Discount Shinkansen Tickets: How to Buy Online
By purchasing shinkansen tickets via Japan Rail’s ‘EkiNet’ website, you can access big savings of between 10% to 50% of the standard fare. This page includes information regarding how to:
— How to Register an Online Account with EkiNet
— How to Search For & Buy Discounted Shinkansen Tickets
— How to Collect & Use Your Ticket
— Ride the Shinkansen, Join a Tour
A step-by-step process is provided below in English. The EkiNet system is however only in Japanese, therefore to use search and select train lines and stations you will need to be able to recognise some kanji i.e. Hokuriku Shinkansen = ‘北陸新幹線’, Nagano = ‘長野’, Tokyo = ‘東京’, etc.
It is important to note that when buying discounted fares, you can only by one-way tickets. If you wish to purchase a return or additional ticket, you will need to process that booking separately.
Please note, we hope that the information provided below will be of assistance in accessing some great deals with Japan Rail. Information provided is accurate to the best of our understanding however Snow Monkey Resorts is not accountable for any transaction made through the EkiNet website, nor accountable any costs incurred by the user. By purchasing a ticket through the EkiNet website, you are agreeing to Japan Rail’s terms and conditions. Once you have completed payment, make sure to keep a copy of your confirmation and follow the instructions provided regarding issuance, collection and/or use of your ticket. If you cannot read the email, use an online translation app or ask a friend for assistance to ensure you are aware of any further steps required to use your ticket.
The first step of accessing discounted tickets is registering your online account with EkiNet. To do this, you will require: an email account, residential address in Japan , phone number, credit card, and IC card i.e. Suica, Pasmo, etc. (for users who wish to have a digital ticket issued to their travel card).
HOW TO REGISTER AN ONLINE ACCOUNT WITH EKINET
Logging onto the EkiNet website the following steps will have you registered in 5 to 10-minutes:
1 / On the EkiNet homepage, click the dark green button on the middle right-hand side of the page:
2 / This page explains what you need and what you can do on the site. Click the button at the bottom of the page to proceed:
3 / This page provides terms and conditions of use. Tick the box at the bottom and click the button on the right to proceed to the next page:
4 / First step of registration: enter your email address the box boxes and click on the button below:
5 / You will receive an authorisation email for EkiNet. Open that email and click on the link. It will then redirect you to the next registration page.
6 / Second step of registration: complete all data fields including: 1. your preferred User ID; 2. password of 6-12 characters (must be entered twice); 3. your surname followed by first name in ‘kanji’ or ‘hiragana’*; 4. your surname followed by given name in ‘katakana’*; 5. date of birth; 6. gender:
*It is possible to enter your name in ‘romaji’ however, depending on your language input settings, the format might not be accepted. If that’s the case, it will be easier to write your name in ‘hiragana’ and ‘katakana’.
7 / The second half of the page requires you to enter your address and contact details: 7. post code; 8. prefecture; 9. city; 10. street address; 11. building name/no (if applicable); 12. phone number/s. Once you have completed all information, click the button below to proceed.
8 / Third step of registration: you now need to enter your credit card details – firstly the card number followed by month and year of expiration:
9 / Fourth step of registration: the second half of the page requires you to enter your IC Card details. For this, you require a Suica, Pasmo or other such travel card and must provide the following details: letter and number card number on the back of the card, followed by card user name.
If you don’t have an IC Card, you can tick the top box and register one later. Once all details are entered, click the button below to continue:
10 / You are now registered with EkiNet are ready to start searching for tickets.
HOW TO SEARCH FOR & BUY DISCOUNTED SHINKANSEN TICKETS
After completing registration you should be automatically returned to the EkiNet homepage with your account logged-in. If you need to log-in again, click on the log-in button on the top right-hand corner. You care search and buy tickets with the following steps:
1 / Your account should now be logged-in (as shown on the right-hand side of the screen). If for any reason you’ve been logged-out, you can log back into your account in the same area of the screen. To access tickets, click on the tab on the top left:
2 / If you are logged-into your account, you should see the following screen. Input your starting station, end station, and other information in the square on the left side of the screen:
3/ Once you have done so, you will see a number of options appear on your screen. If you press the blue button underneath, it will bring you to the page where you can select your seat and pay for the ticket. And that’s it!
HOW TO COLLECT & USE YOUR TICKET
Once you have completed payment, you should receive an email confirmation of your ticket. This email will also contain further information you need to collect and/or use your ticket. If you can’t read Japanese, try popping the text into an online translation site or ask a friend for assistance. It is important that you are aware of any conditions of use or further steps that might be required to use your ticket.
For users who registered an IC Card and selected the option of an e-ticket, your ticket should have been issued onto your card and you will not need to collect a paper ticket. On the day of your travel, use your IC Card at the ticket gates to access your train. Make sure to keep the confirmation handy so there is no confusion regarding your booking.
For users who did not register an IC Card and/or selected to have a printed ticket issued, you will need to collect this to access your train. Your email confirmation should include a confirmation number/receipt code. This number is used to issue your printed ticket. To do so, go to any shinkansen ticket machine and follow the prompts to enter your number. In a few simple steps your printed ticket should be issued. Ticket machines have English and other foreign language settings, so this step should be simple. If there’s any problem, ask a station attendant for assistance or head into the JR Ticket Office. Make sure to allow plenty of time to do this – ideally, prior to your date of travel – to avoid any unexpected delays.
We hope this information will be of assistance in helping you find some great deals, and of course, we hope to see you soon in Nagano!
RIDE THE SHINKANSEN, JOIN A TOUR
At Snow Monkey Resorts, many of the tours we offer start right from a Shinkansen station! All you need do is buy your tickets as described above, hop on the train, and before you know it you will be at the meeting point with your guide ready to head out for the day. For a list of tours from each area that start from a Shinkansen station, click any of the links below (and make sure to check the listed Meetup points):
— Nagano
— Kanazawa
— Tokyo
— Nagoya
If you prefer you transport a little more private, we also offer private charter services. We can pick you up right outside a Shinkansen station and whisk you off to your next destination. With clean vehicles and certifies drivers, you can rest easy knowing you will arrive safely and well rested. For more information, please see here.
