JRPass

Hi there,

I can confirm that you do not need to pay the seat reservation fee for valid Shinkansen when you use a Japan Rail Pass. Seat reservation fees for valid trains are totally covered for holders of the Japan Rail Pass.

You do not need to book a seat on the shinkansen service, and can sit in the "jyuu-seku" or "free seats" carriages. Please note that although you can sit freely in these carriages, we recommend reserving a seat before travel as the seat reservations are free and you can enjoy a much more stress free journey. Please note that the JR-East hayabusa shinkansen does require a reservation as it only has reserved seating available.