What is Japan Rail Pass?

The Japan Rail Pass (or commonly called “JR Pass”) is a special pass valid for unlimited travel nationwide on transportations operated by Japan Railways (JR).

It can be used by foreign tourists only(*), and offers cost-efficient unlimited use of JR trains for 7 days, 14 days or 21 days.

There are two class types to this pass: 1) Ordinary, and 2) Green type.
The Green type is valid on green cars (equivalent to business class cars) which offer more spacious and less occupied seats than the regular cars.

(*) Japanese people living abroad who meet certain conditions can use the pass. Please visit the section: Who is eligible? for details.

Prices* of Japan Rail Pass 

 *Prices shown above are accurate as of June 2018. They are subject to change.

** Child aged between 6 and 11 years as of the purchase date is eligible for Child Pass prices.

While the Japan Rail Pass covers across the nation, there are Regional Japan Rail Passes also available for those who travels within a certain region of Japan. Please visit the section: Regional Japan Rail Pass if you are interested in Regional Japan Rail Pass.

Who is Japan Rail Pass for? Advantages and disadvantages of Japan Rail Pass

The Japan Rail Pass is mainly available only to overseas visitors who enter Japan as a Temporary Visitor(*). This includes sightseeing, visiting relatives, inspection tours, conferences and meeting or other activities during a short stay in Japan. 
Please check the points below before purchasing your Japan Rail Pass.

(*) Japanese people living abroad who meet certain conditions can use the pass. Please visit the section Who is eligible?  for details.

Who is Japan Rail Pass for? 

Please use the checklist below if you are suitable for using Japan Rail Pass.

☑ Your trip in Japan is longer than 7 days.
☑ You have NOT arrive in Japan yet. You have to buy the pass BEFORE arrival(*).
☑ You plan to ride long-distance trains often; if your stay is 7 day, maybe riding long distance trains among more than three cities would worth Japan Rail Pass.
　If you stay in ONE or TWO CITIES for many days, it may be NOT for you.
☑ You are a Non-Japanese tourist who enters Japan with "temporary visitor" stamp on the passport upon entry. The pass cannot be purchased by residents of Japan.

(*) You can purchase the pass in Japan after arrival but it will be high-priced.

Advantages of Japan Rail Pass

Your train cost can be reduced especially if you plan to ride long distance Shinkansen frequently; If you travel more than three cities during your 7-day stay in Japan, then Japan Rail Pass would be your choice.

Other than cost saving which would be the main reason to purchase Japan Rail Pass to most of the users, below are the advantages of using the pass.

• Flexibility - Once you receive your JR Pass, you can use it freely by hopping on any eligible JR train so your travel plan can be very flexible
• Easy to Use - You can board the next available train after showing the pass to the attendant at the JR station
• No need to visit Ticket Counter - You don’t have to worry about purchasing tickets each time you take the train. While other individual tickets need to be purchased every time you take the train, you don’t need to visit a ticket counter at the station before taking a train or Shinkansen with the pass.

Disadvantages of Japan Rail Pass

There are many advantages of using Japan Rail Pass, but on the other hand there are some restrictions for it’s usage.
Please check the disadvantages below and see which choice will suit you better for your travel plan in Japan; purchasing the pass, or purchasing individual tickets.

• Suitable for long distance trip only - If you do NOT travel long distances on train often, it could be cheaper to buy single Shinkansen and other express train tickets.
• Usage is partially limited - Japan Rail Pass can NOT be used for the fastest Shinkansen train types such as NOZOMI and MIZUHO. You have to take a slower Shinkansen (Hikari and Kodama) that stops at more stations with the pass.
  
• Seat reservation cannot be made before coming to Japan - You have to book and receive your own ticket by presenting your pass at JR ticket offices after you arrive in Japan. This could be a risky choice for family / group travelers who want to have seats together or for those who visit Japan during the peak period.
  
• Need to wait in long lines - You may need to expect long lines at JR Travel Service Center at airports to obtain Japan Rail Pass once you arrive in Japan.
  90-minute long line at JR EAST Travel Service Center at Narita Airport

Please see also:

> Compare Japan Rail Pass and Single Shinkansen Tickets

https://shinkansen-ticket.com/pages/compare-japan-rail-pass-and-single-shinkansen-tickets

Validity of Japan Rail Pass

The Japan Rail Pass is valid on:

• All JR Group Shinkansen (bullet trains)  and any limited express trains, express trains, and rapid or local trains, and the BRT operated by JR Group (with some exceptions)
• Tokyo Monorail to/from Haneda Airport
• Local JR buses - valid on local buses operated by JR (except for the highway buses)
• JR Ferries - JR-WEST Miyajima ferry

Please refer to JAPAN RAIL PASS Scope of Validity page offered by Japan Railways for the latest information in details.

Again, please be aware that the Japan Rail Pass cannot be used to take “NOZOMI” and “MIZUHO”, the fastest type of Shinkansen connecting between Tokyo area and Kyoto, Osaka (Shin-Osaka) and further western cities in Japan.

Who is eligible?

To be eligible to purchase the Japan Rail Pass you must meet one of the following two conditions; however, please make sure that you visit the official Japan Rail Pass page offered by Japan Railway Groups and check the latest eligibility requirements BEFORE PURCHASING YOUR Japan Rail Pass FROM US.

1) A foreign tourist visiting Japan from abroad for sightseeing, under the entry status of "temporary visitor."

The Japan Rail Pass is aimed to be used by tourists; it is basically only available to non-Japanese people staying in Japan for a short time for tourism purposes.

To be eligible for a Japan Rail Pass, it is necessary to have an authorization giving a 'temporary visitor' status (for a stay under 90 days).

People who are visiting Japan for non-tourism purposes (working holiday, military, diplomatic, cultural, research, work, etc.) are not eligible to use the Japan Rail Pass so please be careful.

What is ‘Temporary Visitor’?  

The visa status ‘Temporary Visitor‘ is a visa for people visiting Japan for tourism and are staying for less than 90 days. (Multiple entry visa (Include Temporary Visitor Visa Multiple Entry status) is not eligible).

For many countries’ citizens this visa is granted automatically on your arrival into Japan thus it is not necessary to take any specific steps to obtain it.

Below is a list of these countries:
USA, UK (British Citizens), Brunei, Andorra, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Barbados, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Estonia, Finland, France,Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Honduras, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Latvia, Lesotho, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macau, Macedonia, former Yugoslavia, Malta, Mauritius, Mexico, Monaco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Korea, Romania, San Marino, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Surinam, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Tunisia, Turkey, Uruguay.

For other countries it is necessary to make a visa application to your local Japanese Embassy. The visa ‘Temporary Visitor’ is the only visa which will allow you to use the Japan Rail Pass.

In order to exchange your voucher for the Japan Rail Pass, the JR employee will ask to see the visa in your passport. All other kinds of visa will not permit exchange.

2) Japanese people living abroad who meet certain conditions

A Japanese citizen who living outside Japan for 10 consecutive years or more can use the pass. Please visit Eligibility for Use section in the official Japan Rail Pass page for the latest eligibility requirements.

How to purchase and use Japan Rail Pass?

Below are the easy two steps to purchase and use your JR Pass.

1) Purchase voucher from our JR Pass item page

• Please select the type of the pass that suits your plan in Japan the most, put the item into the cart and complete your purchase using your credit card.
• Once we receive your order we will ship your voucher to your designated address (either to your home address in your country or to your temporary address in Japan),
• Earliest possible for us to issue and ship the voucher will be 3 months prior to your arrival in Japan, as you need to exchange your voucher to the actual pass within 3 months after the voucher is issued (The voucher has a validity period of 90 consecutive days only). 

All the details from purchase to delivery (Our service process) are explained in From purchase to delivery (Our service process) page.

2) Once you arrive in Japan, visit any JR Pass exchange office and exchange your voucher with the actual JR Pass. 

• Here are the list of exchange office in Japan
• Please bring your passport with the Temporary Visitor stamp you received on entry into Japan, as you won't be able to receive the JR Pass without showing your voucher AND the passport
• You can activate your pass (start your journey) anytime within 30 days after receiving your pass

Please visit From purchase to delivery (Our service process) page for details.

Regional Japan Rail Pass

In addition to the Japan Rail Pass which can be used across the nation, there are 24 types of Regional Japan Rail Pass.
Please visit each page for the prices and details.

1. Hokkaido Rail Pass
2. Alpine-Takayama-Matsumoto Area Tourist Pass
3. Mt. Fuji-Shizuoka Area Tourist Pass Mini
4. Takayama-Hokuriku Area Tourist Pass
5. Ise-Kumamoto-Wakayama Area Tourist Pass
6. Kansai Area Pass
7. Kansai WIDE Area Pass
8. Sanyo-San’in Area Pass
9. Kansai-Hiroshima Area Pass
10. Hiroshima-Yamaguchi Area Pass
11. Kansai-Hokuriku Area Pass
12. Hokuriku Area Pass
13. San’in-Okayama Area Pass
14. Setouchi Area Pass (non-reserve only)
15. Okayama-Hiroshima-Yamaguchi Area Pass
16. ALL SHIKOKU Rail Pass
17. Kagawa Mini Rail & Ferry Pass
18. Northern Kyushu Area Pass
19. Southern Kyushu Area Pass
20. All Kyushu Area Pass
21. Osaka-Tokyo Hokuriku Arch Pass
22. JR East-South Hokkaido Rail Pass
23. Sanyo-San’n-Northern Kyushu Area Pass
24. JR Tohoku-South Hokkaido Rail Pass