Fare, one way
| Ticket | Tokyo to Karuizawa |
|---|---|
| Ordinary reserved, adult | JPY 6,130 |
| Ordinary reserved, child (6 to 11) | about JPY 3,060 |
| Green car, adult | JPY 8,400 |
| Green car, child (6 to 11) | JPY 5,590 |
Adult ordinary fare checked 2026-10-14 for the Asama (reserved). Green fares checked 2026-10-14. The child ordinary figure is half the adult fare rounded down to 10 yen, as the JR Pass calculator uses; the exact child fare halves the basic fare and the express charge separately, so it can differ by 10 yen. Children under 6 travel free when they do not use a reserved seat.
How long it takes
- Fastest: Hakutaka 557, 09:32 to 10:32, 1 h 00 min (source: JR East timetable (train pages from Tokyo, October 2026, weekdays), read 2026-10-21)
- On the Asama (the fare above): Asama 655, 10:30 to 11:32, 1 h 02 min (source: JR East timetable (train pages from Tokyo, October 2026, weekdays), read 2026-10-21)
Trains on the Hokuriku Shinkansen (JR East and JR West): Kagayaki, Hakutaka, Asama, Tsurugi. Times are for Tokyo to Karuizawa; the trip back uses the same trains in the other direction, with slightly different timings, so check the timetable for the day you travel.
Karuizawa to Tokyo
Going the other way costs the same: JPY 6,130 for an adult reserved seat and JPY 8,400 in the Green car. Book the return seat at the same time if the dates are fixed, especially at holiday peaks.
Does the JR Pass cover it?
All trains are covered, including Kagayaki (seat reservation required on the Kagayaki).
Whether the pass is worth it depends on the whole trip. Open the JR Pass calculator with Tokyo to Karuizawa already ticked and add the other trips your visitors will take.
How to buy
At JR stations, the reserved-seat ticket machines and the ticket offices sell Shinkansen tickets and seat reservations. Online, JR East's own booking site, JR-EAST Train Reservation, sells tickets for its Shinkansen in English; you collect the tickets at a station machine or use them as the site explains.
Big suitcases
JR Central's oversized-baggage reservation rule covers only the Tokaido, Sanyo, Kyushu, Nishi-Kyushu lines, so it does not apply on this JR East line. Large suitcases still have to fit the overhead rack or the space behind the last row, so for a big case check JR East's own baggage guidance before travelling, or send it ahead with luggage forwarding.
Klook mails a paper exchange order for the nationwide pass, so order early enough for the post to arrive. Confirm prices and coverage on the official pass page first.