JR East will launch an early reservation service on Ekinet that allows passengers to reserve Shinkansen reserved seats from three months before travel, starting October 31.
Eligible under the “Shinkansen e-Ticket Service” are the Hokkaido/Tohoku Shinkansen Hayabusa and Yamabiko; the Akita Shinkansen Komachi; the Yamagata Shinkansen Tsubasa; the Joetsu Shinkansen Toki; and the Hokuriku Shinkansen Asama. It applies to travel on or after January 10, 2026. Discount products other than the Shinkansen e-Ticket Service—such as “Ekinet Tokudane”—as well as non-reserved seats and TRAIN DESK are excluded. Applications are accepted from 2:00 p.m. three months in advance until 11:50 p.m. one month and eight days before departure. Seats cannot be specified at the time of application.
In addition, from October 31, a function will be introduced that allows fee-free refunds on Ekinet when a train reserved on Ekinet is canceled or delayed. This applies to Shinkansen and limited express trains across the entire JR East area in Japan.
Furthermore, from October 2, when a train reserved on Ekinet is canceled or significantly delayed, a new function will allow you to change to or newly purchase, on Ekinet, trains even after the scheduled departure time. Even when using discount tickets such as “Ekinet Tokudane,” you will be able to change to another train on the same day while carrying over the original discount. This applies to Shinkansen and limited express trains in the JR East area (including through services to other railway companies). Changes are limited to the same travel date, section, accommodation/class, number of passengers, amount, and ticket type as the original reservation.
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