The safe choice for your Japan Rail Pass

A Japan Rail Pass is a personal train ticket specifically designed for foreign travelers who wish to visit Japan.

WHAT DOES IT GIVE ACCESS TO?

It provides access to all train lines operated by Japan Railways (JR) throughout Japan (with the exception of some high-speed trains including the 'Nozomi' Shinkansen) for a period of 1, 2 or 3 weeks.
 

WHERE TO USE IT?

The Japanese railway network consists in more than 20 000 km of track. With this ticket you can reach the main attractions on the 4 main islands of the Japanese archipelago.
 

WHEN TO USE IT?

The Japan Rail Pass can be used 24/7, all year long, even if it is sometimes difficult to get a seat during the holiday periods:

• From December 28th to January 6th: New year holiday during which most Japanese go back to their hometowns
• From April 27th to May 6th: 'Golden week', time during which Japanese people travel in the country 
• Around August 15th: 'O-bon Festival', which brings families together.

The JR Pass allows unlimited use of JR trains, including bullet trains, for a certain period of time, and can save you money if you plan on taking multiple long-distance train journeys. If you are traveling to multiple cities in Japan and plan on using the bullet train (Shinkansen) or other long-distance trains (local, express or limited-express trains), then the JR Pass can be a cost-effective option.

In addition to the National Japan Rail Pass, other regional ones can be bought (JR Hokkaido Rail Pass, JR East Pass, JR Kansai area Pass, JR Sanyo area Pass and JR Kyushu Rail Pass) but are only valid for a specific region.

Depending on the duration of your stay in Japan and the places you wish to visit, several types of pass are available. Below, our advice for an informed choice.

THE DIFFERENT JAPAN RAIL PASS

As the Japan Rail Pass can only be used for consecutive days from the starting date of use and throughout its period of validity, it is very important to match your itinerary, schedule and your Japan Rail Pass.Three types of Japan Rail Pass are available to the travelers: the 7 day pass, the 14 day pass and the 21 day pass.

THE 7 DAY JAPAN RAIL PASS

If you stay in Japan for a week and are planning to move around a lot then a 7 days Japan Rail Pass is ideal. For your trip you could:

• Make Tokyo or Kyoto your base and organize daytrips from there (from Kyoto it is very nice to spend a day in Nara or Miyajima for instance) 
• Organize your own itinerary and change city everyday

THE 14 DAY JAPAN RAIL PASS

If you are lucky enough to stay in Japan for more than 10 days you can buy a 14 days pass Japan Rail Pass and organize your trip alternating visits and relaxing days.

THE 21 DAY JAPAN RAIL PASS

If you are staying in Japan for more than 2 weeks, it is very economical to get the 21 day Japan Rail Pass and will allow you to enjoy Japan at a leisurely pace.

Don’t forget that there are also regional rail passes that can complete the national one and will allow you to fully enjoy a specific region.

Please note that you will have to exchange the voucher for the actual ticket in Japan at the latest 90 days after your purchase. You will choose the starting date when you will exchange it.

Once your voucher has been exchanged and your Japan Rail Pass activated, your Japan Rail Pass is valid for 7, 14 or 21 full days.

The Japan Rail Pass validity is calculated in days, not in hours, so it does not matter what time you first use your pass. 

Therefore, if you have a 7 days Japan Rail Pass and you start using it on March 1st, whatever the time, this will count as day 1, and you will be able to use until March 7th midnight.

• You are planning on visiting Japan with a Japan Rail Pass but don’t wish to use it right after your arrival? 
• Your trips are spread out and you are wondering if you will be able to use your pass each time? 
• You wonder if it is possible to adapt your Japan Rail Pass to your schedule?

SHOUD I START USING MY JAPAN RAIL PASS AS SOON AS I EXCHANGE MY VOUCHER?

You don’t need to start using your Japan Rail Pass on the day of the exchange. When exchanging your voucher you will have to decide on the date you want to start using your pass. This date has to be within 30 days of the exchange.

CAN I ALTERNATE DAYS OF USE AND NON-USE?

No, it is not possible. No matter what type of Japan Rail Pass you buy, you will have to use it for consecutive days from the starting date chosen at the exchange (special conditions for regional passes). It doesn't matter if you don't use your Japan Rail Pass every day but it will only stay valid for a given period of consecutive days.

For instance, if you have a 7 days Japan Rail Pass and your starting date is January 6th, you can use it until January 12th. Over this period your pass will be valid without interruption.

HOW ARE THE DAYS OF USE COUNTED?

The validity of the Japan Rail Pass is counted in full days and not in periods of 24 hours. Regardless of the time at which you start using your pass on the 1st day, its validity will end at 11:59PM on the last day.

For instance, if you have a 7 day Japan Rail Pass and start using it at 1PM on January 6th, it will be valid until 11:59PM on January 12th (and not at 1PM on January 13th)

Yes, of course. Your pass is valid on the JR lines linking the main airports to the main cities.

FIRST, YOU NEED TO EXCHANGE YOUR VOUCHER FOR THE JAPAN RAIL PASS AT THE AIRPORT.

You will be able to activate your Japan Rail Pass in the dedicated offices at the airport.The JR travel service centers or ticket offices are both usually located near to the access to the platforms.

REACHING THE CITY WITH YOUR JAPAN RAIL PASS.

Most airports are linked to the closest main cities by JR lines. For example, the Narita Express that links Narita Airport to Tokyo, Shinagawa, Shinjuku and Ikebukuro stations, the Tokyo Monorail, that links Haneda Airport to Hamamatsucho station or the limited express Haruka that links Kansai International Airport to Osaka or Kyoto.

However if you land at Fukuoka airport or Nagoya (Central Japan International Airport or Chubu Airport), you will have to reach the nearest station to exchange your Japan Rail Pass :

- From the airport of Fukuoka, JR Hakata Station is five minutes from the metro.

- From Chubu Airport, you will need to take the Meitetsu train to Nagoya Station, a 28-minute train ride. Note that if you are looking up timetables on Hyperdia, Chubu Airport's station name is Central Japan International Airport and the Meitetsu area of Nagoya Station is listed as Meitetsunagoya. Once you have arrived at Meitetsu Nagoya, the JR Station is just next door!

The Japan Rail Pass gives you the opportunity to travel in a practical and economical way while allowing you to access most attractions in Japan. Please note that there are some restrictions as to its validity.

Validity of the Japan Rail Pass: 

• With a national Japan Rail Pass you can use all the trains on the JR railway network as well as JR Kyushu, JR Shikoku, JR West, JR Center, JR East and JR Hokkaido. Of course, you will have access to local and express trains but also to the fast bullet trains, 'Shinkansen', that connect most of the main cities in Japan.

The Japan Rail Pass is also valid for:

• JR Bus: local JR Bus on a large number of lines
• JR Ferry: JR Miyajima Ferry (Please note that the JR Hakata-Pusan ferry to Korea is not included)
• Monorails: Tokyo Monorail connecting Haneda Airport to Hamamatsucho Station

The Japan Rail Pass is not valid for: 

• Private Rail Lines: With the Japan Rail Pass you do not, however, have access to other private rail lines apart from the JR line.If you wish, for instance, to take the Odakyu trains in the Kanto region or the Kintetsu trains in the Kansai region, you will have to buy regular tickets.
• Super Express only shinkansen: You will not have access to the "Nozomi" and "Mizuho" Shinkansen that are the fastest ones on the Tokaido and Sanyo lines. Instead you will be able to take the 'Hikari' or 'Sakura' Shinkansen that serve the same routes even if they stop at more stations and take a little longer. However, there is not a very big difference; when travelling from Tokyo to Kyoto for instance there is only a 20 minutes difference between a "Hikari" and a "Nozomi" Shinkansen.

In cities: 

• The Japan Rail Pass does not allow you to ride on subways or trams within cities. However most big cities have a few JR lines that you can use to go around (Osaka Loop or Kanjo line, Tokyo Yamanote line, etc…)

Others: 

It is possible to take a night train with the Japan Rail Pass but the ticket is not valid for the sleeper wagon, private wagons in night trains, and special compartments for which you will have to pay an extra fee.

If, during your journey, your JR train uses another company’s tracks, and even if you hold a pass, you will have to pay a part of the trip. Payment can be made before boarding the train or on board. For instance, to go from Shinjuku or Ikebukuro to Nikko, there is a train that links these JR stations in Tokyo to the Tobu station in Nikko. 

The train leaves the JR tracks at Kurihashi to use Tobu tracks. The trip itself cost 3 900 yen, but the Japan Rail Pass holders will only have to pay the portion between Kurihashi and Nikko, that is to say 1 560 yen.

DO ALL TRAINS HAVE RESERVED SEATS?

Often, trains have some wagons dedicated to reserved seats ('shitei-seki'), whilst others are dedicated to unreserved seats ('jiyu-seki'). This is the case for Shinkansen trains.

However, most local trains don't have reserved seats, whereas other trains like the Narita Express only have reserved seats. (This does not mean that you will need to book in advance but only that, when you buy your ticket, you will be assigned a seat number).
 

WHY SHOULD I BOOK?

If you are not catching your Shinkansen during peak hours (between 7 am and 9 am and 6 pm-8 pm), and during bank holidays, you do not need to book your seat and you can use any non-reserved seat by showing your Japan Rail Pass.

In fact, the Shinkansen trains run very frequently (every 30 min), particularly on the Tokaido line, between Tokyo and Kyoto, so you don’t have to worry about booking.

Starting from May 2020, a seat reservation near the luggage area will be required in the Tokaido, Sanyo and Kyushu lines if the sum of the dimensions of your luggage exceeds 160 cm.
 

HOW CAN I BOOK A SEAT?

However, if you want to book a seat you can do so without additional charges before you catch your train by going into a booking office at the train station (midori no madoguchi) and showing your Japan Rail Pass.

Booking website are usually in Japanese only, and therefore not very easy to use for non Japanese speakers. The JR East Shinkansen Reservation office is the only one with an English version that allows online booking.

However, you can only book Shinkansen and Limited Express trains running on the JR East network, that is to say Tokyo, the Northern part of Japan and the Narita Express.

Since the start of June 2020, it has been possible for Japan Rail Pass holders to reserve their seats for free at automatic ticket machines as well as JR ticket offices.

Did you know that besides trains, the Japan Rail Pass also gives you access to some buses and ferries ?

Your Japan Rail Pass gives you access to the JR local bus lines (JR Hokkaido Bus, JR Bus Tohoku, JR Bus Kanto, JR Tokai Bus, JR Shikoku, West Japan JR Bus, Chugoku JR Bus, JR Kyushu Bus). Pass validity for particular routes is subject to change.
Please note that the Japan Rail Pass is not valid for travel on express bus routes operated by JR bus companies.

Here is a list of the most useful ones for travelers in Japan :

• Samani-Erimo Misaki (Cape Erimo) 
• Aomori station - Aomori airport 
• Hachinohe/Aomori- Towada Lake 
• Morioka-Ryusendo 
• Tateyama-Awa Shirahama 
• Naganohara Kusatsuguchi-Kusatsu Onsen-Shirane Kazan 
• Yokokawa-Karuizawa 
• Kyoto-Ryoanji-Takao-Shuzan

The Japan Rail Pass is also valid for the JR Miyajima Ferry (Please note that the JR Hakata-Pusan ferry to Korea is not included).