Travel Essentials

The Japan Rail Pass is truly the bargain of the century. It entitles the pass holder to travel freely on almost all JR services, including most shinkansen (the bullet train). The only exceptions are the Nozomi shinkansen and some overnight services. Having a rail pass means you can travel almost everywhere without having to buy a ticket. JR has a dedicated website www.japanrail.com in English which provides up-to-date information about the Japan Rail Pass and all regional passes. For more details, see: www.japanrailpass.net.

The Japan Rail Pass - costs

Days	Ordinary Class	Green Class
7-day	¥28,300 (£117/US$233)	¥37,800 (£156/US$311)
14-day	¥45,100 (£187/US$371)	¥61,200 (£254/US$504)
21-day	¥57,700 (£239/US$475)	¥79,600 (£330/US$655)

Children aged 5 and under travel free providing they do not occupy a seat; those aged 6-11 pay half the ordinary/green rate. Prices are fixed in yen, but the charge is payable in local currency. The prices in brackets are for rough guidance only. The exact cost depends on the exchange rate in your home country at the time of purchase. It's worth shopping around as travel agencies apply different exchange rates.
Who can use the pass?
The rail pass can be used by any non-Japanese tourists visiting Japan under 'temporary visitor' status. Some Japanese nationals not residing in Japan can use a rail pass but all other Japanese cannot. The pass cannot be used by anybody arriving in Japan for employment.
Buying the pass
The most important rule concerning use of the rail pass is that it cannot be purchased in Japan. It is sold, in the form of an exchange order, at authorized agents outside Japan. Before contacting an agent, work out what kind of pass you will need. First decide whether you would like a 7-day, 14-day or 21-day pass. The pass runs on consecutive days from the date you first use it but there is no limit to the number of passes you can buy. Once you’ve decided the length of pass you want, the next step is to decide what class you’d like to travel in. There are two types of rail pass: the Ordinary Pass is valid for standard-class rail travel, which is likely to be more than adequate for most people. Seats in ordinary class are very comfortable and on some trains are as good as first-class rail travel elsewhere in the world. For those used to luxury and wishing to travel in a bit more style, the Green Pass is the one to get. Green-class carriages (known as ‘Green Cars’) offer much wider seats, more legroom, and often include extras such as slippers, personal TVs, laptop power points and free tea/coffee. Local trains in Japan have standard class only but most limited expresses and shinkansen convey Green cars – the main exceptions are the Hikari Rail Star (Okayama to Hakata) and the Kyushu shinkansen.