FAQ
Prices and rules last checked November 2026. Always confirm on the seller's page before you buy.
The Japan Rail Pass
- Who can buy the JR Pass?
- What does it cover?
- How much is it, and how do I buy it?
- Is the Japan Rail Pass good value?
- How does it compare with buying regular tickets?
- Does the JR Pass cover all rail travel in Japan?
General questions about Japan's rail system
Who can buy the JR Pass?
Foreign nationals visiting Japan with "Temporary Visitor" status, the stamp most tourists get on arrival. You need to carry your passport while you use the pass. Residents of Japan can't use it, and nor can Japanese citizens living abroad.
What does it cover?
Once it's activated, you can use the pass for 7, 14 or 21 consecutive days. It covers JR trains nationwide, including most shinkansen: the Hikari, Kodama, Sakura and Tsubame are included with no extra charge.
The fastest services, the Nozomi (Tokaido and Sanyo shinkansen) and Mizuho (Sanyo and Kyushu shinkansen), aren't covered by the pass alone. Pass holders can ride them by buying a separate "Nozomi Mizuho ticket", sold only to pass holders. It's valid for one ride on the day of travel and costs the same for reserved, non-reserved and Green seats. Examples (adult): Tokyo–Kyoto or Tokyo–Shin-Osaka ¥4,960; Tokyo–Hakata ¥8,140. Or skip it and take a Hikari on the same route, which is a little slower.
How much is it, and how do I buy it?
There are two ways to buy, and they cost different amounts:
- Online from the official JR Pass website (japanrailpass-reservation.net). You can reserve seats in advance, then pick up the pass in Japan with your passport at a JR ticket office or a designated ticket machine. This is the cheaper option.
- From a travel agent outside Japan, as an "exchange order" that you swap for the pass at a major station within 3 months of it being issued. Agent prices went up on 1 October 2026.
| Pass (adult) | Official site | Via an agent |
|---|---|---|
| 7 days, Ordinary | ¥50,000 | ¥53,000 |
| 14 days, Ordinary | ¥80,000 | ¥84,000 |
| 21 days, Ordinary | ¥100,000 | ¥105,000 |
| 7 days, Green | ¥70,000 | ¥74,000 |
| 14 days, Green | ¥110,000 | ¥116,000 |
| 21 days, Green | ¥140,000 | ¥147,000 |
Children aged 6–11 pay about half. JR says the official-site prices are held "for a limited time", so check the current price before you buy.
Is the Japan Rail Pass good value?
Less often than it used to be. When this site was first written in 2018, a 7-day pass cost ¥29,110; it's now ¥50,000 online. It mainly pays off if you're covering long distances in a short time, for example Tokyo to Kyoto and Osaka and on to Hiroshima or Kyushu and back within a week. If you're staying in one region or making only one or two long trips, a regional JR pass or regular tickets will usually cost less.
How does it compare with buying regular tickets?
Add up the one-way fares for the trips you'll actually take and compare the total with the pass price. Some current one-way adult fares with a reserved seat:
- Narita Airport to Tokyo (Narita Express): ¥3,140
- Tokyo to Kyoto (Nozomi): about ¥14,170
- Tokyo to Shin-Osaka (Nozomi): ¥14,720
- Shin-Osaka to Hiroshima (Nozomi): ¥10,950
- Tokyo to Hakata, Kyushu (Nozomi): about ¥23,810
A Tokyo–Kyoto round trip alone comes to about ¥28,000, so you'd need a fair bit of other long-distance travel in the same week to make a ¥50,000 pass worthwhile. JR Central and JR West have announced that Nozomi reserved-seat charges will rise for tickets bought from 1 July 2027. For any route, try Tokyo Cheapo's Shinkansen fare calculator.
Does the JR Pass cover all rail travel in Japan?
No. It covers the shinkansen (apart from the Nozomi and Mizuho, see above) and other JR trains, plus JR ferries. Most regions also have private railways and subways that don't accept the pass. In Tokyo, for example, the two subway operators and around ten private suburban lines all charge separately.
What is the Shinkansen?
The Shinkansen is Japan's high-speed rail network, known outside Japan as the "bullet train". The name "bullet train" came from foreign journalists covering the original line, which opened just before the 1964 Tokyo Olympics; it isn't used in Japan. Shinkansen trains mostly run on their own tracks and leave from their own platforms. At Tokyo Station, for example, you go through a second set of ticket gates to get to them.
"Shinkansen" literally means "new trunk line". The network runs from Kagoshima in southern Kyushu all the way to Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto in southern Hokkaido.
Is taking the train cheaper than flying?
For most trips under about two hours by shinkansen, there are few or no flights. Between Tokyo and Sendai, for example, almost nobody flies. For longer routes, flying is often cheaper, especially with low-cost carriers on busy routes such as Tokyo to Osaka, Sapporo or Naha (Okinawa), where sale fares can be a few thousand yen one way. The downside is that airports are often a long way from the city centre, and you'll miss the scenery.