Do I have to reserve a seat on Shinkansen with JR Pass?
Important notice: JR Pass Green Class holders are required to book their seats, as non-reserved seats in Shinkansen are only available for ordinary class.
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For a limited time only, you can buy a Japan Rail Pass from certain train stations and airports in Japan. Travelers should be aware it is more expensive to buy a JR Pass in Japan than to purchase the pass online.
If you are traveling to multiple cities in Japan and plan on using the bullet train (Shinkansen) or other long-distance trains (local, express or limited-express trains), then the JR Pass can be a cost-effective option.
The JAPAN RAIL PASS is not valid for any seats, reserved or non-reserved, on “NOZOMI” and “MIZUHO” trains on the Tokaido, Sanyo and Kyushu Shinkansen lines. (The pass holders must take “HIKARI,” “SAKURA,” “KODAMA,” or “TSUBAME” trains.)
With your Japan Rail PassThe cities of Tokyo and Kyoto are linked to each other by the JR Tokaido Shinkansen Line. A one-way trip from Tokyo Station to Kyoto Station on a Hikari or Kodama train costs 13,080 yen (unreserved seat) or 13,800 yen (reserved seat), but is completely free with a JR Pass.
Shinkansen, limited express trains, and express trains have reserved Green car seats, reserved standard car seats, and non-reserved seats. Some trains do not have non-reserved seats (all seats are reserved).
Note that for the Shinkansen, you need a “super (limited) express” ticket in addition to the basic fare ticket for that route (we sell these as a set). Do Shinkansen tickets sell out? Yes, especially for weekend travel and during peak seasons, Shinkansen services can be fully booked.
Skipping seat selection doesn't mean you won't get a seat on the flight. You might get stuck in the middle seat if you don't pay for one. Even if seat selection is free, you might want to skip it if only lousy seats are available (see the upgrade hack” below).
Some trains might have a stop as brief as 1 minute, while others might stop 5 to 10 minutes due to waiting for other Shinkansen to pass. Regardless, arriving at the platform about 15 minutes before the departure time provides ample mental and physical preparation.
You may get some value from some day type passes, but not from a nationwide rail pass. (if you were going as far a Kyoto, it would be about breakeven for you). A JR pass is of no value if you're only going to be in Tokyo. If you plan to arrive at NRT - http://www.jreast.co.jp/e/suica-nex/ - is a good value.
The Japan Rail (JR) Pass is a deal offered exclusively to foreign visitors traveling in Japan on a tourist visa. It allows you to pretty much take unlimited rides on the JR network throughout Japan.
With the Japan Rail Pass, you can ride on all JR trains, including the Shinjuku Line, without paying additional fares. However, it's important to note that the Japan Rail Pass is not valid on other non-JR train lines, such as private railways or subways.
The JR pass is only worth it if you travel through different cities, if you are just travelling to Tokyo to Kyoto for example, I would just pay on the Suica. You can do the online calculator or just use google to calculate which trip is easier - paying individually on Suica or getting a JR Pass.