Guide · Plan the trip
Shinkansen and JR Pass guide: bag rules, prices and regional passes
On JR Central lines a bag over 160 cm total needs a reserved seat or a $6 (¥1,000) fee. A 7-day JR Pass is $325 (¥50,000) online, $340 (¥53,000) at agents.
Two numbers decide most Shinkansen planning here: 160 cm and 7 days. On JR Central’s lines a bag up to 160 cm total needs nothing, and a bigger one needs a reserved seat or a fee. A 7-day JR Pass costs $325 (¥50,000) on the official online service and $340 (¥53,000) at overseas agencies for purchases from 1 Oct 2026.
Dollar figures use about ¥155 to US$1 and are rounded; you pay in yen, so check the rate.
Which Shinkansen lines does this guide cover?
Each operator sets its own rules, so the line decides the bag limit. Three groups matter for the routes on this site.
| Route | Operator and line | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Tokyo to Nagano | JR East, Hokuriku Shinkansen | 105 minutes per JR East's Nagano guide; fare not found |
| Tokyo to Kyoto | JR Central, Tokaido Shinkansen | Bag rule below; Nozomi about 2 h 10, official fare not found |
| Hokkaido Shinkansen | JR Hokkaido | Baggage rule not found |
The 105 minutes comes from a search snippet of JR East’s guide, and faster trains run. The Hakuba route continues on a private Alpico bus, covered in Tokyo to Hakuba in winter with the 2025-26 fares and the 2026-27 timetable due around mid-November 2026.
How big can your bag be on the Shinkansen?
Up to 160 cm total needs no reservation on JR Central’s lines. A bag from 161 to 250 cm is oversized, and over 250 cm is not allowed. JR Central’s oversized baggage page sets these limits for the Tokaido, Sanyo and Kyushu Shinkansen.
| Bag | Length + width + height | Rule on JR Central lines |
|---|---|---|
| Standard | Up to 160 cm | No reservation needed |
| Oversized, reserved | 161 to 250 cm | Reserve a seat with the oversized-baggage area at booking, at the same price as a normal reserved seat |
| Oversized, unreserved | 161 to 250 cm | $6 (¥1,000) fee |
| Too large | Over 250 cm | Not allowed |
Add the length, width and height of the packed bag. The total counts, not the longest side. On conventional lines no reservation is needed.
JR East runs the Tokyo to Nagano route and sets its own limit, which is unconfirmed. Can you take a snowboard on the Shinkansen? has the detail.
Before you book Measure the packed bag first. Over 160 cm on a JR Central line, reserve the oversized-baggage seat when you buy the ticket and you avoid the $6 (¥1,000) fee.
Courier forwarding is the other route. Secondary guides put a ski or board bag at $10 to $16 (¥1,500 to ¥2,500) and add a day to or from the ski area. The options are in Tokyo to the ski resorts.
Reserved or unreserved car: which do you need?
Reserve a seat if you carry an oversized bag, because a reserved seat is how you get the oversized-baggage area. A JR Pass holder can reserve seats in advance only if the pass was bought on the official website, per the JR Group notice.
Rules on seat numbers, supplements and which cars are which are not found; read the operator’s page for your train before you book.
JR Pass price after 1 October 2026: official site or agent?
The official online service is cheaper for now. The JR Group notice raised overseas-agency prices for purchases on or after 1 Oct 2026, by local time where you buy, and kept the online prices “for a limited time”. So $340 (¥53,000) is an agency price, and $325 (¥50,000) is the official online price.
| Pass | Where | 7 days | 14 days | 21 days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standard adult | Official site | $325 (¥50,000) | $515 (¥80,000) | $645 (¥100,000) |
| Standard adult | Agent | $340 (¥53,000) | $540 (¥84,000) | $675 (¥105,000) |
| Standard child | Official site | $160 (¥25,000) | $260 (¥40,000) | $325 (¥50,000) |
| Standard child | Agent | $175 (¥27,000) | $270 (¥42,000) | $340 (¥53,000) |
| Green adult | Official site | $450 (¥70,000) | $710 (¥110,000) | $905 (¥140,000) |
| Green adult | Agent | $475 (¥74,000) | $750 (¥116,000) | $950 (¥147,000) |
| Green child | Official site | $225 (¥35,000) | $355 (¥55,000) | $450 (¥70,000) |
| Green child | Agent | $240 (¥37,000) | $375 (¥58,000) | $475 (¥74,000) |
The official page says prices are subject to change, and the price at the time of online purchase applies. A child fare covers ages 6 to 11, judged on the payment or exchange-order date. Nothing else about buying or using the pass changed.
To verify The end date of the online price freeze is not found: neither the notice nor the price page gives one. Read the official price page on the day you buy.
Is the JR Pass worth it for a winter route?
A pass pays only when single tickets for your legs add up to more than its flat price for 7, 14 or 21 days. To test it, price each leg as a single ticket with a seat reservation, add them up and compare the total with the pass for the days you need.
Three route facts shape the sum:
- Tokyo to Nagano is the Hokuriku Shinkansen, a JR line.
- Nagano to Hakuba is an Alpico bus, a private operator. Whether the pass covers it is not confirmed. The last known (2025-26) fare is $23 to $25 (¥3,500 to ¥3,800), and the 2026-27 fare is unclear right now.
- Airport trains differ: a secondary guide says Narita Express is JR and covered by the pass, while the Keisei Skyliner is not. Airport transfers compares the options.
The Hokuriku Arch Pass is reported at $195 (¥30,000) for 7 days, from one secondary source, and its coverage is unconfirmed. Check which stations it covers before you rely on it. The full route question is in Can you use a JR Pass for Tokyo, Hakuba and Kyoto?
Which regional passes changed in 2026?
Five passes or tickets changed in 2026 and one price is unclear.
| Pass | Price or status | Note |
|---|---|---|
| JR EAST PASS | 5 days $225 (¥35,000), 10 days $325 (¥50,000) | Replaced the Tohoku Area Pass on 14 Mar 2026; consecutive days, no Green car, children half price; secondary pages |
| East-South Hokkaido Pass | 6 days $260 (¥40,000) | Since 14 Mar 2026; an older figure of about $235 (¥36,500) is out of date |
| Hokkaido Rail Pass | Last known (April 2025): 5 days $140 (¥22,000), 7 days $180 (¥28,000), 10 days $240 (¥37,000) | The 2026 price is unclear right now |
| Kansai Area Pass | Paper pass ended 30 Sep 2026 | Earlier purchases stay valid; replacement prices conflict between sources, so none are given |
| All Shikoku Rail Pass | 3 days $77 (¥12,000), 7 days $130 (¥20,000) | Changed 1 Oct 2026; 4 and 5-day passes gone; Shodoshima ferry and bus no longer covered |
| Tokyo Subway Ticket | 24 hours $6 (¥1,000), 48 hours $10 (¥1,500), 72 hours $13 (¥2,000) | Since 14 Mar 2026; Metro and Toei only, not JR; read through snippets |
Read the operator’s page before you buy. The region guides carry the break-even maths: Tohoku, Hokkaido, Kansai, Shikoku and Tokyo and Kanto.
Where next?
The 2026 rule changes beyond rail, such as the departure tax and tax-free shopping, are in What changed in 2026. Cards and data are in Cash, IC cards and eSIM. Trip totals are in How much a trip to Japan costs, and manners on trains are in Japan safety and etiquette. Every planning page is in the Plan hub.
Questions
On JR Central lines, up to 160 cm total (length plus width plus height) needs no reservation. From 161 to 250 cm, reserve a seat with the oversized-baggage area at booking, or pay a $6 (¥1,000) fee without a reservation. Over 250 cm is not allowed.
A 7-day Standard adult pass is $325 (¥50,000) on the official online service and $340 (¥53,000) at overseas agencies for purchases from 1 Oct 2026. The online price holds for a limited time, and no end date is announced.
In advance, only if you bought the pass on the official website, per the JR Group notice. Nothing else about buying or using the pass changed in 2026.
A pass pays only when your single tickets add up to more than its flat price, so price each leg first. Tokyo to Nagano is a JR line, but the Alpico bus from Nagano to Hakuba is private and its pass coverage is unconfirmed.
The Tohoku Area Pass ended on 13 Mar 2026 and the JR EAST PASS replaced it. The paper Kansai Area Pass ended on 30 Sep 2026, and the All Shikoku Rail Pass changed on 1 Oct 2026. The East-South Hokkaido Pass is $260 (¥40,000) for 6 days since 14 Mar 2026.