Other Rail Passes

As well as the Japan Rail Pass there are a variety of other discounts on rail travel, offering visitors value for money, convenience and increased travel flexibility. These include Regional Japan Rail Passes, Kansai Thru Pass, Prepaid Cards, Return Tickets, Excursion Tickets, Seishun 18 Kippu, Full Moon Green Pass, Package Tours and Local Discounts.

Regional Japan Rail Passes

JR East Pass

The JR East Pass covers the northeastern section of the main island of Honshu, from Tokyo to Aomori on the island’s northern tip. The pass is available for either 5 or 10 consecutive days of travel on most Japan Railways services within this region or as a 4-day Flexipass, which can be used on any four days during a one-month period.

Prices for the pass are listed in the table below. The JR East Pass must be purchased outside Japan and is available from a number of authorised agents.

Visit the JR East web site for further information about pass terms and conditions.

JR West Pass

JR West offers two types of rail pass. The Sanyo Area Pass can be used for unlimited travel on Japan Railways services along the route from Kansai Airport to Osaka, Okayama, Hiroshima and Fukuoka (Hakata) on northern Kyushu. The pass is available for either 4 or 8 consecutive days of travel and is valid for travel on the 'Nozomi' bullet train as well as other Sanyo Shinkansen (bullet trains). The Kansai Area Pass covers travel on Japan Railways local services in the popular Kansai region including Osaka, Kyoto, Nara, Kobe and Himeji. The pass is not valid for travel on the Shinkansen (bullet train) or on other express services.

Prices for the pass are listed in the table below. The JR West Pass may be purchased within Japan at major JR stations and leading travel agents. The pass is also available outside Japan from a number of authorised agents.

Visit the JR West web site for further information about pass terms and conditions.

Note: Prices are estimates only. The local currency price for the pass is determined by the exchange rate at the time of purchase.

JR Hokkaido Pass

JR Hokkaido pass covers Japan's northernmost island of Hokkaido. It is valid for all the train lines offered by Hokkaido Railway Co. and some bus lines of JR Hokkaido Bus. The pass is available for 3 or 5 consecutive days of travel.

Prices for the pass are listed in the table below. The JR Hokkaido Pass can be purchased outside Japan from a number of authorised agents; or it can be purchased in Japan (in Japanese yen only) from offices designated by Hokkaido Railway Co. These offices are the Travel Service Centres at JR Asahikawa, Hakodate, Kushiro, Obihiro and Sapporo stations and at JR Shin-Chitose Airport station.

Visit the JR Hokkaido website for further information about pass terms and conditions.

(Incl. consumption tax)

Note: Prices are estimates only. The local currency price for the pass is determined by the exchange rate at the time of purchase.

JR Kyushu Rail Pass

With a JR Kyushu Pass you can unwind with an exotic hot sand bath at Beppu, stand on the edge of a volcanic crater at Mt Aso, or see local craftsmen at work in the pottery towns of Arita and Karatsu.

The JR Kyushu Pass allows unlimited travel throughout the southern island of Kyushu for a period of 5 consecutive days. The pass is valid the Shikansen (bullet train) and can be used on the island’s numerous limited express services. Prices for the pass are listed in the table below. In support of the Japanese Government's Visit Japan Campaign the JR Kyushu pass can now be purchased inside Japan at the following stations: Kokura, Hakata, Nagasaki, Oita, Kumamoto, Kagoshima and Miyazaki, provding purchasers have with them their passport with a "temporary visitor" stamp in it. Outside Japan it is available from a number of authorised agents.

Note: Prices are estimates only. The local currency price for the pass is determined by the exchange rate at the time of purchase.

Kansai Thru Pass

The Kansai Thru Pass offers unlimited travel on 32 railway, bus and subway companies (excluding the JR transportation network) in the Kansai region of Japan, which includes Kyoto, Osaka, Nara, Himeji, Mt Koya and Kobe. The pass is valid for a period of 2 or 3 days of travel (either consecutive or non-consecutive days). The two-day pass costs ¥3,800 and the three-day pass costs ¥5,000. Pass holders are also entitled to discounts on admission to numerous attractions, as well as special services and gifts at many of the regions' Shrines and Temples. The Pass is available from the Travel Counter located on the first floor of the Kansai International Airport Terminal Building. Visit the Kansai Thru Pass website for more information.

Prepaid Cards

Prepaid cards don't give you any discounts, but they make the process of taking trains easier, as you do not always need to buy a ticket before riding a train. Prepaid cards can be purchased at vending machines.

Passnet

Passnet are prepaid cards that can be used on almost all trains and subways in the Tokyo area with the exception of JR trains. They are available for 1,000 yen, 3,000 yen and 5,000 yen. To use Passnet, insert the card into the ticket gates, and the required fee will be withdrawn automatically. If the remaining amount on the card is not sufficient anymore, you can use it at vending machines to buy another ticket.

Suica

Suica is the prepaid card that can be used on all JR trains in the Tokyo area. To use Suica, you do not insert your card into the ticket gate slot, but only hold it close to the Suica sensor, which is attached to the ticket gate (like London's Oyster cards). The required fee will then be automatically withdrawn. If you purchase a Suica card, the minimum amount is 500 Yen.

Discount Return Tickets

When you buy a return ticket for travel on Japan Railways (JR) to any destination more than 600 km (373 miles) each way you qualify for a 20% discount on the price of your journey.

Shuyu Kippu and Furii Kippu (Excursion Tickets)

There are a number of Excursion Tickets available for various regions of Japan. These tickets combine direct return travel to your destination with unlimited use of various local transportation services in your destination area over a set period. The tickets can only be purchased in Japan and can save you up to 20 percent off the standard fare, depending on where you are going and which railway company you are using.

Japan Railways (JR) offers several excursion tickets including the Shuyu Kippu, which allows unlimited travel for up to 20 days on JR Local transportation in destinations such as Kyushu, Shikoku and Hokkaido. The passes are available from JR stations in major cities.

The Odakyu Railways’ Furii Pass can be used on Odakyu services from Tokyo to (and around) several popular tourist destinations including Hakone, Kamakura and the Izu Peninsula. Holders of the pass are also entitled to discounts on entry to a variety of local attractions. See the Odakyu web site for details.

Seishun 18 Kippu

Although it is aimed at Japanese College students, the Seishun 18 Kippu (Youth 18 Ticket) is available to everyone regardless of age or occupation. ¥11,500 buys a series of five tickets, each valid for one day’s unlimited travel on JR local and rapid trains as well as the JR Ferry service to Miyajima Island. The tickets can only be used during school holiday periods, which are roughly as follows: 1 March – 10 April, 20 July – 10 September and 10 December – 20 January, and can be purchased 10 days prior to, and up to 10 days before the end of, each validity period. The Seishun18 Kippu may be shared by several people, provided that they travel together.

Full Moon Green Pass

Older married couples whose combined ages total 88 years or more are eligible for the Full Moon Green Pass. The pass is valid for travel in Green (1st Class) cars on all JR services (except the ‘Nozomi’ bullet train). A surcharge is required for travel in Green cars on the ‘Hikari’ bullet train and on certain types of sleeper trains. The pass costs ¥79,000, ¥98,000 or ¥122,000 for 5, 7 or 12 consecutive days of travel respectively (for two people). It can be purchased at major JR Stations within Japan from 1 September to 31 May and is valid for travel between 1 October and 30 June (except 21 December - 6 January, 21 March – 5 April and 27 April – 6 May).

Package Tours

Many rail companies also offer package tours to popular tourist destinations. The tours include discounted transportation as well as reductions on the cost of accommodation and entry into a variety of tourist attractions.

JR package tours can be purchased at the green ticket window in major JR stations and at leading travel agents.

Several package tours are also available through Odakyu Railways. The Odakyu Q-Tours include accommodation charges, meals, entrance fees and return travel between Shinjuku station (Tokyo) and the popular sightseeing areas of Mt Fuji-Hakone and Kamakura. Visit the Odakyu web site for further information.

Local Discounts

There are a variety of discount tickets available for travel on local transportation services in regional centres throughout Japan. These include:

Tokyo

• Tokyo Combination Ticket (Tokyo Free Kippu) - A one-day pass valid for unlimited travel on JR and Toei local trains, Toei and Tokyo Metro, and Toei city buses. The pass costs ¥1,580 yen (¥ 790 yen for children aged 6-11) and is available from station Pass Offices.
• Metropolitan Free Ticket (Tokunai Free Kippu) - A one-day JR Pass valid for unlimited travel on JR local trains running within Tokyo’s 23 wards. The pass costs ¥730 (¥360 for children aged 6-11) and is available from JR stations throughout the city.
• Tokyo Metro One-Day Open Ticket - A one-day pass valid for unlimited travel on all Tokyo Metro trains. The pass costs ¥710 (¥360 for children aged 6-11) and is available from ticket vending machines at Tokyo Metro stations.
• TRTA (Eidan) & Toei Lines One-Day Open Ticket - A one-day pass valid for unlimited travel on all TRTA (Eidan) and Toei subways. The pass costs ¥1000 (¥500 for children aged 6-11) and is available from ticket vending machines at Tokyo Metro and Toei subway stations.

Visit the Tokyo Metro web site to find out more about Tokyo’s local transportation services

Kansai Region

Kyoto

• Kyoto Sightseeing Card - Valid for one or two days unlimited travel on all subway and bus services within a designated area of the city. The one-day pass costs ¥1,200 (¥600 for children aged 6-11). The two-day pass costs ¥2,000 (¥1,000 for children aged 6-11). Both passes are available at automatic subway ticket vending machines and Kyoto City Bus and Subway Information Centres.

Visit the Bus and Subway Guide on the Kyoto City web site to find out more about Kyoto’s local transportation services

Osaka

• One-Day Pass – A one-day pass valid for unlimited travel on the subways, the New Tram and on city buses, excluding the use of the OTS (Osaka Transport System) Line. The pass costs ¥850 (¥430 for children aged 6 - 11 years) and also offers discounts on admission to a number of popular attractions including Osaka Castle. The pass is available from ticket vending machines in stations.

Useful Links

View a list of JR Authorised Agents
Find out more about the Japan Rail Pass
See the Japan Railways and Regional Railways pages of this site for information on rail services in Japan.

JR East
JR West
Odakyu
Tokyo Metro
Kyoto City Bus & Subway