Taking the Shinkansen for the first time? I’ve put together all my tips for taking the bullet train here, and after watching, you’ll be able to ride like a professional!
00:11 Check car numbers and escalators
00:43 Tips for using non-reserved seats
02:06 Reasons why you should reserve seats
02:56 The best seats for people who don’t or can’t walk far
03:09 When reserved seats are as good as first class
04:04 Where to find power outlets
04:27 What kind of luggage is good – and bad
05:30 When to buy drinks and snacks
06:08 When to buy meals to eat on board (ekiben/lunchbox/bento)
06:33 If you miss your train…
Yes, I’m well aware that the thumbnail features a train that you can’t actually ride (Doctor Yellow), but it looks good doesn’t it?
Thumbnail Photo:
https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6177123 by R2d2ki (changes made)
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en
Music:
“Loopster” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
3 Comments
6:35 a note here: if you are taking the Hayabusa, Komachi or Kagayaki Shinkansen, you will have to make another seat reservation because ALL seats on these trains are reserved. Mind you, if you’ve booked a Kagayaki from Tokyo to Nagano you could technically take the Hakutaka (which has non reserved seats) but if you’re heading to/from Hakodate, Aomori or Akita, you’re out of luck. You have to make a seat reservation.
Do you have any questions I didn't answer in the video? Drop me a comment here!
Are there any particular weeks/ months to avoid when using the JR pass? I mean times that are extremely busy with local holidays etc.