Methodology
How TripWorth checks Japan fares
Every fare TripWorth shows comes from an operator or JR Group source, uses one stated fare basis, and carries a last-checked date.
Fare basis
- Shinkansen: one adult, regular season, ordinary reserved seat on Hikari/Kodama bought at a ticket window. TripWorth derives it from the official non-reserved fare plus the ¥530 regular-season reserved surcharge (smartEX non-reserved chart, JR Central).
- Lines without Hikari: Hayabusa or Kagayaki reserved fares; Kanazawa–Kyoto/Osaka use the Thunderbird + Tsurugi through fare via Tsuruga.
- Kyoto–Shin-Osaka: Shinkansen non-reserved (¥1,450), because a reserved seat is rarely needed for 14 minutes.
- "Hakodate" in TripWorth data means Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto, the Hokkaido Shinkansen terminus. Tokyo–Sapporo requires a transfer there to the Limited Express Hokuto.
- Seasonal changes: peak season adds ¥200 (¥400 on the busiest days); off-peak subtracts ¥200. Online discounts such as smartEX or Eki-net are not used as the baseline.
Confidence labels
| Label | Meaning |
|---|---|
| official | Read directly from an operator page or PDF |
| official-derived | Calculated from official figures using a documented rule (e.g. non-reserved + ¥530) |
| official-aggregator | From a private JR fare guide site (not operated by JR); shown as an estimate until re-confirmed with the operator |
| unverified-estimate | Third-party or multi-segment estimate; shown with a warning |
Update schedule
Fares are re-checked at least monthly and whenever an operator announces a change; see the price change tracker. The machine-readable data, including source URLs and dates for each route, is in fare-data.js.
Independence
TripWorth does not sell tickets. Comparisons are not changed by partners or advertisers. Found an error? Contact us.
Methodology reviewed October 13, 2026. Maintained by the TripWorth editor.