Japan Rail Pass for Cheap Travel

If you are willing to take it slow and take a long cheap trip on Japan Rail local lines then the seishun 18 kippu that I wrote about in a previous post should fit the bill for you.

However if you live abroad and are only visiting Japan for less than 90 days, you can make use of the Japan Rail Pass!

In a nutshell, the Japan Rail Pass

• Can be used by temporary visitors to Japan
• Must be bought outside of Japan (you buy an “exchange order” outside of Japan and receive the actual ticket in Japan).
• Can be used on Japan Rail trains, buses, and the Miyajima ferry in Hiroshima (except for NOZOMI type trains on the Sanyo and Tokaido Shinkansen Lines).
• You may be asked to show your passport so that your name and temporary visitor status can be checked.

This is an incredibly good deal, with the main catch being that you have to buy it outside of Japan! You need to be visiting Japan on a temporary visitor visa in order to be eligible.

First of all, there are two types of Japan Rail Pass, green and orange. The green pass allows you to ride the “green” or luxury cars on the shinkansen (bullet train). Cheap Travel Japan recommends you get the orange pass. I can’t see that the chance to reserve a seat would be worth enough to justify paying tens of thousands of yen (hundreds of dollars).

Here is a price chart according to the Japan Rail Pass Official Homepage.

The duration of use of the pass begins on the first day it is used.

As you can see the prices vary depending on the length of time you plan to travel and whether you are an adult or a child. Children are considered to be between the ages of 6 and 11.

They are surprisingly easy to buy. There are tons of places on every continent that sell these. Basically, if you go to a Japanese travel company in any country, or most of the offices for Japanese air and train lines, you can buy an exchange order. The Japan Rail homepage also offers a list of all the places you can by the Japan Rail Pass by continent.

Also, notice above that it says you can’t ride the NOZOMI. I wouldn’t worry about that. It’s the superfast train, but again not worth the additional money to save a little time. I often avoid the NOZOMI during busy times anyway because it is harder to get a seat.

Japan Railways also states that if you buy an exchange order and decide not to use it, you can get a refund from the place you bought it within a year of purchase. If you think you might not use it but have decided to buy one just in case you travel on the train extensively, check with the shop you buy your exchange order at to be sure they are aware of and honor this rule.

OK, then, happy traveling! See you on the shinkansen, my friend!