Can someone tell me how to book a wheelchair seat for the Shinkansen online? I am going to Kyoto from Hakata next month and would like to book early to ensure a smooth trip.
kee.14 Comments-
@kee. thank you! I will try this
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If you have any difficulty making a reservation, please let me know.🤞
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@kee. For this part, is it ok if I don’t have a Japanese phone number?
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@Tat Just to be sure, why not write your phone number along with the country code?
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@kee. Sure I can fill with my Hong Kong phone number, just want to ensure if international number is acceptable.
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@Tat I’m not sure, so please call and check for yourself to JR Kyushu.（tell number: 81-570078787）I also tried calling JR Kyushu several times to confirm. However, the phone line was so busy that I could not ask about that.
Would you like to make a reservation with a travel agency?
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@kee. I will try using my local number first, thanks a lot!
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I was able to speak with JR (Japan Railways) on the phone regarding your inquiry.
If a reservation is made online, once the seat is secured, JR will contact the registered phone number to confirm the reservation. At that time, they will also confirm the size of the wheelchair and your physical condition.
However, this confirmation process is only available via phone calls within Japan. Unfortunately, they cannot make international phone calls.
Therefore, if you have a representative or a travel agency based in Japan who can handle phone calls on your behalf, it is possible to make a reservation through them.
Even if you are unable to make a reservation in advance, you may still board the train if there are available seats on the day of travel. In that case, JR staff will check your wheelchair size and physical condition at the station.
Please note that early May is a holiday period in Japan called “Golden Week,” and public transportation can be extremely crowded during that time. I recommend planning your visit outside of this period if possible.
Enjoy your trip to Japan!
(It turned into a long explanation, so I asked ChatGPT to help me translate it! 😄)1 -
@Tat Hi So-san,
If you need, you can book and purchase Shinkansen tickets for the section from Hakata – Kyoto online below.
https://smart-ex.jp/en/reservation/reserve_smart/wheelchair/
Train tickets go on sale one month in advance, so you can buy tickets for 27 May from 10am on 27 April (Japan time).
We think this should be fine, but if you have any problems, as we are a travel agency, we can arrange your tickets, so please feel free to ask.
If you try to buy a wheelchair seat ticket at the station, you may have to wait for up to three hours. Please spend your precious time in Japan doing something fun!
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@Wheelchair Travel Japan Hello~ Thank you so much for providing this method, I believe the problem can Finally be solved.
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