How to Ride the Shinkansen Like a Pro

In recent years, there have also been some important updates—such as new restrictions on bringing oversized luggage onboard, and the removal of non-reserved seating on certain trains during busy times.
These changes can catch travelers by surprise, but with a little planning, you can avoid last-minute stress and enjoy a smooth journey. In this post, we’ll walk you through what’s new, how to reserve seats, and a few tips to help you make the most of your Shinkansen experience.

What is the Shinkansen?

Japan’s Shinkansen is one of the fastest and most reliable ways to travel across the country. It connects major cities with sleek trains that glide through the landscape at incredible speeds. With frequent departures, comfortable seating, and a smooth ride, it’s perfect for both locals and visitors.
Whether you're heading to Tokyo, Kyoto, or beyond, riding the Shinkansen is a must-do Japan experience!

Why We Recommend the Nozomi?

Among all Shinkansen services, the Nozomi stands out as the fastest and most convenient option. It runs on the Tokaido and Sanyo lines, stopping only at major cities like Tokyo, Nagoya, Kyoto, Osaka, and Hakata—perfect for travelers on a tight schedule.

Because it skips many of the smaller stops, it gets you to your destination quicker than any other train. If you want to save time and travel in comfort, Nozomi is the best choice.

Understanding how the seat numbers work makes navigating the Nozomi even easier, especially for first-time riders. Here's a quick guide to help you find your seat like a pro!

What Car Number?

• For Nozomi trains, there are cars 1 through 16.

• Cars 1-2 are for Unreserved Seats (Jiyu Seki). *During the peak travel period, all train seats require reservations.

• Cars 8-10 are for Green Car seats (Green Seki), which is first class for Shinkansen.

• All other cars (3-7 and 11-16) are for Reserved Seats (Shitei Seki).

• Car 7 is sometimes designated as an 'S Work Seat' car, offering reserved seats on certain Nozomi designed for business travelers who need a quiet space to work.

• Direction: Car 1 is located towards the Hakata end of the train, and Car 16 is towards the Tokyo end.

What Row Number?

• The number indicates how many rows you are from the front of that particular car section.

• For Unreserved and Reserved Standard Seats on Nozomi trains, rows are numbered 1 through 20.

• For Green Car seats, rows are numbered 1 through 16.

• Direction: Row 1 is always towards the Hakata end of the car, while the highest numbered rows (20 in standard cars, 16 in Green Cars) are towards the Tokyo end.

What Seat Letter?

• The letter indicates your specific seat position within the row.

• Unreserved and Reserved Standard Seats: These cars typically have a 3-and-2 seating configuration (5 seats across the width of the car).
  Looking down the car from the front: On one side are seats A (Window), B (Middle), and C (Aisle).
  Across the aisle are seats D (Aisle) and E (Window).

• Green Car Seats: These cars have a more spacious 2-and-2 seating configuration (4 seats across).
  Looking down the car from the front: On one side are seats A (Window) and B (Aisle).
  Across the aisle are seats C (Aisle) and D (Window).

Reservations for Seats with an Oversized Baggage Area

Starting from July 1, 2025 (Tue), the "Oversized baggage compartment" offered on some decks will be made available as a luggage storage area that can be used without prior reservation on a trial basis.
Passengers carrying oversized baggage (overall dimensions of more than 160 cm) will be required to reserve a “Seats with an oversized baggage area”.

During peak travel periods, all seats on Nozomi trains are reservation-only due to anticipated high demand.

• Golden Week (April 25 - May 6, 2025):
  A long weekend with national holidays, attracting many travelers.

• Obon (August 8-17, 2025):
  A Buddhist holiday where people traditionally return home to visit their families.

• Year-end/New Year holidays (December 26, 2025 - January 4, 2026):
  A period of extended holidays at the end of the year and beginning of the next, causing a surge in travel.

Enhance Your Trip: Exclusive Shinkansen Ticket Service for Amnet Package Customers

When you book a Package Tour with us, we can reserve your Shinkansen tickets in advance and even deliver them to your hotel in Tokyo - so you can relax and focus on enjoying your trip!

• Delivery is available to hotels in the Tokyo metropolitan area.

• Staying elsewhere? Shipping options for other areas are available upon request - Please ask!

• Leave the complicated bookings and itinerary planning to us!

A Few Things to Note:

• We do not offer train ticket arrangements only - this service is part of our Custom Tours.

• Please submit your request at least about one month before your travel date.

• We’ll do our best, but specific trains or seats may not always be available.

• Ticket arrangements are available for select train lines only. Please contact us for more details.

Make your Japan adventure easy and worry-free, leave the train ticket planning to us!
With Amnet, all you need to do is sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride!