Shinkansen
11 posts
- Japan's Year-End Rush: Shinkansen Without a Reservation?
Not on the Nozomi, which is all-reserved over New Year. On the Hikari, Japanese riders say board at Tokyo and let a train or two go (39 likes).
56 likes
- Getting Around Japan: What Japanese Riders Say
218 of 931 Japan travel questions were about getting around. Japanese riders answer them: shinkansen seats, airport trains, taxis and the rules on board.
- Can You Smoke on the Shinkansen? No, Since March 2024
No: every onboard smoking room on the shinkansen closed in March 2024. Japanese riders mostly welcomed it, 69 likes on the top comment. Where they smoke.
69 likes
- Hiroshima to Tokyo: Shinkansen or Plane? The 4-Hour Rule
Hiroshima to Tokyo by train or plane? Japanese riders pick the shinkansen, and the top answer (141 likes) is not about speed. Plus the airport they use.
141 likesWhere to go instead →
- Night Bus or Shinkansen in Japan? What Japanese Riders Pick
Night bus or shinkansen? Japanese riders' top answer (880 likes) is the Sunrise sleeper train. Why bus fans still ride, and the seat rule they insist on.
880 likes
- Can You Buy Food on the Shinkansen? The Cart Is Gone
The Tokaido Shinkansen trolley is gone. Japanese riders say they had already quit it: the top answer (137 likes) is to buy at the station before you board.
192 likes
- Is It Rude to Recline Your Seat on the Shinkansen?
English guides say ask first. In an 824-comment thread Japanese riders say don't ask — announce. Top comment (239 likes): "I'm reclining", not "may I?".
239 likes
- Japanese people splitWhat Is Ekiben? And Are Japan's Station Bento Worth It
Top 200 of 615 comments on why ekiben are vanishing: Japanese riders blame 30-second stops and sealed windows — and split on whether they're worth it.
258 likes
- Japanese people splitIs the JR Pass Worth It in 2026? After the 70% Hike
Is the JR Pass worth it after the roughly 70% hike? The Japanese verdict tourists rarely hear: it was too cheap all along (116 and 115 likes).
116 likes
- Shinkansen Oversized Luggage: the Free Booking Rule
633 comments on unbooked use of the shinkansen's oversized-luggage space — the top reply (575 likes) likens it to parking in someone else's spot.
575 likes
- Shinkansen Reserved vs Unreserved: Why Free Seats Shrink
Japanese riders back the phase-out of shinkansen unreserved cars, and share the tactic that works: "only ever board at the origin station" (519 likes).
1,124 likes