New Luggage Reservation Rules for the Shinkansen

The Shinkansen (新幹線) bullet train is seen as Japan’s most archetypal form of express travel, allowing commuters to traverse the country via high-speed rail. The Shinkansen bullet train is a commonplace form of transportation with rail services to and from major cities such as Tokyo and Kyoto, along with lesser-known destinations through the medley of different lines. Thanks to the Shinkansen bullet train, a trip from one end of Japan to the other can be done within a day, an unimaginable feat from decades ago. Nowadays, travelers are able to depart from a nearby station rather than an airport, and the process is made even easier and more affordable with the Japan Rail Pass.

Of course, as a major means of cross-country travel, commuters will often need to bring luggage, but in terms of storage options and regulations, it’s important to be fully caught up!

• What luggage can be brought onto the Shinkansen?
• What is oversized luggage?
• How do I reserve a seat for the Shinkansen?

What luggage can I bring onto the Shinkansen?

In general, passengers on the Shinkansen bullet train are allowed to bring 2 pieces of luggage each (excluding personal items like bags and backpacks). For a vast majority of these travelers, the overhead storage and space around seats will suffice. However, for travelers with suitcases with total dimensions (H x L x W) that exceed 160 cm, either the oversized baggage compartment or oversized baggage area must be used. No luggage exceeding 250 cm in total dimensions is allowed to be brought onto the

• Oversized Baggage Area: Located behind the rear seats of Shinkansen bullet train cars and requires a reservation to use, with the reservation for the seat grouped in.
• Oversized Baggage Compartment: Located between Shinkansen train cars by the washroom. These are dedicated luggage storage spots but operate on a first-come-first-served basis. 

As previously mentioned, a vast majority of travelers will not be bringing oversized luggage onto the Shinkansen, so the overhead compartment and area around the seat will often suffice, but it’s important to confirm the dimensions of the luggage you are bringing on and understand which storage option is best for you.

What is considered oversized baggage?

Note that there are exceptions to this rule that do not require reservation prior to being brought onto the bullet train, even if they do measure between 161 cm and 250 cm in total dimensions. This includes sports equipment (such as bikes), musical instruments in cases, and baby strollers. However, if one wishes to use the oversized baggage area for any of these items, a reservation is required.

How do I reserve seats on the shinkansen? 

If you've made the purchase of a JR Pass and have already made the exchange of your voucher, please visit a JR Ticket Office in order to reserve specific seats on the Shinkansen. When talking to the JR Ticket Office agent, you'll be required to show your JR Pass and then specify that you have oversized luggage to bring on, and they will accommodate your seat reservation so that it is located next to the oversized baggage area and that the baggage area is there for you to use. You will also be asked to choose from the different cars that can be ridden on the Shinkansen, including the general-access ordinary cars, the Green Cars, or the Gran Class Cars if available. The availability of cars largely depends on destination, so commonly ridden trains (i.e. ones to and from Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Fukuoka, etc.) will have different options, but note that the large crowds they garner from tourists and traveling businesspeople alike make them more prone to early reservations.

Take the time to research your routes leading up to the days prior to your departure. In contrast to a few years ago, reservations for travelers with JR Passes can also be made online at the official Japan Rail Pass Reservation website along with at the automated ticket vending machines.The default language for these machines is Japanese, but there are a number of other languages that these machines can be operated in. If you are having issues at one of these machines, station staff will be glad to guide you in order to find the correct tickets. Travelers aren't required to show their JR Pass to station attendants as they had to a few years ago, and instead, they'll insert their pass before entering the gates to the train line. 

If you are not using a JR Pass, or have not made the exchange of your voucher yet, individual tickets with reserved seats can also be purchased at any given JR Ticket Office (major stations like Tokyo Station, Shinjuku Station, Kyoto Station, and Osaka Station, and the number of stations that operate lines to-and-from the airport will often have JR Ticket Offices), at the automated ticket machines at JR Stations, and are available on our website to book ahead of time and exchange using a QR code we send. 

If you wish to buy reserved seats for your desired bullet train, be sure to select “Seat with an oversized baggage area.” Entry passes with train and seat information will be printed out for you to enter through the ticket gates. Station attendants can also guide travelers to their seats in case they get lost using the information on these passes as well. These individual passes can also be reserved online. The reservation website depends on which Shinkansen is being ridden and the managing organization. Travelers can buy tickets for these trains one month in advance of the day and time of departure. Prior to this departure, tickets can be exchanged or altered, though one should note that an exchange to a more expensive ticket will require a payment in the difference price, but an exchange to a cheaper ticket will result in a refund for the difference.

Reserved seating with oversized luggage with Japan Experience 

For those who have booked their tickets through Japan Experience, you will need to select and reserve your tickets on our website as usual. However, upon exchanging for the tickets using the QR code at the machine at the station, you will need to make a modification at the machine. The process, after initially receiving physical tickets with the QR code, is as follows:

1. After receiving your train tickets from the machine using the QR code, back on the home screen, press "Seat reservation with coupon ticket/Change of Reserved Seat."
2. Press "Change reserved seat (today)."
3. Insert the previously received ticket(s) into the designated slot on the machine.
4. Once all the desired tickets for a reservation change are inserted (up to 4 at one time), press "All tickets inserted" once prompted.
5. Press "Do not change section," and find the corresponding train information for the reserved tickets. (This will be searchable by departure time).
6. Choose either "Purchase seat with oversized baggage area" or "Purchase seat with oversized baggage compartment" depending on preference and availability.
7. Choose from further seat details.
8. Collect your new tickets. 

Can I book seats for oversized baggage on the Kodama Train?

The Kodama Train on the Tokaido Shinkansen runs between Tokyo and Shin-Osaka and caters largely to Japanese commuters rather than people traveling for leisure, much like the many express lines that operate throughout the country, so typically, all the ordinary cars for this train are non-reserved in order to accommodate those traveling more frequently who wish for a more streamlined process. But in regard to the new policies, one car on many Kodama trains will have reserved seats and a section for passengers with larger baggage. However, this is not the case for all Kodama trains, so be sure to check the Sanyo Shinkansen and Kyushu Shinkansen websites to confirm. For these trains, note that it may be necessary to book a seat in the more luxury-level and spacious Green Car in order to accommodate large suitcases, as opposed to the more plentiful and accessible ordinary cars.

What if I need help with boarding and getting off the train?

Naturally, with oversized baggage, boarding the Shinkansen, disembarking the Shinkansen, and general movement become a bit more hindered. In principle, the new policies in regard to oversized baggage were designed to further ease travel for riders, so bullet train and station staff will do everything in their power to promote an easier flow when traveling and guide you throughout the process. If your large baggage is difficult to bring onto the train and/or put into the designated area on your own, alert train or station staff, who will assist you with handling your luggage, though staff will have other duties to tend to while the train is operating, so there may be a need to wait if staff are busy.

What if I board without making a reservation?

If you board the Shinkansen with oversized baggage, be sure to first check if there is available space in the oversized baggage compartment. If it is full, when the train attendant comes by to confirm passenger tickets, passengers will be asked to purchase new train tickets and exchange their seats for an oversized baggage seat and pay a 1000 yen fee. In order to avoid the hassle and additional purchase costs, it is advised to reserve seats prior to boarding or be quick to use the oversized baggage compartment.