The Tokaido Shinkansen is a high-speed “bullet train” rail line operated by JR Central between Tokyo and Shin-Osaka. This is the fastest and most comfortable route to take if you are traveling between Kyoto and other major cities in Japan.
Traveling east from Kyoto you can reach Nagoya in as little as 37 minutes and Tokyo in about 2 hours and 20 minutes. Traveling west you can reach Shin-Osaka Station in as little as 12 minutes. Beyond Shin-Osaka, the line is extended westward by the Sanyo Shinkansen line, which goes to Kobe, Himeji, Hiroshima and as far as Hakata in Kyushu.
This route can be very economical if you have a Japan Rail Pass. However, be aware that two of the fastest shinkansen trains, the Nozomi on the Tokaido line, and the Mizuho on the Sanyo line are not covered by the base Japan Rail Pass. Japan Rail Pass holders can use these trains only by buying a separate “NOZOMI MIZUHO Ticket” before boarding.
Tokaido Shinkansen train at Kyoto Station
Train Services
There are three types of train on the Tokaido Shinkansen line: the Nozomi, Hikari and Kodama. The Nozomi is the most frequent and the fastest train as it travels between Kyoto and Tokyo in about 2 hours and 20 minutes. However, this train is not covered by the Japan Rail Pass unless pass holders buy a separate “NOZOMI MIZUHO Ticket” before boarding. If you wish to use the Japan Rail Pass without this extra ticket, your best choice is the Hikari which takes about two hours and 40 minutes to cover the distance. The Kodama stops at every station en route and so takes about four hours.
Tickets
Shinkansen ticket machines and ticket offices
You can find ticket machines and ticket offices beside all the shinkansen ticket gates. For regular paper tickets, shinkansen travel usually requires a basic fare ticket (乗車券 – joshaken) and a super express ticket (特急券 – tokkyuken). These may be issued separately or in a combined format, depending on how you buy them. If you use paper tickets, insert the required tickets together at the shinkansen gates and keep them safely until the end of your journey. You can see a pictorial English guide to these tickets on the JR Central website.
Travelers can also buy and reserve Tokaido, Sanyo and Kyushu Shinkansen tickets online with the Tokaido Sanyo Kyushu Shinkansen Online Reservation Service, which supports QR-ticket boarding, IC card boarding and ticket pickup, depending on the ticket and setup.
When buying your tickets you will need to decide on your seat preferences. There are two classes of carriage on shinkansen trains: Ordinary and Green Cars. The seats on Ordinary Cars are comfortable enough, but the seats on Green Cars are larger and offer a little more comfort, quiet and leg-room. Naturally, tickets for the Green Cars are more expensive and must be reserved in advance. Also, when purchasing a Japan Rail Pass, you must choose between an Ordinary Pass or a Green Pass.
For ordinary tickets both non-reserved (自由席 – jiyu seki) and reserved seats (指定席 – shitei seki) are available in different carriages. The reserved seats will cost you a little extra. During the major peak periods, all seats on Nozomi trains are reserved, while Hikari and Kodama trains have non-reserved seats as usual. However, during busy periods (particularly national holidays) the non-reserved carriages do fill up, so it may be worth making a reservation to avoid the risk of standing throughout the journey.
Passengers bringing oversized baggage with total dimensions from 161 cm to 250 cm must reserve a seat with an oversized baggage area when buying their ticket. Baggage over 250 cm cannot be brought on board, and travelers without the required reservation may be charged a baggage fee.
To summarize, when buying your tickets you will need to offer the following information:
- The number of travelers.
- The departure station and destination.
- The date and time of travel.
- One-way or return.
- Preferences: Train type, Ordinary or Green Car, Reserved or Non-reserved.
For more details on buying tickets please check the JR Central website.
All aboard!
Discounts
The Japan Rail Pass can be used for Hikari, Kodama and most other JR trains, but Nozomi and Mizuho require the separate “NOZOMI MIZUHO Ticket.” This pass is recommended if you intend to do much long distance travel in Japan as it can offer significant savings, but it is worth comparing the pass price with your planned route. The pass is only available to eligible foreign tourists and can be bought online through the official JAPAN RAIL PASS Reservation site or through overseas JR-designated travel agencies.
Platt Kodama is a ticketless one-way and day-trip plan for Kodama trains sold through JR Central Tours. It can be purchased online from one month before travel until 23:30 on the day before boarding, subject to seat availability and exclusion dates. Fares vary by date and route, so check the official website for details.
A bullet train bound for Tokyo
Popular Hotels near Kyoto Station
Shinkansen Transfers in Kyoto Station
There are multiple entry and exit points for the shinkansen tracks in Kyoto Station and Kyoto Station is very big, so it is very easy to get disorientated. To help your arrival or transfer go smoothly, it might be a good idea to familiarize yourself with the layout of Kyoto Station before you arrive. You can download a free PDF with a detailed map of each floor of the station from the JR West website.
The Shinkansen Central Gate at Kyoto Station
Direct Access:
If you examine the station map, you can see that the gates for the shinkansen tracks are all on the south side of the station. These are the Shinkansen Central Gate, the Shinkansen Hachijo Gate, and the Shinkansen Hachijo East Gate. Passing through these gates you have direct access to the shinkansen tracks.
For ease of orientation the Shinkansen Central Gate is probably the easiest to use. However, if you are arranging to meet someone, please be aware that the Shinkansen Central Gate (also called the新幹線中央口 or Shinkansen Chuo Guchi) is not the same as Kyoto Station’s main Central Gate (also called the中央口 or Chuo Guchi) which is on the north side of the station. It is probably best to confirm before meeting which of these gates you intend to meet at, so that you don’t end up on opposite sides of the station!
Transfers from Regular Platforms:
The Shinkansen East Transfer Gate at Kyoto Station
You can also access the shinkansen tracks from the regular JR West platforms via transfer gates. These are also on the south side of the station, and are the Shinkansen East Transfer Gate and the Shinkansen Central Transfer Gate. If you are arriving at Kyoto Station on a regular JR train line, these are the gates you would use. If you arrive by shinkansen and exit via one of these transfer gates, you will need to use your ticket to exit again through a regular JR ticket gate.
The Shinkansen Central Transfer Gate at Kyoto Station
Also, if you enter Kyoto Station from the north side of the station, it might be quicker to use your basic fare ticket to pass through the regular JR ticket gates first, and then follow the signs for the shinkansen transfer gates. In this case your shinkansen tickets would take you through two sets of gates. Similarly, you can transfer to the shinkansen tracks from the Karasuma Subway Line, via the underground concourse beneath Kyoto Station. Simply pass through the regular JR gates first, and then follow the bilingual signs for the shinkansen transfer gates.
View detailed route maps for both the Tokaido and Sanyo Shinkansen lines.
You can download PDFs of the timetables for the Tokaido Shinkansen from this JR Central page, but to find train times quickly and easily use the JR West Timetable & Route Finder.
Article and original photos by Michael Lambe. All rights reserved. Last updated 16-Jun-2026.
