WEST QR Kansai Mini Pass: three days, QR gates and HARUKA charges
WEST QR Kansai Mini Pass
The WEST QR Kansai Mini Pass is a QR ticket for three consecutive days on covered JR local, Rapid and Special Rapid services. Limited express trains, including HARUKA, require a separate limited express ticket. Shinkansen services are excluded.
Which itinerary suits this pass?
Compare this pass for three days of mainly local, Rapid and Special Rapid journeys. If taking HARUKA, compare the Mini Pass plus a separate limited express ticket with the price of the Area Pass.
Who can use it?
You must hold a passport issued by a government outside Japan and enter Japan under Temporary Visitor status. Carry your passport and evidence of that status while using the pass. Japanese nationals cannot use it.
Prices and child fares
The official three-day price checked on 6 October 2026 is JPY 3,000 for adults and JPY 1,500 for children aged 6–11 on the payment date. Check the seller’s currency, selling price and option conditions separately.
Travelling with young children
Each adult or child pass holder can accompany up to two children aged 1–5 free of charge. A child pass is needed for the third child onwards, for a child using their own reserved seat or for a child travelling alone. Children under one travel free.
Start date and final day
Validity is three consecutive days from the date you start use, from 04:00 on day one to midnight on the final day. It is based on calendar dates, not successive 24-hour periods from activation. Press “Use ticket” after 04:00 on the day you intend to start travelling.
Your voucher and boarding ticket
Open the WEST QR usage website through the link in the voucher issued by your overseas travel agency. Register your account and ticket, then start using it on your actual travel date to display the boarding QR code. No paper-pass exchange is needed.
Register the ticket in your account
Choose “Link this ticket to your account” in the voucher. For a new account, enter your email and password, then the email verification code, which expires after five minutes. If you already have an account, sign in, check the ticket number and account, then choose “Register”. Check that it appears under “Tickets” and bookmark the login page. Registration does not activate the ticket: do not press “Use ticket” before your travel start date.
Included services and exclusions
Covered Ordinary Car non-reserved seats on local, Rapid and Special Rapid trains are included. Limited express trains, including HARUKA, need a separate limited express ticket, and paid seats such as A-seat require separate charges. Sunrise Seto and Sunrise Izumo are excluded, including Nobi Nobi seats. Buy separate tickets for the Shinkansen. The English diagram summarises major routes; Area and Mini coverage differs, so use the map for your product.
Seat reservations
The Mini Pass does not include HARUKA reserved-seat bookings. Buy the required limited express ticket separately for HARUKA or another limited express. The Area Pass’s two-reservation allowance does not apply to the Mini Pass.
If the QR code is not recognised
Refresh the ticket screen and try again. If the error continues, show your Ticket No. to station staff. Use the call button at an unattended gate.
Cancellation and refunds
Before starting use, contact the travel agency where you bought the voucher within its usability period. Fees and conditions depend on the seller; JR stations do not refund it. The product’s Japanese conditions provide no refund after use starts, including for suspended or delayed services.
From purchase to boarding
Check your Temporary Visitor eligibility and travel dates, then compare your planned routes with the product’s official coverage.
Select the adult or child three-day pass. Check that the voucher is for WEST QR and register the account and ticket through its link.
Buy a separate limited express ticket if taking HARUKA or another limited express. Its limited express charge is not included in the Mini Pass price.
After 04:00 on the first travel day, press “Use ticket” to activate it. Use the live QR screen on an internet-connected phone; screenshots and printouts are not accepted.
Scan the boarding QR at a gate with a red QR reader. At a station without a reader, choose “Scan QR code” under Ticket details and scan the station’s entry or exit code as appropriate.
At an unattended gate with doors, finish the QR process, contact staff through the intercom and show the ticket screen. For a Shinkansen connection, leave through the conventional-line gate, then enter using separate Shinkansen tickets.
If activated by mistake, contact WEST QR chat support before passing through a gate to ask about changing the start date. There is no self-service change; it can be changed only if approved.
Questions about this pass
Can I take HARUKA with the Mini Pass without paying extra?
No. Even within the coverage area, HARUKA and other limited express trains require a separate limited express ticket.
Do I need to exchange it for a paper pass?
No. Register the account and ticket through your voucher, then start use on the first travel day to display the boarding QR code.
Can I use a screenshot of the QR code?
No. Screenshots and printouts cannot be used. Show the live ticket QR code on an internet-connected smartphone.
If I activate it at night, is it valid until the following night?
No. It is not a 24-hour ticket. The activation date counts as day one and validity ends at midnight on the final day. Start use after 04:00 on your first travel date.
Is the child age assessed on the travel date?
The Japanese product conditions define children as aged 6–11 on the payment date. Also check the seller’s child option before selecting your dates.
How can a companion without a smartphone travel?
If travelling together on the same itinerary, you can register tickets in a companion’s account. Each person needs their own ticket; switch to the appropriate person’s ticket when passing through the gate.
What if I press “Use ticket” by mistake?
Before passing through a gate, you can ask chat support about changing the start date. You cannot change it yourself; a change is possible only if accepted as an exception. This is separate from a refund after activation.
Can I allocate registered tickets to companions’ accounts?
The official guide provides an allocation process for unused tickets only. Follow “Allocate” or “Allocation” on the ticket screen, checking the recipient’s email and the allocation details. This does not allow you to divide tickets already used.
Can I sign into one account on several phones at once?
An account can be signed in on only one smartphone at a time. When using one phone for companions travelling together, let them pass first, then switch to your own ticket and pass last.
Sources and official guidance
- WEST QR Kansai Mini Pass: official English route diagram ↗Checked:
- WEST QR Kansai Mini Pass: Japanese product conditions ↗Checked:
- WEST QR: official registration, activation and gate guide in English ↗Checked:
- WEST QR Kansai Mini Pass: official English guide ↗Checked:
- WEST QR Kansai Mini Pass: official Korean guide ↗Checked:
- WEST QR Kansai Mini Pass: Japanese refund conditions ↗Checked:
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