The Ultimate Train Travel Japan – Gran Class

On a recent trip from Tokyo to Kanazawa, I booked round trip tickets in Gran Class on the Shinkansen (Bullet Train). The trip takes 2.5 hours each way, and the train runs like clockwork.

Booking tickets was very easy online. Just make sure to screenshot the QR code that is issued when you are done. You will need that to pick up the tickets at the station.

Pick up was relatively easy. I showed our QR code to a worker who directed me to a machine. Once you change the language to English, scan the QR code and the machine will issue two tickets. One which is the train fare, and the second to confirm you are in Gran Class with the car # and reserved seat #.

On the day of travel, I showed up at the station about 30 minutes before departure. On our outbound journey, cleaners went on about 10 minutes before departure and we had to wait for them to finish before boarding. On the inbound, we just boarded when the train arrived as it was not the starting station I am guessing.

It was a bit hard to find the platform where the train would leave from, and also to operate the gates. Just ask someone. When you get to the gate, make sure to insert BOTH tickets at the same time AND RETRIEVE them. You will need them to exit on the other side. If you do not retrieve them, the machine will eat them and you will need to call someone to get them out of the machine.

Boarding, just like almost everything else in Japan, is done in a very orderly manner. You find the marked spot when your car #will stop, and there are indicators on the ground showing where you should line up to board. Once on board, be ready for a serene and luxurious environment.

Seats are configured in a 1-2 format. There is overhead space but we could only fit two rollers in the overhead above us (and some small purses and jackets). Our backpacks went in the overhead bin across from us. There is also room in front of you for small bags and backpacks if the overheads are full. The leather seats are very luxurious. There are multiple adjustments but they don’t lay flat. They are contained in a shell so if you fully recline, it DOES NOT affect the person behind you.

The leg rest is actually useful and fully supports you to put your feet up unlike many airline legs rests which are useless most of the time. At your seat, you will find slippers. You will also be handed an amenity kit with the menu, a bottle of water, and salted chocolates which were delicious. You can ask for more chocolates from the attendant. There is free WIFI but it is unreliable especially when going through tunnels. 5G works better. Here is a look at the tray table.

There is also a smaller cocktail fold out you can rest 2 drinks on and doesn’t prevent you from getting up. The menu features a selection of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. The coffee and green tea on board is very good. In terms of food, you can choose between a small Western or Japanese bento box snack. I had Japanese both ways and it was good.

Service was friendly and efficient. The attendant will come by with the cart upon departure to serve drinks and food. After that, if you press the call button, she will show up but sometimes not right away. You can also flag her down as she walks the aisle quite often.

One the way back to Tokyo, we chose a bulkhead seat. I would recommend these over the other seats as they have more room because you are not dealing with the angle of the seatback in front of you.

Restrooms are clean and touchless. They make an announcement to leave the cabin to use your phone so the car was quiet and peaceful the entire journey.

Gran Class was an amazing way to travel in Japan. I looked forward to the return trip because I enjoyed the outbound so much. The seats are comfortable enough to sleep. I recommend this way of travel if it is available on your route (I am not sure it is available on every route so you have to check).