There are nine shinkansen lines in Japan, that together cover the islands of Hokkaido, Honshu and Kyushu. This means you can travel north from Tokyo all the way up to Hakodate on Hokkaido, or west past Osaka and Hiroshima to Kagoshima.

While Japan's Shinkansen (bullet train) network is world-class, it does not go everywhere. As of 2026, the high-speed lines primarily connect major hubs on the main island of Honshu (like Tokyo, Osaka, and Hiroshima) and extend into Kyushu (Fukuoka, Kagoshima) and southern Hokkaido (Hakodate). Many popular tourist destinations—such as the Japanese Alps (Takayama), the spiritual forests of Mount Koya, and the entirety of Shikoku island—are not served by the Shinkansen. To reach these areas, you must transfer to the "Limited Express" or local trains, which are slower but offer extensive coverage. Additionally, the Chuo Shinkansen (Maglev) is currently under construction to eventually link Tokyo and Nagoya at even higher speeds. For travelers, this means a "Japan Rail Pass" is still essential, as it covers both the high-speed bullet trains and the vital local "feeder" lines that reach the more remote and scenic parts of the country.