Blog posts

Sold-out Shinkansen? You can often still travel by standing in non-reserved cars or using designated standing tickets. Here’s how it works and how to avoid it.

Driving a bullet train takes years of conventional-line experience, licences, and simulator drills. Here's the path from station staff to the shinkansen cab.

Everything you need to know about finding your carriage on the shinkansen platform and ensuring you get on at the right place. Read on for our easy to follow guide.

Everything you need to know about understanding your ticket for Japan's famous shinkansen train.

Japan's bullet trains are designed to withstand some of the world's harshest winter conditions. Find out more in our latest guide.

Our latest JRPass guide covers why the nose of Japan's famous 'bullet train' is shaped this way, how the Shinkansen nose design has changed across series, and where that thinking is headed next.

The Shinkansen is built to handle earthquakes with an exceptional safety record. Find out more in our latest JRPass guide.

Arriving for your shinkansen journey is not like getting to the airport. It's not even like getting a train back in your home country, it's such an efficient process

The Shinkansen's speed is so well-known that even individuals who know nothing about trains know about Japan's famous 'bullet trains', but just how fast are they really? Find out here.

When is a sleeper train not a sleeper train? Find out in our guide to the brand new Tokaido Lumière Express 'bullet train' launching in August 2026.