Green car baby buggy of a Shikansen : Laboo Studio / Shutterstock.com
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The takeaway:
- First-class cars on Japan Rail (JR) lines are called Green Cars. They are found on shinkansen (bullet trains) and tokkyu (limited express trains).
- Because standards are so high on Japanese trains, even the ordinary cars are usually perfectly sufficient. But, if you want a little more space and a bit more peace and quiet, the Green Car is a good option. See below for pictures.
- Because Green Cars are a bit more expensive than ordinary cars, they tend to be less crowded and the people who ride them are often quieter than the folks in the ordinary cars.
- All Green Car seats are reserved, so you have less flexibility in terms of just jumping on the next train leaving a station (you must go to the ticket office and reserve your seat).
- See below for pictures of typical shinkansen and tokkyu Green Car and ordinary seats and additional explanation.
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What’s the difference between Green Cars and ordinary cars?
green Cars are clearly marked with the words “ green Car ” in English and the four-leaf clover symbol. Shinkansen ( bullet trains ) and JR tokkyu ( limited express trains ) normally have at least one green Car per aim. green cable car seats are normally more roomy and comfortable than ordinary seats. On the shinkansen, there are lone four seats per course in the green Car, versus five in ordinary cars. green Car seats besides have more legroom. green Car seats besides tend to be more epicurean, with features like electric lean back and in-seat interpretation lights .
JR Train Seat Comparisons
Shinkansen Green Car Seats (Tokaido Shinkansen)
Shinkansen Ordinary Car Seats (Tokaido Shinkansen)
Tokkyu Green Car Seats (JR Haruka Airport Express)
Tokkyu Ordinary Car Seats (JR Haruka Airport Express)
Japan trail car seats – all images © Chris Rowthorn
The Japan Rail Pass: The Green Pass Versus the Ordinary Pass
When purchasing a JR Rail Pass, you must decide between a fleeceable Car elapse and an ordinary car pass. In terms of monetary value, for an adult, a 7-day ordinary car pas costs Y29,110 and a 7-day k Car travel by costs Y38,880 ( if purchased outside of Japan ). therefore, green Car passes monetary value around 30 % more than ordinary car passes, and this holds true for the 14- and 21-day passes as well .
The advantage of green Car passes is that they allow you to ride in the green Car on any JR prepare that has such cars ( all shinkansen and tokkyu trains ). As mentioned above, k Car seats are more comfortable and broad. The green Cars tend to be quieter than average cars. They besides tend to be less crowded .
You can buy the Japan Rail Pass on-line at official partners of JR Rail. once you purchase the pass on-line, you will be sent an Exchange Voucher by post which you then exchange for the Rail Pass itself on arrival in Japan at the airport or at any JR Rail station .
So what are the disadvantages of a Green Car Japan Rail Pass?
Traveling with a green Car Japan Rail Pass is actually slenderly less commodious than travelling with an ordinary Japan Rail Pass. Why ? Because all fleeceable Car seats must be reserved in advance. There is no fee to reserve seats, but you must go into a JR ticket agency to do thus. This can be a bit of a pain in the neck, specially if you ’ re in a rush. In line, with an ordinary pass, you can barely breeze through the ticket gate and hop in an unreserved car on the adjacent shinkansen or tokkyu leaving the post .
During most of the year, you can just duck into the ticket office and reserve your k Car seats good before boarding your discipline. however, during bill travel periods like New Years ( Dec 29 to Jan 2 ), cherry flower season ( first workweek of April ), Golden Week ( first workweek of May ), and Obon ( mid-august ), it ’ s a good mind to book your seats a few days before you depart. You can not do this from outside of Japan, but you can do it on your first full day in Japan ( seats can be reserved up to one month before the departure date ) .
thus, when choosing between a green cable car and ordinary Japan Rail Pass, your decisiveness comes down to this : ordinary passes are cheaper and allow greater flexibility ; Green Car passes are more expensive and less flexible, but the seats and cars are importantly more comfortable and deluxe.
Buy the Japan Rail Pass on-line .
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