Chaos at Kyoto Station

　The crowds at Kyoto Station show no sign of abating.

There is a constant stream of foreign tourists who, at the Shinkansen ticket gates, tap their smartphones without displaying a QR code, or attempt to pass through using their EX Reservation Details (EX利用票) only to be blocked.

　On top of that, there are long queues at the ticket machines. Today, I had to wait for nearly 20 minutes. Online bookings for the Tokaido, Sanyo and Kyushu Shinkansen lines can be made via smartphone.

https://smart-ex.jp/en/index.php

　Recently, there has also been an increase in incidents involving large suitcases. There have been cases where large suitcases placed on the overhead racks have fallen, injuring other passengers. Please make a reservation in advance for the dedicated storage area for large suitcases, or use the spaces that do not require a reservation (though these are limited to certain trains). TA-Q-BIN is also a convenient option. It allows you to send your suitcase directly to your hotel at a low cost. We are happy to assist with this at our guesthouse, so please do not hesitate to ask.