Shinkansen travel rules: Stopover limitations and discount changes

Travelers using the Smart EX service for Shinkansen bookings should be aware that stopping over at intermediate stations by exiting the ticket gates will invalidate the remainder of their journey. If a passenger exits the gates to sightsee, the original reservation for the subsequent segments becomes void, requiring the purchase of new tickets to reach the final destination. This can result in significant additional costs compared to booking separate tickets for each segment.

General Shinkansen rules allow for stopovers (tochū-gesha) provided the base fare ticket covers more than 100 kilometers and is not restricted to metropolitan zones like Tokyo or Osaka. However, limited express tickets (tokkyū-ken) are typically collected upon exiting the gates and cannot be used for stopovers.

Additionally, the traditional round-trip discount, which applied to journeys over 601 kilometers, has been phased out. As of March 13, 2026, the sale of round-trip and continuous tickets has ended, meaning travelers must now purchase two separate one-way tickets for return journeys.