Book directly with JR

An IC card is a key, not your Shinkansen purchase

For SmartEX and Shinkansen e-ticket, buy the booking first and link the correct IC card to each passenger. Adding money to Suica, PASMO or ICOCA does not create that reservation. SmartEX charges your registered payment card for the Shinkansen; the IC balance pays eligible local travel separately.

JR-EAST Train Reservation requires you to finish IC registration at least four minutes before departure, with an internet connection. Complete it well before you reach the gate. Each traveler needs their own compatible IC card.

SmartEX QR-Ticket and SmartEX pickup code are different things. The QR-Ticket is for boarding; the pickup code obtains paper tickets. Follow the current QR guide for printing or supported wallet use, and give each passenger their own ticket.

Pick a collection station before paying

SmartEX paper tickets: use an eligible EX machine with your pickup code and login password. Machine collection starts three days before travel; JR Central, JR West and JR Kyushu counters allow collection from one month ahead. Only specified JR East machines participate. Carry the payment card too, as staff may request it.

JR-EAST Train Reservation paper tickets: consult the product-specific collection list. Regular tickets can be collected at eligible machines with a pickup QR code, pickup code or payment card; counter methods differ. Collect return tickets before leaving the collection area. Rail passes have additional passport requirements.

JR West regular tickets: bring the physical payment card, reservation number and identification number for machine pickup. Virtual-only cards cannot satisfy the physical-card requirement. Collection in the JR Central area is restricted to bookings that include JR Central travel; special discounted products can have narrower pickup areas.

JR Kyushu English bookings: the named cardholder must bring the original payment card, five-digit reservation number and four-digit identification number. Check eligible JR Kyushu/JR West locations; you cannot collect these tickets at JR East, JR Central, JR Hokkaido or JR Shikoku. At Hakata and Kokura, JR Kyushu and JR West counters are not interchangeable.

At the gate: match the method to the booking

SmartEX with linked IC: tap that card. If your local train also uses IC, use the same card for both journeys. With a local paper ticket, insert the paper first, then tap the linked IC. Pick up the seat-information slip from the gate and keep it; it is not a ticket to insert into the gate.

SmartEX transfer gates: with a QR-Ticket and a local IC card, scan the QR first, then tap the IC. With a local paper ticket, insert that ticket first, then scan the QR. With collected Shinkansen paper tickets and a local IC card, insert the paper first, then tap the IC.

JR-EAST Train Reservation gives a separate rule for connections between Shinkansen e-ticket bookings: at the transfer station, tap the registered IC to exit the gate, then tap it again to enter. Read its boarding guide when combining bookings or ticket types.

For QR and paper combinations, follow the operator’s illustrated transfer-gate guide for your exact combination. Do not scan a pickup code at a boarding gate. At Tokyo, Tokaido Shinkansen and the northern Shinkansen have different gate areas; check your line before joining a queue.

Seats, children and traveling together

A non-reserved ticket does not promise a seat, and not every train offers non-reserved cars. Hayabusa and Kagayaki have only reserved-seat cars; Nozomi also becomes all-reserved during designated peak periods. Check the actual train and travel date in the official booking service. For a group that wants to sit together, confirm the assigned seats before paying.

SmartEX permits one to six passengers per booking. Each traveler needs a separate QR-Ticket or assigned IC card. A child booking requires a child IC card; otherwise use QR or paper. An infant occupying their own reserved seat needs a child ticket; check the operator’s age rules and accompanying-infant limits.

Before you pay, and before plans change

Check date, direction, station names, passenger ages, seat class, baggage arrangements, boarding method and the full price in yen. Check whether the product includes the basic fare as well as the limited express fare. A rail-pass seat reservation is a separate workflow; do not buy a second full ticket by mistake.

For standard SmartEX, online changes must be made before the reserved departure and before gate entry or paper collection; the replacement train must be at least four minutes from departure. Fare differences and product restrictions still apply. Discount products, refunds and already-collected tickets have different rules: read your product terms before paying or changing.

These are official links, not a ticket checkout. Senroam does not see live availability, hold seats, promise fares or process payment. The operator’s current product terms and final booking screen control your purchase.