Getting Around Transport & Public Services

SmartEX for the Kyushu Shinkansen: Booking, Boarding & 2026 Rules

This translation was prepared with AI assistance and reviewed by the editorial team.

SmartEX can book the Tokaido, Sanyo and Kyushu Shinkansen from Tokyo through Hakata to Kagoshima-Chuo. It does not cover the West Kyushu Shinkansen to Nagasaki or JR Kyushu conventional-line limited express trains.

For most international visitors, the annual-fee-free SmartEX service is the practical option. This guide explains coverage, registration, booking, boarding and the 2026 rules that matter when a trip starts or ends in Fukuoka.

Where SmartEX works in Kyushu

The name can be confusing because not every JR Kyushu train is included. Check the route before registering.

Hakata-Kagoshima-Chuo	Available for Mizuho, Sakura and Tsubame services
Tokyo, Kyoto or Osaka-Hakata/Kumamoto	Available, including through services and supported connections
Takeo-Onsen-Nagasaki	Not available; this is the West Kyushu Shinkansen
JR Kyushu limited express trains	Not available; use JR Kyushu online train reservations

SmartEX products combine the Shinkansen base fare and express fare. Conventional-line travel to or from the Shinkansen station is charged separately, and city-zone privileges such as ‘Fukuoka City Zone’ do not apply.

SmartEX or Express Reservation

Both services offer online booking, seat selection and ticketless boarding, but their fees and membership conditions differ.

SmartEX	No annual fee; suitable for occasional travelers using an eligible credit card
Express Reservation	¥1,100 annual fee; member fares can suit frequent Shinkansen users
Early-booking fares	Available under both services when route, train and purchase conditions are met

Compare the live price shown for your date rather than relying on an old fare table. SmartEX’s former round-trip discount product ended with journeys on March 31, 2026; selecting a round trip no longer creates that discount for travel from April 1, 2026.

Registration and booking for overseas visitors

Membership registration and a credit card with 3-D Secure authentication are required. The English website can be used even when the app is not offered in your country.

The SmartEX app is officially offered in the United States, Canada, Australia, Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia and Thailand; Express Ride is provided in Taiwan.
Travelers elsewhere should check whether browser registration is available rather than assuming the app store version will appear.
Enter the cardholder name in Roman letters and complete the card issuer’s 3-D Secure step.
Search by date, station, time and passengers, select the train and seat, then review the total before purchasing.
For baggage with total dimensions over 160 cm and up to 250 cm, reserve an eligible seat with oversized-baggage space.

Official SmartEX English guide

How to board

Available boarding methods include a QR ticket, a registered transport IC card, or collecting paper tickets. The method shown for your reservation is the one to follow.

Assign one accepted transport IC card to each passenger if using IC boarding.
At the Shinkansen gate, touch the assigned card and collect the printed EX seat-information slip.
If no IC card is assigned, follow the reservation instructions for QR boarding or ticket pickup before entering.
For a group booking, do not assume one physical IC card can be shared by several passengers.

A payment card and a boarding IC card have different roles. Registering a credit card does not by itself make that card usable at the ticket gate.

Changes, refunds and stopovers

Flexible changes are one of the service’s advantages, but only while the reservation still meets the conditions.

Eligible basic reservations can generally be changed before departure while you have not entered the gate or collected tickets.
Refunds can carry a fee, and rules change after ticket pickup or departure.
SmartEX does not allow a stopover through the ticket gate. Book separate journey sections if you intend to exit midway.
Peak holiday periods can sell out quickly; reserve seats early and recheck operating information on the travel day.

JR Kyupo and JQ CARD are optional

The JR Kyupo section of the Japanese guide is mainly useful to residents or frequent Kyushu travelers who already hold a JQ CARD.

Using a JQ CARD for payment and linking a JR Kyushu Web Member ID to the EX-service member ID are separate procedures. Short-term visitors do not need either one simply to use SmartEX. If you already use the JR Kyupo program, complete the ID link before travel because registration may take one or two days.

JR Kyushu: earning JR Kyupo with EX services
SmartEX official Japanese site