"Smart Ex" Get the Cheapest Shinkansen Fares Without the JR Pass.
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 7 มิ.ย. 2024
- Updated: How to puchase Shinkansen tickets in 2024 including EX: • The Best Way to Purcha...
Smart Ex is the website for making reseravation of Tokaido, Sanyo, Kyushu Shinkansen. You might be able find a great deal if you purchase early.
Smart EX (English): smart-ex.jp/en/index.php
In case you don't wish to make account for JR (handling fee apply): www.klook.com/rails-32/1012-j...
♢Fares only available online♢
(1) HAYATOKU 21 WIDE
If you book 21 days before the trip, you can get discount of Hayatoku 21 Wide, which gives you the biggest discount for regular car fare.
The price for Nozomi will be 11820(kyoto) 12370 (Osaka) 15000 (Hiroshima). So you save 2350 yen to Kyoto and Osaka, and 4440 yen to Hiroshima.
You can purchase this fare only 30 days to 21 days prior to the traveling date, and the number of tickets are limited. So it can be difficult to get early morning Shinkansen with this fare.
(2) HAYATOKU
For further destination, there are fare called Hayatoku. You can purchase this fare until 3 days prior to the travel date, and the price is almost same as the Hayatoku 21 for Hiroshima and Hakata (Fukuoka). However, this fare is not set for Kyoto and Shin-Osaka.
(3) EX Green HAYATOKU Wide
You can save on Green Car of Nozomi, which is the "first class car" of JR train too. The fare is called Ex Green Hayatoku Wide
With this fare, the price to Kyoto by Green Car is is 15,400 yen, and Shin-Oaska is 15,940 Yen. Which is about 3,500 Yen cheaper than the regular price.
(4) EX Kodama Green Hayatoku: If you take the service Kodama, which stops all stations, you can get the comfort of the green car for 11200 Yen. That is more than 7000 yen discount.
All these discount fares are available only until 21 days or 3 days prior to your travel date, and the number of ticket is limited. you might want to check the site, as soon as you decided your travel plan. #JapanTravelGuide#TokyoKenchan
![[TH] VCT Masters Shanghai Playoffs DAY 6 // G2 vs GEN | 100T vs TH](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/M6jxF80AajI/mqdefault.jpg)
Updated in January 2024: How to purchase tickets on EX is around 7:00 minutes of this video : th-cam.com/video/E7KA5P6hawQ/w-d-xo.htmlsi=v5bGziSenkmtywL6
Answers to Questions:. You can tag your IC card to your Smart EX account anytime. You can reserve seats in your country, and connect your reservation information to the IC card after you arrive Japan and purchase a new IC card.
Hello Ken! I just wanted to mention that all of your recent videos from 2023 have been incredibly useful and informative for my upcoming trip at the end of March. It is almost uncanny how many questions I’ve had have been answered! Thank you greatly for your hard work with research and video production!
Thank you for watching! I appreciate your kind message for the video. I'm glad that I've been able to answer your questions. Your trip is soon! I wish the best trip to Japan. :)
Wow thanks for the info about discount! Really helpful.
Love your videos. I'm going to Japan and will use the JR Rail Pass just before price goes up, so these tips will be helpful the next time I visit Japan 😅
Excellently delivered information, thank you!
Thank you for watching! :)
This is the best video ever made on booking shinkansen trains. Thank you !!!!
Thank you! I'm glad you liked the video. :)
Hi Ken san ,thanks so much for another great and informative video really appreciate it.Keep up with the good work.😊
Thank you for watching and your comment. I'll work on more videos. :)
Thank you, great video! It will come in handy for my trip in May.
Thank you for watching. I hope you have a great trip in May. :)
This video is just in time before my Japan trip 👍
I wish you the best trip in Japan!
This is great info that I have not heard of. I will definitely check out the website when I'm ready to buy my Nozomi ticket from Tokyo to Hiroshima. Thanks Kenchan for sharing. I learn so many tips to save money and what places to explore in Japan.
Thank you for watching Yes, please make sure to check the price a moth before the ride date. :)
Kengo-san! Arigatou gozaimasu! Another great video, I wish I could have know this info when I was in Japan… but I had JR Railpass and it is so good. Rode Hikari 644 from Kyoto to Shinagawa and was so fortunate to see Fujisan! Beautiful experience. This is first time I saw it so clear. I already want to go back!🙋🏻♂️
Thank you for watching Davy san. I'm glad you could see Mt.Fuji from Shinkansen in your last trip! Yes, JR pass is still a great choice for the most of the travelers going across Japan. :) I hope you come back again!
We will return for sure Kengo-San! We love Japan and have been many times. We’ve been all over Japan and have so many areas want to go yet. Need to visit Hakone and Karuizawa for sure. Kusatsu was wonderful! Hope you can visit Hawaii one day!!
@@davyf7620 That's great you enjoyed Kusatsu♨ Hakone and Karuizawa are the places I'm covering in a few months. How amazing you are from Hawaii! I went there like 12 years ago and I definitely would like to go back in a few years. :) Thank you again.
Konichiwa Ken!! First of all your videos are so thorough and very informative. Im so glad i was able to catch your site. Im taking a lot notes from your videos thats for sure :). Im planning on taking a trip last week of September until first week of October (12 Days) with my friend in Tokyo and will be checkin out Kanazawa, Kyoto and Osaka. Now I know, they'll be increasing the JR Passes sometime in October, Do you think that its still worth it for me to purchase the JR Pass in September or is it better to just purchase the regional Hokuriku JR passes instead? thanks for the advice
Hi Ken-san. Brilliant video! Very useful and informative. Thanks a lot!
Thank you for watching. The seat maps come up 1 month prior to the departure date. So to choose the specific seat, you can book a month before the travel date. :)
@@tokyokenchan Thank you so much for replying. I found out after posted that you've mentioned that in the Jan 2024 updated video already. Very very nice!! 🥰
My right ear loved this video.
I didn't notice until now. I'll be careful. Thank you.
Thank you Kenchan
Jody san, Thank you so much for your support for the video again! I'm glad to find out that you are still watching my video. :) I really appreciate it.
Amazing guide, Kenchan! I just booked 3 tickets as I'm with my friends. There's still 22 days before the train ride but only the Hayatoku is available for Nozomi (for 3 people, maybe if I booked solo there will still be Hayatoku 21). Still a better deal than Klook where the price keeps fluctuating for some reason. But we saved over 11000 Yen! And I can't find the seats with luggage reservation on Klook but I was able to reserve it in Smart Ex.
Edit: Actually it says Hayatoku-3-Family on our reservation
That's great you got discount tickets for luggage seats! You did a great job booking early.👍 Yes, sometimes 21 days discount sold out early when it gets on sale a month before for morning hours. Yes, if you could purchase through EX site, it's much better deal than agencies. Thank you for letting me know! :)
Another great video, Kengo san. What route would you suggest to take using JR pass from Zushi to Hiroshima? We’re planning to go early in the morning. Thanks a lot for the very informative videos.
Thank you for your comment Paul san. In case you use JR pass, (1) you can take JR Yokosuka line from Zushi station. Since many trains starts from Zushi, you might be able to get seats, which helps a lot if during weekdays rush hour. (2) From there, you have 2 choices. Get off at Yokohama and head to Shin-Yokohama via Keihin-Tohoku and Yokohama line, or stay on Yokosuka line to Shinagawa.(3) Probably you cannot get seats on non-reserved car of Shinkansen from Shin-Yokohama or Shinagawa, I recommend you to make reservation when you arrive Japan. If better not to set the time, you can proceed to Tokyo Station which can be a bit far and busy. (4) "Hikari" that you can get on with JR pass only goes to Okayama and doesn't go to Hiroshima, so you can change either at Shin-Osaka or Okayama. For non-reserved seats, you can get seat for sure if you take from Shin-Osaka. 👍
@@tokyokenchan thank you so much, Kengo san! We really appreciate your videos and replies. Japan should pay you for the great information you provide travelers. I hope we bump into you when we’re in Japan. I’d buy you beer. More power.
Arigato gozaimasu. You answered so many questions.
Thank you for watching. I'm glad I could answer your questions. Please let me know if you have some more questions.
thank you !!!!
Thank you for watching!
Thanks!
Keep up the good work with the interesting and very informative videos Kengo-San!!! 🙋🏻♂️🏆
@@davyf7620 Davy san, oh wow! Thank you so much for your support for the video! I really appreciate it. I'll work on more videos for your next trip to Japan! :)
Thanks. I just booked my train ticket
OH great! Have a safe trip. :)
Ken san, thank you so much for this super informative step by step video!!! Appreciated it a lot! I have a question: We're going to get a Suica card download directly into our iPhones, can we link our IC number to the train tickets online then get a paper ticket at the station machine? We would like to keep the paper tickets as a token of our Japan trip.
Jackie san, thank you for watching the video. Sorry for my late response. Yes, when you touch your IC card (physical card or mobile Suica), you get a small paper slip from the gate machine. You can keep that small paper. :)
@@tokyokenchan thank you very much for your reply! Have a good day, Ken San!
Hello Kengo, your videos are super informative. Thank you !!! I need to be a ticket from Osaka to Hiroshima and wanted to know if I can buy in Tokyo when I arrive? Thanks for your help.
Yes, you can buy it in Tokyo at the JR counter or ticket machines. :) If you are looking for discount, travel agencies have tickets too. www.klook.com/en-US/activity/79827-jr-sanyo-shinkansen/
Hello Ken-san! Got a question for you. Can I take Shinkansen from Shinjuku Station to Kyoto Station directly or only from Tokyo Station? Thank you for posting all these super helpful videos!
There are no shinkansens at Shinjuku. The Tokaido shinkansen goes Tokyo -> Shinagawa -> Shin-Yokohama and so on...
Phillip san, thank you for watching. As you already got answer from Greg san, Shinkansen to Kyoto is leaving from Tokyo Station. You can take JR Chuo line from Shinjuku to the last stop - Tokyo Station. Have a great trip. :)
Thanks a lot Kenchan for the tutorial. But I can use the IC card for subway train transaction before using it as shinkansen ticket right?
Yes, you can use for riding other trains and buying things with the same IC card. Have a great trip. :)
Hello Ken!, very helpful video, can I print the ticket earlier day before D day, like 5 days before departure date?
Yes you can! Have a greta trip.
Thank you for sharing this useful information. One question regarding the IC card. Do I have to register my IC card before I purchase the ticket or I can register IC card after I purchase the ticket? Thank you.
Thank you for watching. You can register IC card after you purchase tickets. So you can tag the IC card to your reservation after your arrival to Japan. 👍
hello kenchan, thanks for your informative videos! unfortunately on the smart ex page, the view seats icon is not there, do you know how i can fix this? ありがとう
Hello! Are you checking the seat within a month? It only comes up for booking within a month.
Hi Kechan, sorry if this might sound like a dumb question. Can I book the same Nozomi Line via the website and get a discounted rate in advance if I want to take the Shinkansen from Kyoto back to Tokyo? Thank you!
Hi. Yes, the 21/28 days discount is available for Nozomi from Kyoto to Tokyo too, if this was what you meant.
Hi Ken! for the online reservation, can 1 membership book for a party of 5 people? or each person needs to set up a Smart Ex account?
You can purchase with 1 membership. If you tag your reservation information to IC cards, each member need an IC card as you see at 8:25 :)
Thanks for excellent information. Can the QR Code also be user directly at the Gates to Shinkansen so you do not need an IC card or exchange physical tickets?
Thank you for watching. I wasn't aware of this, but in case you book through the English site for foreign visitors, you can use QR code (Apple Pay or Printed) to go through the machine with QR code reader. smart-ex.jp/en/entraining/qr/
NOOOO! This video came out after my previous trip in December 2022!
I could have used this important tip to save on my full priced ticket from Nagano to Tokyo which cost me 8780 Yen each person😭😭
The good thing is that i can use this website to book some shinkansen if i dun have JR pass.
This Smart EX cannot be used for Shinkansens by JR East, so you can't book trip to Nagano. You can save fare to Nagano with "Ekinet" by JR East, and the price of advanced purchase is around 5680 Yen from Tokyo to Nagano. But I heard some foreign issued credit card doesn't work, so I didn't put Ekinet in this video until I find out. Please try next time! Thank you 👍
Can wait for next month. You mention that there is a membership for SmartEx how much is the membership to sign up
It’s free. Just need a credit card.
Hi Kenchen, we are trying to register the smartx app to book the shinkansen train tickets, it is not accepting the U.S credit card? Is that something you know we fix or how to book the shinkansen train to tickets?
Thank you for this videos...so helpful!
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 ?
Hello. Yes, you cannot get on later Shinkansen with any discount type called "Hayatoku" but you can get refunded with 320 yen fee per ticket, as long as it's before the departure time. I'm explaining more in the newest video, so that might be more helpful (Link in the pinned comment.) Thank you for watching!
thank you!
I'll check the other video then.
@@tokyokenchan
Hello Ken Chan: to clarify, you buy tickets on line with a credit card but instead of getting a ticket at the station machine for the reservation , you can connect your reservation to an IC card so that you can use the IC card to go thru the ticket gates. Am i correct on this assumption?
Yes you are correct. From your account, you can register IC cards and connect your reservation. You can just touch the IC card to the gate machines.
We will arrive to Osaka on October 16 from Singapore. We intend to stay in Kyoto for lodging, then from there go to Osaka one day the others around Kyoto. On October 19 will go to Tokyo until the 22nd. Which option is my best? thanks so much
Hello. Thank you for watching. It's exactly 7 days, so JR pass is an option. You don't save much really, but you can hop on and off any JR trains. For some family, that might be easier. You might also be able to consider online reservation which I showed in this video. If you focus on saving the budget, you might want to try to get discount tickets online. In that case, you can get Haruka discount tickets with ICOCA card, and head to Kyoto with Haruka. After that, you can top up the IC card. Have a great trip to Kyoto and Tokyo. :)
Is it possible to make a Shinkansen reservation from Tokyo station to Kyoto Station from the app? That's what I input on the search time selection but the options given are arrival to shin-osaka station or Hakata, no Kyoto Station.
You should be able to, but I cannot check the app as it doesn't let me download in Japan. Could you try the website of SmartEX if it continues not working?
Can you print out multiple tickets for multiple passengers with the QR code option?
halo ken,can we still use qr code even after we pair the ticket with ic card?
Hi Ken, so if I use the website/app to book a reserved seat on Nozomi but miss my train due to being late getting to the station, I can just hop on the next Nozomi train on a non-reserved seat? (regular booking, non-discounted). And can I board an earlier train if I arrive to the station earlier on a Hayatoku 21 reservation?
Trying to determine if I should go for this or get the JR pass (current JR pass calculator states I will break even ~30k JPY, but the Nozomi to go from Tokyo to Hiroshima is much more convenient over the Hikari and transferring in Kyoto/Kobe).
Hi. Yes, correct. You can hope on later Nozomi non-reserved seats if you have tickets with regular fare. If you have tickets named "Hayatoku" you can not get on earlier / later trains. Regular fare on Smart EX, you can.
So if you have "Hayatoku", you need to either get refund or change train to later trains when you find out you cannot make it. In this case, you cannot apply the Hayatoku 21 price for the next train, so it will be the regular fare. JR Pass does have flexibility in case you might change plans.
@@tokyokenchan As a follow up to determining whether I should go for JR Pass or not. I am looking from Kawaguchiko to Hiroshima. And I can either return to Tokyo station and grab the Nozomi. Or go to Mishima and take the Kodama to Nagoya and switch to the Nozomi after. If I wanted to do the Mishima route - can I use the Hayatoku 21 fare for this (to cover the Kodama to Nagoya and then Nozomi to Hiroshima). Or do I have to book two separate tickets - one for Kodama (Mishima to Nagoya) and one for Nozomi (Nagoya-Hiroshima)
were headed to japan in late march, would you recommend reserving shinkansen tickets early? or could we get them day of?
Late March can be busy as it's during Spring break, but it all depends on which rate you like to purchase.
@@tokyokenchan it won’t matter, well at whatever is needed
Thanks for the guide, unfortunately the website won't accept my credit card, guess I will be missing the discounted fares :(
Yes, it seems it's happening to lots of travelers regardless of country or credit card brand. Some says it worked if they changed credit card to use. :(
Does the Smart EX website let you pay with a USA credit card?
Yes, the English site is made for outside Japan so you should be able to use it. I hope it works out for you.
unfortunately i have not been able to register with foreign debit cards (tried both Visa and Mastercard) :(
That's a major problem. I hear some similar issues with the foreign issued credit card.
I keep seeing that you need 2 tickets to use the shinkansen. The travel fare ticket and a ticket to reserve a seat with additional costs. Does this cover both those tickets or do I need to get a travel fare too?
Nothing mentions two fares on their website but I don't want to get to japan and be confused by my ticket and have to pay even more.
This price includes both fares and reserved seat price. A while ago, it used to be 2 tickets. Now you get one ticket for the ride (if you get a physical ticket). All price I mentioned in this video are the total cost, and no additional charges at stations. So no worry.
@@tokyokenchan thank you so much. Your videos have been really useful. I feel less stressed about my visit to Japan.
Its a shame that HAYATOKU 21 Wide only covers the golden route. Was hoping that it applies with Shinkansen in Kyushu and JR West but it does not :(
Checked the PDF and none of the routes that I want to take are covered by the HAYATOKU or HAYATOKU 21 WIDE.
Yes, this is for Shinkansen from Tokyo. For the JR West territory, their pass might be cheaper if you move around within the regions. Have a great trip. :)
Hi, can I check for tickets in the reserved ordinary for Tokyo to shin Osaka, why is it that the “21wide” is a better value? I see that there’s a “28wide” option available.
Another question, booking under the 28wide, after selecting the options, there isn’t a page for seats selection, and it’s straight to the payment page. Able to help? Thanks!
Hi. That is a new feature from yesterday, and I'm explaining about all those details in the new video which will be released tomorrow. :) Thank you for asking.
Hi, may I know which video explaining more about 28wide? Might need more information as I am planning yp purchase few months before my actual date.
What if the 21 days discount option is not available for my dates? I do see a presale option. Can I do that?
Yes, Pre-Sale is not guaranteed that you can get a seat, but you can try. Usually after the pre-sale finish, 21 days discount shows up 1 month - 21 days before your travel date.
Can we reserve tickets without JR pass? Thanks
Yes, you can. You cannot make reservation using JR Pass at Smart EX.
Thanks for the video. I don`t understand how the discounts works. I`m planning to go from Tokyo to Shin-Osaka in April. If i choose the green class, can i have a discount if i want to go with the Nozomi train? Thanks in advance
Yes, if you can choose the Hayatoku Green 3, you can travel with discount. Basically if you can choose the discount fare, you can get it. If it doesn't show up, either the slots for the discount is sold out or past the date of purchase set for each fare.
@@tokyokenchanAhh, so, if the system show me a better price i can select it, no matter if i`m not from Japan or have a special credit card or card. If it show, i select it and is the same. Is that right?
Yes for the English site. At the point you can choose the fare, I guess you already registered your credit card to the EX account, so you can purcahse it. @@bizcochodulce
@@tokyokenchanThanks!! For all the help, and the videos, you win a subscriber :) Hope the weather in Tokyo in April be fine. Thinking in going Tokyo, Osaka and Kioto. I was thinking in going to the F1 grand Prix, but i don`t know. Have you ever been there?
@@tokyokenchanWeird thing at the website " Since we were unable to confirm that your credit card is valid, we have canceled the process. Please start over from the beginning" I`m registering with a Visa Card. Maybe because is a debit card? I tried 2 times. Will try later, but no idea why is not working. I bought all the tickets, reservations and more with this card.
Hello…do you know if foreign Visa is accepted on the Smart Ex app? Thank you!
Hello the app is made for some different markets, so if you can download the app in your country, you should be able to. You can try to register and see before going forward to purchase. I hope you can make it.
I have an account and am registered but I haven’t been able to get mobile Suica using the same Visa so now I’m worried! 😅 hope it works when I go to order in a couple of days! Thank you!!
@@user-xz5si5dt5h Mobile Suica usually doesn't work with Visa issued outside Japan, so you may be able to try with Mastercard or other cards if you have. 👍
My Mastercard has foreign transaction fees so I was trying to use my Visa or Wise card but both don’t work. Thanks very much!
@@user-xz5si5dt5h I was not able to register any of my Visa cards, but I was able to register my Mastercard. If you're from the US, try getting a Capital One Mastercard, there's no foreign transaction fees, and no annual fees. It took me a few tries to open up my Smart Ex account. I was not able to link my Suica card until I actually have an account set up.
Konichiwa Kenchan
I have bought a Nationwide JR Pass, where can I make seat reservations online in advance?
Hi, did you purchase the pass from the JR site? or one of the agency? In case you purchased from the agency, there is no system that you can make online reservation. You can make reservation at the counter when you arrive Japan. :)
@@tokyokenchan thank you for your advice. Yes I bought mine on
Klook. Sad to know I can’t make advance reservations especially for the oversized luggage seats. 😢
Do u mean if I buy the Nationwide JR pass on JR website, I m able to make advance seat reservations ? Do you have the link for me to check? Thanks 🙏
@@ddragondamen9049 Yes. JR pass site allows you to make reservatino of seats but as of today, it's more expensive for the pass price. (It will be the same price after price hike in Oct.1) I have more detailsed explanation in this video (at 10:11 time stamp) if you have time to watch. :) th-cam.com/video/pLVyvS3129Q/w-d-xo.htmlsi=pxqYSVAaK7LhCn61
Hello, if I purchase ordinary reserved seating shinkansen tickets on the SmartEX app and I use the QR code to enter the gate machine, will there still be a small paper that comes out of the gate machine?
Yes the small paper still comes out. :)
@@tokyokenchan okay thank you!
@@tokyokenchan sorry, I have another question. Would I be able to register my SmartEX Shinkansen tickets to my Suica card that’s in my Apple wallet?
@@ksbma Yes, in that case, you need Suica number to register. To check the Suica number, you might need Suica App. on your phone. Once you download, your Suica on Apple Pay is automatically shows in the app, so you click (i) and number comes up.
@@tokyokenchan okay, just to be clear, I don’t have a physical Suica card. I would just be getting an Apple Pay Suica card. For Apple Pay Suica do they not automatically have number assigned to them?
Just came out after I got my JR pass 😢
No worry. This is convenient in the case you do simple round trip from Tokyo to Kyoto, or just one way trip that JR pass doesn't pay off. So it cannot be substitute for JR pass. JR pass is still a great choice for lots of train rides. :)
hello kenchan, thanks for your informative videos! unfortunately on the smart ex page, the view seats icon is not there, do you know how i can fix this? ありがとう
The seat map only comes up for booking within a month. This videos EX part has a little more details. th-cam.com/video/E7KA5P6hawQ/w-d-xo.htmlsi=v5bGziSenkmtywL6