How far in advance can I book train tickets?
You can book train tickets in Japan between 9 months prior to your train's departure date and 3 days before departure.
Is there a special train ticket fare for children?
Yes, there are special fares applicable for children. Ages 12 and up are considered adults, but kids aged from 6 to 11 benefit from a reduced fare. Children under the age of 6 travel for free. This free fare is limited to 2 tickets, meaning any additional child under 6 will then pay the classic child fare.
Where to exchange your train tickets in Japan depending on region
In the JR West area (blue), you can exchange your QR code for a physical train ticket at reserved seat ticket machines in stations, or at Midori-no-Madoguchi ticket windows with station staff. In the JR Central area (orange), you can exchange your QR code at reserved seat ticket vending machines at indicated stations. In the JR East area (green), you can exchange your train tickets at Shinkansen stations, major stations in the Tokyo metropolitan area, and Narita Airport stations.
How to use your train tickets in Japan
To use your train tickets once you have exchanged them, simply head to Takayama Station, insert your train ticket into the automatic gates (don't forget to take it back), and head to the right platform to hop on your train. On board the train, find the seat number that is on your ticket if you have a seat reservation, and enjoy the ride! Once you've arrived in Nagoya, insert the ticket again at the gates upon exiting Nagoya Station, and then transfer to the Shinkansen out to Tokyo Station, inserting the proper ticket. Upon arriving at Tokyo Station, insert your ticket into the ticket gates again to exit.
Modification and Cancellation
Order cancellation
Customers have up to 3 working days prior to their departure date to cancel their train ticket orders as long as they have not scanned the corresponding QR code and exchanged for their physical train tickets. A 15% cancellation fee will be charged, and the QR code will be instantly deactivated upon order cancellation.
For train ticket orders that have already had the corresponding QR code scanned and where the tickets have been received, orders may be canceled at JR Station offices, where a refund will be issued with a 5%-10% cancellation fee, depending on the station and office. This refund will be made in cash in Japanese yen.
Past the day and time of departure, refunds cannot be issued, regardless if the corresponding QR code has been used or not, and regardless if customers have received their physical tickets or not.
Order modification
Japan Experience allows for one modification request of date and/or time of departure (changes to destination or route are not possible*). Modifications to the date and/or time of departure are only possible under the following conditions:
-The corresponding QR code has not been used.
-It is NOT within three days of the departure date.
You will then be sent a new QR code to use at JR stations to exchange for your new tickets.
Any modification requests after the first change or changes to the departing and/or arrival station will require that the order be canceled and then re-ordered with the new travel information.
For those wishing to make modifications to the date/time of their train trip after using the sent QR code and receiving their tickets, this can be done at JR offices at JR stations up to 10 minutes prior to departure. In the case of a change in arrival station, such a change can only be accommodated if said station is on the same Shinkansen train route (i.e. a route change from Tokyo>Kyoto can be changed to Tokyo>Shin-Osaka but not to Tokyo>Kanazawa). The difference in fare will be paid at the JR office.
In the case of a missed train departure, those holding tickets for Kodama Shinkansen bullet trains on the Tokaido-Sanyo Line are able to board Nozomi, Hikari, and other Kodama trains on the same day, from the same station, to the same destination, for use on non-reserved train cars.
If a Shinkansen bullet train does not have any non-reserved train cars (like the Hokuriku Shinkansen Kagayaki bullet train) or has no open seats, the train may still be ridden, but passengers will be required to stand during their commute in either the areas between each train car or in aisles between seats, depending on the capacity of the train at that time. Passengers will be required to stand until reaching their destination or until non-reserved train car seats become available for use.
Eligibility
All persons above the age of 12, with no restrictions on residence status or nationality, are eligible to purchase individual train tickets (unlike the Japan Rail Pass and some JR regional passes, for example). Japanese individuals as well as foreigners living in Japan can thus purchase train tickets online. Under the age of 12, the aforementioned child fare conditions apply.
Validity of train tickets
Train tickets issued are only valid for the date and time indicated on your booking and are to be used only on the Takayama to Nagoya then to Tokyo route.