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One of the first things anyone traveling around Tokyo should do is to pick up a Suica<\/i> or Pasmo<\/i> transit card. The main advantage being that it speeds entering and exiting the fare gates, and gives a small discount since all transit agencies round up their cash fares to avoid using \u00a51 and \u00a55 coins; you pay the exact fares when using IC cards.<\/p>\n
The second advantage is being able to use the stored fare<\/i> e-money function as cash in tons of places like convenience stores, fast food restaurants, shopping malls, vending machines,\u00a0and video game arcades. Among all these places you can use transport IC cards, one place that always perplexed me that you were not able to use them was to board Shinkansen \u201cbullet trains\u201d\u2026 Strange right? As it turns out, that gaping hole is semi-patched, but not 100% so I\u2019ll need to explain how it works so you can see if you want to take advantage of it.<\/p>\nTokaido and Sanyo Shinkansen<\/h3>\n
These JR-Central and JR-West trains travel the heavily used route between Tokyo and Fukuoka with all stops including Yokohama, Nagoya, Kyoto, Osaka, Kobe and Hiroshima in between. In the past, I have tried everything from discount ticket shops, 7-Eleven, to JR Travel Centers at many large stations, but the easiest way I’ve found is using the Smart EX<\/a> website and app to attach the ticket to my Suica card. In my case, I use the Mobile Suica on my iPhone and Apple Watch, but you can use any JR company issued IC card where the Tokaido Shinkansen travels (Suica, Toica, ICOCA, and Sugoica.) You can also use the service to book for others or when traveling in a group of 2~6 people but you\u2019ll need to pick up paper tickets at a ticket vending machine [TVM] prior to boarding.)<\/p>\n You simply tap the gates, and board the Shinkansen like a regular train; no app or website stuff necessary at this time. Because of the current limits, you may only use Non-Reserved Seating (first-come-first-serve). However JR-East says it will be expanding the service to all stations in 2019, and of course, I will update this article when that happens.<\/p>\n \u2014 By Jason L. Gatewood<\/a><\/p>\n Images: Tokaido Sanyo Shinkansen Reservation App<\/a><\/p>\n\n
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Reserve:<\/u><\/b> When it\u2019s time to buy a ticket, open the app and log in, then step through the search parameters to find a train time and seat that meet your needs and purchase the ticket through the app. (Your registered credit card will be charged, NOT your transport IC!) More info can be found here<\/a> on how to reserve.<\/li>\nKanazawa, Joetsu and Tohoku Shinkansen<\/h3>\n
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These operate a little bit differently since they\u2019re run by JR-East. Using the service name \u201cTouch and Go Shinkansen<\/a>” you use the in-station TVM itself to register your transport IC card for the service. The service area is smaller since the maximum fare is limited to \u00a55,150 one-way. That means from Tokyo, you can only make it as far as Gunma or Tochigi prefectures. This is only designed to make it easier for frequent users to and from those areas. It’s a shame though because unlike the Tokaido Shinkansen scheme, it depends solely on the stored fare e-money on the IC card and not a separate credit card.<\/p>\n\n
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