If you're going to Japan as a tourist, absolutely yes. Getting the Japan Rail Pass can save you a lot of money when you travel to Japan. Unless you're planning on staying in just one place and never using any public transportation while you're in Japan, the Japan Rail Pass is a great idea. But what exactly is it?
What Is the Japan Rail Pass?
The Japan Rail Pass is a travel pass that you purchase before your arrival in Japan that can then be used for free travel on nearly any public transportation in Japan, including trains, buses, the metro, and even the famous Shinkansen, or Japanese bullet train. The Pass acts as your ticket on any of the transportation services that accept it, so you can just get on without having to worry about paying for a ticket.
The Japan Rail Pass is designed for tourists and is, in fact, only available to those who are entering the country on a tourist visa. My mom and aunt got one when they visited me, but because I was in Japan on a work visa, I never actually got to use one myself.
The Japan Rail Pass vs. the Welcome Suica Card and Pasmo Passport
The Japan Rail Pass isn't the only travel card option that is available for tourists. Both Suica and Pasmo offer travel cards for tourists who don't have the deposit required by their normal commuter cards. But which should you get?
Both the Welcome Suica Card and the Pasmo Passport are smart cards that contain only the money that you put on them. You're paying the same amount for a ticket that you would if you were paying in cash. The card just helps you bypass the ticket counter by letting you pre-load money onto the card and swiping as you go through the turnstile and the money is debited from your account when you leave the train station. With the Japan Rail Pass, on the other hand, you pay one lump sum for the entire thing and what you've paid covers all travel on public transportation that accepts it.
How Does the Japan Rail Pass Save You Money?
If you use public transportation a lot, the total the tickets would have cost you had you paid for them in cash or with a smart travel card like Suica or Pasmo would exceed the total amount you paid for the card. Once you have travelled enough to meet the cost of the card, you don't owe anything more for it. Therefore, the Japan Rail Pass can more than pay for itself and end up saving you a lot of money on travel around Japan.
What Types of Japan Rail Pass Are Available?
There are several different options. You can get a pass for 7, 14, or 21 days, for an adult or a child, and for standard travel or Green (first) class travel. Most public transportation doesn't have separate classes, so you'd only really get to take advantage of the green class card on the shinkansen.
How Much Does the Japan Rail Pass Cost?
The price depends on which ticket you get. Prices are higher for Green class and for longer stay durations.
Adult 7-Day: ¥29,650 (¥39600 Green)
Child 7-Day: ¥14,820 (¥19,800 Green)
Adult 14-Day: ¥47,250 (¥64,120 Green)
Child 14-Day: ¥23,620 (¥32,060 Green)
Adult 21-Day: ¥60,450 (¥83,890 Green)
Child 21-Day: ¥30,220 (¥41,690 Green)
If you have the regular adult 7-day pass, for example, a one-way trip from Narita Airport into Tokyo (¥3020) and a round trip on the shinkansen between Tokyo and Kyoto (¥26,160) will see you already saving money by having the pass. Any further travel would be on top of that, making the pass an even better deal with every train you take. Prices, of course, may have changed.
Where Can You Use the Japan Rail Pass?
The Japan Rail Pass can be used on any bus, train, or any other transportation service that is through JR, or Japan Railways. This does exclude private train lines like the Keio lines in Tokyo, but you can get most places you want to go on JR lines. When I lived in Japan, I predominantly used JR train and bus services and only had to use a private line once a week to get to one of my schools that was in a farther out part of the city.
The shinkansen is JR, the Narita Express is JR, the Yamanote Line in Tokyo, which is a loop of the city center, is JR, the Chuo Line, which bisects Tokyo, is also JR. It's possible that you may have a small amount of transportation that would not be covered by the Japan Rail Pass, but the amount you save by getting the pass in the first place would more than cover the extra you would have to pay to use a private train line.
How Do You Get the Japan Rail Pass?
You can get the Japan Rail Pass before you go. When you purchase the pass, a voucher for the pass will be sent to your address at home. You'll have to take that exchange order with you when you go to Japan and then swap it for the actual pass when you arrive. You can pick up your pass at the airport when you arrive or at JR train stations.
How To Use the Japan Rail Pass
You can use the Rail Pass just like you would a regular ticket. As of 2024, the Rail Pass is essentially a ticket (be careful not to mix it up with other tickets you may have for non-JR lines because they may look similar) that you insert into the turnstile and then pick up on the other side. Just don't forget to get it back as you go through! If you lose your Rail Pass, you can't replace it (they warn you about this when you pick it up) and you can't buy another one because you have to order it to an address outside of Japan.
The Japan Rail Pass and the Shinkansen
With the Rail Pass, you don't actually have to book tickets for the bullet train, but it can be a good idea to. Going to the ticket office or one of the ticket machines (which have got English options) to purchase a ticket (using the Rail Pass as the payment method) means that you'll have the option to reserve a seat. If you don't do this, then you might end up standing for a long train ride if seats are sold out on your chosen train.
Conclusion
If you're a tourist in Japan, the Japan Rail Pass is a must. If you take the bullet train from Tokyo to Kyoto and back, the pass will have paid for itself. It not only saves you a lot on travel costs but it also makes getting through train stations a lot faster, as you can just use the same ticket over and over instead of having to purchase new tickets every time you want to get on the train or metro.
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