courtesy : rail pass

bullet train

Shinkansen bullet trains are the fastest and most convenient way of discovering Japan. The Japan Rail (JR) network is extensive and the trains reach a top speed of 320 km/h (199mp/h). This allows you to get to wherever you need in little time.

The nine Shinkansen lines take you in different directions around Japan. From Tokyo to the south runs the Tokaido Shinkansen line, connecting the capital with Osaka. The Sanyo Shinkansen line connects Osaka with Fukuoka and, from there, the Kyushu Shinkansen line runs through the island of Kyushu from north to south.

The other six lines either take you north or inland from Tokyo. These are the Akita, Hokkaido, Hokuriku, Joetsu, Tokoku, and Yamagata Shinkansen lines. The Hokkaido line takes you the furthest north, all the way to Hokkaido island.

The Japan Rail Pass gives you unlimited access to all Shinkansen bullet trains except the Nozomi and Mizuho Shinkansen, which run on the Tokaido, Sanyo, and Kyushu Shinkansen lines.

The Japan Rail Pass allows you to make a free reservation for these two types of trains, but you still need to pay for the ticket. The Hikari, Kodama, and Sakura bullet trains are the fastest trains you can board using the Japan Rail Pass. They make just a few more stops than the express trains.

Types of bullet trains

On each of the Shinkansen lines there are fast trains, semi-fast trains, and local trains. The fast trains only stop at the main stations, semi-fast trains make a few more stops, and local trains stop at every station.

For instance, on the Tokaido Shinkansen line (which links Tokyo to Osaka) the fast train makes 6 stops, the semi-fast train makes between 7 and 12 stops, and local trains stop at all 17. See the “Shinkansen lines” section below for more information.

All Shinkansen trains are covered by the JR Pass except the Nozomi and Mizuho fast trains which run on the Takaido and Sanyo lines. JR Pass holders can catch the semi-fast and local trains on these lines instead. The semi-fast trains take just a little longer than the Nozomi and Mizuho trains.

Shinkansen lines

The Shinkansen railway network includes several lines that cover most of Japan and connect all the main cities. Thanks to this great railway system you can travel quickly and comfortably throughout the country without too much of a second thought.

The companies that make up the JR Group operate a total of 9 lines, 7 Shinkansen lines, and 2 mini-shinkansen lines. Each line offers different train services.

The Tokaido Shinkansen connects Tokyo with Kyoto and Osaka passing by Nagoya and its extension, the Sanyo Shinkansen, which connects Osaka with Fukuoka, from where you can take the Kyushu Shinkansen that covers the entire Kyushu island, from North to South. Tokyo is connected to Kanazawa by the Hokuriku Shinkansen, a train covering Nagano, and to Niigata by the Joetsu Shinkansen. The Tohoku Shinkansen connects Tokyo with Aomori and branches out into two mini-shinkansen: the Akita Shinkansen and the Yamagata Shinkansen. From Aomori you can cross the sea that separates the main island from Hokkaido, thanks to the Hokkaido Shinkansen.