JR East–South Hokkaido Rail Pass: six-day routes, prices and collection
Japan rail pass guide
The JR East–South Hokkaido Rail Pass covers the official railway area from Tokyo · 東京 to Hakodate · 函館, Sapporo · 札幌 and Otaru · 小樽 for six consecutive days. Eligible Ordinary Car reserved and unreserved seats are included. This is not a pass for all of Hokkaido.
Key destinations
Tokyo · 東京 / Hakodate · 函館 / Sapporo · 札幌 / Otaru · 小樽
When does this pass suit your itinerary?
Compare ordinary ticket totals if your rail journeys from Tokyo via Tohoku to Hakodate, Sapporo and Otaru fit within six consecutive days. If you start within Tohoku, compare the Tohoku–South Hokkaido pass area first.
Who can use it?
Non-Japanese nationals can purchase and collect this pass with their valid original foreign passport. The official conditions do not impose a Temporary Visitor restriction. Carry a passport valid throughout the pass period, and do not transfer the pass to another person.
Prices and consecutive days
The official price is JPY 40,000 adult or JPY 20,000 child. Children are aged 6–11 on the purchase date. Children under six do not need a pass if they do not require a reserved seat. Validity is six consecutive days from your chosen start date; you cannot skip dates.
Covered routes and exclusions
Within the pass area, eligible Ordinary Car reserved and non-reserved seats on JR East and JR Hokkaido Shinkansen and limited-express services are covered. The Tokyo Monorail, Aoimori Railway, IGR Iwate Galaxy Railway, Sendai Airport Transit Line and JR East BRT are also included. For JR–Tobu through limited-express services, either the departure or arrival station must be a JR station. The Tōkaidō Shinkansen, JR buses and Dōnan Isaribi Railway are excluded.
Check the English coverage map
Asahikawa · 旭川, Furano · 富良野 and Biei · 美瑛 are outside this pass area. Open the official English map in the sources below and check both your boarding and alighting stations. A city being labelled on the map does not necessarily mean it is within the covered area.
Collection depends on how you buy
A direct JR-EAST Train Reservation purchase can be collected at a supported travel service centre or IC-passport-reader ticket machine. For an agency purchase, show the exchange order and your original passport at a location that handles that order. Do not apply the direct-purchase machine procedure to agency orders.
Reserved seats and ticket gates
Obtain reserved-seat tickets before boarding; the pass does not guarantee a seat. Green Car and GranClass require additional charges. Insert the paper pass into a compatible automatic gate and collect it afterwards. Show it to staff at unsupported gates.
Changes, refunds and lost passes
Once issued, the pass’s validity period cannot be changed. Lost or stolen passes are not reissued. JR’s transport conditions specify a 10% fee for refunding an unused pass. If you have reserved a seat, a refund is unavailable after that train’s scheduled departure, even if you have not used the pass. Cancel an unwanted seat reservation before departure. After use begins, the pass cannot be extended or refunded, including for cancellations or delays.
When to contact the seller
If you have not yet exchanged an agency order for the actual pass, request cancellation from the selling agency. JR does not refund that unexchanged order. Keep the seller’s cancellation conditions separate from the rules for an issued JR pass.
From purchase to boarding
Choose your routes and the start date for six consecutive days. Check the official English coverage map.
Collect the paper pass at a location supported by your purchase channel, using your original passport and any required exchange order.
For a reserved seat, obtain a ticket showing the train, car and seat at a counter before boarding.
Use the paper pass at the gate and collect it afterwards. On the train, sit in the seat printed on your reserved-seat ticket.
Frequently asked questions
Does it cover Furano or Biei?
No. Asahikawa, Furano and Biei are outside the pass area.
Does it cover the Tokaido Shinkansen?
No. The Tokaido Shinkansen is excluded.
Can I split the six days?
No. The pass covers six consecutive days from your chosen start date.
Can JR cancel my agency purchase directly?
Before the actual pass is issued, ask the selling agency to cancel your exchange order.
Official sources and guide materials
- JR East–South Hokkaido Rail Pass official coverage map (English) ↗Checked:
- JR East–South Hokkaido Rail Pass official overview ↗Checked:
- JR East–South Hokkaido Rail Pass conditions of use ↗Checked:
- JR: purchase, collection and cancellation ↗Checked:
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