Planning a trip to Japan and wondering if the JR Pass is worth it? You’re not alone. With the price increase, the once must-have travel pass now needs a little more scrutiny. Let’s break down whether the Japan Rail Pass (JR Pass) offers good value for your itinerary.
Yes — the JR Pass can be worth it, but only if your travel plans include long-distance journeys like Tokyo to Hiroshima or multiple cities within a short timeframe. If you’re staying in one region or only taking a round trip between Tokyo and Osaka, individual tickets may be more cost-effective for you.
The Japan Rail Pass (JR Pass) is a multi-day rail ticket available only to foreign tourists, offering unlimited rides on most JR-operated trains across Japan, including the famous Shinkansen (bullet trains). You can choose from:
You’ll need to purchase the pass before arriving in Japan and activate it once you’re ready to start using it.
The number one benefit of the JR Pass is the unlimited rides on Shinkansen and local JR Lines. If you don’t have a Pasmo or Suica card, then buying single tickets every time you need to use the train will become a hassle, especially when Japanese trains leave on time. The JR Pass allows you to explore almost the entirety of Japan without worrying about individual costs (which add up when you start catching Shinkansen). In some regions it also include ferry trips (Hiroshima) making it easy to see the most of Japan.
The number one downside is the cost. Since the increase in price for a JR Pass, it now requires you to either travel greater distances by train or be active in your use throughout the time period. This can be a significant expense if you’re looking for a more relaxed itinerary or planning to stay in a single region. The pass is only valid on JR-operated lines, which means even if you were to catch local trains, you will still have to pay for non-JR trains, subways and buses. This can limit its convenience if your travel plans include areas not serviced by JR lines.
One way to decide whether a JR Pass is going to be a good investment for your next trip to Japan, is to put your intended trips into the fare calculator JR Pass Calculator. This calculator will show you how much each of your trips is worth and whether or not it works out cheaper with a JR Pass or individual tickets.
For example, if you are only planning on taking a round trip from Tokyo to Osaka, a normal return ticket would cost approximately ¥29,040 ($300 nzd) – but a 7-Day JR Pass through Klook is $517.29. It wouldn’t make sense for you to purchase a JR Pass in this case.
However, if you were planning a return trip to Osaka from Tokyo and a couple extra return trips to say Hiroshima, Fukuoka and use your JR Pass to get to and from Nara or Kyoto from Osaka – then a 7-Day pass would JUST workout for you.
If you are planning on seeing a lot more of the country, then a JR Pass could workout well for you – but the catch that we found is the amount of days you have to use the pass. Travelling from one end of Japan to the other can be done using the JR Pass and bullet trains, but it will leave you with little time to checkout the sites. We found the time was a little restrictive, but still doable (we brought the 7day pass).
We activated our JR Passes when we caught the Shinkansen from Tokyo to Osaka – this meant we had 7 days until midnight of the 7th day to use our pass. Within those 7 days we travelled from Tokyo to Osaka, visited Hiroshima (return), Kurashiki (return) Nara and Kyoto from Osaka, using the pass each time. We also used it to get around Osaka, again on the JR rail lines (super easy – each station begins with “shin”) to save money on our Suica cards. By using our passes like this, we definitely got more than our money back on our JR Pass purchases.
Yes. The JR Pass must be purchased outside of Japan and activated once you arrive. You’ll receive an Exchange Order that you trade in at a JR office upon arrival.
No. The JR Pass only works on JR-operated lines. You’ll need a Suica or Pasmo card to use Tokyo Metro and other non-JR subway lines.
Not all. The JR Pass covers most Shinkansen, but Nozomi and Mizuho trains (the fastest services) are not included.
Yes! Seat reservations are free with your JR Pass. You can make reservations at ticket machines or JR counters in stations.
Yes, and it’s cheaper!
We brought our JR Passes through Klook – so if you’re thinking of getting a JR Pass, then check out the best pricing here. We chose to book through Klook, because then we could guarantee that the passes would be legit, the best price and that it would be a hassle free transaction. Each JR Pass is assigned to the person who intends on using it, so have your passport information handy because you will need your passport to collect them.
If you want more information on the Suica or Pasmo card, check it out here.
For more information on Japan, checkout our blog posts here.
Let us know how your adventure in Japan goes, you can do that by sending an email to nicola@prettyfarfromhome.com
When I first started my blog, I wasn’t trying to build a business.I wasn’t trying…
For a long time, I thought blogging was something other people did. Travel influencersLifestyle creatorsPeople…
Losing a bag can be stressful at the best of times, losing it while you're…
Thinking of visiting Universal Studios Beijing with young kids? Here's my honest, no-fluff review. The…
YES, Beijing with kids is totally doable! This 5-day itinerary is for families who are…
Welcome to Hangzhou! Often called the "Silicon Valley of China", this city is buzzing with…