Japan Shinkansen

High-Speed Rail · JR Group

8 lines · 102 stations · 7 interchanges

Every line drawn through its stations. Tap a line in the legend to hide or show it.

Lines

Service information checked . Check the operator before travel because schedules can change at short notice.

Mike’s notes

Japan’s dedicated high-speed network is divided among several JR companies, but the corridors connect at Tokyo, Shin-Osaka, Hakata, Omiya, Takasaki, and Shin-Aomori. A train name describes the stopping pattern, while the line name describes the railway corridor.

Tickets and access

Buy a Shinkansen ticket for the base fare and limited-express portion, then add a seat reservation when the train requires one. IC cards alone do not work for every intercity trip. SmartEX covers the Tokaido, Sanyo, and Kyushu corridors, while the eastern lines use JR East reservation products.

Major stations have elevators, accessible toilets, and staff boarding assistance. Reserve wheelchair space through the operating JR company when the trip needs it.

Sources: JR Central, JR East, and MLIT National Land Numerical Information.