Fare, one way
| Ticket | Tokyo to Kyoto |
|---|---|
| Ordinary reserved, adult | JPY 14,170 |
| Ordinary reserved, child (6 to 11) | about JPY 7,080 |
| Green car, adult | JPY 19,040 |
| Green car, child (6 to 11) | JPY 12,220 |
Adult ordinary fare checked 2026-10-13 for the Nozomi (reserved). Green fares checked 2026-10-13. 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: Nozomi 293, 21:24 to 23:31, 2 h 07 min (source: JR East timetable (train pages from Tokyo, October 2026, weekdays), read 2026-10-21)
- A morning example: Nozomi 1, 06:00 to 08:09, 2 h 09 min (source: JR Central timetable, Tokaido-Sanyo-Kyushu Shinkansen, from 2026-03-14 (PDF), read 2026-10-21)
- Covered by the JR Pass: Hikari 661, 19:30 to 22:04, 2 h 34 min (source: JR East timetable (train pages from Tokyo, October 2026, weekdays), read 2026-10-21)
Trains on the Tokaido Shinkansen (JR Central): Nozomi, Hikari, Kodama. Times are for Tokyo to Kyoto; the trip back uses the same trains in the other direction, with slightly different timings, so check the timetable for the day you travel.
Kyoto to Tokyo
Going the other way costs the same: JPY 14,170 for an adult reserved seat and JPY 19,040 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?
Hikari and Kodama are covered; Nozomi needs the separate special ticket. The Nozomi special ticket for this section costs JPY 4,960 for an ordinary reserved or Green seat (JR Central, checked 2026-10-13).
Whether the pass is worth it depends on the whole trip. Open the JR Pass calculator with Tokyo to Kyoto 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 Central's smartEX sells Tokaido, Sanyo and Kyushu Shinkansen tickets in English and links them to a card or IC card for ticketless boarding; JR West's English site has its own booking for the Sanyo line. JR Pass holders reserve seats free at the machines or offices, or online as the pass site explains.
Big suitcases
On the Tokaido, Sanyo, Kyushu and Nishi-Kyushu Shinkansen, a bag whose three sides add up to more than 160 cm (and up to 250 cm) needs a seat with an oversized baggage area, booked with the ticket at no extra charge. Without that reservation the conductor charges JPY 1,000 and decides where it goes. Bags over 250 cm in total, or over 200 cm long, are not allowed. Each passenger may also bring 2 bags of up to 30 kg. (Source: JR Central, luggage information (oversized baggage), read 2026-10-21.)
With visiting family and several big cases, booking the oversized-baggage seats or sending the cases ahead with luggage forwarding saves a scramble on the platform.
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.