One of the things that helps make travelling across Japan incredibly easy is the shinkansen, or the bullet train. These trains travel at speeds upwards of 200 mph, allowing for travel across the nation in the blink of an eye. That being said, navigating these trains can be quite difficult to understand for first time travellers. Here, we will be giving you a survival guide for the shinkansen.
Across Japan, there are 8 different shinkansen lines. These lines connect Hokkaido, Honshu and Kyushu (Shikoku doesn’t have a line currently, but there are plans to bring a line to Shikoku), but if you are looking to get to or from JCMU with the shinkansen, you only need to worry about the Tokaido shinkansen. The Tokaido shinkansen connects Tokyo Station with Shin-Osaka Station, and stops at Maibara Station. Maibara Station is the closest train station with a shinkansen line to JCMU, as well as the only station in Shiga with one. It is worth noting that not all shinkansens will stop at Maibara Station. Only Kodama and some Hikari shinkansens will stop at Maibara Station. Both of these are the slower models, so make sure that you don’t accidentally book a ticket on the Nozomi if you want to get to Maibara.
Arguably the most important step to surviving the shinkansen is purchasing tickets. There are a number of ways you can do so, from utilizing websites to purchasing them at the station. Personally, I’ve found that purchasing tickets from the station is a lot less of a hassle than relying on websites.
At the station, there are kiosks where you can purchase tickets. These kiosks can change the language to English, but it can be quite simple to use these without the need for changing the language. There are options for both reserved seats and non-reserved seats. Both options will get you on the same train, but reserved seats tend to be more expensive. There is also a Green car, and that is essentially first class. These tickets are also reserved, but even more so than the standard reserved seats. When you select the seat type you’d like, from there, you can get to a screen where you can choose which station you’d like to get off at. Afterwards, it will ask you what day and time you want to leave. Please note that the time will be in military time, so if you want to leave at 1 pm, you’ll tap on 13:00, and so on. Then, you’ll be asked how many tickets you want to purchase. If you are travelling solo, you’ll want 1 adult. If you are travelling in a group, you can choose how to split up the ticket purchasing, though it may be difficult to find seats in a group if you purchase them individually. It’s worth noting that if you are bringing your luggage with you from the airport, you will need to get a seat with an oversized baggage area, which is only accessible through reserved seats. You can avoid this by mailing your luggage to JCMU from one of several locations in the airport which you land in. From there, you can pay using cash or credit card. Be warned though, as some kiosks only accept credit cards. Where and How to Buy Shinkansen Tickets by Tokyo Cheapo does a great job of showcasing this.
If you are looking for tickets that are even cheaper than the ones you can find at these kiosks, there are discount ticket stalls near most larger stations. These stalls, called Kinken Shops, offer a place for people to sell their unwanted tickets for cash. You can find numerous different tickets here, from shinkansen to concerts to coupons and seemingly everything in-between. But be warned, as their cut-rate price also comes with a catch. Since these are resold tickets, you’ll have to be careful to purchase them for the correct dates. For more information, check out the video, INSIDE Japan SECRET Discount Ticket Shops by Paolo fromTOKYO.
With non-reserved seats, it can be somewhat challenging to find a car which you can sit in. On the outside of each train car, there is a window which indicates which type of car it is. This information will change from Japanese to English somewhat frequently, but it can be beneficial to know the kanji, so you aren’t always reliant on the English translation. For non-reserved seats, you’ll want to find the 自由席 (jiyuu seki) cars. These will tend to be the first or last three cars on the shinkansen. If you see 指定席 (shitei seki), these are cars with reserved seats, which you will not be able to board with a non-reserved seat.
On the platform's ground, there will be lines indicating where to line up for the train. Make sure that you are in the line that corresponds to your ticket. The ground will only feature which car is coming up, so it is up to you to ensure that you are in the right place for the car you wish to board. With the seats being non-reserved, it can be a bit of a struggle to get a seat, especially at larger stations. However, if you wait in line for your turn to board, you’ll be able to get a seat rather quickly.
If you purchase a reserved seat, you’ll have to find the seat which you booked. Each car is listed as either reserved or unreserved cars. Finding not only which car you are in, but also which seat you are looking for as well can be a bit of a struggle on the tiny tickets. Underneath the arrival station, which will be located on the right side of the ticket in a much larger font, you’ll be able to see the date and time of your departure and arrival. Beneath that, you’ll see the train name, three numbers and a letter. The first of these is the train’s number. This allows you to identify if the train that has arrived is yours, though unless you booked way in advance, this step shouldn’t be necessary. Next, you’ll have the car number. This is the section of the train which you will need to board. Afterwards, there is the row number, and the letter is which seat you are in. The letters go from left to right, with A being the window seat on the left side, and E being the window seat number on the right side.
If you did not reserve a seat, you can disregard this section. Just make sure you get a seat on a non-reserved car.
When you arrive at Maibara Station, there are a few different ways to get to JCMU. Our recommendation is taking a taxi from Maibara Station to JCMU. These taxis will cost around 2,500 yen, and will take about ten minutes to get there. If you board a taxi, make sure you say “Michigan Center” when asked where you want to go. You’ll pay once you arrive at the center. The taxis have a rate of around 500 yen per kilometer, and they’ll typically end up being around 2,500 yen in total. A taxi ride from Maibara Station to JCMU will normally last ten minutes. If you biked to Maibara Station, bike parking is free.
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