new year travel

Hi. We need to travel from Tokyo to Kyoto on 31 December 2019. Is it now possible to reserve a seat on the Shinkansen from outside of Japan when the bookings open on 30 November? If not, can you please recommend the best way of ensuring that we get on a train? And is it recommended that we do not take luggage with us due to the crowds at this time, but use a baggage transfer service instead? Sorry if I'm repeating old questions, just wanted to ensure I had current info to reduce my stress levels Huge thanks! JR