Reserved seats can be purchased at any JR Ticket Counter (Midori-no-madoguchi) and JR Travel Service Center (Twinkle Plaza). Fare tickets for short-distance local trains can be purchased from automatic ticket vending machines. Some machines provide information and instructions in English.
You can use your credit card at any JR Ticket Counter (Midori-no-madoguchi).

JR Ticket Counter (Midori-no-madoguchi)

JR Hokkaido stations

JR Travel Service Center (Twinkle Plaza)
In addition to tickets for JR lines, tickets for domestic flights, ferries, long-distance buses and various events are available at any JR Travel Service Center (Twinkle Plaza).

How to buy tickets

Please provide station staff with the following information:

• Departure station, destination (station)
• Date and time of boarding
• Type of train (Limited Express/Local)
• Number of persons (adult, child (age 6 to 11))
• Preferences (unreserved seat /reserved seat / First-class Car (Green Car)))
  * Automatic ticket vending machines;
  Tickets for short-distance trips can be purchased from automatic ticket vending machines.

How to use the trains

When going through ticket gates, if the reverse side of your ticket is black, please insert it into the slot of the automatic ticket gate. If not, please show it to station staff at the ticket gate.
Bearers of the Hokkaido Rail Pass or Japan Rail Pass are required to show their pass to station staff at the ticket gate.

If you miss a train

Reserved-seat tickets and First-class Car (Green Car) tickets are not valid after departure of the train specified, and no refunds can be made. The holder of a reserved-seat ticket who has missed the train is entitled to be seated on an unreserved seat on a later train on the same day. The full charge must be paid, however, if a reserved seat on a later train is used.