Japan Rail Pass: The Complete Guide to Traveling Japan by Train
Complete guide to the Japan Rail Pass - current prices, what it covers, when it's worth buying, regional alternatives, and tips to maximize your savings.
Contents
The Japan Rail Pass is a JR Group rail pass sold in Ordinary and Green Car versions for 7, 14 or 21 days.[1] It is not automatically the cheapest way to travel, so work out whether it pays off for your route before you buy.
Does it suit your itinerary?
Add up the individual fares of the covered journeys that fall within the pass period, then compare the total with the pass price plus any supplements and uncovered travel. Three long-distance rides do not guarantee savings, and a trip centred on one region can be cheaper with a regional pass or single tickets. Pick a start date that matches the intercity part of your trip instead of activating the pass on arrival.
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Prices by purchase channel
Adult prices in yen, checked on 5 November 2026. Buying on the official website is cheaper than buying from an overseas agency. The official site charges in yen, so currency conversion and card fees change your final cost. Children aged 6 to 11 pay about half the adult price.[1]
| Days | Online Ordinary | Online Green | Overseas Ordinary | Overseas Green |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | 50,000 JPY | 70,000 JPY | 53,000 JPY | 74,000 JPY[1] |
| 14 | 80,000 JPY | 110,000 JPY | 84,000 JPY | 116,000 JPY[1] |
| 21 | 100,000 JPY | 140,000 JPY | 105,000 JPY | 147,000 JPY[1] |
How to reserve seats
Seat reservations for covered journeys cost nothing extra. If you bought your pass on the official booking site, you can reserve seats there before you arrive, and you collect the pass and the reserved-seat tickets at a JR ticket machine or ticket office before boarding. Everyone else reserves at a reserved-seat ticket machine or a ticket office once they hold the pass. Some trains have only reserved seats, and a pass does not guarantee a seat on a given train in busy periods. The hardest dates are 1 to 6 May, 7 to 16 August, 18 to 23 September and 29 December to 3 January.[2]
Purchase and collection
You buy the pass online on the official site or from a JR-designated agency abroad. An agency sells you an Exchange Order, which is not a travel ticket: turn it in with your passport at a JR exchange office in Japan to receive the pass. Turn it in within three months of the issue date; exchange is possible from one month before the date of use.[3] A pass bought online is collected at a JR ticket office counter or, in the JR East and JR West areas, at certain reserved-seat ticket machines, before its start date or during its validity.[4]
Eligibility
The pass is for foreign tourists who enter Japan with “Temporary Visitor” status and have the stamp or sticker in their passport. Airport automated gates do not stamp passports, so use a manned gate or ask an officer for the stamp; holders of a Trusted Traveler Program registered user card show the card instead. Without the status you cannot exchange or collect the pass, even with a paid order. Japanese nationals living abroad follow separate documentation rules and can only buy through an overseas agency.[5]
Coverage and extra charges
The pass covers JR Group trains, the Tokyo Monorail, local lines of JR Bus and the JR-West Miyajima ferry, with a few exceptions. It does not cover subways, private railways, JR express buses or other ferries. Some JR through-trains run onto private lines and charge an extra fare for those sections, for example the Nikko to Tobu Nikko, Odoriko to Izukyu-Shimoda and Fuji Excursion to Kawaguchiko services. Gran Class cars carry additional fees, and a visit to Miyajima adds a 100 yen visitor tax.[6]
Nozomi and Mizuho
The pass does not cover any seat on Nozomi or Mizuho trains of the Tokaido, Sanyo and Kyushu Shinkansen. Hikari, Sakura, Kodama and Tsubame trains are covered.[6] For the fastest trains, buy the “ONLY WITH JAPAN RAIL PASS” Nozomi Mizuho ticket before boarding, for every ride. Tokyo to Nagoya costs 4,180 yen, Tokyo to Kyoto or Shin-Osaka 4,960 yen and Tokyo to Hiroshima 6,500 yen. You can buy it from one month before travel at JR reserved-seat ticket machines, JR ticket offices and some travel agencies.[7]
Regional alternatives
Regional passes suit a trip limited to one area. Compare the operator’s current price, validity area, excluded trains and dates before choosing, and keep in mind that two regional passes do not cover the journey between their regions. The regional links on the JR Pass website lead to each pass.
Sources and background
Numbers in the text such as [1] refer to these sources.
- [1] JR Group: Purchase-channel prices. Retrieved November 5, 2026.
- [2] JR Group: JR Pass seat reservations. Retrieved November 5, 2026.
- [3] JR Group: Overseas agency purchase and exchange. Retrieved November 5, 2026.
- [4] JR Group: Official online purchase and collection. Retrieved November 5, 2026.
- [5] JR Group: Eligibility and proof of entry status. Retrieved November 5, 2026.
- [6] JR Group: Scope of validity and uncovered sections. Retrieved November 5, 2026.
- [7] JR Group: Nozomi and Mizuho special tickets. Retrieved November 5, 2026.
- [8] JR Group: National and regional pass overview. Retrieved October 3, 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
The pass covers JR Group trains, the Tokyo Monorail, local lines of JR Bus and the JR-West Miyajima ferry, with a few exceptions. It does not cover subways, private railways, JR express buses or other ferries. Some through-trains run onto private lines and charge an extra fare for those sections, and a visit to Miyajima adds a 100 yen visitor tax.
On the official website an adult Ordinary pass costs 50,000 yen for 7 days, 80,000 yen for 14 days and 100,000 yen for 21 days. Green Car passes cost 70,000, 110,000 and 140,000 yen. Overseas agencies charge a little more: 53,000, 84,000 and 105,000 yen for Ordinary. Prices checked on 5 November 2026; children aged 6 to 11 pay about half.
Buy the pass online on the official site or from a JR-designated agency abroad. An agency sells an Exchange Order, which you turn in with your passport at a JR exchange office in Japan within three months of issue, from one month before the date of use. Online orders are collected at a JR ticket office counter or a certain reserved-seat ticket machine before the start date or during validity.
Not with the pass alone. Buy the “ONLY WITH JAPAN RAIL PASS” Nozomi Mizuho ticket before boarding for each ride: Tokyo to Kyoto costs 4,960 yen, Tokyo to Nagoya 4,180 yen and Tokyo to Hiroshima 6,500 yen. Hikari and Kodama trains are covered by the pass.
Add up the individual fares of the covered journeys within the pass period and compare the total with the pass price plus supplements. Three long-distance rides do not guarantee savings, and a trip centred on one region can be cheaper with a regional pass or single tickets. Pick a start date that matches the intercity part of your trip.
Regional passes suit a trip limited to one area. Compare the current price, validity area, excluded trains and dates before choosing, and keep in mind that two regional passes do not cover the journey between their regions.
Reservations for covered journeys cost nothing extra. Pass holders who bought online can reserve on the official site before arriving, everyone else uses a reserved-seat ticket machine or a ticket office. Some trains have only reserved seats, and seats are hard to get around 1 to 6 May, 7 to 16 August, 18 to 23 September and 29 December to 3 January.
Foreign tourists who enter Japan with “Temporary Visitor” status and have the stamp or sticker in their passport. Airport automated gates do not stamp passports, so use a manned gate or ask an officer; holders of a Trusted Traveler Program card show it instead. Japanese nationals living abroad follow separate rules and buy through an overseas agency.
