Japan Rail Pass

Where can the pass be used?

• A Japan Rail Pass can be used on all Japan Railways (JR) lines and the Shinkansen 'bullet trains’ (except the pass is not valid on “NOZOMI” and “MIZUHO” trains on the Tokaido, Sanyo and Kyushu Shinkansen lines). The Japan Rail Pass is offered by the six companies that make up the Japan Railways Group (JR Group), including JR Kyushu, JR Shikoku, JR West, JR Central, JR East and JR Hokkaido. The Japan Rail Pass can also be used for the Tokyo monorail.
• These Shinkansen "bullet trains" can be used:
  • Tohuku Shinkansen
  • Kyushu Shinkansen
  • Joetsu Shinkansen
  • Nagano Shinkansen
  • Yamagata Shinkansen
  • Akita Shinkansen
  • Sanyo Shinkansen
  • Tokaido Shinkansen
  • Hokuriku Shinkansen

Eligibility

A Japan Rail Pass can be purchased and used by:

• Tourists visiting Japan from abroad, under the entry status of "temporary visitor."
• Japanese nationals who can show they have residency abroad. View eligibility and conditions

Pre-booking time

• 3 months.

Discounts

• Children 6-11 years pay approximately half the adult fare.
• Child under 6 years of age travel free if not occupying a seat, and accompanied by an adult in possession of a Japan Rail Pass.

Types & Validities

• 7, 14, or 21 consecutive days
• Green class or Ordinary class
• Adult or Child

Additional Details

• Once a Japan Rail Pass is purchased, we will ship you an Exchange Order Voucher, which you exchange in Japan for the actual Japan Rail Pass. These Stations have Japan Rail Pass exchange offices. (This must be done WITHIN 3 MONTHS from the date the Exchange Order Voucher was issued. At the time of exchange, you can specify the date that you want to start using the pass. It can be any date within one month from the date the actual Japan Rail Pass is received. Once the Pass has a starting date written on it, the date cannot be changed.)
• You cannot buy a Japan Rail Pass in Japan. An Exchange Order Voucher must be purchased outside Japan, prior to your trip.
• When traveling with a Japan Rail Pass, do not use an automatic ticket-reading gate with a Japan Rail Pass. Please show the Pass at a manned ticket gate.
• Seat reservations: Shinkansen (Bullet trains) and most Limited Express and Ordinary Express trains have reserved Green Car seats (First class) and both reserved and non-reserved Ordinary Car seats (Standard class). For a non reserved seat, simply show your Japan Rail Pass to board. To make a seat reservation, visit any Travel Service Centre or reserved-seat ticket office called "Midori-no-madoguchi" at a Japan Railways station in Japan.
• Caution: Please note that during crowded periods you cannot be guaranteed a seat on a specific train.
• The periods when seat reservations are particularly difficult to secure are as follows:
  
  • December 29 to January 5 (The New Year holiday period is the most popular travel time for Japanese people, for vacations and returns to hometown areas.)
  • April 29 to May 5 (Due to consecutive holidays in a comfortable travel season, there is large - scale travel throughout Japan for leisure and recreation.)
  • August 13 to 15 (The "O-bon" season, another traditional time for travel to hometown areas.)
  • In major cities avoid traveling during the morning and evening rush hours (7:30-9:30 and 17:00-20:00).
• The Japan Rail Pass is also valid for the following buses: local lines of JR bus companies (JR Hokkaido Bus, JR Bus Tohoku, JR Bus Kanto, JR Tokai Bus, West Japan JR Bus, Chugoku JR Bus, JR Shikoku Bus, JR Kyushu Bus) and some of JR highway bus services (Sapporo-Otaru; Morioka-Hirosaki; Tokyo-Nagoya, Kyoto, Osaka,Tsukuba Center; Nagoya-Kyoto, Osaka; Osaka-Tsuyama, Kasai Flower Center), and ferry: the JR Miyajima ferry.
• The Japan Rail Pass is not valid for travel on non-JR lines. If you wish to travel on non-JR lines, you will need to pay the corresponding fare to the private railway company concerned.