An essential ticket for traveling: The Japan Rail Pass

WeXpats
2020/10/29

When talking about traveling in Japan, then you can not ignore its extensive rail systems. As a major method of transportation, a special deal is offered to foreign visitors! Japan Rail Pass is an unlimited usage ticket that lasts for a set amount of time, making travel very cost-effective!


Table of Contents

  1. What is the Japan Rail Pass?
  2. The Different Areas Covered by JR Pass
  3. Useful Tips
  4. Summary

What is the Japan Rail Pass?

All about Japan Rail Pass

A Japan Rail pass is a ticket that you can repeatedly use to ride Japan Railway (JR) Group trains. The pass covers three modes of transportation in Japan, namely trains, buses, and boats. The pass allows you to ride all kinds of JR trains almost all over Japan. Non-JR trains that are covered by the pass are Tokyo Monorail trains and selected Aomori Railway, IR Ishikawa Railway Line, and Ainokaze Toyama Railway Line trains. On the other hand, buses that you can ride are selected local JR buses except for express buses. The only boat that you can ride is the JR operated - Miyajima Ferry. The pass also allows you to have free seat reservations (train) and discounts if you decide to stay at JR hotels.

JR pass can only be availed by tourists that are stamped as temporary visitors and Japanese nationals that lived abroad for 10 consecutive years. Temporary visitors are tourists that are to stay in Japan for up to 15 or 90 days, depending on your visa.

※ Japan Rail Pass, “About Japan Rail Pass

The Different Areas Covered by JR Pass

One very important thing to note, however, is that there is no ONE golden pass for all of the available lines of transportation. There are also exceptions as to which lines you can and cannot use (simply put, non-JR lines are excluded, but certain JR lines may be excluded depending on the area your pass covers). Depending on where you are planning to go, you may not be able to use your pass for every leg of your trip so it’s important to make sure you know what each pass allows you to do and which is best for you. 

The Japan Rail Pass

We will introduce seven JR passes that you can choose from. These are: 

Japan Rail (JR) pass

This is the pass that most people are thinking of when they hear “Japan Rail Pass”. The JR pass can take you to the different regions of Japan and allows you to ride the Miyajima ferry, selected JR buses, and all kinds of JR trains all over Japan (Kyushu to Hokkaido) including shinkansen bullet trains except Mizuho and Nozomi. You can only buy this pass online before traveling to Japan or through a travel agency when you decide to buy it in Japan. Prices range are the following:

 

STANDARD

GREEN

 

7 days

14 days

21 days

7 days

14 days

21 days

ADULT

29,650 yen

47,250 yen

60,450 yen

39,600 yen

64,120 yen

83,390 yen

CHILD

14,820 yen

23,620 yen

30,220 yen

19,800 yen

32,060 yen

41,690 yen

※ Japan Rail Pass, "Japan Rail Pass Price" 

JR West Pass

The Japan West can bring you to the western part of Japan, such as Osaka, Kyoto, Nara, and Kobe. The pass is divided into more than ten passes since the western part of Japan has a wide scope. The most popular choice by both tourists and locals alike is the Kansai Area Pass that allows you to travel to major destinations and has an availability of 1 to 5, and 7 days. These two passes can be bought online (before going to Japan) or personally (when you arrive in Japan). The price varies depending on where you bought it, a destination chosen, and the pass.

JR East Pass

The JR East pass can take you to the regions in the eastern part of Japan like Nagano, Tokyo, Niigata, Tohoku, and Hokkaido. The pass is divided into four passes since there is no pass solely for the east of Japan. The four passes are JR East Tohoku, JR East Nagano-Niigata, JR Tohoku South Hokkaido, and JR East-South Hokkaido with five days and flexible six days for JR East passes.

JR Tokyo Wide pass

This discounted pass allows you to travel around the Tokyo area or to other areas close to Tokyo, mainly. Some of them are Nikko and Izu Hanto (Izu peninsula), different attractions like the Gala Yuzawa Ski Resort, areas around Mount Fuji, and to the different resorts of Karuizawa. Please note that buses and the Tokaido Shinkansen are not included in the pass. This pass, unlike the other passes, is available for foreigners that currently reside in Japan. The pass has a 3-day availability and can be bought at the Haneda and Narita Airport, major JR stations, and selected hubs. An adult pass is around 10,180 yen while a child pass is around 5,090 yen and can be used for 3 consecutive days.

※ JR East Japan Railway Company, "JR Tokyo Wide Pass" 

Hokuriku Arch pass

This pass is under the JR central Japan pass and is recommended for those who want to travel between Tokyo and Osaka via a slower route which passes through Kanagawa. This pass has a 7-day availability and can be bought online or at major JR stations. The price is around 25,460 yen for adults and 12,730 yen for children.

Hokuriku Arch Pass 

Hokkaido Rail pass

This pass allows tourists to travel around Hokkaido. With the exception of the Hokkaido Shinkansen, you can ride all Hokkaido JR trains with this pass. Buses that are covered in this pass are limited. This pass has a 3, 4 (flexible), 5, and 7-day availability. The price for an adult pass is 23,480 yen and 11,740 for a child for a flexible 4 or 5 day pass.

※ JR Hokkaido Railway Company, "Rail Passes & Tickets"

Kyushu Rail Pass

This pass has 3 types: the all Kyushu pass, the northern Kyushu pass, and the southern Kyushu pass. The all Kyushu pass has an availability option of 3,5, and 7 days and costs around 8,000 to 20,000 yen. The northern Kyushu pass has an availability option of 3 and 5 days only and costs around 4,750 to 11,000 yen. The southern Kyushu lasts only for 3 days and costs 4,000 to 8,000 yen.

※ JR Kyushu Railway Company, "JR Kyushu Rail Pass(All, North, South)" 

Note: All passes have tickets that are for children and adults, the price for children tickets naturally is relatively cheaper than the adult tickets. Passes are also cheaper when you buy them online rather than buying them personally.

JR pass vs. No JR pass Price Comparison

Below are sample computations with and without JR passes. Undoubtedly, it would be much cheaper to purchase a JR pass if you are taking a round trip to save money!

Tokyo to Hiroshima (round trip)

Regular one-way tickets cost around 18,500 yen multiplied by two gives you 37,000 yen for a round trip to Hiroshima. A 7-day JR pass is around 29,650 yen. That saves you a total of 7,350 yen, plus you can make all the stops along the way.

※ Shinkansen Ticket, "Shinkansen Ticket Online Booking : Tokyo to Hiroshima for Adult"
※ Japan Rail Pass, "Japan Rail Pass Price" 

Tokyo to Karuizawa (round trip)

Round trip regular tickets to Karuizawa cost around 12,200 yen while a Tokyo Wide Pass with unlimited rides cost around 10,180 yen. That saves you a total of 2,020 yen.

※ Shinkansen Ticket, "Shinkansen Ticket Online Booking : Tokyo to Karuizawa"
※ JR East Japan Railway Company, "JR Tokyo Wide Pass" 

Useful Tips

  • Some trains require you to pay for oversized baggage, including the shinkansen.

  • If you are bored and you have to wait for the next train then you can simply connect with the station's wifi and entertain yourself with social media or games.

  • If you are hungry or want snacks during the ride, food and drink booths are available at the stations, and some snack carts are available in the shinkansen.

  • Make sure to avoid rush hours. The rush hours in Japan are 7:30 - 9:30 in the morning and 5:00 to 8:00 in the evening.

  • If your destination is far from the station you are currently in and you would need a car to get there, a car rental situated in the station called Eki Rent-a-car System is available.

Summary

Train rides in Japan is an experience that you cannot miss. Trains are one of the fastest and common public transportation in Japan. It is used by most tourists and locals when touring around Japan. It comes with a lot of benefits and, at times, cheaper than regular JR train tickets. So get yours and have a fun train ride experience when traveling Japan with...JR pass!

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WeXpats
Here to provide a variety of articles from useful information about life, working, and studying in Japan to Japan's charms and attractive qualities.

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