Online Booking Sites for Shinkansen and Long-distance Bus in Japan
Book tickets online for Shinkansen & long-distance buses in Japan!
Shinkansen, also known as the “Japanese bullet train”, is a high-speed railway that operates all over Japan.
Most of the travelers from Tokyo who want to go to Osaka in a very short time usually use Shinkansen rather than taking a Bus or the regular train. The same thing can be said for people going to other places such as Nagoya, Kyoto, Kanazawa, etc.
And now, it is easier to get a ticket by buying it online. In this article, we will give information on some useful Apps for Shinkansen and Bus online booking.
Where Can I Buy Tickets for Shinkansen?
Tickets can be purchased at the JR Ticket Offices. And these facilities are usually available in large Stations like Shibuya Station, Shinjuku Station, Tokyo Station, Ikebukuro Station, etc. You can also purchase from some Japanese travel agencies.
Can I Buy Tickets for Shinkansen Online?
Yes, Of course, you can purchase tickets online. It is actually the most convenient way to buy a ticket for shinkansen. Here are some useful online sites where you can book your ticket.
5 Online Booking Site for Shinkansen
1. ST- Shinkansen Ticket
This is a site where you can buy online tickets for Shinkansen or any train tickets in Japan. You can purchase your ticket here and the ticket will be delivered to your Hotel/Accommodation.
2. EX- Tokaido Sanyo Shinkansen
This is a shinkansen line that connects Japan’s three largest metropolitan areas (Tokyo/ Yokohama, Nagoya, and Osaka/Kyoto). Known as the first high-speed rail line in the world. The Tokaido Shinkansen is the most-used shinkansen line in Japan.
3. JR- Central Japan Railway Company
This is a site where you can book shinkansen and limited train tickets for traveling to/from Tokyo, Mt. Fuji (Shizuoka), Nagoya, Kyoto, Osaka, Hiroshima, Takayama, Kumano, etc.
Also, you can go to other attractive destinations and World Heritage Sites (Shirakawa-Go, Kumano-Kodo, Alpine route, etc.) which are popular with foreign tourists.
4. JR- East Japan Railway Company
This is a major passenger railway company in Japan and is the largest of the seven Japan railways group companies.
The company is also known as JR-EAST (in English) or JR-Higashi Nihon (in Japanese). It provides rail transportation in the Kanto and Tohoku regions including Tokyo. It also includes the services of the bullet train network and the Tokyo Metropolitan network.
5. JR- Hokkaido Railway Company
This is one of the constituent companies of the Japan Railways group, known as JR-Hokkaido.
This company operates intercity and local rail services in Hokkaido and it introduced “Kitaca” which is a smart card ticketing system.
Kitaca is an IC card that allows passage through the ticket gate without the hassle of buying a ticket. It can also be used as electronic money for shopping.
Other than Trains and Shinkansen, you can travel around Japan by taking a Bus. I’m not referring to the usual bus that you would use for everyday transportation. It is more known as a travel bus.