Shinkansen vs flying in Japan: which is better

• Tokyo to Osaka: shinkansen 2 hours 30 minutes city centre to city centre, flight 3 to 4 hours including airport time.
• Tokyo to Hiroshima: shinkansen 4 hours, flight 3 to 4 hours but no time saving once you add transfers.
• Tokyo to Sapporo: flight wins clearly, shinkansen is around 8 hours plus connection.

Domestic flights look cheap online but add 1,500 to 3,000 yen each way for airport transfers and baggage.

With a 7 day JR Pass at 53,000 yen, unlimited shinkansen across the country usually beats the total cost of two return flights.

• Shinkansen: huge legroom, no security queues, scenic views of Mount Fuji.
• Flights: noisier, tighter seats, fixed schedules.
• Shinkansen lets you keep travelling on the same day with no booking changes.

• Trips to Hokkaido, Okinawa or southern Kyushu where train times balloon.
• Last minute changes where flight sales beat fixed shinkansen fares.