Planning a trip to Japan and looking to reserve train tickets in advance? EkiNet is the official platform for booking Shinkansen, Limited Express, Joyful Trains, and other JR East train services. You can also purchase passes and tickets for JR Hokkaido services.
Covering destinations across northeastern Japan, EkiNet offers access to routes from Tokyo to Sendai, Niigata, Nagano, Fukushima, Aomori, and beyond. It also supports reservations for services such as the Narita Express.
Buying tickets at the station is normally not a problem for high-frequency services such as the Shinkansen trains between major cities. However, trains may be fully booked during peak periods like national holidays (such as Golden Week), making booking ahead through booking platforms like Ekinet important.
Lower frequency trains, such as Limited Express trains to rural areas or Joyful Trains with unique onboard experiences, may have fewer departures and higher demand. Booking in advance through EkiNet secures your seat and helps you plan your journey more effectively.
This guide will help you navigate and get the most out of Ekinet.
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What is Ekinet?
EkiNet is an online reservation system for booking train tickets on JR East services, including Shinkansen, Limited Express trains, Joyful Trains, and the Narita Express. It also covers JR Hokkaido services.
It also allows users to purchase JR East travel passes, such as the JR East Pass, the Hokuriko Arch Pass or the Tokyo Wide Pass, and use these to make seat reservations. The platform is easy to use, offering options to make or change reservations, choose seating, and select ticket pickup or boarding methods.
These passes provide unlimited rides in specific areas of Japan, saving money compared to individual tickets and simplifying travel with hop-on-hop-off access and seat reservations. EkiNet is a convenient tool for tourists visiting multiple destinations across northeastern Japan.
There are other official online reservation tools covering other parts of Japan, such as Smartex which covers the south-west part of Japan.
Getting Started with Ekinet
Getting started with EkiNet is quite simple, but travellers outside Japan must use the JR-EAST (Ekinet) Train Reservation website.
You must first register as a new member, and there is no cost to do this. However, you must provide valid credit card details to sign up.
Become a Member: To sign up as a new member, click ‘Become a Member’ at the top right of the screen.
Complete the JR East Train Reservation Agreement: The first step is to read and agree to a series of agreements: membership agreement, service agreement, and privacy policy.
Provide an email address to receive a reservation procedure email: You need to provide your email address to receive a registration procedure email that contains a link to allow you to complete the registration process.
After providing your email address, you will get a confirmation message that the email has been sent.
The email contains a link that you need to open to complete the registration process.
Complete the Member Registration form: On the Member Registration form, you will be asked to complete details including name, date of birth, gender, passport country, phone number, create a poster, and indicate whether you want to receive notification emails.
If you make an error or mistake, the field will be highlighted in red after you click on the ‘confirm information entered’ button. From my experience, you can’t use characters such as hyphens. After entering my hyphenated last name, I received an error message, and I had to remove the hyphen to complete the registration.
Enter your Credit Card Details: After entering your credit card details and clicking confirm, you will be taken to your credit card company’s payment website using 3D Secure. This is so that Ekinet can check that the 3D Secure payment process works correctly.
You are then taken back to Ekinet to reconfirm your payment details, and then you click on ‘Registration Complete’.
Registration Complete: The final screen shows that member registration is complete.
You will also receive an email saying that registration was successful. The email also contains your member number.
After completing the form and clicking on the ‘Confirm information entered’ screen, you will be taken to a page where you need to confirm that all the basic information is correct before moving on to the next stage, which is entering your credit card information.
Once registered, you can modify your bookings anytime up to the train’s departure without additional charges, offering flexibility for changes in your travel plans. However, foreign transaction fees may apply depending on your credit card agreement.
There is an EkiNet app, but it is only available in Japanese app stores. A separate JR-EAST Train Reservation App may be available through your App Store or Google Play. However, it is in Japanese and does not have an English option.
Problems with Registering Credit Cards
When trying to register with Ekinet, some people have had problems providing their credit card details, which means they have been unable to register.
While Ekinet accepts major credit cards like Visa, Mastercard, JCB, American Express, and Diners Club, some users have reported that certain cards, especially those issued outside Japan, are not accepted.
Ekinet requires credit cards to support 3D Secure. 3D Secure goes by different names (such as Visa Secure, Mastercard Identity Check, American Express Safekey or Protect Buy). It’s an additional layer of security for online transactions. If your credit card isn’t registered for 3D Secure or the authentication fails, the card may be declined during registration, which means you won’t be able to complete your Ekinet registration.
Also, some credit card issuers may restrict international transactions or have specific security measures interfering with registration.
If you have a problem when trying to register your credit card, try the following:
- Verify Card Compatibility: Ensure your credit card is among the accepted types and supports 3D Secure authentication.
- Contact Your Card Issuer: Inform your bank or card provider about the intended transaction to preempt any security blocks.
- Try Alternative Cards: If one card fails, attempt registration with another credit card, preferably from a different issuer.
If you are having trouble booking tickets through Ekinet, other alternatives, such as Klook, are available.
Purchasing Tickets
Once you’ve registered with Ekinet, purchasing tickets is easy. You can book for a maximum of six people. Booking Shinkansen tickets through Ekinet combines the basic fare and the Shinkansen supplement fee into a single transaction, simplifying the reservation process.
For Limited Express trains and Joyful Trains, you can only purchase physical tickets (that need to be collected). For tickets on the Shinkansen, you can choose physical tickets or e-tickets.
E-tickets are linked to IC cards (such as Suica and Pasmo). The fare is charged to your registered credit card and is not deducted from the IC card balance.
Here’s how to buy tickets (both physical and e-tickets):
1. Click on ‘Purchase Tickets’: Make sure you’ve logged in, then click on the ‘Purchase tickets’ button in blue on the screenshot below.
2. Search Trains: You can search for Shinkansen and Limited Express trains by either station or line.
On the same screen, you can also explore the different Joyful Trains JR East offers. Joyful Trains are sightseeing trains featuring unique themes, interiors, and services. They offer panoramic windows, local cuisine, cultural activities, and designs reflecting the regions they travel through. One example is the ‘Pokemon with You’ train.
2a. Search by Station Screen: If you know your exact departure and arrival stations and don’t need to narrow your choices by choosing a specific line, use the ‘Search by Station’ screen.
You start typing in the letters of the station name, and the search screen filters the station options (as shown in the screen below). You then filter by date, time, and number of passengers (up to six people).
2b. Search by Line: Another option is to search by line. On the main ‘Search by Line’ screen, you select which line and then the departure and arrival stations. After that, you filter by date, time, and number of passengers.
There are a large number of lines that you can book tickets for through Ekinet, including Shinkansen and Limited Express Lines.
Once you’ve chosen the line you want to travel on, you will then see the departure and arrival stations on the line you’ve chosen.
2c. Search by Joyful Train: If you choose to search by Joyful Train, you will first see images of all the Joyful Trains that can be booked through Ekinet.
After you’ve chosen the Joyful Train you’re interested in booking tickets for, you’re taken to the main booking page for the specific train service, e.g. Pokemon with You. This page has a clickable menu showing the various services for that particular train service.
You will then choose your travel date, departure and arrival stations and the number of passengers, just as you would with the other search options.
3. Detailed Search Results: After entering your search details (such as date, time, stations, and number of passengers), you will then get a search results screen. It will look pretty much the same, regardless of whether you are booking tickets for a Shinkansen, Limited Express or Joyful Train.
For the screen below, on the Hayabusa 21 departing at 11:20, you have a choice of a reserved seat in an ordinary car or a seat in a Green Class Car (which is like a business/first class seat on a plane). On the Hokuriku Shinkansen service, there is also an option called Gran Class (which is definitely a first-class experience).
As the screenshot below shows, you can’t book non-reserved seats on the Hayabusa service.
While non-reserved seats aren’t available on the Hayabusa service, you can book non-reserved seats on various other train services offered through Ekinet. For example, in the screenshot below, non-reserved seats are available on the Hakutaka service.
Help with understanding search results: In the detailed search results, at the top you will see either a green train icon (which represents Shinkansen trains), or a blue icon (which shows Limited Express and Joyful trains).
A blue circle shows there are plenty of available seats, a red triangle means there are only a few available seats left, and a grey cross means there are no seats left.
4. Choosing your ticket type: After selecting your seat and car type, the next step is choosing your ticket type. You can only choose a physical ticket for Limited Express and Joyful train services (the top option below).
For Shinkansen trains only, you can also choose an e-ticket (linked to your IC card, such as Suica). You also save a little money by choosing the e-ticket option.
5. Seat selection (for reserved seats): You have quite a few choices for seat selection, including any seat, from a seat map, aisle or window seats, or by a particular location in the car. My preferred option is choosing from a seat map.
Choosing your seat from the seat map: Ekinet automatically takes you to the car with the most available seats. Once you’ve chosen your seat, it’s highlighted in blue.
If you want to check out seat availability in another car, click the change car button circled in blue below. You are then taken to a list of other cars with seats available (see the bottom half of the image below).
Once you’re happy with your seat choice, click the blue ‘confirm’ button and you’re taken to a seat confirmation screen.
6. Select your ticket pick-up location: After choosing your seats, the next step is to choose the ticket pick-up location and date.
7. Accept Service Agreement: You must accept the Ekinet Train Reservation Terms of Use, including acknowledging that you must collect tickets before departure.
8. Confirm your booking details: Before you pay for your tickets, you need to confirm your reservation details.
Once you’re happy everything is correct, you can pay with the saved credit card or add a new one. You then click the blue ‘Reserve now’ button. You will then be taken to your credit card provider’s payment authentication screen (using 3D Secure).
9. Reservation Complete: Once your payment has been processed, you will be taken to the reservation complete screen. You can share reservation details from this screen or display the QR code you need for ticket collection. You will also be sent a confirmation email.
The reservation email contains important information such as your member number, reservation number, the QR code to pick up tickets and the pickup code.
Shinkansen E-Ticket Booking Process
The process for booking Shinkansen e-tickets is very similar to the process for booking physical tickets, except for the differences below.
After choosing the Shinkansen E-Ticket option, you are first shown the list of IC cards that can be used with e-tickets.
From then on, the ticket booking process is the same as for physical tickets until you get to the ticket pick-up location, which is blank (see the screenshot below).
Before paying for your ticket, you will also have to accept the e-ticket terms and conditions.
At the Reservation Screen, there is an additional button to set the IC card/s for the ticket or tickets you purchased.
When you click the ‘Set an IC card’ button, you are taken to ‘Reservation History’. From there, you must click on ‘Specify IC Card’ for the journey you booked.
You can then manually enter the IC card details.
Time Period for Reservations
With EkiNet, you can reserve seats up to one month (30 days) in advance by using a JR East pass or by purchasing a paper or e-ticket. This advance booking period applies to Shinkansen and Limited Express trains operated by JR East. Seat reservations can occur as close as 4 to 6 minutes from the train departure time (depending on whether it is a paper or e-ticket).
Check the following table for the specific details of reservation windows.
You can buy JR East passes, reserve seats using a pass, or purchase tickets between 00:10 am to 1:50 am JST and 05:00 am to 11:50 pm JST.
When is Your Credit Card Charged
When you buy passes or tickets through Ekinet, your registered credit card is charged at the time of booking. This immediate payment applies regardless of how far in advance you make the reservation.
Refunds
If you wish to cancel a ticket purchase, there is no cancellation fee until 11:00 pm JST of the day before boarding. For non-reserved seats you can request a refund until six minutes before the train departs. There are no refunds after the train departs.
If you need a refund after buying a JR East travel pass, no fee will be charged until 11:50 pm JST on the day before the start date.
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Change Membership Information
The ‘Member Information’ section is at the bottom of the main Ekinet bookings page. You can check your reservations, cancel reservations, change your member information or cancel your membership.
Cancel a Reservation
When you click ‘Your Reservation/Cancel a Reservation’, you are taken to the screen below. From here, you can request a receipt and also go to the Reservation Details (Cancellation) screen.
You can then see your full reservation details. If you want to cancel a booking and get a refund, there is an option to cancel a train reservation at the bottom of the screen.
You will then be taken to a confirmation of cancellation screen. Once you agree to the cancellation and confirm that you are seeking a refund, you will be taken to a ‘refund complete’ screen and you will also receive an email confirming the cancellation.
Change Member Information
Also, at the bottom of the main Ekinet booking page is the option to view or change member information. When you click on that option, you go to the following screen.
From here, you can view or change basic information, passwords, your email, credit card information and also change your IC card information. From this screen, you can also cancel your membership.
Purchase a JR East Pass
Most people travelling to Japan would be aware of the famous JR Pass. As a result of a steep price increase last year, it’s now much less likely to save you money unless you are moving frequently between cities by train.
However, there are many other types of train passes available that can save you money.
On the main Ekinet booking screen is an option to ‘Purchase a Pass’. See the screen below.
You will then be taken to a screen to browse the different passes offered to find out the area they cover, the pass cost and how long they last.
You can also search for passes by specifying the departure and arrival stations. Ekinet will then display the various passes that cover those stations, as seen in the screenshot below.
Once you’ve chosen the type of pass that best suits your needs, you are taken to a pass confirmation screen. This includes various terms and conditions for that pass.
After confirming the type of pass that you want, you then need to enter your pass information, including the number of passengers, the start date for the pass, and user details (including passport information).
After completing the pass information screen, on the following screens, you will need to enter a pickup location for the collection of the passes, read and complete a service agreement, and then do a final confirmation of your pass details before paying for the pass.
Reserve Seats Using Your JR East Pass
The main Ekinet booking page offers an option to reserve seats for customers using a JR East pass. You will be taken to the following page after clicking the ‘Seat Reservation’ button.
I have not purchased a pass for this article, but once you’ve purchased a pass, you will see a list of passes you’ve purchased through Ekinet. At the bottom of the screen, you can also select any JR East passes you’ve purchased elsewhere (such as through a travel agency).
You are taken to another screen after choosing the pass you want to use to reserve seats. The example below is for the N’Ex Tokyo Pass, the service to travel between Narita Airport and Tokyo.
The details on the screen will change depending on which pass you are using.
After choosing your journey details, you will then move through a series of screens that are just like the screens you will see when booking a ticket directly: search by station (where you need to enter the date and time of travel) as well as the number of passengers, a search results screen, seat selection, pickup location for the pass, and a service agreement.
Where the process differs if you have already purchased a JR East pass is with the confirmation of details screen. Instead of having to enter your credit card details, you will see that the price is 0 yen, and there is an option to use a pass.
Boarding Methods
There are two methods for boarding JR East trains: a physical ticket (for Limited Express, Joyful trains and Shinkansen trains) and IC cards (only for JR East Shinkansen trains).
1. Physical Tickets
You can collect physical tickets at designated JR East stations before boarding. This method is straightforward. However, it requires visiting ticket machines or counters, which can lead to delays, especially during peak travel times. Therefore, allow extra time for ticket collection.
Collection Points:
- Reserved Seat Ticket Vending Machines: Located at major JR East stations, these machines allow you to retrieve your tickets using the necessary identification details.
- Ticket Counters: Staffed counters at major JR East stations can assist with ticket collection and other inquiries.
Required Information for Collection:
- Reservation Details: Your reservation number or QR code.
- Identification: The credit card used for the reservation or a valid form of ID.
2. Using an IC Card (for Shinkansen Trains only)
For a more seamless experience, you can register an IC card (e.g., Suica or Pasmo) with your EkiNet account. This allows you to tap your IC card at the ticket gates for quick and efficient boarding, eliminating the need for physical tickets.
Each traveller must have their own registered IC card, as sharing is not permitted. Make sure that all IC cards are registered before you travel to avoid any issues at the ticket gates.
Final Thoughts
Ekinet makes travel in north-eastern Japan easier by offering advance ticket bookings and discount train passes for Shinkansen, Limited Express, and Joyful Trains. Physical tickets (which must be collected) are available for all train types, while ticketless travel is only available (with registered IC cards) for Shinkansen trains.
Whether you’re a first-time visitor or a regular traveller, Ekinet simplifies booking your train journeys.
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Tony always dreamed of travel but didn’t get started until his mid-20s, when he met Anne and swapped his collection of travel brochures for real adventures.
A qualified elementary school teacher, he joined the blog in 2018 and transitioned to blogging full time in 2023.
Tony particularly enjoys exploring Japan’s street food, sumo tournaments, and hidden neighbourhoods in Tokyo.