The bullet train is a Japanese cultural phenomenon that is only going to grow in the public imagination now that Hollywood has had Brad Pitt and Bad Bunny shooting it out on one of them in the 2022 crime comedy of the same name. Bullet trains are fast, reliable and, to the second, punctual.
Bullet Train Dos and Don’ts
A first piece of advice would be that you don’t just rock up to the ticket counter, you need to book ahead. I would suggest the official sites JR East, JR West (JR = Japan Railways), or smartEX, though there are also reliable travel agents such as Klook. If you are taking one straight from the airport then make sure you check which station it leaves from. Most leave from Tokyo Station, but some depart from Shinagawa (I pre-bought a Narita Airport to Tokyo Station then found out I needed to be in Shinagawa—that was my mistake, avoid it!).
If you operate on the ‘when in Rome’ principal, then you should consider getting a bento box for your meal, or to snack on. It is a Japanese packed lunch and some, those called ekiben, even self-heat when you open them. I got a separate rice bun with a filling that was wrapped in seaweed paper, and for the box itself, chicken in teriyaki sauce with rice, soya, a mushroom and pickled greens and ginger. Both were great. The bento box comes with disposable chopsticks.
As part of the pre-booking, as I was coming directly from Narita Airport, I reserved for an oversize piece of luggage. Your hold baggage will count as oversize by bullet train standards and it is important to get it noted on your ticket.
If you are taking the bullet train to the west of Tokyo, for places such as Kyoto, Osaka or Hiroshima, I strongly recommend you reserve a seat on the right-hand side (on the left if coming in the opposite direction). This way, if the weather obliges (and it didn’t for me), you will get pleasant views of Mount Fuji. If you do not book in advance, there are a limited number of non-reserved seats available.
Boarding the Bullet Train
There was one piece of confusion. When I boarded, in my car there was a poster saying that row one was the baggage area, so I put my hold luggage there and sat in my reserved seat in row two. At the nest stop two men got on and saw, to their horror, my baggage in row one where their reserved seats were. Quite rightly, they called the attendant, who, very politely, using a translation programme on his phone, informed me that I had to move it. I apologised and did so.
The space is sufficiently generous that it fitted between my knees and the seat in front of me for the rest of my journey, though there was an announcement repeated occasionally saying that the oversized baggage area was next to the wash basin, not that I could see a wash basin, or ever found out where it was.
Riding the Bullet Train
Most of the time there is free Internet, though you may get knocked off and need to go back in. There are charging points, the frequency of them depends on how modern the train is. There are toilets. The first class area is called the Green Car.
The attendants on my train stopped at the door and bowed as they entered and left the car. The signage and announcements in the station and on the train are clear and in Japanese and English, so it is easy to find your platform and know when to get off. Nevertheless, you have to be sharp. The stops are less than two minutes, so you need to be ready to get on or off when the train stops.
The whole train is in silent mode, so you don’t get bothered by the irritating sound effects of your neighbour’s video game. Better still, it is completely non-smoking. But, the one thing it truly lacks is the high technology British Rail trolley bringing hot drinks, chocolates and sandwiches.
A great railway experience. I was in Tokyo choosing my bento box, then two hours and five minutes later in Kyoto. It competes effectively with internal flights when you add in the queues and waiting times at airports, furthermore it is much more comfortable and environmentally friendly. If my editor sends me to Japan again, I will definitely be covering long distances by bullet train.
Japan Bullet Train Booking
For the Japan Bullet Train price or if you wish to purchase a Japan rail pass click here.
Bullet Train Speed
The Bullet Train of Japan reaches speeds in excess if 200mph.
