JAPAN RAIL PASS: seven, fourteen or twenty-one days and reservations

For several long-distance journeys across different regions, compare the trains you will use and the individual fares first. If staying within one region, compare that region’s pass as well.

For travel on a foreign passport, check that you enter Japan under Temporary Visitor status. You need the entry stamp or sticker in your passport; when using automated immigration gates, check how to obtain the required evidence. Separate conditions apply to Japanese nationals living overseas: they need their original Japanese passport and designated documents proving at least ten consecutive years of residence overseas, and can buy only through the overseas Exchange Order channel. Document-specific conditions differ for household members and children under twelve, so consult the official evidence guide.

Overseas agency prices changed for purchases from 1 October 2026, based on the seller’s local time. Official website prices remain unchanged for a limited period; the end date will be announced separately. The tables show official yen prices checked on 6 October 2026.

These are Ordinary and Green Car prices when buying directly through the official JRPR website.

These are Ordinary and Green Car prices at authorised overseas JR agencies. Check the agency’s actual payment amount and currency separately on its sales screen.

Child prices apply to ages 6–11. For official website purchases, age is assessed on the payment date; for overseas agencies, on the Exchange Order issue date. Each adult or child traveller can accompany up to two children aged 1–5 free, but a child pass is needed for a child using a separate reserved seat or travelling alone. Children under one do not count towards that two-child limit.

Choose seven, fourteen or twenty-one days. An overseas agency Exchange Order must be exchanged for the actual pass within three months of issue. The official example gives 14 July as the last exchange date for an order issued on 15 April.

An overseas agency Exchange Order is not a boarding pass. Show it with the traveller’s own original passport at a designated exchange point to collect the actual pass. For a direct JRPR purchase, bring the reservation number and the original passports of the buyer and every companion.

Covered JR railways and BRT and Tokyo Monorail are included. Private railway sections generally require separate basic fares and train charges, with conditional exceptions for some through-travel sections. A private railway covered by a regional pass is not automatically covered by the nationwide pass. The official English nationwide map is dated April 2026. Red station names identify exchange locations at that time; check current counter hours separately. Other companies’ lines drawn on the map are not all included. For Nozomi or Mizuho, use a valid pass together with the dedicated additional ticket bought before boarding.

Covered JR local buses are included, but highway buses and some routes are excluded. JR West Miyajima Ferry is included; the separate Miyajima (宮島) visitor tax is JPY 100.

Use the official location table to check direct website collection and agency-voucher exchange separately. A passport-reader machine may collect official website purchases without supporting agency Exchange Orders.

The pass alone does not secure a reserved seat. Obtain a seat ticket before boarding. At a machine, use the actual pass QR or reservation number and passport number, then select your train and seat. Check reservation requirements first for trains without non-reserved seats.

Advance seat reservations through JRPR are available only when the pass was bought directly through JRPR. Sign in, select “Reserve a Seat” for the pass and enter your departure and arrival stations, date and travellers. Confirm the train and seats, then collect both the actual pass and seat tickets before boarding. This process does not apply to travel-agency Exchange Orders.

JRPR seat reservations normally open at 10:00 one month before travel and close six minutes before the train departs. A different opening date applies if the preceding month has no matching calendar date. One pass purchase can include the lead traveller and up to five companions, six people in total.

For an agency Exchange Order, ask the seller about cancellation. For an uncollected pass bought directly through JRPR, an online refund can be requested until 23:30 on the day before the start date, with JPY 560 deducted per pass. Lost or stolen passes are not reissued.