Are you planning to visit Japan soon and wondering if you should get a JR Pass? Will having it save you money? Or, should you just purchase individual tickets every time you take the train? If you have already done the math and believe a JR Pass is the most economical way to cover a significant portion of your travel expenses, how and where do you buy it?
What is a JR Pass?
A JR Pass, or Japan Rail Pass, is a transportation pass that is recommended to tourists who plan to do at least a couple of long-distance Shinkansen and several JR-operated ordinary train, bus, and ferry travels while in Japan.
It comes in three different types: 7-day (valid for 7 consecutive days), 14-day (valid for 14 consecutive days), and 21-day (valid for 21 consecutive days), and offers either ordinary seating or green (first-class) seating.
How much does a JR Pass cost?
The table below summarizes the costs of the different JR Passes:
Ordinary Seating Prices
Green Car Seating Prices
Notes:
- Adults – 12 years and older
- Child – 6 to 11 years old
Where is the JR Pass valid?
You can use the JR Pass on most JR operated Shinkansen, local, express, rapid, and limited express train lines. It is also valid on the Tokyo Monorail that links Haneda Airport and Tokyo, the JR Ferry that travels between Hiroshima and Miyajima, and a number of local buses in Sapporo, Hiroshima, Lake Towada, and others. It is also honoured on some non-JR lines in Aomori, Noto Peninsula, Toyama, and others.
The official JR Pass website provides a detailed map of the JR lines and Shinkansen lines where the JR Pass is valid.
Should you buy a JR Pass?
To determine whether or not a JR Pass can save you money, you should create an itinerary and take note of the ticket prices of all your potential train, bus, and ferry trips covered by the pass. Use Hyperdia to know the exact price of each journey, which includes the standard fare and the seat fee.
Example 1: an itinerary that only includes a return bullet train travel between Tokyo and Kyoto
Open Hyperdia and input Tokyo and Kyoto into the “from” and “to” search fields, select the date and time of travel, and uncheck the “NOZOMI/MIZUHO/HAYABUSA (SHINKANSEN)” and the “Private Railway” options, as these are not covered by the JR Pass.
Among the results, you should choose one of the several direct Shinkansen routes via the Shinkansen Hikari, as it can take you from Tokyo Station to Kyoto Station in two and a half to three hours. You will also find that the total cost of a one-way trip is 13,080 yen in an unreserved car, 13,600 yen in a reserved car, and 18,380 yen in a green car.
So, if you plan to return to Tokyo within seven days, your total return trip only comes up to 26,160 yen, if in an unreserved car; to 27,200 yen, if in a reserved car; and to 38, 760 yen, if in a green car. None of these costs justifies getting a 7-day JR Pass, which is priced at 29,110 yen. Therefore, it is more economical to just buy single train tickets each time.
Example 2: an itinerary that includes a return bullet train travel between Tokyo and Kyoto, and day trips to Himeji and Nara
However, if your itinerary includes a day trip to Himeji and Nara while in Kyoto, a 7-day JR Pass definitely pays off.
A return trip between Kyoto and Himeji via the Shinkansen Hikari costs around 10,000 yen, and a return trip between Kyoto and Nara via the JR Nara Line costs, 1,420 yen.
Your total travel expenses amount to around 40,000 yen, so getting a 7-day JR Pass can save you about 10,000 yen.
Who are eligible to purchase a JR Pass?
To be able to buy a JR Pass, you should be:
- A foreigner going to Japan for sightseeing purposes, with an entry stamp on your passport that indicates you are a “temporary visitor.” Someone with a “temporary visitor” entry status is allowed to stay in Japan for 15 days or 90 days to tour, sightsee, etc.
- Someone who has a Japanese passport but has been legally residing in a foreign country for 10 straight years or more. More information is available here.
Where can you buy a JR Pass?
You can buy a JR Pass online or through travel agencies in your country of origin. Make sure to do it at least a couple of weeks before you head to Japan, as shipping may take a few days.
You can also buy at a number of JR offices in Japan once you are already in the country, but the passes are sold at a higher price.
If you purchase online or through a travel agent, you will receive a voucher that you have to exchange for the actual JR Pass at a JR ticket office located at the major airports and train stations across Japan.
How do you use the JR Pass?
Once you have your JR Pass, you can start using it from your chosen activation date. Simply show it to a staff at a manned gate at any JR station.
If you want to get a seat reservation, just go to a JR ticket office at any JR station. Let a staff know of your departure and arrival stations, and date and time of departure, and they will be able to give you a reservation ticket that contains those information, as well as your car and seat numbers.
