hey friends! an update from JR for this SmartEX app: " The “smartEX APP” and “Express Ride App” can be updated from September 16th (Sat.). You will not be able to use the previous version of the “smartEX App” and “Express Ride App” after Saturday, September 16th (Sat). To use the App after Sunday, September 16th (Sat), please make sure to update the App when an update guidance dialogue is displayed at a startup of the App. " Also, from Oct 1 2023, you will be able to book shinkansen tickets 1 year in advance on SmartEX. Please check out their official website for details: smart-ex.jp/en/topics/detail/?id=720
I had the same question and here's the response from @ONE GOOD DREAM... "hi, thank you so much for watching! so i took a commuter train to tokyo station and switched to shinkansen line there. scanning my phone at the gate was to pay for the commuter train (actually i had a suica card in the phone cover so i was actually scanning the suica card). so ticket was for getting on the shinkansen, phone was for getting off the commuter train."
Hi, this is the most informative guide I have seen to date. Thank you so much. I have one question, 10:38 shows inserting the printed ticket followed by tapping the phone on entry. I thought only the printed ticket was required to enter the station?
Hi, thank you so much for watching!🙏 you're right! you only need a ticket (printed or digital) to enter the shinkansen station. however, there are 2 types of gate, a direct gate and a transfer gate. if you enter through a direct gate, you just need the shinkansen ticket at the gate. I was entering the shinkansen station through a transfer gate (from a JR train to a shinkansen) so I need a shinkansen ticket and I also need to pay for the JR train that I was on (the phone tapping was to pay for the JR train). hope this answers your question.. it's confusing :)
Thank you,, very clear step by step. I do have a question,,,, we are a party of 4,, do you know,, if I buy the tickets thru the app, does it provide 4 QR codes? Thanks in advance
Thank you so much for watching!🙏 to print out the tickets at a machine, in our case, we got 1 QR code to print out all tickets for our family at the same time.
This is by far the most informative video I’m seen on the topic of Shinkansen ticket reservations and I’ve watch over a dozen in preparation for my upcoming trip. Thank you so much!
Thank you for sharing this video. I've heard that if you use IC card to go through the gate and you have reserved seat, you have to pick up the seat information ticket at the end of the gate. It this correct? Thank you in advanced for answers.
Thanks! yes, i read that on their website too but it was not the case for us. there was no seat info printed at the gate. but we did received a confirmation email right after we passed the gate.
Ty for all your very informational videos! You are making our travel planning to Japan less stressful! Question: if you use the IC Card and buy tickets for your entire family (6), can we al go through the gate with the tickets on one IC card? Sorry if the question sounds silly.🙈
Hello! I came across your videos and am finding them very informative- thank you! Quick question: @10:40, after you printed the ticket and inserted it, you also scanned your phone - why and what is this step? I assumed the ticket was already purchased, so no additional payment is required. Thanks.
hi, thanks for watching! so i took a commuter train to tokyo station and switched to shinkansen line there. scanning my phone at the gate was to pay for the commuter train (actually i had a suica card in the phone cover so i was actually scanning the suica card). so ticket was for shinkansen, phone was for commuter train.
I bought a shinkansen ticket (combined to my suica card) via Smart Ex. Since its my first time, I get so worry if my IC card not working at the gate on that day... thanks for your video!
Hello, thank you so very much for this very informative and helpful video, and others such as the Japan BULLET TRAIN tips and Japan Rail Pass! Thank you! I have a question for you, please. At 10:38, you insert the Shinkansen paper ticket followed by scanning your IC card (?) on the reader. What does that 2nd step do? Thank you!
hi, thank you so much for watching! so i took a commuter train to tokyo station and switched to shinkansen line there. scanning my phone at the gate was to pay for the commuter train (actually i had a suica card in the phone cover so i was actually scanning the suica card). so ticket was for getting on the shinkansen, phone was for getting off the commuter train.
@@ONEGOODDREAM Sorry, may I ask a couple of more questions, please. Say I have registered my SUICA card, then do I simply scan my SUICA card once to (1) pay for the commuter train, and (2) get on the Shinkansen? Another question... If my SUICA card is my Shinkansen ticket, how do I show my seat reservation without a paper ticket when the conductor asks to see it? Thank you so very much!
thanks for helping out!^^ so when you register your suica card to a shinkansen ticket, you only scan once at the gate, and the card will do (1) and (2) altogether. according to the smartex website, there will be a "seat information" printed out at the other end of the gate. we didn't get any of that "seat info" in our case (and the reason i presume is that we use the app for Japanese). even if you don't have the seat info printed out for you at the gate, you know the seat info via the confirmation email. you can show the suica card and email to the conductor. but you won't be asked by the conductor unless you sit in the wrong seat.
@@ONEGOODDREAM I see! I got it now! Amazing system! :) Thank you so very much for taking the time to answer my questions! Really appreciate it! Looking forward to more videos from your channel! :)
hi, thanks for watching! so i took a commuter train to tokyo station and switched to shinkansen line there. scanning my phone at the gate was to pay for the commuter train (actually i had a suica card in the phone cover so i was actually scanning the suica card). so ticket was for shinkansen, phone was for commuter train.
Hi! no you won't need your credit card when getting the tickets at a machine. You just need to pick up QR code and your SmartEX account password. Thank you so much for watching!🙏
Thank you! per instruction on suica website, it's possible to do so. but unfortunately i'm not so sure how it actually works since i don't use a digital suica..
You do great informative videos. Just one question. If I buy tickets for my family all on my app. What is the process of getting their tickets linked to their IC card on their phone? Is it a simple process? Thanks again 👍🇦🇺
thanks for watching! i showed the process of adding an ic card at 11:22 in the video. you can add up to 5 IC cards to the app, and you can name each card to easily assign a card to a ticket by name. when you open the tickets you bought, there's a option to link it with an ic card and you can choose an ic card from the list of cards that you registered. i should have included that process in my vid :D
Hi Yoko, may i know if the discount for the Hayatoku 21 applies for tickets booked at least 21days in advance or any number of days in advance up to 21 says? Thanks!
Hi, if you buy 1 ticket, you need to book at least 21 days before your departure day to get the discount for Hayatoko 21. If you buy more than 2 tickets, you can get the Family discount, which only needs 3 days advance booking.
Hello again, How do you use the QR code as a ticket I have a QR code for a pick up code only does this mean my family will have to print out tickets at the machine?
Thank you so much for watching! it only allows number of tickets, not round ticket. so there's no option to select round ticket at the moment. to buy the return ticket, you'll have to buy it like a separate ticket.
Hello, and thanks in advance for all the info. Why do you use your shinkansen ticket along with the IC approximation on your iphone at 10:38 ? Wouldn't the ticket alone be enough since it's was already purchased and paid in advance in the app?
Hi, thank you so much for watching!🙏 you're right! you only need a ticket (printed or digital) to enter the shinkansen station. however, there are 2 types of gate, a direct gate and a transfer gate. if you enter through a direct gate, you just need the shinkansen ticket at the gate. I was entering the shinkansen station through a transfer gate (from a JR train to a shinkansen) so I need a shinkansen ticket and I also need to pay for the JR train that I was on (the phone tapping was to pay for the JR train). hope this answers your question.
if you enter through a direct gate, you just need the shinkansen ticket at the gate. I was entering the shinkansen station through a transfer gate (from a JR train to a shinkansen) so I need a shinkansen ticket and I also need to pay for the JR train that I was on (the phone tapping was to pay for the JR train). hope this answers your question.
Your video was great and very informative, thank you! Could you help me with a doubt, please? with the increase in the value of the JRPass maybe I will buy the tickets separately, in this case can I pay for the tickets through this app with Suica or just with a credit card?
thank you so much for watching! the payment through this app is only by credit card. after you buy the ticket, you can link it to a Suica card like we did. the price increase of the jr pass is really... out of words! i hope they won't raise the price of the shinkansen! but the new terms of the pricey jr pass are not clear yet. let's see how they go :)
Hi, as always thank you for another excellent and informative video. If I reserve seats and didn't make it due to flight delays or other unforeseen events, will my ticket be charged?
hi, thanks for watching! in that case, you can change to a later train or cancel your ticket. if you don't do anything your ticket will be charged (actually it's already charged when your reservation is confirmed).
Is there any charges on changing the train? And how soon before the scheduled time can we change. E.g. the Nozomi train leaves every 10 mins. Your videos are so well made. Information is so clear and useful. Thank you so much. It makes life much easier and the trip to Japan so much more enjoyable. 🙏🏻
I have one more question, since we pay the ticket by credit card then why we need to touch with IC card again? I saw in the 1st way you show how to use the ticket..
oh, in the 1st way, i was using the ticket for the shinkansen, and the ic card was to pay for the commuter train i used to get to that shinkansen station. so i paid for 2 tickets differently, twice at the gate. but if i link the shinkansen ticket to my ic card, like in the 3rd, i only touched the ic card once at the gate to pay for both tickets altogether.
@@ONEGOODDREAM Hi, great video. Just one question, I bought the Shinkansen ticket using cash at JR Office and the staff told me it is free to travel from my station (Ueno) to Tokyo Station to catch the Shinkansen to Kyoto Station. So bit confused why still need to pay for the commuter train ride using Suica Card.
Thank you for such an easy video to follow! I had one question... I am going to book tickets using smart-ex for next month, and I have already made an account that is linked to my Suica card (I am returning to japan after visiting in 2018). I am going to make a reservation for myself and one other on my account/Suica card. So when we approach the gate do we scan once and both go through? Or scan twice? I hope that makes sense. :) Thank you!
hi, thank you so much for watching 🙏 so glad it was helpful :) so your case, your friend will need to have a separate Suica card and link it with the ticket you buy. you can multiple cards to the app and link each of the card with one ticket. One person needs 1 card. you can't share 1 card to go through the gate. only scan once for one person at the gate. hope this answers your question :)
@@ONEGOODDREAM Great job on the video. LOVE IT!!!! Just to be clear; If I book 1 trip for 4 people (seat A, B, C, D), then I can link each seat to different IC card? All these activities can be done via SmartEx app? Tapping IC card is very appealing to me and for sure convenience to me without worrying which card/paper ticket I need to print.
@@tonytjangdra2094 hi, you're right. you can buy 4 tickets in one time, and then connect each seat to 1 IC card. and all of these can be done within SmartEx app. then you tap the IC card at the gate to get on the bullet train.
Thanks so much for replying! Does that mean I can buy the two tickets before I go with the one linked IC card. Then when we arrive in Japan and get the second IC card sorted, we can then link it to the SmartEX ticket?
Hello! I was wondering if it is possible to book a ticket to Osaka? I don't see it on the list and we don't need the JR pass, we are only doing a round trip from Tokyo to Osaka
Very nice and useful explanation. Thank you very much. and the program is very wonderful. At minute 10:40, you used the paper ticket with the mobile phone, Are both required together? And question regarding the third method, If I reserve two tickets for me and my brother with the same membership in the program, and I want to link them to Welcome Suica, how will my brother’s entry be? Or should be separate app
Thank you so much for watching!🙏 I took a commuter train to the shinkansen station so the phone tap was to pay for the commuter train, and the paper ticket was to get on the shinkansen. you can pay separately like I did, or altogether in one ticket, depending on how you got to the shinkansen station. you can reserve 2 tickets together on 1 account, then link each of the ticket to each Welcome Suica card later on (before departure). so you can reserve the tickets early to get the discount. then after you arrive in Japan and buy the welcome Suica cards, you can link the cards to the tickets then. hope this helps.
Hello. Is the process the same if you only have access to the web version? Would you need to print the QR code so that you can scan it in the machine to get the actual ticket?
Hello, Thank you for the video, it's very informative. I just wanted to ask, If I buy a ticket in advanced and I don't have a Suica card yet. Am I able add the ticket I bought to a suica card when I do get one?
Hello, thank you so so much for this very informative and detailed video, it's really helpful and solves a lot of my questions. However, I do have one think to ask: can I change the time of my reservations up to the departure day? Is there any difference in case I make the reservations 28 days prior departure? I'm confused about that. Thanks again!
Thank you so much for watching!🙏 you can change the time of your reservation if your ticket is not a discounted one, and if the train you want to change to has available seats. if you reserve early, you can get cheaper tickets. please check out the latest discounts on their website: smart-ex.jp/en/product/hayatoku/ex_28/
This video is so informative!! I sent to all my travel friends for the info since we won't be purchasing the JR ticket after the price goes up. I downloaded the app and tested purchasing a seat Tokyo->Osaka for 1 adult with an inside cabin oversized baggage area 1 month in advance. All went well up until I selected the train time and car (non-smoking), no matter which car I selected, the next page "Select a Seat" only showed the option "No Preference" rather than the seat map in your video. Can you advise why I might not be able to select a seat? I want to be able to select the seat on the side where I will be able to see Mt. Fuiji~ Thank you!
I just bought mine through the app and encountered this too but the difference is that on the window along with the "No Preference" line, there was a "Seats can be separated" option, we unchecked that box which should have meant that we wanted seats that were together and proceeded to payment. After purchasing our tickets (we chose reserved seats with baggage inside cabin for 2), we were notified that seats and train will be finalized by 2pm. We got the e-mail later at 2pm with the seating arrangement already set for our ride which meant we were not able to choose. But because we bought 2 seats with baggage + unchecked "seats can be separated", we were lucky to have been assigned two seats side by side, facing the Fuji mountain for our upcoming trip. I confirmed our seating through the JR railway page. I tested it out again shortly after getting the confirmation email, booking for the same day a month later and the "View Seat Map" tab was available for all the trains but the cheaper discounted tickets were all sold out or unavailable (cannot click it). Plus side is that there were more options like the first class green cars and more train options. So it could be that we're booking our tickets early OR because we booked it midnight (as soon as they released that day's ticket bookings) that we could not choose the seats. As they've said, usually there isn't a need to book shinkansen tickets so early as there are many running and you will often be able to book much closer to your travel date. But I loved planning and preparing so I went ahead and bought them early anyway haha. Perhaps if you're looking to secure your tickets early, booking in pairs seem to have helped me seeing as some car's seatings are 3-2 and the 2 seaters are on the side facing mount Fuji for ordinary cars/cars with 3-2 seatings when travelling to Kyoto/Osaka. Since you're travelling to Osaka, you'd want the sides with 2 seats. tldr; You likely cannot choose your seats if you book too early (like as soon as it's released kind of early e.g. buying on 1st Oct for 1st Nov) or MAYBE buying it during midnight (not sure). If you want to choose seats, wait a little after its been released maybe or try booking it during the day, may risk cheaper options being bought out much earlier. This may change in the future but currently this seems to be the case. Hope this helps!
Your videos are so useful!!!! I have question- me and my husband had added to our apple wallet suica card. If I buy 2 tickets in the web how do I add each ticket to our IC cards? Do we have to buy tickets separately in webb Because we need to tapp our IC cards separately when we go through the gate. Thank You a lot for Your answer!!!
Thank you so much!🙏 so glad you found them useful! you can just use one account to buy 2 tickets for you both. the tickets will be treated separately on the system. then you can select each ticket to connect to each of your Suica card. each of your Suica card will have a different number too. you need to have 1 Suica card per person. hope this helps..
Thank you for the video. I already bought some tickets using website and linked them to my IC card. Now I am anxious about my trip on Sunday. The website in the instructions on "How to board Shinkansen using registered IC card": you need to touch IC card AND collect your "seat Information" papers, issued by the other end of ticket gate. Have not seen it (the ticket info issued thing) in your video though... please advise
I love your videos! great work! I'm considering buying the Hayatoku-28 Wide, but it says: "After purchase, you cannot change your reservation". Does it mean, that if I miss my train for any reason, or plans change, I can not change at all? Would I lose my money then? Would you recommend it? Or should I buy the Hayatoku-21 Wide ?
Thank you so much for watching!🙏 yeah, I'd buy the Hayatoku 21 instead. the price is not that much different, and I have the flexibility with my travel plan.
I was unable to reserve a back seat for more luggage. I'm traveling in a big group with about 7 big and 2 small luggages. Should I declare at the JR station and pay the fee up front?
Thanks for the helpful video! In the video, you demonstrated tapping the IC card to enter the gate. Do I also need to tap the IC card when exiting the gate, or is it a one-time tap for entry? I've seen videos suggesting tapping the IC card both when entering and exiting local trains/metro gates, and I wonder if the process woul.be the same for shinkansen. Could you clarify the process for exiting the gate?
Thank you so much for watching!🙏 yes the process is the same for all trains/subways - tapping at both entrance and exit gate. same for tickets too. if you buy a ticket, insert it at the entrance gate, take it back, keep it and insert it at the exit gate (it won't come out at exit gate).
@@Slanara glad to hear! thanks so much for sharing^^ you can try linking your shinkansen ticket to an IC card for ticketless travel. it's really cool and smooth too^^
I'm a foreigner and I don't have IC card or JR Pass, do I just need to buy the ticket online, and then print it at the machine using the QR code from my phone? In your video @10:37 you were inserting the ticket, plus scanning your phone, were you scanning the QR code again? What if I need to buy tickets for 4 people, when entering the gate, they will not have my phone. Thanks!
yes, you can just buy the ticket online and then print it at the machine using the QR code from your phone. at 10:37: i took a commuter train to tokyo station and switched to shinkansen line there. scanning my phone at the gate was to pay for the commuter train (actually i had a suica card in the phone cover so i was actually scanning the suica card).the ticket was for getting on the shinkansen, and phone was for getting off the commuter train.
Hi again, I've bought our Shinkansen tickets and we have a reserved seat in the ordinary car. Already added them to our Suica cards. Just one last question and it might be a silly one. On other videos I've watched it says we need 2 tickets when riding the Shinkansen, one is the booking and one is seat allocation I think. Question, when I use the IC card now, is the tapping at the gate all I have to do. Just tap and go sit on the train? Hope that makes sense. 🇦🇺
I came here searching for this answer too. It's confusing, I panicked thinking for a moment I got the wrong ticket. Glad to know that this is everything, ready to go.
Their website in the instructions on "How to board Shinkansen using registered IC card": you need to touch IC card AND collect your "seat Information" papers, issued by the other end of ticket gate. Have not seen it (the ticket info thing) in your video though...
Hello, for the 28 days advance ticket, i see that buying the tickets individually is working out cheaper than buying as a family. But as you mentioned, reservation for advance tickets open up later, so do i risk all of us not going on the same train if i buy them individually?
Hi, the risk that all of you not going on the same train is really low, or even no such risk. because you reserve so long in advance, plus you can choose the train you want. the "worst case" scenario is that you don't get the most discounted tickets.
Hello, your video was very helpful!! Just one question, Is it possible to buy the ticket on the station the same day? or is it possible that they are sold out?
Thank you so much!🙏 it really depends on seasons. if you travel during peak seasons (like new year, golden week, silver week or Obon), I'd recommend getting the ticket in advance so that you can travel on the day and time you want.
I booked a ticket through the smartex app from Tokyo to Shin Osaka, I want to know is Tokyo station the starting station or is there another starting station in Tokyo?
I have now downloaded the smartex app and have gone through a trial ticket purchase. Easy. I just have one question. I plan on buying my Shinkansen ticket in the US before I leave for Japan. I don't have an IC card but plan on buying one when I arrive in Osaka. When I then enter my IC card number jnto my Smartex account, will my purchased ticket be automatically linked to the IC card? Cheers.
hi, after you register your ic card to the app you need to link it to the ticket. it's only 2 taps away! but it's not automatically linked cuz you register the ic card after you buy the ticket. you can see the linking status clear on your e-ticket as well as receiving confirmation email.
i took a commuter train to tokyo station and switched to shinkansen line there. scanning my phone at the gate was to pay for the commuter train (actually i had a suica card in the phone cover so i was actually scanning the suica card). the ticket was for getting on the shinkansen, and phone was for getting off the commuter train.
Hi when you tapped your ic card, did the tap cover your commuter exit fare AND the Shinkansen basic fare? Or did you pay for Shinkansen basic fare when you bought the rocket online?
@@shizaya3 hi, the ic card was to pay for my commuter exit fare only. when you buy the shinkansen ticket online, it is the Total ticket, i.e. it covers both basic fare and bullet train fare. normally the option to buy the basic fare separately is only available for express trains, not bullet trains.
@@ONEGOODDREAM I see. So In my case, I’ll be going from akihabara to Tokyo to take the bullet train. When I enter the transfer line to enter the bullet train, do I tap my ic card to cover both my commuter train and the bullet train basic fare? Will one tap be ok to cover both exit and basic fare?
@@shizaya3 yes, after you buy the bullet train ticket online and link it to your ic card, you can just tap the card at the bullet train ticket gates to get on and off the train.
Hello, thank you for all of your helpful videos! It is possible that there no discount for Hiroshima-Kyoto or Osaka Can find the 21 Day discount on other line but not for the mentioned one
Looks like the site doesn’t process international cards. I have tried every card and AMEX alone was successful when it came to registering for an account.. however none were successful when it came to purchasing the ticket. And I don’t need to tell my bank anything ahead of time. The site doesn’t seem to work well.
Hello! Thank you so much for this video, very helpful. But, without the app seems like I am only able to book a one way tiket. How can I book a return tiket? I can't get the App cause I am in the UK! Many thanks, Giulia.
@@ONEGOODDREAM thank for your answer, mmh if it is the same on the app then yes, I will have to book the return separately. I was thinking maybe I can save money booking a return but not possible! Thank you again for your video!
Thank you so much for a very informative video! If the tickets are purchased for several passengers, we can use the same QR code at the ticket machine to get all the tickets, am I correct ?
thank you so much for watching! you're right. if i remember correctly, once you scan your QR code at the machine, you'll need to enter the password to your account. and once you're in your account, you will be able to select the tickets you want to print out.
Nice vide, I wonder if I booked 3 tickets with EX, when printout of tickets it is same procedure for 3 tickets and how to make reservation for bigger package for 3 person.
Thank you so much!🙏 there's no mailing service though. you can either link it to an ic card, or print out the ticket at the station right before getting on the train.
Thank you for the useful video! I will be riding the Shinkansen from Shin-Osaka to Nagoya next year, and prefer not to print out the ticket if I can. May I ask if there's a way to check which station has a QR gate?
Thank you so much for watching!🙏 for now the QR code is not used to scan at the shinkansen gates yet (at least to my understanding). if you prefer ticketless, what you can do is to link the shinkansen ticket to an IC card (this is the way our family do and it's really convenient).
Amazing video thank you so much! If I buy two tickets on the Smart EX app and scan the QR code at the station to print the Shinkansen tickets, will the machine print both tickets at the same time? or will i have two QR codes to scan?
Thank you so much!🙏 if you buy 2 tickets on 1 account, you will have 1 QR code to print out 2 tickets at the same time. the QR code is per account. once you scan your QR code and log in your account at the machine, you'll be able to select the trips and tickets you want to print out.
hello - thanks for the video! i am just wanting to confirm that the smart ex site is just between tokyo & hiroshima? i'm looking to book tokyo - hakuba.
Hi, your video was very helpful. Thank you. I reserved round trip tickets for both of my son and myself between Tokyo and Kyoto. However, I got only one pickup code. Is that correct? How many pickup codes should I get?
Thank you so much!🙏 yes, there's only one pickup code for an account. make sure you remember your account password cuz you gonna need it when picking up your tickets at a vending machine. btw, if you get an IC card upon arriving in Japan, you can register the card number to your tickets so that you can use the IC cards to get on the shinkansen (no need picking up tickets in that case).
hi, If I buy 5 tickets, when we enter the shinkansen gate, do I need to tap 5 times as well? each passenger will be issued the ticket at the gate? thanks
@@ONEGOODDREAMhi there, I am going to take Nozomi back to Tokyo tomorrow. Kyoto is a city in I will miss in the rest of my life. I have a strange question to ask you this time. When I picked up my reserved tickets at Shinkansen window inside Tokyo station, the employee took away my normal metro ticket from my hotel to Tokyo station. He didn't explain why. But that caused to me some trouble when I tried to exit the station because I didn't have the ticket to insert into the machine. I had to explain to the person beside the gate about what happened and she let me out. Do you happen to know why the previous employee take away my ticket when he gave me the Shinkansen tickets???
@@diet340 if you buy 5 tickets, you each will hold 1 ticket and insert the ticket at the entrance and exit gates. if you use an IC card, you need 1 IC card per person. after you link the shinkansen tickets to your IC cards, you can use IC cards to tap at the gate. the paper issued at the gate is not a ticket. it's just an info paper to guide you to your seat on the train.
Thanks for another great video! I have one question by the way, than I hope you will answer🙂 Do you need to scan the QR code from your phone when you go through the ticket gate, even if you have printed out the ticket first, or is it enough to use the ticket at the ticket gate?
Thank you so much for watching!🙏 no you won't need to scan the QR code if you print out the ticket first. you only use the ticket at the ticket gate. I actually haven't got to use the QR code to scan at the ticket gate myself. as I checked with the shinkansen station staff, for now, the QR code is mostly used for printing out tickets. just make sure you remember your SmartEx account password cuz it's needed when printing the tickets at the ticket vending machines.
hi, it does not work with a digital IC card in Apple Wallet/Google Wallet. but it does work with the Welcome Suica card. and you can buy the ticket first, then link it with the card later (as long as it's before departure time). (if you live in Japan, it works with the digital ic card though)
Hello, Thank you for the information it is very helpful. I have a question about the (Special Rapid Nagahama) on the Tokaido-Sanyo Line from osaka station to Kyoto station. I would like to know if it is possible to book seats online before the day? As I will have oversized luggage as well.
hi, thanks so much! Osaka's station for shinkansen is Shin-Osaka, not Osaka station. but Osaka and Kyoto are so close (30min) you can take a normal commuter train anytime from Osaka station without booking. if you avoid rush hours, you can take your luggages on commuter trains.
I do also tried from my PC but it still shown credit card authentication failed, I read some messages said needed 3D secure code , but I could not find any where to input my secure code! Thank you so much
in that case the issue might be the compatibility of your card with the app, or might be the settings of your card. you may try calling your card company/bank to ask them to allow payment on the app. check out this Q&A: smart-ex.jp/en/faq/category/detail/?id=449
I have called the card centre in Hong Kong, they said that deal with order is okay, also my card is under good condition, with no any problems. The smartEX app under registration no any money transition as required. I never meet such problems before, anyway thanks a lot you given help to me
Thanks for the video. Is helpful. You mentioned that to book 21 days early. Will this train increased its prices as well as the announcement by the government that all railway passes will increased its prices in October?
Thank you so much!🙏 only the JR pass for visitors will be increased in price by a lot (69%) from Oct, which is officially announced by the JR group. other passes and some domestic one-off tickets just increase a few hundred yen, not a lot, and they already increased. SmartEX is actually launching more discount offers and will let you book tickets 1 year in advance starting Oct 1 this year. (currently you can only book 1 month in advance). so I recommend checking SmartEX website after Oct 1 to see their new discount offers ^^
Good morning, thank your for your useful info to us. But I have two questions, 1) if I lined up two Ic card in smartex acct, is that mean that we are using the same phone to tap it when entering the gate. 2) should I still need to print the tickets if i registered the IC card in smartex. Thanks a lot if you can help❤
Thank you so much for watching!🙏 to your questions, 1) if you register 2 IC cards to your SmartEX account, you will tap that 2 IC cards at the gates to board the trains (use your card, not your phone unless you use a digital IC cards on your phone). and you need to tap the card separately, one card per person. 2) no you don't need to print the tickets. just tap the cards at the gates (because you already link the tickets on to the cards). hope this helps^^
Hi, I have a question. How to use my IC card when I buy my online Shinkansen ticket already? How do I put reservation information into the ic card bofore i use it?
Thank you for your info about buying tickets,but have a question about this service. Going to Japan next month, will be staying few days in Tokyo than Kyoto and back Tokyo(thinking about Osaka for a day trip from Kyoto) and in my case will be better to buy JRpass or smart ex? I can't download the app in my country, so only by website. If i do that will get qr code too ,do i have to print/screenshot from web to collect ticket from the vending machine or coming any code with numbers and letters that i have to tap out onto the vending machninei s that right? Thank you
Thanks for watching! in your case, the JR pass can save you some money because it covers bullet trains, JR trains/buses and airport trains. (can't be used on subways). you can use the website version of smartex on your phone. it works the same way. when you get the ticket at the machine, you need to enter your login name and password of smartex account, then scan the qr code to print out the ticket.
hey friends! an update from JR for this SmartEX app:
"
The “smartEX APP” and “Express Ride App” can be updated from September 16th (Sat.).
You will not be able to use the previous version of the “smartEX App” and “Express Ride App” after Saturday, September 16th (Sat).
To use the App after Sunday, September 16th (Sat), please make sure to update the App when an update guidance dialogue is displayed at a startup of the App.
"
Also, from Oct 1 2023, you will be able to book shinkansen tickets 1 year in advance on SmartEX.
Please check out their official website for details: smart-ex.jp/en/topics/detail/?id=720
I'm confused at 10:39. Why did you put in the paper ticket AND also tap the phone (IC card)?
I had the same question and here's the response from @ONE GOOD DREAM...
"hi, thank you so much for watching! so i took a commuter train to tokyo station and switched to shinkansen line there. scanning my phone at the gate was to pay for the commuter train (actually i had a suica card in the phone cover so i was actually scanning the suica card). so ticket was for getting on the shinkansen, phone was for getting off the commuter train."
Your videos are thoughtfully written and full of useful information! Thank you for your good work.
So glad you think so! Thank you so much!
Hi, this is the most informative guide I have seen to date. Thank you so much. I have one question, 10:38 shows inserting the printed ticket followed by tapping the phone on entry. I thought only the printed ticket was required to enter the station?
Hi, thank you so much for watching!🙏 you're right! you only need a ticket (printed or digital) to enter the shinkansen station. however, there are 2 types of gate, a direct gate and a transfer gate. if you enter through a direct gate, you just need the shinkansen ticket at the gate. I was entering the shinkansen station through a transfer gate (from a JR train to a shinkansen) so I need a shinkansen ticket and I also need to pay for the JR train that I was on (the phone tapping was to pay for the JR train). hope this answers your question.. it's confusing :)
Thank you,, very clear step by step. I do have a question,,,, we are a party of 4,, do you know,, if I buy the tickets thru the app, does it provide 4 QR codes? Thanks in advance
Thank you so much for watching!🙏 to print out the tickets at a machine, in our case, we got 1 QR code to print out all tickets for our family at the same time.
This is by far the most informative video I’m seen on the topic of Shinkansen ticket reservations and I’ve watch over a dozen in preparation for my upcoming trip. Thank you so much!
Glad you enjoyed it! thank you so much for watching!^^
Greetings from korea 🇰🇷 💕
I had the Jr pass
Hello guys, perhaps you have some tips on how to use the Hakone + Fuji pass, like train/buses schedules and so on. Thank you!
I used SmartEX app instead of the JR pass because of your video. It was very simple and easy to use. Our trip went well. Thank you so much!
glad it was of some help! thank you so much! 🙏
Thank you for sharing this video. I've heard that if you use IC card to go through the gate and you have reserved seat, you have to pick up the seat information ticket at the end of the gate. It this correct? Thank you in advanced for answers.
Thanks! yes, i read that on their website too but it was not the case for us. there was no seat info printed at the gate. but we did received a confirmation email right after we passed the gate.
Super useful - was getting confused just looking at the website. Thanks for the great overview and in giving me confidence with using the app!
Thank you so much!🙏
Ty for all your very informational videos! You are making our travel planning to Japan less stressful! Question: if you use the IC Card and buy tickets for your entire family (6), can we al go through the gate with the tickets on one IC card? Sorry if the question sounds silly.🙈
thank you! if you use the ic card, you need 1 card per person. same for ticket, 1 ticket per person ^^
Hello! I came across your videos and am finding them very informative- thank you! Quick question: @10:40, after you printed the ticket and inserted it, you also scanned your phone - why and what is this step? I assumed the ticket was already purchased, so no additional payment is required. Thanks.
hi, thanks for watching! so i took a commuter train to tokyo station and switched to shinkansen line there. scanning my phone at the gate was to pay for the commuter train (actually i had a suica card in the phone cover so i was actually scanning the suica card). so ticket was for shinkansen, phone was for commuter train.
@@ONEGOODDREAM Got it - thank you for clarifying!
I bought a shinkansen ticket (combined to my suica card) via Smart Ex. Since its my first time, I get so worry if my IC card not working at the gate on that day...
thanks for your video!
thank you so much! if you already linked the ticket to the ic card, it'd be fine. don't worry!^^
I`ll be traveling to Japan by the end of the month and your videos are crazy helpful. Thank you for creating such valuable content!
Happy to hear that! Thank you so much!🙏
I read that certain times of day each day system shuts down something like
Midnight to 5am Japan time so
That’s why you cannot buy tickets
Such a well-made video with very clear instructions. Can't thank you enough ;)
Glad you enjoyed it! Thank you so much!🙏
Hello, thank you so very much for this very informative and helpful video, and others such as the Japan BULLET TRAIN tips and Japan Rail Pass! Thank you! I have a question for you, please. At 10:38, you insert the Shinkansen paper ticket followed by scanning your IC card (?) on the reader. What does that 2nd step do? Thank you!
hi, thank you so much for watching! so i took a commuter train to tokyo station and switched to shinkansen line there. scanning my phone at the gate was to pay for the commuter train (actually i had a suica card in the phone cover so i was actually scanning the suica card). so ticket was for getting on the shinkansen, phone was for getting off the commuter train.
@@ONEGOODDREAM Oh, I see! I got it now! Thank you so much!
@@ONEGOODDREAM Sorry, may I ask a couple of more questions, please. Say I have registered my SUICA card, then do I simply scan my SUICA card once to (1) pay for the commuter train, and (2) get on the Shinkansen? Another question... If my SUICA card is my Shinkansen ticket, how do I show my seat reservation without a paper ticket when the conductor asks to see it? Thank you so very much!
thanks for helping out!^^ so when you register your suica card to a shinkansen ticket, you only scan once at the gate, and the card will do (1) and (2) altogether. according to the smartex website, there will be a "seat information" printed out at the other end of the gate. we didn't get any of that "seat info" in our case (and the reason i presume is that we use the app for Japanese). even if you don't have the seat info printed out for you at the gate, you know the seat info via the confirmation email. you can show the suica card and email to the conductor. but you won't be asked by the conductor unless you sit in the wrong seat.
@@ONEGOODDREAM I see! I got it now! Amazing system! :) Thank you so very much for taking the time to answer my questions! Really appreciate it! Looking forward to more videos from your channel! :)
Fantastic video. Only one doubt what is the difference between Reserved seats inside and outside cabin?
Thank you so much!🙏 I'm not sure what you mean by inside and outside cabin??
Thanks for the video. Why do we need to tap the IC card after inserting the physical ticket?
Excellent video with detailed and easy to follow instructions. Thank you!
Glad you enjoyed it! Thank you!^^
Great informative video. Btw, at minute 10:41, you inserted the ticket but also scanned your phone. Why is that?
hi, thanks for watching! so i took a commuter train to tokyo station and switched to shinkansen line there. scanning my phone at the gate was to pay for the commuter train (actually i had a suica card in the phone cover so i was actually scanning the suica card). so ticket was for shinkansen, phone was for commuter train.
@@ONEGOODDREAM Thank you for the explanation.
Thank you for the detailed and valuable information. I’m learning a lot from your videos. I hope to visit Japan someday.😊
thank you so much^^
SO good to know. Can't wait to go back to Japan!
thanks!
Hi! Thanks for your video! I have a question, do I need to bring my credit card to get tickets or QR code and 4digit code is enough?
Hi! no you won't need your credit card when getting the tickets at a machine. You just need to pick up QR code and your SmartEX account password. Thank you so much for watching!🙏
Hi! Thank you for the video! just wanted to ask how do you book a round trip on the app for same day? :)
Thanks! for round trip, you'll have to book them separately.
This is so helpful, thank you so much for sharing!
Thank you so much!🙏
Is there a similar app for JR East Tohoku?
you can use Ekinet website for Tohoku. they have the Ekinet app but it didn't let me log in :)
Excellent and very useful video, thanks very much.
Thank you so much!🙏
Thank you for this valuable information. 😊
thank you^^
Hi. Really enjoy your videos which ate very informative. Am I able to link a Shinkansen ticket to a digital Suica card on my iPhone Wallet?
Thank you! per instruction on suica website, it's possible to do so. but unfortunately i'm not so sure how it actually works since i don't use a digital suica..
As always, thank you for another great and informative video 🙏 And have a wonderful weekend 🌹
Thank you! You too!
@@ONEGOODDREAM Thank you!
You do great informative videos. Just one question. If I buy tickets for my family all on my app. What is the process of getting their tickets linked to their IC card on their phone? Is it a simple process? Thanks again 👍🇦🇺
thanks for watching! i showed the process of adding an ic card at 11:22 in the video. you can add up to 5 IC cards to the app, and you can name each card to easily assign a card to a ticket by name. when you open the tickets you bought, there's a option to link it with an ic card and you can choose an ic card from the list of cards that you registered. i should have included that process in my vid :D
Thank you, thank you, thank you. All the best on your TH-cam channel 👍🇦🇺
Actually, from a foreigners perspective a video on just doing that process would be very popular 👍
@@fishingphill thank you for sharing! btw, i just put a photo in a post in Community about that (since i can't up photo here)
thank you so much too!
Hi Yoko, may i know if the discount for the Hayatoku 21 applies for tickets booked at least 21days in advance or any number of days in advance up to 21 says? Thanks!
To add on, if i book 10days in advance, do i still get the same % of discount?
Hi, if you buy 1 ticket, you need to book at least 21 days before your departure day to get the discount for Hayatoko 21. If you buy more than 2 tickets, you can get the Family discount, which only needs 3 days advance booking.
Hello again,
How do you use the QR code as a ticket I have a QR code for a pick up code only does this mean my family will have to print out tickets at the machine?
Hi, no I didn't use the QR code as a ticket. I used it as a pick up code. you will need to use it to pick up the tickets at a machine.
when you buy a ticket from Tokyo to Kyoto does it matter what station you get on in Tokyo?
yes, you have to select a departure station in Tokyo (either Tokyo Station or Shinagawa Station for Tokaido shinkansen)
thank you so much for this video, i have just bought my first tickets through this website.
Glad to hear that! Thank you!^^
Thank you so much for this amazing video! - I can't see an option/dropdown menu to choose one way ticket/round. How this works? - Thanks!
Thank you so much for watching! it only allows number of tickets, not round ticket. so there's no option to select round ticket at the moment. to buy the return ticket, you'll have to buy it like a separate ticket.
If coming into NRT airport, do I need JR ticket to get to hotel in Roppongi or can I just use the Welcome Suica card?
Hello, and thanks in advance for all the info. Why do you use your shinkansen ticket along with the IC approximation on your iphone at 10:38 ? Wouldn't the ticket alone be enough since it's was already purchased and paid in advance in the app?
Hi, thank you so much for watching!🙏 you're right! you only need a ticket (printed or digital) to enter the shinkansen station. however, there are 2 types of gate, a direct gate and a transfer gate. if you enter through a direct gate, you just need the shinkansen ticket at the gate. I was entering the shinkansen station through a transfer gate (from a JR train to a shinkansen) so I need a shinkansen ticket and I also need to pay for the JR train that I was on (the phone tapping was to pay for the JR train). hope this answers your question.
@@ONEGOODDREAM That totally makes sense now. Once again, thank you!
you're welcome!^^
why did you scan your ic card after you put the ticket in? shouldn't the ticket alone let you pass the gate?
if you enter through a direct gate, you just need the shinkansen ticket at the gate. I was entering the shinkansen station through a transfer gate (from a JR train to a shinkansen) so I need a shinkansen ticket and I also need to pay for the JR train that I was on (the phone tapping was to pay for the JR train). hope this answers your question.
@@ONEGOODDREAM that is soooo confusing
@@snpro21 I think what she did was Enter Shinkansen and Exited the JR line at the same time.
Do you have any experience booking tickets via klook?
Your video was great and very informative, thank you! Could you help me with a doubt, please? with the increase in the value of the JRPass maybe I will buy the tickets separately, in this case can I pay for the tickets through this app with Suica or just with a credit card?
thank you so much for watching! the payment through this app is only by credit card. after you buy the ticket, you can link it to a Suica card like we did. the price increase of the jr pass is really... out of words! i hope they won't raise the price of the shinkansen! but the new terms of the pricey jr pass are not clear yet. let's see how they go :)
@@ONEGOODDREAM thank you!
Hi, as always thank you for another excellent and informative video. If I reserve seats and didn't make it due to flight delays or other unforeseen events, will my ticket be charged?
hi, thanks for watching! in that case, you can change to a later train or cancel your ticket. if you don't do anything your ticket will be charged (actually it's already charged when your reservation is confirmed).
Is there any charges on changing the train? And how soon before the scheduled time can we change. E.g. the Nozomi train leaves every 10 mins. Your videos are so well made. Information is so clear and useful. Thank you so much. It makes life much easier and the trip to Japan so much more enjoyable. 🙏🏻
Hi, thank you for making this video, can i ask a question? Can i get the ticket 3 days before the boarding? Bought one from Kyoto to tokyo
thank you so much! yes, you can get the ticket anytime after you buy it.
I have one more question, since we pay the ticket by credit card then why we need to touch with IC card again? I saw in the 1st way you show how to use the ticket..
oh, in the 1st way, i was using the ticket for the shinkansen, and the ic card was to pay for the commuter train i used to get to that shinkansen station. so i paid for 2 tickets differently, twice at the gate. but if i link the shinkansen ticket to my ic card, like in the 3rd, i only touched the ic card once at the gate to pay for both tickets altogether.
@@ONEGOODDREAM
Hi, great video. Just one question, I bought the Shinkansen ticket using cash at JR Office and the staff told me it is free to travel from my station (Ueno) to Tokyo Station to catch the Shinkansen to Kyoto Station. So bit confused why still need to pay for the commuter train ride using Suica Card.
Thank you for such an easy video to follow!
I had one question... I am going to book tickets using smart-ex for next month, and I have already made an account that is linked to my Suica card (I am returning to japan after visiting in 2018).
I am going to make a reservation for myself and one other on my account/Suica card.
So when we approach the gate do we scan once and both go through? Or scan twice? I hope that makes sense. :)
Thank you!
hi, thank you so much for watching 🙏 so glad it was helpful :) so your case, your friend will need to have a separate Suica card and link it with the ticket you buy. you can multiple cards to the app and link each of the card with one ticket. One person needs 1 card. you can't share 1 card to go through the gate. only scan once for one person at the gate. hope this answers your question :)
@@ONEGOODDREAM Great job on the video. LOVE IT!!!!
Just to be clear; If I book 1 trip for 4 people (seat A, B, C, D), then I can link each seat to different IC card? All these activities can be done via SmartEx app? Tapping IC card is very appealing to me and for sure convenience to me without worrying which card/paper ticket I need to print.
@@tonytjangdra2094 hi, you're right. you can buy 4 tickets in one time, and then connect each seat to 1 IC card. and all of these can be done within SmartEx app. then you tap the IC card at the gate to get on the bullet train.
@@ONEGOODDREAM Thank you so much. Arigato!!!
Thanks so much for replying! Does that mean I can buy the two tickets before I go with the one linked IC card. Then when we arrive in Japan and get the second IC card sorted, we can then link it to the SmartEX ticket?
Thank you so much for sharing. I am coming next month. Thanks!
Thank you so much!🙏 Have a great trip!
Hello! I was wondering if it is possible to book a ticket to Osaka? I don't see it on the list and we don't need the JR pass, we are only doing a round trip from Tokyo to Osaka
hi, sure you can, the shinkansen station for Osaka is Shin-Osaka. it should be right next to Kyoto station.
Very nice and useful explanation. Thank you very much. and the program is very wonderful.
At minute 10:40, you used the paper ticket with the mobile phone, Are both required together? And question regarding the third method, If I reserve two tickets for me and my brother with the same membership in the program, and I want to link them to Welcome Suica, how will my brother’s entry be? Or should be separate app
Thank you so much for watching!🙏
I took a commuter train to the shinkansen station so the phone tap was to pay for the commuter train, and the paper ticket was to get on the shinkansen. you can pay separately like I did, or altogether in one ticket, depending on how you got to the shinkansen station.
you can reserve 2 tickets together on 1 account, then link each of the ticket to each Welcome Suica card later on (before departure). so you can reserve the tickets early to get the discount. then after you arrive in Japan and buy the welcome Suica cards, you can link the cards to the tickets then. hope this helps.
@@ONEGOODDREAM You saved me so much, and I can't thank you enough for what you did.
Very grateful
no worries! same here! hope you'll enjoy Japan!^^
Hello. Is the process the same if you only have access to the web version? Would you need to print the QR code so that you can scan it in the machine to get the actual ticket?
hi, yes, the process is the same and you can print out the QR code so that you can scan it in the machine to get the actual ticket
@@ONEGOODDREAM thank you very much for your response. Really appreciate it.
Such a helpful video. Thanks so much!
Thank you so much too!^^
Hello, Thank you for the video, it's very informative. I just wanted to ask, If I buy a ticket in advanced and I don't have a Suica card yet. Am I able add the ticket I bought to a suica card when I do get one?
Thank you! 🙏 that's totally fine. you can link the ticket to an IC card later on. a Suica or even a Welcome Suica will do just fine.
@@ONEGOODDREAM If you make a mistake in linking the wrong suica card can you change it at anytime?
@@BeamPeet yes, you can change it anytime before you use it. very simple, just scanning the number in the back of the card.
great video with all information. for presale, if there is no availability, then it won't reserve and will not charge my card?
Thank you so much!🙏 yes, it will only charge when you successfully secure a seat.
Hello, thank you so so much for this very informative and detailed video, it's really helpful and solves a lot of my questions. However, I do have one think to ask: can I change the time of my reservations up to the departure day? Is there any difference in case I make the reservations 28 days prior departure? I'm confused about that. Thanks again!
Thank you so much for watching!🙏 you can change the time of your reservation if your ticket is not a discounted one, and if the train you want to change to has available seats. if you reserve early, you can get cheaper tickets. please check out the latest discounts on their website: smart-ex.jp/en/product/hayatoku/ex_28/
@@ONEGOODDREAM Thank you! Have a nice day!
Thanks for your support! here in Brazil is hard to find informations about the JR PASS
Thank you so much!🙏
This video is so informative!! I sent to all my travel friends for the info since we won't be purchasing the JR ticket after the price goes up. I downloaded the app and tested purchasing a seat Tokyo->Osaka for 1 adult with an inside cabin oversized baggage area 1 month in advance. All went well up until I selected the train time and car (non-smoking), no matter which car I selected, the next page "Select a Seat" only showed the option "No Preference" rather than the seat map in your video. Can you advise why I might not be able to select a seat? I want to be able to select the seat on the side where I will be able to see Mt. Fuiji~ Thank you!
Thank you so much for watching!🙏 I'm not so sure what went wrong. have you tried the web version?? to see if the same issue happens..
I just bought mine through the app and encountered this too but the difference is that on the window along with the "No Preference" line, there was a "Seats can be separated" option, we unchecked that box which should have meant that we wanted seats that were together and proceeded to payment. After purchasing our tickets (we chose reserved seats with baggage inside cabin for 2), we were notified that seats and train will be finalized by 2pm. We got the e-mail later at 2pm with the seating arrangement already set for our ride which meant we were not able to choose. But because we bought 2 seats with baggage + unchecked "seats can be separated", we were lucky to have been assigned two seats side by side, facing the Fuji mountain for our upcoming trip. I confirmed our seating through the JR railway page.
I tested it out again shortly after getting the confirmation email, booking for the same day a month later and the "View Seat Map" tab was available for all the trains but the cheaper discounted tickets were all sold out or unavailable (cannot click it). Plus side is that there were more options like the first class green cars and more train options. So it could be that we're booking our tickets early OR because we booked it midnight (as soon as they released that day's ticket bookings) that we could not choose the seats. As they've said, usually there isn't a need to book shinkansen tickets so early as there are many running and you will often be able to book much closer to your travel date. But I loved planning and preparing so I went ahead and bought them early anyway haha. Perhaps if you're looking to secure your tickets early, booking in pairs seem to have helped me seeing as some car's seatings are 3-2 and the 2 seaters are on the side facing mount Fuji for ordinary cars/cars with 3-2 seatings when travelling to Kyoto/Osaka. Since you're travelling to Osaka, you'd want the sides with 2 seats.
tldr; You likely cannot choose your seats if you book too early (like as soon as it's released kind of early e.g. buying on 1st Oct for 1st Nov) or MAYBE buying it during midnight (not sure). If you want to choose seats, wait a little after its been released maybe or try booking it during the day, may risk cheaper options being bought out much earlier. This may change in the future but currently this seems to be the case. Hope this helps!
Your videos are so useful!!!! I have question- me and my husband had added to our apple wallet suica card. If I buy 2 tickets in the web how do I add each ticket to our IC cards? Do we have to buy tickets separately in webb Because we need to tapp our IC cards separately when we go through the gate. Thank You a lot for Your answer!!!
Thank you so much!🙏 so glad you found them useful! you can just use one account to buy 2 tickets for you both. the tickets will be treated separately on the system. then you can select each ticket to connect to each of your Suica card. each of your Suica card will have a different number too. you need to have 1 Suica card per person. hope this helps..
now i am in japan and your videos helped me a lot
glad you found it helpful! thank you so much! 🙏
Thank you very much for making this video! It is very helpful, we just purchased our tickets using the app.👍🏼👍🏼
so glad it was helpful! thank you so much!🙏
Thank you for the video. I already bought some tickets using website and linked them to my IC card. Now I am anxious about my trip on Sunday. The website in the instructions on "How to board Shinkansen using registered IC card": you need to touch IC card AND collect your "seat Information" papers, issued by the other end of ticket gate. Have not seen it (the ticket info issued thing) in your video though... please advise
hi, yeah i saw that instruction too. but there was no such seat info printed out for us. we were using the email to get seat info.
@@ONEGOODDREAM I was watching people entering at Kyoto IC gates. Some've got printed pieces of paper, some - not. I wonder why?
@@MsLB2012 i have no idea ^^ let me know if you find out :)
@@ONEGOODDREAM just went through the gate, touched my PASMO and got the paper
@@MsLB2012 great! thanks for sharing!
Do you have any experience with booking tickets via klook?
I love your videos! great work!
I'm considering buying the Hayatoku-28 Wide, but it says: "After purchase, you cannot change your reservation".
Does it mean, that if I miss my train for any reason, or plans change, I can not change at all?
Would I lose my money then?
Would you recommend it?
Or should I buy the Hayatoku-21 Wide ?
Thank you so much for watching!🙏 yeah, I'd buy the Hayatoku 21 instead. the price is not that much different, and I have the flexibility with my travel plan.
thank you!
very important!
@@ONEGOODDREAM
I was unable to reserve a back seat for more luggage. I'm traveling in a big group with about 7 big and 2 small luggages. Should I declare at the JR station and pay the fee up front?
Thanks for the helpful video! In the video, you demonstrated tapping the IC card to enter the gate. Do I also need to tap the IC card when exiting the gate, or is it a one-time tap for entry? I've seen videos suggesting tapping the IC card both when entering and exiting local trains/metro gates, and I wonder if the process woul.be the same for shinkansen. Could you clarify the process for exiting the gate?
Thank you so much for watching!🙏 yes the process is the same for all trains/subways - tapping at both entrance and exit gate. same for tickets too. if you buy a ticket, insert it at the entrance gate, take it back, keep it and insert it at the exit gate (it won't come out at exit gate).
Thank you SO much! I was able to save money after seeing this video on time!
Glad it was useful! Thank you so much for watching!^^
Thank you but not working in uk...How can I buy a ticket ondine?
you can try buying through their website, instead of the app.
@@ONEGOODDREAM hi, super thank you. I just did it
@@Slanara glad to hear! thanks so much for sharing^^ you can try linking your shinkansen ticket to an IC card for ticketless travel. it's really cool and smooth too^^
Thanks s very much very clear explained
Thank you so much!🙏
Thank you for the video. If you buy two tickets online, do you have to register two IC cards so that both people can tap in?
Thank you so much!🙏 yes, you need 2 IC cards, one per person, and register each ticket to each card.
I'm a foreigner and I don't have IC card or JR Pass, do I just need to buy the ticket online, and then print it at the machine using the QR code from my phone? In your video @10:37 you were inserting the ticket, plus scanning your phone, were you scanning the QR code again? What if I need to buy tickets for 4 people, when entering the gate, they will not have my phone. Thanks!
yes, you can just buy the ticket online and then print it at the machine using the QR code from your phone.
at 10:37: i took a commuter train to tokyo station and switched to shinkansen line there. scanning my phone at the gate was to pay for the commuter train (actually i had a suica card in the phone cover so i was actually scanning the suica card).the ticket was for getting on the shinkansen, and phone was for getting off the commuter train.
@ONEGOODDREAM I see, thanks for the info, I'm going there in 2 weeks, wish me luck :)
have a wonderful trip!^^
Hi again, I've bought our Shinkansen tickets and we have a reserved seat in the ordinary car. Already added them to our Suica cards. Just one last question and it might be a silly one. On other videos I've watched it says we need 2 tickets when riding the Shinkansen, one is the booking and one is seat allocation I think. Question, when I use the IC card now, is the tapping at the gate all I have to do. Just tap and go sit on the train? Hope that makes sense. 🇦🇺
hi, you're right, in that case, just tap and go sit at the seat you reserved on that train.
I came here searching for this answer too. It's confusing, I panicked thinking for a moment I got the wrong ticket. Glad to know that this is everything, ready to go.
Thanks once again. Anxiety comes from not having a full understanding. Your videos and your answers to questions have helped enormously 👍🇦🇺
Their website in the instructions on "How to board Shinkansen using registered IC card": you need to touch IC card AND collect your "seat Information" papers, issued by the other end of ticket gate. Have not seen it (the ticket info thing) in your video though...
Hello, for the 28 days advance ticket, i see that buying the tickets individually is working out cheaper than buying as a family. But as you mentioned, reservation for advance tickets open up later, so do i risk all of us not going on the same train if i buy them individually?
Hi, the risk that all of you not going on the same train is really low, or even no such risk. because you reserve so long in advance, plus you can choose the train you want. the "worst case" scenario is that you don't get the most discounted tickets.
Hello, your video was very helpful!! Just one question, Is it possible to buy the ticket on the station the same day? or is it possible that they are sold out?
Thank you so much!🙏 it really depends on seasons. if you travel during peak seasons (like new year, golden week, silver week or Obon), I'd recommend getting the ticket in advance so that you can travel on the day and time you want.
I booked a ticket through the smartex app from Tokyo to Shin Osaka, I want to know is Tokyo station the starting station or is there another starting station in Tokyo?
to go to Shin Osaka, you can go to either Tokyo Station or Shinagawa Station in Tokyo, which ever is closer to where you stay at in Tokyo.
I have now downloaded the smartex app and have gone through a trial ticket purchase. Easy. I just have one question. I plan on buying my Shinkansen ticket in the US before I leave for Japan. I don't have an IC card but plan on buying one when I arrive in Osaka. When I then enter my IC card number jnto my Smartex account, will my purchased ticket be automatically linked to the IC card? Cheers.
hi, after you register your ic card to the app you need to link it to the ticket. it's only 2 taps away! but it's not automatically linked cuz you register the ic card after you buy the ticket. you can see the linking status clear on your e-ticket as well as receiving confirmation email.
fyi, i just put a photo about this linking in the Community tab.
At 10:38, you put in the ticket and scanned IC card. Is it required to do both?
i took a commuter train to tokyo station and switched to shinkansen line there. scanning my phone at the gate was to pay for the commuter train (actually i had a suica card in the phone cover so i was actually scanning the suica card). the ticket was for getting on the shinkansen, and phone was for getting off the commuter train.
Hi when you tapped your ic card, did the tap cover your commuter exit fare AND the Shinkansen basic fare? Or did you pay for Shinkansen basic fare when you bought the rocket online?
@@shizaya3 hi, the ic card was to pay for my commuter exit fare only. when you buy the shinkansen ticket online, it is the Total ticket, i.e. it covers both basic fare and bullet train fare. normally the option to buy the basic fare separately is only available for express trains, not bullet trains.
@@ONEGOODDREAM I see. So In my case, I’ll be going from akihabara to Tokyo to take the bullet train. When I enter the transfer line to enter the bullet train, do I tap my ic card to cover both my commuter train and the bullet train basic fare? Will one tap be ok to cover both exit and basic fare?
@@shizaya3 yes, after you buy the bullet train ticket online and link it to your ic card, you can just tap the card at the bullet train ticket gates to get on and off the train.
Hello, thank you for all of your helpful videos!
It is possible that there no discount for Hiroshima-Kyoto or Osaka
Can find the 21 Day discount on other line but not for the mentioned one
Looks like the site doesn’t process international cards. I have tried every card and AMEX alone was successful when it came to registering for an account.. however none were successful when it came to purchasing the ticket. And I don’t need to tell my bank anything ahead of time. The site doesn’t seem to work well.
they have system maintenance between 23:30 and 5:30 Japan time. so maybe try again avoiding that time??
Thank you for this, very useful information/explanation and how to do 👍
Thank you so much!🙏
Hello! Thank you so much for this video, very helpful. But, without the app seems like I am only able to book a one way tiket. How can I book a return tiket? I can't get the App cause I am in the UK! Many thanks, Giulia.
hi, thanks for watching! i think it's the same on the app that you have to book the return ticket separately, as a different ticket.
@@ONEGOODDREAM thank for your answer, mmh if it is the same on the app then yes, I will have to book the return separately. I was thinking maybe I can save money booking a return but not possible! Thank you again for your video!
@@giuliasoro thank you so much^^
Thank you so much for a very informative video! If the tickets are purchased for several passengers, we can use the same QR code at the ticket machine to get all the tickets, am I correct ?
thank you so much for watching! you're right. if i remember correctly, once you scan your QR code at the machine, you'll need to enter the password to your account. and once you're in your account, you will be able to select the tickets you want to print out.
@@ONEGOODDREAM thank you so much for the information !
Nice vide, I wonder if I booked 3 tickets with EX, when printout of tickets it is same procedure for 3 tickets and how to make reservation for bigger package for 3 person.
Thank you so much!🙏 you can print out all 3 tickets in one time.
Very good information… made simple😊 but can I have the tickets mailed to my hotel in Japan?
Thank you so much!🙏 there's no mailing service though. you can either link it to an ic card, or print out the ticket at the station right before getting on the train.
Thank you for the useful video!
I will be riding the Shinkansen from Shin-Osaka to Nagoya next year, and prefer not to print out the ticket if I can.
May I ask if there's a way to check which station has a QR gate?
Thank you so much for watching!🙏
for now the QR code is not used to scan at the shinkansen gates yet (at least to my understanding). if you prefer ticketless, what you can do is to link the shinkansen ticket to an IC card (this is the way our family do and it's really convenient).
Amazing video thank you so much! If I buy two tickets on the Smart EX app and scan the QR code at the station to print the Shinkansen tickets, will the machine print both tickets at the same time? or will i have two QR codes to scan?
Thank you so much!🙏 if you buy 2 tickets on 1 account, you will have 1 QR code to print out 2 tickets at the same time. the QR code is per account. once you scan your QR code and log in your account at the machine, you'll be able to select the trips and tickets you want to print out.
Wonderful, thanks!!
hello - thanks for the video! i am just wanting to confirm that the smart ex site is just between tokyo & hiroshima? i'm looking to book tokyo - hakuba.
Hi, your video was very helpful. Thank you. I reserved round trip tickets for both of my son and myself between Tokyo and Kyoto. However, I got only one pickup code. Is that correct? How many pickup codes should I get?
Thank you so much!🙏 yes, there's only one pickup code for an account. make sure you remember your account password cuz you gonna need it when picking up your tickets at a vending machine. btw, if you get an IC card upon arriving in Japan, you can register the card number to your tickets so that you can use the IC cards to get on the shinkansen (no need picking up tickets in that case).
hi, If I buy 5 tickets, when we enter the shinkansen gate, do I need to tap 5 times as well? each passenger will be issued the ticket at the gate? thanks
Yes, you need to tap 5 times
@@ONEGOODDREAMhi there, I am going to take Nozomi back to Tokyo tomorrow. Kyoto is a city in I will miss in the rest of my life. I have a strange question to ask you this time. When I picked up my reserved tickets at Shinkansen window inside Tokyo station, the employee took away my normal metro ticket from my hotel to Tokyo station. He didn't explain why. But that caused to me some trouble when I tried to exit the station because I didn't have the ticket to insert into the machine. I had to explain to the person beside the gate about what happened and she let me out. Do you happen to know why the previous employee take away my ticket when he gave me the Shinkansen tickets???
@@diet340 if you buy 5 tickets, you each will hold 1 ticket and insert the ticket at the entrance and exit gates. if you use an IC card, you need 1 IC card per person. after you link the shinkansen tickets to your IC cards, you can use IC cards to tap at the gate. the paper issued at the gate is not a ticket. it's just an info paper to guide you to your seat on the train.
Thanks for another great video! I have one question by the way, than I hope you will answer🙂 Do you need to scan the QR code from your phone when you go through the ticket gate, even if you have printed out the ticket first, or is it enough to use the ticket at the ticket gate?
Thank you so much for watching!🙏 no you won't need to scan the QR code if you print out the ticket first. you only use the ticket at the ticket gate. I actually haven't got to use the QR code to scan at the ticket gate myself. as I checked with the shinkansen station staff, for now, the QR code is mostly used for printing out tickets. just make sure you remember your SmartEx account password cuz it's needed when printing the tickets at the ticket vending machines.
@@ONEGOODDREAM Okey, thanks a lot for the information😃 It was very helpful👌
@@morten2001 you're welcome! glad it could be of some help^^
Hello, does this work well with just digital IC card? Thank you!
hi, it does not work with a digital IC card in Apple Wallet/Google Wallet. but it does work with the Welcome Suica card. and you can buy the ticket first, then link it with the card later (as long as it's before departure time). (if you live in Japan, it works with the digital ic card though)
Very good and informative video! Thank you so much!
Glad you enjoyed it! Thank you so much!🙏
So incredibly helpful!
thank you so much!
Hello, Thank you for the information it is very helpful. I have a question about the (Special Rapid Nagahama) on the Tokaido-Sanyo Line from osaka station to Kyoto station. I would like to know if it is possible to book seats online before the day? As I will have oversized luggage as well.
hi, thanks so much! Osaka's station for shinkansen is Shin-Osaka, not Osaka station. but Osaka and Kyoto are so close (30min) you can take a normal commuter train anytime from Osaka station without booking. if you avoid rush hours, you can take your luggages on commuter trains.
Is it a similar process on the web page? I don't live in a country that has the app. Can I still link my Suica even if it's on the web?
yes the process is similar on the web page and you can link you Suica on the web page too.
@@ONEGOODDREAM Thank you!! 😊
@@vmphunter you're welcome^^
I have a question about pre sale tickets. What are the differences between non pre sale and pre sale tickets?
I do also tried from my PC but it still shown credit card authentication failed, I read some messages said needed 3D secure code , but I could not find any where to input my secure code! Thank you so much
in that case the issue might be the compatibility of your card with the app, or might be the settings of your card. you may try calling your card company/bank to ask them to allow payment on the app. check out this Q&A: smart-ex.jp/en/faq/category/detail/?id=449
I have called the card centre in Hong Kong, they said that deal with order is okay, also my card is under good condition, with no any problems. The smartEX app under registration no any money transition as required. I never meet such problems before, anyway thanks a lot you given help to me
None of my Credit Cards can authorize with the web site or app, so I can’t use this
Thanks for the video. Is helpful. You mentioned that to book 21 days early. Will this train increased its prices as well as the announcement by the government that all railway passes will increased its prices in October?
Thank you so much!🙏 only the JR pass for visitors will be increased in price by a lot (69%) from Oct, which is officially announced by the JR group. other passes and some domestic one-off tickets just increase a few hundred yen, not a lot, and they already increased. SmartEX is actually launching more discount offers and will let you book tickets 1 year in advance starting Oct 1 this year. (currently you can only book 1 month in advance). so I recommend checking SmartEX website after Oct 1 to see their new discount offers ^^
Good morning, thank your for your useful info to us. But I have two questions, 1) if I lined up two Ic card in smartex acct, is that mean that we are using the same phone to tap it when entering the gate. 2) should I still need to print the tickets if i registered the IC card in smartex. Thanks a lot if you can help❤
Thank you so much for watching!🙏 to your questions, 1) if you register 2 IC cards to your SmartEX account, you will tap that 2 IC cards at the gates to board the trains (use your card, not your phone unless you use a digital IC cards on your phone). and you need to tap the card separately, one card per person.
2) no you don't need to print the tickets. just tap the cards at the gates (because you already link the tickets on to the cards).
hope this helps^^
Hi, I have a question.
How to use my IC card when I buy my online Shinkansen ticket already?
How do I put reservation information into the ic card bofore i use it?
Thank you for the information. 😊
thank you!
Thank you for your info about buying tickets,but have a question about this service. Going to Japan next month, will be staying few days in Tokyo than Kyoto and back Tokyo(thinking about Osaka for a day trip from Kyoto) and in my case will be better to buy JRpass or smart ex? I can't download the app in my country, so only by website. If i do that will get qr code too ,do i have to print/screenshot from web to collect ticket from the vending machine or coming any code with numbers and letters that i have to tap out onto the vending machninei s that right? Thank you
Thanks for watching! in your case, the JR pass can save you some money because it covers bullet trains, JR trains/buses and airport trains. (can't be used on subways). you can use the website version of smartex on your phone. it works the same way. when you get the ticket at the machine, you need to enter your login name and password of smartex account, then scan the qr code to print out the ticket.
thank you this was extremely useful
Thank you so much!🙏