The Japan Rail Pass gives you unlimited access to all Shinkansen bullet trains except the Nozomi and Mizuho Shinkansen, which run on the Tokaido, Sanyo, and Kyushu Shinkansen lines.

The Japan Rail Pass allows you to make a free reservation for these two types of trains, but you still need to pay for the ticket. The Hikari, Kodama, and Sakura bullet trains are the fastest trains you can board using the Japan Rail Pass. They make just a few more stops than the express trains.

On each of the Shinkansen lines there are fast trains, semi-fast trains, and local trains. The fast trains only stop at the main stations, semi-fast trains make a few more stops, and local trains stop at every station.

For instance, on the Tokaido Shinkansen line (which links Tokyo to Osaka) the fast train makes 6 stops, the semi-fast train makes between 7 and 12 stops, and local trains stop at all 17. See the “Shinkansen lines” section below for more information.

All Shinkansen trains are covered by the JR Pass except the Nozomi and Mizuho fast trains which run on the Takaido and Sanyo lines. JR Pass holders can catch the semi-fast and local trains on these lines instead. The semi-fast trains take just a little longer than the Nozomi and Mizuho trains.