Akita Shinkansen Fare Chart – Quick Reference (March 2026 Update)

JR West partners with JAL and ANA

Railways and airlines have traditionally been competitors, competing for the same passengers. However, in recent years, collaboration has been increasing alongside the growth of inbound tourism demand in Japan.

For example, in 2021, overseas JAL Mileage Bank members became able to exchange their miles for the JR-WEST RAIL PASS. This marked one of the initiatives jointly promoted by JR West and JAL to encourage travel across western Japan.

Looking ahead to the 2030s, the two companies are working to directly integrate their booking systems, allowing travelers to arrange both rail and air transportation in a single booking process.

Previously, travelers needed to book flights first and then separately reserve Shinkansen or limited express trains. With this new system, international visitors to Japan will be able to organize their entire journey on one platform.

As an early example, dynamic package products combining flights between Haneda and Nanki-Shirahama with JR West’s Limited Express Kuroshio and regional rail passes are already being introduced.

While flights are generally slightly faster in terms of travel time, how do they compare on price?

For example, on the Osaka–Fukuoka route, last-minute airfare and the standard Shinkansen fare are roughly similar, both costing around ¥16,000. However, if flights are booked early and outside peak travel periods, airfare can sometimes drop to around ¥9,000, making air travel the cheaper option depending on the conditions.

Under the Japanese government’s goal of attracting 60 million international visitors by 2030, stronger integration between transportation and tourism is becoming increasingly important.

One key challenge will be how to combine and coordinate relatively stable Shinkansen fares with airline prices, which can fluctuate significantly depending on timing and demand.

Currently, around 70% of inbound travelers’ overnight stays are concentrated in the Tokyo metropolitan area, Kansai, and Nagoya, making regional distribution another major issue.

Attention is now focused on whether collaboration between railways and airlines can help solve this challenge by encouraging international visitors to travel beyond Japan’s major urban centers.

Akita Shinkansen Fare Chart – Quick Reference (March 2026 Update)

Things About Trains

2026.04.142026.04.26

Top row Base fare
Bottom row: Shinkansen surcharge (reserved seat)

Hayabusa & Komachi Shinkansen Fare Chart – Quick Reference
1. Akita Shinkansen (Komachi) Overview

Hayabusa & Komachi Shinkansen Fare Chart – Quick Reference

Fares and surcharges are shown separately.
Add the top and bottom amounts to get the total price.

Distance from Morioka (km)	Station Name	Tokyo	Ueno	Omiya	Oyama	Utsunomiya	Nasushiobara	Shin-Shirakawa	Koriyama	Fukushima	Shiroishizao	Sendai	Furukawa	Kurikoma-Kogen	Ichinoseki	Mizusawaesashi	Kitakami	Shin-Hanamaki	Morioka	Shizukuishi	Tazawako	Kakunodate	Omagari
16.0	Shizukuishi	9,350 7,190	9,350 6,980	9,020 6,650	8,030 6,340	7,810 6,340	6,930 5,800	6,600 5,800	5,940 5,800	5,390 5,030	4,620 5,030	3,850 4,140	2,750 4,140	2,420 4,140	2,090 3,260	1,600 3,260	1,230 3,260	1,040 3,260	350 1,290
40.1	Tazawako	9,570 7,190	9,570 6,980	9,350 6,650	8,360 6,340	8,030 6,340	7,480 5,800	6,930 5,800	6,270 5,800	5,720 5,030	5,060 5,030	4,180 4,140	3,520 4,140	3,190 4,140	2,420 3,260	2,090 3,260	1,790 3,260	1,410 3,260	810 1,290	530 1,290
58.8	Kakunodate	9,900 7,560	9,900 7,350	9,570 7,020	8,690 6,710	8,360 6,710	7,810 6,170	7,260 6,170	6,600 6,170	5,940 5,400	5,390 5,400	4,620 4,510	3,850 4,510	3,520 4,510	2,750 3,630	2,420 3,630	2,090 3,630	1,790 3,630	1,230 1,660	910 1,290	350 1,290
75.6	Omagari	10,230 7,560	10,230 7,350	9,900 7,020	9,020 6,710	8,690 6,710	8,030 6,170	7,480 6,170	6,930 6,170	6,270 5,400	5,720 5,400	5,060 4,510	4,180 4,510	3,850 4,510	3,190 3,630	2,750 3,630	2,420 3,630	2,090 3,630	1,600 1,660	1,230 1,660	720 1,290	350 1,290
127.3	Akita	10,450 8,010	10,450 7,800	10,230 7,470	9,900 7,160	9,570 7,160	8,690 6,620	8,360 6,620	7,810 6,620	6,930 5,850	6,600 5,850	5,720 4,960	5,060 4,960	4,620 4,960	4,180 4,080	3,850 4,080	3,520 4,080	3,190 4,080	2,420 2,110	2,090 2,110	1,790 1,660	1,410 1,660	1,040 1,660

Akita Shinkansen (Komachi) Overview

The Akita Shinkansen “Komachi” connects Tokyo and Akita in the fastest way.
Between Tokyo and Morioka, the train runs together with the Hayabusa Shinkansen as a coupled train. At Morioka Station, they are separated, and Komachi continues to Akita.
All seats on Komachi are reserved. There are no non-reserved seats.
If all seats are sold out, a special standing ticket may be available. On the Morioka–Akita section, passengers may use empty seats if they are available, following specific rules.
The Akita Shinkansen uses a “mini-shinkansen” system.
Between Morioka and Akita, it runs on conventional railway tracks instead of dedicated high-speed tracks.
This means the train shares tracks with regular local trains on the Tazawako Line and the Ou Main Line.
Information as of April 2026.