Japan Rail Pass (JR Pass) – 7, 14, or 21 Days Unlimited Rail Travel in Japan
Overview
The JR Pass is the ultimate way to travel Japan, with unlimited rides on the Shinkansen bullet train, all JR trains, buses, even the JR Miyajima Ferry and the Tokyo Monorail. For great value travel around Japan, buy your JR Pass here!
Highlights
- Unlimited use on JR trains and buses, Miyajima Ferry and Tokyo Monorail
- Choose a 7-day, 14-day, or 21-day pass
- Delivery within the 23 wards of Tokyo is as fast as 2 days
- Use your Japan Rail Pass to travel the length and breadth of Japan on Shinkansen bullet trains
Important Information
How to Receive Your JR Pass: 1: Choose the date you intend to redeem the pass. 2: Choose the domestic delivery add-on. 3: During checkout, provide information for delivery in Japan such as hotel address and reservation name (international shipping is not currently offered). 4: Receive the voucher at your accommodation in Japan. If your selected date is more than 3 months in the future, we will print and ship the voucher 1 month before your selected date. 5: Take your voucher to any valid exchange office to collect your pass; you can redeem it up to 3 months from the printing date. — Major exchange offices are shown here — The full list is here How to Use Your JR Pass:
- Passes can be used for 7, 14, or 21 consecutive days depending on the type and can be redeemed up to 3 months after the voucher is printed.
- The usage period must be within 30 days of exchanging your voucher for a Japan Rail Pass.
- You must specify the date that you want to start using the pass at the exchange office.
- The usage period begins when you first show your pass to the station staff and have it stamped.
- Use on any Shinkansen (except Nozomi and Mizuho services) as well as local JR buses, the Miyajima Ferry, and the Tokyo Monorail. *If you do not provide all required information during checkout, delivery may be delayed Notes
- Shinkansen seat reservations are included with your JR Pass, but not necessary for all lines; consider reservations during national holidays, or with a large group (Green Car seats and certain trains like Narita Express always require reservations)
- Tickets for young children: Infants (ages 1–5) and babies (younger) travel for free on JR trains except in the following cases, when a child ticket is required: 1) When three or more infants accompany one adult or child (tickets are required for each infant after the second); 2) When an infant or baby occupies a reserved seat, Green Car seat or berth, etc.; 3) When an infant travels alone Conditions for Use: 1: Valid only for the person whose name appears on the pass; must be a foreign national¹ visiting Japan with the status of Temporary Visitor, and the corresponding stamp in their passport.² 2: Present your pass at a manned ticket gate to begin use. The attendant will stamp the space reserved for official use. When passing ticket gates, always present your pass so that the validity period is visible. 3: Carry your passport at all times while using the pass, and be ready to present it to conductors or station attendants if asked. 4: Valid for use on: all JR trains including Shinkansen (extra fare required for Nozomi and Mizuho services); the BRT (Bus Rapid Transit) system; JR Miyajima Ferry between Miyajima and Miyajimaguchi Station; Tokyo Monorail; buses operated by 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. — Not valid on JR Group expressway buses, or certain local bus routes. — To board Nozomi or Mizuho Shinkansen services you must purchase a special “[ONLY WITH JAPAN RAIL PASS] NOZOMI MIZUHO Ticket” in advance from a JR ticket office, reserved-seat ticket machine, Travel Service Center, or JR-associated travel agency — When using JR Group services that utilize lines operated by companies other than JR Rail, JR Bus, JR Miyajima Ferry, and Tokyo Monorail, you must pay separately any fares or charges for travel on such sections, with some exceptions. No extra charge is required when passing the following sections without stopover: — Aoimori Railway between Hachinohe–Aomori, Aomori–Noheji, or Hachinohe–Noheji (ordinary class trains only). — IR Ishikawa Railway between Kanazawa–Tsubata (excluding services that continue on lines other than JR lines beyond that segment). — Ainokaze Toyama Railway between Toyama–Takaoka (ordinary class trains only, excluding services that continue on lines other than JR lines beyond that segment). Additional Liner ticket is required to ride the Ainokaze Liner. 5: The JR Pass doesn't ensure specific seating – for a reserved-seat ticket at no extra cost, show your pass at a JR ticket office. Certain trains require reserved-seat tickets. Additional fares apply for GranClass or Green Cars, private compartments, sleeper cars, and DX Green Cars. An extra charge must be paid in advance to ride local trains requiring a numbered ticket or liner ticket. You cannot change to reserved seating or sleeping car after boarding. 6: Green Car pass holders using non-reserved seating or ordinary-class cars are not eligible for partial refunds. 7: The pass can only be used within its validity, which cannot be changed. 8: The pass cannot be exchanged for other kinds of pass or ticket. 9: The pass cannot be reissued in the event of loss or theft. 10: Exchange Orders can only be refunded by the travel agency they are purchased from, and applications for refund must be made before the start of the pass validity period. Any such refund will be for the pass value in JPY, less a 10% handling fee.³ 11: Once you have started using the pass the validity cannot be extended, nor can refunds be given, even if services are suspended or delayed. The JR Group will not bear additional costs due to changes in your route, such as alternative transportation or accommodation charges. 12: In addition to these conditions, you must obey the JR Group's regulations, terms and conditions, and the laws of Japan while using the pass. 13: Violation of these conditions may result in the invalidation and confiscation of the pass, as well as a penalty of double the basic fares and charges for all services the pass was used for. 14: The official terms and conditions of the pass are written in Japanese, and the Japanese version takes precedence over translations to other languages. ¹Japanese nationals who have lived overseas for ten years or more may use the pass under certain conditions. You can read more here: https://rakuten-travelexp.net/jr-pass-for-jp-ex-pats ²If you use an automated gate to pass immigration, no stamp will be applied to your passport. Either use a manned automated gate or ask a clerk to apply the stamp to your passport. ³You must return your Exchange Order to us at your own cost in order to receive a 90% refund for an unused Japan Rail Pass. The details above are current as of June 1, 2023, and subject to change. Please confirm the latest terms and conditions with a JR attendant.
Description
The Japan Rail Pass (also called the JR Pass) is a must-have for anyone wanting to explore beyond Tokyo. With unlimited travel on local JR trains and Shinkansen bullet trains, it can quickly pay for itself!
The JR Pass is sold only to overseas travelers — Japanese nationals cannot buy the JR Pass. While you can buy a JR Pass at certain stations in Japan, it’s far easier to order in advance — not to mention it’ll save you the time spent queuing at the world’s busiest stations. Buy online from Rakuten Travel Experiences to enjoy great prices, delivery to your hotel in Japan, and multilingual support.
How it works
About smoking carriages and baggage capacity:
- A few Shinkansen trains have designated smoking rooms, and some seats may be close to these; to avoid these completely, reserve your seat at a JR ticket office.
- Passengers taking the Tokaido/Sanyo/Kyushu Shinkansen with oversized baggage (length, width, and height measuring over 160 cm and under 250 cm in total) must make an advance reservation for a space in the oversized baggage area. Reservations can be made at the ticket counter free of charge. If no reservation is made, guests will be charged a carry-on fee on board of 1,000 JPY and will have to store their baggage in an area designated by the train attendants.
- Baggage measuring over 250 cm (total of 3 sides) will not be allowed on board the Tokaido/Sanyo/Kyushu Shinkansen.