Reserving JR Seats in advance

I need some advice on reserving a JR seat.

I am arriving in Japan on April 16th and am travelling about until I end up in Kyoto.

Unfortunately I am in Kyoto at the beginning of Golden Week (I am there from April 26th to April 29th). I need to be back in Tokyo on the 29th of April.

Is it advisable to reserve my seat from Kyoto to Tokyo as early as possible?

Also can I book a reserved seat from Kyoto to Tokyo from another location, or do I have to be in Kyoto to book?

From what I gather Golden Week, especially in Kyoto is madness so I am taking it that the Trains will be full to overflowing.

Advise when to reserve would be invaluable.

Reserving JR Seats in advance

Tickets for long-distance trains can be purchased at any JR station with a Ticket Reservation Office or Travel Service Center, as well as from major travel agencies.

www.japanrail.com/JR_howtopurchase.html

Reserving JR Seats in advance

If you know your itinerary in advance, you can get your reserved seats at the JR ticket office at your arrival airport, Narita or KIX. I would suggest getting your April 29 tickets set as soon as you can. Also, consider Green Car seats if availability of regular seats is problematic. To check seat availability try this combination of web sites:

jr.cyberstation.ne.jp/vacancy/Vacancy.html (in Japanese)

and

…blogspot.com/2008/07/tool-to-check-train-se… (which tries to guide one in completing the first)

If you are using a JR Pass, you can only reserve your seats once you have traded the JR Pass voucher (which you%26#39;ll buy in Australia) for a JR Pass (and you can only do this after you have arrived in Japan). Make sure you have plenty of options of the trains you would like to catch if you are looking for reservations in Golden Week - maybe late night or very early trains would give you the best chance of securing a reservation.

The better hotels can usually make reservations and print tickets. I usually ask them to do this the day before I travel although, in normal times, it can be done after you arrive at the station.

Yeah thanks for the replies.

60yoAussie - got my vouchers today.

Will book as soon as I exchange the vouchers for passes when we get to Tokyo on the 17th of April.

I%26#39;ll probably look to catch avery early train back to Tokyo. Although Kyoto is suppose to be terrific - I hear it is murder in Golden Week so will probably be better out of it on the Friday.

Thanks again.

Too bad JR West doesn%26#39;t allow you to reserve seats online like JR East does (…eki-net.com/PC/…Guide.aspx)