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Types of Japan Rail Pass

There are two types of JAPAN RAIL PASS: Green (for superior-class Green cars), and Ordinary. Each of these types is available as a 7-day, 14-day, or 21-day PASS. 

Type Green Ordinary
Duration Adult Child Adult Child
7-day 70,000 JPY 35,000 JPY 50,000 JPY 25,000 JPY
14-day 110,000 JPY 55,000 JPY 80,000 JPY 40,000 JPY
21-day 140,000 JPY 70,000 JPY 100,000 JPY 50,000 JPY

1. Transportation services

  • The JAPAN RAIL PASS is valid for the railways, buses, and ferry boats shown in the table below.

Railways:

All JR Group Railways-Shinkansen “bullet trains” (except any reserved or non-reserved seat on “NOZOMI” and “MIZUHO” trains), limited express trains, express trains, rapid or local trains, and the BRT. With some exceptions)

*JAPAN RAIL PASS holders can also use the Tokyo Monorail.

*Aoimori Railway services between Aomori and Hachinohe (but only for travel on local or rapid service trains encompassing the segments between Hachinohe and Aomori, Aomori and Noheji, and Hachinohe and Noheji. Travel is not covered if you disembark at any station on the Aoimori Railway line other than Aomori, Nohej, and Hachinohe.)

*The IR Ishikawa Railway Line between Kanazawa and Tsubata. However, travel must be conducted on local or limited express trains and must encompass the full segment between these two stations. Travel is not covered if you disembark at any station on the IR Ishikawa Railway line, within or outside the segment (excluding Kanazawa or Tsubata).

*The Ainokaze Toyama Railway Line between Toyama and Takaoka. However, travel must be conducted on local trains and must encompass the full segment between these two stations. Travel is not covered if you disembark at any station on the Ainokaze Toyama Railway line, within or outside the segment (excluding Toyama r Takaoka).

Buses :

Local lines of JR Bus (excluding some local lines. Pass validity for particular routes is subject to change.)

(JR Bus : 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)

*The PASS is not valid for travel on express bus routes operated by JR Bus.

Ferry :

Only the JR-WEST Miyajima ferry is covered. *Hydrofoil ferry service operated by JR-KYUSHU between Hakata and Pusan (Korea) is not covered.

Caution :

The JAPAN RAIL PASS is not valid for any seats, reserved or non-reserved, on “NOZOMI” and “MIZUHO” trains on the Tokaido, Sanyö and Kyüshü Shinkansen lines. (The pass holders must take “HIKARI,” “SAKURA” “KODAMA” or “TSUBAME” trains.) If you use a “NOZOMI” o “MIZUHO” train, you must pay the basic fare and the limited express charge, and for a Green Car, the additional Green Car surcharge. In addition, if you use the GranClass car of the Tohoku Shinkansen, Hokkaido Shinkansen and Hokuriku Shinkansen, you must pay the limited express charge and the GranClass car surcharge. Note also that passengers using JR trains on non-JR lines must pay additional fares and charges for sections traveled on such lines. (Some JR trains use the line of private railways for direct services.

2. Train accommodations

  • Most JR trains have Ordinary cars (coach class) while many long-distance trains also offer Green Cars (superior class). With a Green-type JAPAN RAIL PASS you can use either class, while with an Ordinary-type JAPAN RAIL PASS you can use only Ordinary Cars without paying an additional charge. Refer to the table below for details.
  •  
  • The cars with “O” can be used with JAPAN RAIL PASS.
  •  
  • Use of the cars with * requires paying additional charges
Trains Accommodations    Green      Ordinary  
"NOZOMI" and "MIZUHO" trains on the
Tokaido, Sanyo and Kyushu Shinkansen *1		 Green Car X X
Ordinary Car X X
"HIKARI" "SAKURA" "KODAMA" and "TSUBAME"
trains on the Tokaido, Sanyo, and Kyushu Shinkansen
and any trains on the Tohoku, Yamagata, Akita,
Hokkaido, Joetsu and Hokuriku Shinkansen		 GranClass *4 * *
Green Car O *2 *
Ordinary Car O O
Ordinary Private Compartment * *
Limited express
and
ordinary express		 Green Car O *3 *
Ordinary Car O O
Green Private Compartment * *
Ordinary Private Compartment * *
Sleeping Car * *
Local and rapid trains Green Car O *
Ordinary Car O O
*1 The JAPAN RAIL PASS is not valid for any seats, reserved (incl. Green Car) or non-reserved, on "NOZOMI" and "MIZUHO" trains.
*2 There are no Green Cars on most "HIKARI" and "KODAMA" trains on the Sanyo Shinkansen line (Shin-Osaka - Hakata), or on some "SAKURA" and "TSUBAME" Series 800 trains on the Kyushu Shinkansen line.
*3 If you use a "DX Green" (operated by JR Kyushu), you must pay the limited express charge and the DX Green surcharge additionally.
*4 If you use the GranClass car, only the basic fare is covered with your JAPAN RAIL PASS for both Green Car and Ordinary Cars and you must pay the limited express cahrge and the GranClass car surcharge additionally.

=> Private Compartments are available on some "HIKARI" trains on the Sanyo Shinkansen line.
=> Green Private Compartments are on certain limited express trains, such as "Super View Odoriko."
=> Use of "Home Liner" and other "Liner" trains requires an additional charge.

3. Validity Period

  • The validity period of a JAPAN RAIL PASS is the consecutive 7, 14, or 21 days period beginning on the date the PASS is first used.
  • If you have purchased an Exchange Order in a country other than Japan, you must turn in your Exchange Order to obtain your JAPAN RAIL PASS within three months from the date the Exchange Order was issued (for example, an Exchange Order issued on April 15 would have to be turned in by July 14).
  • At that time, you have to specify the date that you want to start using the PASS. It can . be any date within one month the date the PASS is received.
  • Once a starting date has been assigned to the PASS, it cannot be changed.