Shinkansen child fares and age rules
JR uses four age groups. Children pay half the fare and the limited express charge, infants usually ride free, and some charges are the same for everyone.
Age groups
| Group | Who |
|---|---|
| Adult | 12 years old or older (a 12-year-old still at elementary school counts as a child). |
| Child | 6 to 11 years old (a 6-year-old who has not yet started elementary school counts as an infant). |
| Infant | 1 to 5 years old. |
| Baby | younger than 1. |
- Source: Adults and Children (JR Central) · Verified on
- Source: Kippu no Rule (October 2026 edition) p.44: adults and children (おとなとこども) (JR West) · Verified on · JR West 'Kippu no Rule' October 2026 edition, read from the e-book's Japanese text layer. This URL always serves the latest edition.
- Source: FAQ No.1177: What tickets does a child need to ride a train? (JR East) · Verified on · Japanese FAQ page (updated 2024-03-04).
- Source: Train Fares (JR Kyushu) · Verified on
What children pay
- A child pays half the adult price for basic fare, limited express, express and reserved-seat tickets; a 5-yen fraction is rounded down.
- Green Car, GranClass and sleeper (berth) charges are the same for children as for adults.
- Source: Adults and Children (JR Central) · Verified on
- Source: Kippu no Rule (October 2026 edition) p.44: adults and children (おとなとこども) (JR West) · Verified on · JR West 'Kippu no Rule' October 2026 edition, read from the e-book's Japanese text layer. This URL always serves the latest edition.
- Source: FAQ No.1177: What tickets does a child need to ride a train? (JR East) · Verified on · Japanese FAQ page (updated 2024-03-04).
- Source: Train Fares (JR Kyushu) · Verified on
Family fare calculator
Family fare, one way
Tokyo – Kyoto, Hikari, ordinary reserved seat, regular season.
| Traveller | Basic fare | Limited express (reserved) | Per person | People | Subtotal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adult | ¥8,360 | ¥5,490 | ¥13,850 | 2 | ¥27,700 |
| Child | ¥4,180 | ¥2,740 | ¥6,920 | 1 | ¥6,920 |
Total: ¥34,620
- Source: Kippu no Rule (October 2026 edition) p.2: Shinkansen fare and limited express charge quick-reference table (Tokaido/Sanyo Nozomi; Hikari/Kodama from Tokyo) (JR West) · Verified on · JR West 'Kippu no Rule' October 2026 edition (【2026年10月号】), read from the e-book's Japanese text layer. This URL always serves the latest edition. Normal season, adult, one way.
- Source: Kippu no Rule (October 2026 edition) p.3: Tokaido/Sanyo Hikari/Kodama table (continued) and Tokaido/Sanyo Shinkansen Green Car charges (JR West) · Verified on · JR West 'Kippu no Rule' October 2026 edition (【2026年10月号】), read from the e-book's Japanese text layer. This URL always serves the latest edition. Normal season, adult, one way.
- Source: Use of NOZOMI/MIZUHO trains (JAPAN RAIL PASS (JR Group)) · Verified on
- Source: NOZOMI MIZUHO Ticket: available sections, types, prices (for adults) (JAPAN RAIL PASS (JR Group)) · Verified on · Tax included. The same prices apply to Green Car tickets, reserved seat tickets in an ordinary car and non-reserved seat tickets in an ordinary car.
- Source: Jikokuhyo Tokyo-eki (Tokyo Station timetables): Tokaido/Sanyo, Tohoku/Hokkaido, Joetsu and Hokuriku Shinkansen, weekday departures and per-train stop lists (JR East) · Verified on · Times read from the operator's November 2026 weekday timetable (trains running on Wed 4 Nov 2026): one train's arrival time minus its departure time at the two stations. 'Typical' = the median of all runs of that train type; 'fastest' = the quickest scheduled run. Tokyo departures only (outbound direction). Per-train pages change URL every month, so the station index is cited.
- Source: Eki jikokuhyo: Shin-Osaka Station, Tokaido/Sanyo/Kyushu Shinkansen, for Okayama/Hakata/Kagoshima-Chuo (4 Nov 2026) (JR West (JR Odekake Net)) · Verified on · Times read from the operator's November 2026 weekday timetable (trains running on Wed 4 Nov 2026): one train's arrival time minus its departure time at the two stations. 'Typical' = the median of all runs of that train type; 'fastest' = the quickest scheduled run. JR West states that times shown are a guide (目安). Tokyo-Kyoto (both directions): Hikari 58 runs, 144-171 min (median 156); Nozomi 226 runs, 127-135 min (median 132), quickest Nozomi 293 (127 min).
- Source: Eki jikokuhyo: Shin-Osaka Station, Tokaido/Sanyo/Kyushu Shinkansen, for Nagoya/Tokyo (4 Nov 2026) (JR West (JR Odekake Net)) · Verified on · Times read from the operator's November 2026 weekday timetable (trains running on Wed 4 Nov 2026): one train's arrival time minus its departure time at the two stations. 'Typical' = the median of all runs of that train type; 'fastest' = the quickest scheduled run. JR West states that times shown are a guide (目安).
- Source: Eki jikokuhyo: Hakata Station, Tokaido/Sanyo/Kyushu Shinkansen, for Hiroshima/Shin-Osaka (4 Nov 2026) (JR West (JR Odekake Net)) · Verified on · Times read from the operator's November 2026 weekday timetable (trains running on Wed 4 Nov 2026): one train's arrival time minus its departure time at the two stations. 'Typical' = the median of all runs of that train type; 'fastest' = the quickest scheduled run. JR West states that times shown are a guide (目安).
Child amounts: the basic fare and the limited express charge are each halved, then rounded down to a whole 10 yen. Every amount in our fare table ends in 0, so halving can only leave a 5-yen fraction, which is dropped. This is our literal reading of JR's rule: “A child pays half the adult price for basic fare, limited express, express and reserved-seat tickets; a 5-yen fraction is rounded down.”
- Source: Adults and Children (JR Central) · Verified on
- Source: Kippu no Rule (October 2026 edition) p.44: adults and children (おとなとこども) (JR West) · Verified on · JR West 'Kippu no Rule' October 2026 edition, read from the e-book's Japanese text layer. This URL always serves the latest edition.
- Source: FAQ No.1177: What tickets does a child need to ride a train? (JR East) · Verified on · Japanese FAQ page (updated 2024-03-04).
- Source: Train Fares (JR Kyushu) · Verified on
Infants and babies
Infants and babies ride free, except: (1) when one adult or child is accompanied by more than two infants, the third and each further infant needs a child ticket; (2) when an infant or baby uses a reserved seat, a Green Car seat (except non-reserved Green Car seats) or a berth on their own; (3) when an infant travels alone.
The calculator uses the regular-season charge. On peak or off-peak dates the reserved-seat charge changes: see the seasonal calendar. Adult fares for every route are in the Shinkansen fare finder.
FAQ
What age counts as a child on the Shinkansen?
Child: 6 to 11 years old (a 6-year-old who has not yet started elementary school counts as an infant). Adult: 12 years old or older (a 12-year-old still at elementary school counts as a child).
How much does a child pay?
A child pays half the adult price for basic fare, limited express, express and reserved-seat tickets; a 5-yen fraction is rounded down. Example (Tokyo – Kyoto, Hikari, reserved seat, regular season): adult basic fare ¥8,360 and limited express charge ¥5,490; child ¥4,180 + ¥2,740 = ¥6,920.
Do children pay half for the Green Car?
No. Green Car, GranClass and sleeper (berth) charges are the same for children as for adults.
Do babies and toddlers ride free?
Infants and babies ride free, except: (1) when one adult or child is accompanied by more than two infants, the third and each further infant needs a child ticket; (2) when an infant or baby uses a reserved seat, a Green Car seat (except non-reserved Green Car seats) or a berth on their own; (3) when an infant travels alone.