Tokyo to Kyoto and Osaka by Shinkansen: how to do it

Nozomi or Hikari?

Approximate times from Tokyo Station. Nozomi call at Shinagawa, Shin-Yokohama, Nagoya and Kyoto; Hikari add stops such as Odawara, Shizuoka or Hamamatsu; the Kodama stops everywhere and is far slower, so it is only for stations in between. Times from JR Central’s westbound timetable from 14 March 2026, for example Nozomi 1 (Tokyo 6:00, Kyoto 8:09, Shin-Osaka 8:22) and Hikari 631 (Tokyo 6:21, Kyoto 9:08, Shin-Osaka 9:21). Stops vary by train. All cars are non-smoking. On the newer N700S trains every seat has a power outlet; on N700A trains, window seats and the end rows of ordinary cars have one.

• Osaka means Shin-Osaka. The Shinkansen stops at Shin-Osaka, not Osaka (Umeda) station; change to a JR local train for the short hop into the city.
• Peak days: Nozomi are all-reserved. On 21–23 November 2026, 25 December 2026–5 January 2027, 9–11 January 2027 and 20–22 March 2027, every Nozomi seat is reserved. A non-reserved ticket still lets you ride, standing, except in the Green Cars (cars 8–10). Book early for those dates.
• Want more? JR Central’s new Supreme Class (from 1 October 2026, booked only on smartEX) costs from ¥42,390 one way Tokyo–Shin-Osaka for the single seat in car 10 (regular season).

Buying tickets: smartEX, machines or counters

smartEX takes payment in yen with 3-D Secure, and you can change a booking as often as you like before departure.

• Cheaper ahead: on smartEX, “EX Hayatoku 21” gives a discount on reserved Nozomi seats booked from one month to 21 days before (by 23:30). Seats are limited, it cannot be changed (only refunded, for ¥320), and it is not sold in busy periods such as Golden Week, Obon and New Year.
• Things to know: the cardholder must be 18 or over, and a foreign transaction fee may apply. smartEX says bookings can open up to a year ahead for some fares. Cancelling costs a fee.
• Paper tickets booked on smartEX can be picked up at ticket machines at JR Central, JR West and JR Kyushu stations, and at some JR East machines in central Tokyo.
• Visitor IC cards (such as Welcome Suica) are valid for 28 days; if yours expires mid-trip, the gate will reject it, so use a QR-Ticket instead. More in our IC card guide.

At the station

1. Find the Tokaido Shinkansen gates at Tokyo Station (JR Central has station maps), or board at Shinagawa, which Nozomi also call at.
2. Go through the gate. With a QR-Ticket, use a gate with the QR mark and take the “Seat Information” slip it prints. With paper tickets, insert them all together and take them back: you need them on board and to exit. Coming from a JR local line, put your local ticket in together with the Shinkansen tickets at the transfer gate.
3. Find your car: your ticket shows the car and seat number, and the platform shows where each car stops.

Big suitcases: the oversized baggage rule

From JR Central’s luggage page. Book the oversized baggage seat at a ticket office, a reserved-seat machine or online (smartEX, JR-WEST ONLINE TRAIN RESERVATION or JR-KYUSHU), and with a JR Pass at a ticket office or through JAPAN RAIL PASS Reservation. The space behind the last row is shared by five seats. Non-reserved cars have no such seats. Some decks also have an oversized baggage compartment (being trialled without reservations) that you lock with an IC card. Simplest of all is to send big bags ahead: see luggage storage and forwarding.

Mt Fuji: which side to sit

• Going west (Tokyo → Kyoto/Osaka): the right-hand side. JR Central puts Sagami Bay on the left and Mt Fuji on the right. In an ordinary car (3 + 2 seats) that is the two-seat side, so pick seat E, the window; in the Green Car (2 + 2), seat D.
• Coming back: the left-hand side, so seat A.
• Where: JNTO says the best views are between Mishima and Shizuoka, around Shin-Fuji, with glimpses earlier. On a Nozomi this comes roughly 40 minutes to an hour after Tokyo (approximate).
• When: clear winter days are the most reliable, according to JNTO.

Seat letters are from the cars’ seat maps, not from JR Central’s Fuji page; check the map when you pick a seat on smartEX. Going to Fuji itself? See Mt Fuji and Hakone from Tokyo.

Ekiben: a station bento for the ride

Eating your own food on the Shinkansen is normal; JR Central calls a bento on the train almost the main event. At Tokyo Station, Ekibenya Matsuri sells ekiben (station bento) from all over Japan. It is inside the JR ticket gates, on the 1st floor of the central passage in Gransta Tokyo, and opens every day from 5:30 to 22:00. Buy it before you go through the Shinkansen transfer gate. For quiet-car manners, see Japanese etiquette.

With a JR Pass

• Hikari and Kodama are covered, seat reservations included: book them at a ticket office or through JAPAN RAIL PASS Reservation.
• Nozomi needs the “NOZOMI MIZUHO Ticket”: ¥4,960 each way between Tokyo and Kyoto or Shin-Osaka, on top of the pass.
• Is the pass worth it for this trip? A 7-day pass is ¥50,000; a Tokyo ⇄ Shin-Osaka round trip on smartEX is ¥29,040. The pass only pays off if you add more long rides, such as Hiroshima. Add yours up in the JR Pass checker, or compare regional passes.

Quick answers

How long is the Shinkansen from Tokyo to Kyoto and Osaka?

On a Nozomi, about 2 hours 10 minutes to Kyoto and about 2 hours 20–30 minutes to Shin-Osaka (JR Central’s March 2026 timetable; JR Central rounds Kyoto to “about 130 minutes”). A Hikari takes roughly 30 minutes longer because it makes more stops.

How much is the Shinkansen from Tokyo to Kyoto or Osaka?

On smartEX, a reserved seat on a Nozomi costs ¥13,970 to Kyoto and ¥14,520 to Shin-Osaka (adult, one way, regular season). JR Central says smartEX is always cheaper than paper tickets, and “EX Hayatoku 21”, booked at least 21 days ahead, is cheaper still on many Nozomi.

Should I take the Nozomi or the Hikari?

Take the Nozomi if you pay for your ticket: it is the fastest and runs most often. Take the Hikari if you have a Japan Rail Pass and do not want to pay the Nozomi special ticket, or if you want a stop such as Odawara or Shizuoka.

Which side is Mt Fuji on the Shinkansen?

The right-hand side going from Tokyo to Kyoto and Osaka, and the left-hand side coming back. In an ordinary car that is the two-seat side, so book seat E going west (seat A coming back); in the Green Car, seat D going west. The view is best between Mishima and Shizuoka, around Shin-Fuji, and clearest in winter.

Do I need to reserve a seat for a big suitcase?

Yes, if its length + width + height is 161–250 cm. Book a “seat with an oversized baggage area” (the last row of the car) when you buy your ticket; it costs the same as a normal reserved seat. Without one, JR Central charges a ¥1,000 baggage fee. Bags up to 160 cm go on the rack or at your feet; over 250 cm is not allowed.

Can I use the JR Pass on the Nozomi?

Only with the “NOZOMI MIZUHO Ticket”, an extra ticket sold to pass holders: ¥4,960 each way between Tokyo and Kyoto or Shin-Osaka. Without it, the pass covers the Hikari and Kodama, including seat reservations. A 7-day pass costs ¥50,000, more than a Tokyo–Osaka round trip at ¥29,040.

Arriving at Narita or Haneda first? See airport to city and stay near Tokyo Station or Shinagawa (where to stay in Tokyo). Once you are in Kansai, plan two or three days in Kyoto, Kyoto and Nara day trips and Osaka in one or two days, or carry on to Hiroshima and Fukuoka and Kyushu, with day trips from Hakata to Nagasaki, Beppu and Yufuin. Every Nozomi stops at Nagoya, which makes an easy half-day stopover. The trip planner reminds you when Shinkansen seats go on sale.

Sources

Checked against these pages on 24 October 2026. Official pages take precedence over this summary.

1. JR Central: How to buy Shinkansen tickets: ticket offices and machines with English menus
   Railway operator (Tokaido Shinkansen).
2. JR Central: How to use your tickets: Shinkansen gates and transfer gates
   Railway operator.
3. smartEX (JR Central, JR West, JR Kyushu): How smartEX works: registration, credit card, QR-Ticket or IC card, changes
   Official booking service.
4. JR Central: Booking the Tokaido Shinkansen online (smartEX): from one year ahead, up to 6 people, changes
   Railway operator.
5. smartEX: Boarding with a QR-Ticket
   Official booking service.
6. smartEX: Where to pick up paper tickets
   Official booking service.
7. JR Central / JR West (smartEX): smartEX prices, reserved seat in ordinary cars, as of 1 Apr 2025 (PDF)
   Railway operators.
8. smartEX: EX Hayatoku 21: Nozomi discount booked 21 days ahead
   Official booking service.
9. JR Central: Tokaido Shinkansen timetable, westbound (Tokyo → Shin-Osaka), from 14 Mar 2026 (PDF)
   Railway operator.
10. JR Central: Kyoto from Tokyo by Shinkansen in about 130 minutes
    Railway operator.
11. JR Central: All seats on Nozomi are reserved during the major peak periods (dates)
    Railway operator.
12. Central Japan Railway Company (JR Central): Luggage information: oversized baggage on the Shinkansen
    Railway operator.
13. JR Central: Mount Fuji from the Tokaido Shinkansen: Sagami Bay on the left, Mt Fuji on the right
    Railway operator.
14. JNTO: Scenic train journeys: Mt Fuji from the Tokaido Shinkansen
    National tourism organisation.
15. JR Central: Shinkansen facilities: power outlets, Wi-Fi, seats
    Railway operator.
16. JR Central: Supreme Class on the Tokaido Shinkansen (from 1 Oct 2026, smartEX only)
    Railway operator.
17. JR East Cross Station: Ekibenya Matsuri, Gransta Tokyo (inside the gates, 1F central passage): hours (Japanese)
    Station retail operator (JR East group).
18. Gransta (Tokyo Station): Ekibenya Matsuri shop page (Japanese)
    Station mall.
19. JAPAN RAIL PASS (JR Group): Use of NOZOMI/MIZUHO trains: special ticket prices
    Official JR Group site.
20. JAPAN RAIL PASS (JR Group): Types and prices
    Official JR Group site.

General information. Fares, timetables and rules change; JR Central and smartEX are always right. JapanBenri is not affiliated with any railway.