Okayama–Hiroshima–Yamaguchi Area Pass: five-day routes and exchange
Okayama-Hiroshima-Yamaguchi Area Pass
The Okayama–Hiroshima–Yamaguchi Area Pass covers designated routes for five consecutive days. Its Sanyo Shinkansen section is Okayama · 岡山–Hakata · 博多; reserve before boarding if you want an Ordinary Car reserved seat.
Key destinations
Okayama and Hakata are the Shinkansen endpoints. The map also includes Hiroshima · 広島 and Takamatsu · 高松.
When does this pass suit your itinerary?
Compare it with individual fares for journeys connecting Okayama, Hiroshima, Yamaguchi · 山口 and Hakata. If starting in Osaka · 大阪, buy separate tickets for the Shin-Osaka · 新大阪–Okayama Shinkansen section.
Who can use it?
You need a passport issued by a government other than Japan and Temporary Visitor status in Japan. Present your own original passport and proof of entry status when collecting the actual pass. You cannot buy or exchange duplicate passes of the same type with overlapping validity periods.
Prices and child fares
The five-day pass costs JPY 17,000 for adults aged 12 or over and JPY 8,500 for children aged 6–11. The Japanese terms use age on the payment date. A seller’s option conditions need separate checking.
Scroll the table sideways to see all columns.
| Validity | Adult (JPY) | Child (JPY) |
|---|---|---|
| 5 consecutive days | 17,000 | 8,500 |
Verified:
Travelling with young children
Each adult or child pass holder may bring up to two children aged 1–5 free. A child pass is required for the third or any additional child, for a child occupying a separate reserved seat, or for a child travelling alone. Infants under one year travel free.
Five consecutive calendar days
Validity runs from 00:00 on the first day to 24:00 on the fifth day, Japan time. If you remain on a train across midnight at the end of the fifth day, basic-fare coverage continues until you exit the gate and train-charge coverage continues until you get off that same train. This does not cover unrestricted new journeys the next day.
An exchange order is not the actual pass
An agency’s paper MCO or electronic E-MCO must be exchanged before boarding. Under the official rules, exchange is permitted within three months of issue and no later than the day of use.
Covered routes and exclusions
Sanyo Shinkansen coverage is Okayama–Hakata. Shin-Osaka–Okayama on the Shinkansen and JR Kyushu conventional lines are excluded. After arriving at Hakata or Kokura · 小倉, buy separate tickets to change to JR Kyushu conventional trains. The official coverage map also shows routes to Takamatsu.
Green travel on a covered Shinkansen or limited express needs separate Green and express tickets; local-train Green travel needs a Green ticket. S Work requires separate fare and charges. Sunrise Seto and Sunrise Izumo, including Nobi Nobi seats, are excluded.
Nozomi and Mizuho are included within Okayama–Hakata. Conventional routes on the map include Kurashiki · 倉敷, Onomichi · 尾道, Miyajimaguchi · 宮島口, Iwakuni · 岩国, Shin-Yamaguchi · 新山口 and Shimonoseki · 下関. Take a covered conventional train across the Seto-Ohashi bridge to Takamatsu; that route is separate from Shinkansen coverage. Airport icons do not establish airport-bus coverage.
Covered buses and the Super Hagi exception
Eligible JR Bus Chugoku local routes and the Hiroshima Meipuru-pu sightseeing bus are included. The Japanese terms also include the Super Hagi highway bus. This exception does not include every highway bus.
Where to collect your pass
The official location table applying from April 2026 lists exchange counters and electronic-order machines at Shin-Osaka, Osaka, Kansai-airport · 関西空港, Okayama, Hiroshima and Hakata, among others. Kyoto · 京都 has no exchange mark for this product. The passport-reader and product-exchange columns are different; check both your product and purchase channel.
For a direct WEST-TR purchase, bring the reservation number, your chosen four-digit identification number, the original payment card and your passport. Machine collection requires an IC-chip passport; use the ticket office if yours has no chip. WEST-TR requires advance card payment and does not accept virtual or numberless cards.
Reserved seats and the machine limit
Ordinary Car seat reservations are unlimited. After collecting the actual pass, reserve at a compatible machine or JR ticket counter. Machines record up to six reservation marks on the pass; use a counter once that limit is reached. This is not a limit of six journeys.
Online reservations depend on where you bought the pass
A pass bought directly through JR-WEST ONLINE TRAIN RESERVATION (WEST-TR) can have up to six trains reserved before collection. An agency MCO or E-MCO cannot use this pre-exchange booking procedure. Exchange it in Japan first, then reserve locally.
Before collection, WEST-TR limits the total number of seat-booking, addition, change and cancellation operations to 28 per pass reservation. Make permitted changes before the earliest reserved train departs and within WEST-TR operating hours on the validity start date.
If you miss a reserved train or it is full
A train with reserved seats only has no unreserved car. If you miss your reserved train, reserve a seat on a later train. Standing is permitted only when the particular service offers a standing arrangement and is full when you request a reservation.
Changes after collection
You cannot change the pass type or validity start date after collecting the pass. To change a seat reservation after collection, visit a JR-WEST or JR Shikoku ticket counter before that reserved train departs. Cancelling a reservation does not remove the reservation marks printed on the pass.
Cancellations and refunds
For an unexchanged agency MCO or E-MCO, ask the original seller for a refund within one year of issue. Fees and other conditions depend on the seller and product.
After exchanging an agency order, an unused pass can be refunded before its start date or during validity at a designated exchange counter. The fee is 10% of the sale price, rounded down to JPY 10, minimum JPY 220. Passes sold domestically by an agency must be returned to the selling agency.
For a direct WEST-TR purchase, the fee is JPY 560 per person. Before collection, cancel online before the earliest reserved train departs and within WEST-TR operating hours on the validity start date. After collection, take an unused pass to a WEST-TR collection counter before validity starts or during validity; if seats are reserved, the earliest reserved train’s departure is the deadline.
There is no refund after use begins, or for service cancellation or delay. Lost passes are not reissued.
From purchase to boarding
Check your passport and Temporary Visitor status, then compare your itinerary with the official map, including the Okayama–Hakata Shinkansen section.
Choose the five-day adult or child pass. Distinguish an agency exchange order from a direct WEST-TR reservation so you bring the correct collection documents.
For an MCO or E-MCO, bring your own original passport and the order. Use a counter or machine marked for this exact pass and purchase method, then check the start date printed on your actual pass.
Reserve seats after collecting the actual pass. From the seventh machine reservation, use a JR ticket counter.
Carry your passport during travel. At Takamatsu, use a staffed gate and show your pass; this pass cannot use the automatic gates there.
To reach Miyajima · 宮島, take the eligible JR West ferry. Pay the separate Miyajima visitation tax, shown as JPY 100 in the official pass guide.
If you miss a train, first check whether it has reserved seats only and reserve a later service. For cancellation, tell the seller or JR counter whether the order is unexchanged, the actual pass is unused, or use has already started.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Shinkansen from Osaka to Okayama included?
No. This pass covers Okayama–Hakata on the Sanyo Shinkansen. Buy separate tickets for Shin-Osaka–Okayama.
Can I still use the pass after six seat reservations?
Yes. Ordinary Car reservations are unlimited. Six is the machine processing limit; use a JR counter from the seventh reservation.
Can I board with my electronic exchange order’s QR code?
No. Bring your own passport and electronic order to a supported counter or machine and exchange it for the actual pass first.
Can I reserve through WEST-TR before travelling if I buy from an agency?
Not before exchanging an MCO or E-MCO. Collect the actual pass in Japan, then reserve at a machine or counter. Direct WEST-TR purchases have a different procedure.
Can I use the automatic gates at Takamatsu?
No. At Takamatsu, show your pass at a staffed gate.
Can I change to JR Kyushu conventional trains at Hakata?
JR Kyushu conventional lines are excluded. Hakata–Okayama Sanyo Shinkansen coverage does not include onward conventional trains in Kyushu; buy separate tickets for those sections.
Are all highway buses excluded?
Super Hagi is included as a specific exception in the Japanese terms. Other highway buses are not automatically included.
What do I need to collect a direct WEST-TR purchase?
Bring your reservation number, chosen four-digit identification number, original payment card and passport. A passport without an IC chip requires ticket-office collection. Agency exchange orders have a different procedure.
Official sources and maps
- JR-WEST Okayama–Hiroshima–Yamaguchi: official English coverage map ↗Verified:
- Okayama–Hiroshima–Yamaguchi conditions of use (Japanese) ↗Verified:
- Okayama–Hiroshima–Yamaguchi exchange-location table (Japanese) ↗Verified:
- Okayama–Hiroshima–Yamaguchi refund rules (Japanese) ↗Verified:
- JR-WEST Okayama–Hiroshima–Yamaguchi: official English guide ↗Verified:
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