The Japan Rail Pass is a special ticket that is available only to travelers visiting Japan from foreign countries for sight-seeing. You are eligible to purchase a Japan Rail Pass if you meet one of the following two conditions:

You are a foreign tourist visiting Japan from abroad for sight-seeing under the entry status of "temporary visitor".

"Temporary visitor" entry status, according to Japanese Immigration Law, allows a stay in Japan of 15 days or 90 days for "sight-seeing, etc." If you apply for a "stay for sight-seeing" when you enter Japan, entry personnel will stamp your passport "temporary visitor". Only persons who have a passport bearing this stamp can use a Japan Rail Pass.

You are a Japanese national living in a foreign country.
(a) who is qualified to live permanently in that country, or
(b) who is married to a non-Japanese residing in a country other than Japan.

 

Transportation Services

The Japan Rail Pass is valid on the following railways, buses and ferry boats:

 

Trains

 

• Shinkansen super express (except "Nozomi" class)
• Limited express trains
• Express trains
• Rapid and local trains
• Tokyo monorail

 

Buses

 

• JR Bus companies:Local lines of JR Bus Tohoku, JR Bus Kanto, JR Tokai Bus, West Japan JR Bus and Chugoku JR Bus.
• JR Bus Divisions: Local bus lines of JR Hokkaido, JR Shikoku and JR Kyushu.
• JR Highway Bus Lines: Morioka - Hirosaki / Aomori /Towadako
  Tokyo - Nagoya /Kyoto /Osaka /Tsukuba Center
  Nagoya - Kyoto /Osaka
  Osaka -Tsuyama Car Shed /Kasai Flower Center

 

Ferry

 

• Only the JR Miyajima ferry is covered. The JR Hakata-Pusan (Korea) ferry is not covered.

 

*From December 4, 2010, for the section of the Aoimori Railway Line between Aomori and Hachinohe, the JAPAN RAIL PASS can be used in the following limited cases: the case where the passenger transits through the section between Aomori Station to Hachinohe Station without getting off the train anywhere in that section and the case where the passenger changes to the Ominato Line at Noheji Station.
(However, passengers using a train with sleeper cars must pay the Aoimori Railway Line fares and charges.)

Carriage Types

Many JR trains have Green cars (first class equivalent), however all trains also have ordinary cars. With a Green type Japan Rail Pass you can use either Green or Ordinary cars. With an Ordinary JR Pass, you may only use Ordinary cars, unless you pay an additional charge to upgrade to first class.

Valid Period

The Japan Rail Pass is valid for either 7, 14 or 21 consecutive days beginning with the date that the pass is first used. When you hand in an Exchange Order for a full JR Pass, it is necessary to specify the date that you wish the pass to be valid from. This date can be any date from within three months of when the original Exchange Order was issued. Once a pass and been exchanged and the start date decided however, these dates cannot be changed.

 

• Turn in your Exchange Order and obtain your Japan Rail Pass at one of the Japan Rail Pass exchange offices. (Please note the office hours and closing days.)

 

• Your Exchange Order must be turned in for a Japan Rail Pass within three months of the date the Order was issued.

 

• At the Japan Rail Pass Exchange offices, fill in an application form to accompany your Exchange Order, and submit it, along with your passport, when you turn in your Exchange Order.

   

  *In order to speed up the exchange process in Japan, you should fill in this exchange application form in advance.
  >>Click here to print out the Japan Rail Pass exchange application form.

 

Shinkansen and most limited express and ordinary express trains have reserved Green car seats and both reserved and non-reserved ordinary car seats. A non-reserved seat can be used simply by showing your JAPAN RAIL PASS. To use a reserved seat, apply at any Travel Service Center or reserved-seat ticket office (Midori-no-madoguchi) at a JR station, or at a sales office of a JR-associated travel agency. There, show your JAPAN RAIL PASS, and obtain your reserved-seat ticket before your trip.

* Seat reservations cannot be made outside Japan.

Do not use an automatic ticket-reading gate with a Japan Rail Pass . Please show the Pass at a manned ticket gate.

• Dec 29 - Jan 5 : The New Year holiday period is the most popular travel time for Japanese people, for vacations and returning to hometown area.
• Apr 29 - May 5 : Due to consecutive holidays in a comfortable travel season, there is large scale travel throughout Japan for leisure and recreation.
• Aug 13 - Aug 15 : Another time for traditional travel to hometown areas, called the o-bon season.