In Japan, the fastest means of public transportation is the Shinkansen. However, compared to trains or buses, the ticket price of Shinkansen is quite expensive. In this article, we will show you ways to get Shinkansen tickets at a very cheap price.

 

Platt Kodama ticket:

 

This is a ticket issued by JR Tokai travel agency, which is a preferential ticket when using the Kodama train on the Tokyo – Shin Osaka line. The Kodama train is one of three types of shinkansen on the Tokaido Shinkansen line. Compared to the Nozomi and Hikari types, the Kodama also has similar facilities, but stops at all major stations on the route, so the travel time is a bit slower. With this ticket, you can experience the shinkansen for about 4000 yen cheaper (Tokyo/Shinagawa – Shin Osaka), and 2000 yen cheaper (Tokyo/Shinagawa – Nagoya) than the regular ticket.

 

This ticket also comes with a soft drink and offers an exclusive price when using the special carriage – グリーン車 (extra 1000 yen or 1500 yen).

 

This ticket is sold at the JR Tokai Tours office in JR Tokyo, Shinagawa, Shinjuku and Shin-Yokohama stations. The limitation of the ticket is that it must be purchased before the departure date. Also, the train and the time specified on the ticket cannot be changed, so passengers must not be late.  

 

To buy tickets, you can go to the offices of JR Tokai Tours or refer to the website: http://www.jrtours.co.jp/kodama/en/

 

Ticket resale counters:

 

Many Japanese train ticket counters have unexpected promotions and discounts. These stores are called “Kin-ken Shop” (金券ショップ) of which Daikoku-ya (大黒屋) is the most famous one.

 

Basically these stores are very versatile as they sell different types of tickets including concert tickets, Disneyland tickets, intercity bus tickets, Shinkansen tickets and many more.

If you buy a Shinkansen ticket to travel from Tokyo to Osaka , the fare will be about 13,400 ~ 13,600 yen at these stores (1,000 yen cheaper than the regular price).

 

However, this type of ticket has a disadvantage when it cannot be used on holidays or holidays, etc. Therefore, when buying a ticket, you need to ask the seller carefully whether the ticket is still valid or not. Besides, because it is basically a ticket bought back from another person, you will not have much choice in terms of time.

 

JR Rail Pass:

 

The JR Rail Pass is a cheap Shinkansen ticket sold exclusively to foreigners when traveling in Japan (Visitor Visa). The JR Rail Pass is a limited-time ticket, only used for a certain number of days without limiting the number of trains or how far. Therefore, if you have family members coming to Japan to visit you and also want to travel in Japan, they can use this type of ticket to save a lot of money.

 

The JR Rail Pass will not be sold in Japan, but must be purchased overseas before arriving in Japan. Tickets are divided into 2 classes: Regular train tickets and Green Car tickets (first class). In which, the ticket duration is divided into the following periods: 7 days; 14 days; 21 days. During those periods, the ticket holder can use the trains indefinitely.

 

Hunting for cheap tickets online

 

Buying tickets online has the most advantage that it is fast and convenient. For example, you can book tickets, change information, cancel reservations, etc. right on your computer or smartphone. In addition, you can get many incentives when buying tickets online. Here are some popular ways to buy Shinkansen tickets online.

 

Websites to buy shinkansen tickets you can pay a visit:

 

えきねっと (JR東日本): Link

 

This page is for Tokaido Shinkansen (東海道新幹線) and Sanyo Shinkansen (山陽新幹線) on the Tokyo – Hakata (東京駅～博多駅) line. Membership registration is free and if you pay by credit card, you can get tickets on the same day of travel. There are many discount campaigns when booking tickets before the departure date (早特商品). Also, it is very convenient to use a smartphone or IC card instead of a paper ticket.

 

エクスプレス予約 (JR東海・西日本): Link

 

This site are also devoted to Tokaido Shinkansen (東海道新幹線) and Sanyo Shinkansen (山陽新幹線) on the Tokyo – Hakata (東京駅～博多駅) line. Even though the membership fee is 1080 yen/year, you can enjoy the discounted membership fare all year long, even during holidays while other types of tickets don’t usually do that. People who often travel by Shinkansen can consider this way.

 

e5489 (JR西日本): Link

 

This page is for Sanyo Shinkansen (山陽新幹線) and Kyushu Shinkansen (九州新幹線) on the Shin-Osaka – Kagoshima Chuo (新大阪駅～鹿児島中央駅) line; Hokuriku Shinkansen (北陸新幹線) on the Kanazawa – Tokyo (金沢駅～東京駅) line.

 

Membership registration is mandatory but free of charge. You will then receive many membership incentives when you buy tickets. Payment methods are diverse and flexible, you can use credit card, pay via Convenient  stores, use bank transfer or pay cash at the station. Tickets booked online will be issued at the stations.