Joetsu 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.

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

Things About Trains

2026.04.152026.04.26

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

Toki ＆ Tanigawa Shinkansen Fare Chart – Quick Reference

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

Distance from Tokyo (km)	Station Name	Tokyo	Ueno	Omiya	Kumagaya	Honjo-Waseda	Takasaki	Jomo-Kogen	Echigo-Yuzawa	Urasa	Nagaoka	Tsubamesanjo
3.6	Ueno	200 ※880
30.3	Omiya	620 ※1,090	530 ※880
64.7	Kumagaya	1,230 2,610	1,230 2,400	620 ※880
86.0	Honjo-Waseda	1,600 2,610	1,600 2,400	1,040 2,400	440 ※880
105.0	Takasaki	2,090 3,040	2,090 2,830	1,410 2,400	810 ※880	350 ※880
151.6	Jomo-Kogen	2,750 3,380	2,750 3,170	2,420 3,170	1,600 2,400	1,230 2,400	910 ※880
199.2	Echigo-Yuzawa	3,520 3,380	3,520 3,170	3,190 3,170	2,420 3,170	2,090 3,170	1,790 2,400	910 ※880
228.9	Urasa	4,180 4,270	4,180 4,060	3,520 3,170	3,190 3,170	2,750 3,170	2,420 3,170	1,410 2,400	530 ※880
270.6	Nagaoka	5,060 4,270	5,060 4,060	4,620 4,060	3,850 3,170	3,520 3,170	3,190 3,170	2,090 3,170	1,410 2,400	810 ※880
293.8	Tsubamesanjo	5,390 4,270	5,390 4,060	5,060 4,060	4,180 4,060	3,850 4,060	3,520 3,170	2,750 3,170	1,790 2,400	1,230 2,400	440 ※880
333.9	Niigata	5,940 5,040	5,940 4,830	5,720 4,830	5,060 4,060	4,620 4,060	4,180 4,060	3,520 3,170	2,420 3,170	2,090 3,170	1,230 2,400	810 ※880

The Joetsu Shinkansen operates two types of services: Toki and Tanigawa.
The fare for non-reserved seats is the same for both services.
Toki is a faster service that stops at fewer stations, connecting Tokyo and Niigata more quickly.
Tanigawa is a local service that stops at all stations along the route.
The Joetsu Shinkansen is not covered by the Smart EX system.Tickets can be booked through JR East’s online reservation service (Eki-net), and used as a “Shinkansen e-ticket.”By linking a transportation IC card, you can board the train in a ticketless manner, similar to Smart EX.
Information as of April 2026