Travel Essentials

In addition to the pass for nationwide travel, most companies in the JR Group offer their own range of regional passes; these are a cheaper alternative if you’re planning to restrict your travel to specific areas. None of the regional passes includes travel on the bullet train between Tokyo and Kyoto so you need to buy the national pass if planning to take this route or be prepared to pay the cost of the ticket. Regional rail passes can be purchased before arrival in Japan, or at Narita, Kansai and Nagoya airports, and at selected mainline stations.

JR East Rail Pass
Valid for travel on the JR East network, which extends east of Tokyo and includes the route around Tohoku as far as the northern tip of Honshu, but does not include Hokkaido. The pass is also valid for travel from Tokyo into the Japanese Alps, as far as Nagano and Matsumoto. It also includes travel on the Tohoku, Nagano and Joetsu shinkansen, the Narita Express train from Narita Airport to downtown Tokyo, and JR services in the Tokyo metropolitan area (including the hot-spring resort of Atami) Passes are available in 5- and 10-day varieties, or the flexible 4-day ticket is valid for any four days within one month from the first date of use. The pass is an especially good deal if you’re aged between 12 and 25 because there is a youth rate. For more details see: www.jreast.co.jp.

JR East Rail Pass

Days/class	.	Adult	Youth (12-25)
5-day	Ordinary	¥20,000 (£83/US$164)	¥16,000 (£66/US$131)
	Green	¥28,000 (£116/US$260)	n/a
10-day	Ordinary	¥32,000 (£132/US$263)	¥25,000 (£103/$205)
	Green	¥44,800 (£185/US$368)	n/a
Flexible 4-day	Ordinary	¥20,000 (£83/US$164)	¥16,000 (£66/US$131)
	Green	¥28,000 (£116/US$2305)	n/a

Children aged 5 and under travel free providing they do not occupy a seat; those aged 6-11 pay half the ordinary/green adult rate.

JR West Rail Pass
There are two types of JR West Rail Pass: the Sanyo Area Pass and Kansai Area Pass. Both are available in ordinary class only. These passes are the exception to the rule and can be purchased in Japan as well as overseas but you still need to show your passport with ‘temporary visitor’ stamp.The Sanyo Area Pass is valid only for stops on the Sanyo line between Shin-Osaka and Hakata ( Kyushu). The pass permits travel on: all shinkansen services on this route (including the Nozomi) as well as local trains, the JR ferry service to Miyajima, and the journey from Kansai Airport to Osaka. It is not valid for journeys to Kyoto. To buy this pass (4-day or 8-day) visit a JR travel service centre at any main station between Shin-Osaka and Hakata. The Kansai Area Pass is useful if you’re spending only a few days in and around Kyoto and plan to make a couple of short excursions. It covers travel on local trains only between Kyoto, Osaka, Kobe, Nara, Himeji and Kansai Airport. It is also valid for non-reserved seats on the Haruka LEX to Kansai Airport. The pass is available for one day or four days. To buy this pass, visit a JR travel centre at either Kansai Airport, Kyoto or Shin-Osaka station. For more details see: www.westjr.co.jp.

Sanyo Area Pass

Days/class	Adult
4-day	¥20,000 (£83/US$164)
8-day	¥30,000 (£124/US$247)

Kansai Area Pass

Days/class	Adult
1-day	¥2000 (£8.30/US$16)
2-day	¥4000 (£16.60/US$32)
3-day	¥5000 (£21/US$41)
4-day	¥,000 (£25/US$49)

Children aged 5 and under travel free providing they do not occupy a seat; those aged 6-11 pay half the adult rate.

JR Kyushu Rail Pass
Valid for travel on all JR Kyushu lines including the Kyushu shinkansen, so the pass is useful for the Kyushu route guide. However, this pass cannot be used on the Sanyo shinkansen linking the Kyushu capital of Fukuoka/Hakata with mainland Honshu. The 5-day pass costs ¥16,000 (£66/US$131) and the 3-day pass costs ¥13,000 (£54/US$107). Children aged 6-11 travel for half price and 5 and under travel free providing they do not occupy a seat. The pass can be purchased prior to arrival in Japan as well as at the following JR stations in Kyushu: Kokura, Hakata, Nagasaki, Kumamoto, Kagoshima, Oita and Miyazaki. For more details see: www.jrkyushu.co.jp.

JR Hokkaido Rail Pass
The text/prices for the JR Hokkaido Rail Passes are in the new edition of the book on pp15/16.