Shinkansen Etiquette: Tips From 15 Years of Riding

By the Japan Travel Costs team. Every figure links to its source with the date we last checked it, and figures we cannot verify are left out. About us.

Last checked 2026-10-26

By Thomas Leeming

I have been riding the Shinkansen for 15 years. At my peak, for over five years, I rode it every two or three days. In one month I worked out that I had spent over 90 hours on it. These are the habits I picked up, and the things I saw that made other passengers wince. Most of it comes down to one idea: the train is a shared quiet space.

Sleeping and reclining

Putting your seat back is fine. Unlike on a plane, there is plenty of legroom, and most people recline at some point. Still, give a quick glance behind you first, and lean back slowly, in case someone has a drink or a laptop on their tray. NAVITIME's Shinkansen guide suggests a quick word to the person behind if the seat is taken.

The Green Car if you want real sleep

When I needed proper rest, I booked the Green Car. It has wider seats, fewer people and a calmer carriage. Here is what it costs over a reserved ordinary seat on common routes.

Regular season fares from NAVITIME's Tokaido and Sanyo Shinkansen fare table, checked 2026-10-26. Peak and off-peak dates change the price.

With a rail pass, the Green version of the 7-day JR Pass is ¥70,000 against ¥50,000 for Ordinary (official price page). Whether that ¥20,000 is worth it depends on how much riding you do. Our JR Pass pros and cons page covers who the pass suits.

The big no-nos

Strong-smelling food

Eating on board is normal, and an ekiben (station bento) is part of the trip. What people notice is smell. Leave anything pungent for the platform.

Turning the seats around

Shinkansen seats rotate so a row can face the row behind. Doing it is not a strict no, but it is an 暗黙のルール (anmoku no rūru), an unwritten rule that most people follow without anyone saying it: it is generally not done. Even if you have booked the whole bay of four or six seats and the car is quiet, many locals still see it as poor form. If you do turn seats, keep your voices low and turn them back before you leave.

Bags on seats in non-reserved cars

Non-reserved cars are a free-for-all: you sit wherever there is space. That makes it more important, not less, to keep your bags off the seats. Use the overhead rack. NAVITIME's guide makes the same point for reserved cars: do not put luggage or a coat on a seat you did not buy.

Large luggage needs a reservation

On the Tokaido, Sanyo and Kyushu Shinkansen (and the Nishi Kyushu line), a bag whose length, width and height add up to more than 160 cm and up to 250 cm needs a "seat with an oversized baggage area". The reservation costs nothing beyond your normal reserved or Green fare. Board without one and you pay a ¥1,000 fee; bags over 250 cm are not allowed. JR Pass holders can book these seats too. Sources: JR Central and JR West, checked 2026-10-26. If you would rather not haul a suitcase at all, see luggage forwarding.

Ekiben worth buying

My favourites are the self-heating ones. You pull a string, the box steams for a few minutes, and you have a hot meal at your seat. Pull it once you are seated, not on the platform.

• Tokyo Station: one of my favourites is the 炭火焼風牛たん弁当 (charcoal-style grilled beef tongue bento) by Nihonbashi Daimasu. It comes in a self-heating container and costs ¥1,480, according to the maker's page, checked 2026-10-26.
• Shin-Osaka: my favourite of all is Awajiya's あっちっち神戸のすきやきとステーキ弁当 (Kobe sukiyaki and steak bento). It heats when you pull the string and costs ¥1,680. It also tops JR Central Retailing Plus's Shin-Osaka ranking.
• Best sellers in JR Central Retailing Plus shops at Tokyo Station: Kiyoken's Shiumai Bento (¥1,180) and a charcoal-grilled beef kalbi box (¥1,350).

Rankings and prices for Shin-Osaka and Tokyo from JR Central Retailing Plus, for sales from 1 to 30 September 2026, checked 2026-10-26. Shop ranges change often.

The small things

• Take phone calls in the deck area between cars, and set your phone to silent.
• Queue at the markings on the platform for your car number and let people off first.
• Keep conversations quiet, especially on early and late trains when people are asleep.
• Use the bins in the deck area, or take your rubbish with you.

Planning the fares themselves? See our route cost pages and cheaper Shinkansen tickets.