Japan Rail Pass Calculator
Is the pass actually worth it for your trip?
Find out if the nationwide Japan Rail Pass is right for you. Build your route below and we'll tell you whether the Japan Rail Pass is right for your trip, or whether you should just purchase point-to-point tickets.
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since 2015
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Honest advice from Australia's No.1 JR Pass agent.
We sell the JR Pass. We'll also tell you when it's not worth buying — because trust is the only thing that lasts.
Honest recommendations
We'll tell you to skip the pass when point-to-point is cheaper. We'd rather earn your trust than push the wrong product.
2026 fares & pass prices
Updated after the October 2024 price hike. Most JR Pass calculators online still use the old fares — ours doesn't.
Multi-leg trip-aware
Build your full route — we sum every shinkansen, limited express and local fare, then compare against every JR Pass duration.
Three steps to a real answer.
Add every city you'll travel between — Tokyo → Kyoto, Kyoto → Hiroshima, and so on. Add as many legs as you need.
We sum the price of individual tickets and compare against the 7, 14, and 21-day JR Pass — using current 2026 fares from JR.
We'll tell you to skip the pass or buy it — with exact yen savings. Then we'll show you where to buy each ticket.
Since 2024, it's not always cheaper.
In October 2024, JR raised the pass price by about 70%. That changed the maths for most trips — here's how it splits now.
Short trips, one region.
For these itineraries, individual tickets almost always come out cheaper:
- Tokyo only (with day trips to Hakone, Nikko, Mt Fuji)
- Kansai loop: Osaka + Kyoto + Nara + Himeji
- Tokyo + a single return shinkansen trip
- Hokkaido in winter (limited shinkansen coverage)
Big trips, lots of ground.
The pass pays off when you're covering serious distance — typical scenarios:
- Tokyo + Kyoto + Hiroshima + Hakata (Sanyo corridor)
- 14- or 21-day grand tour across multiple regions
- Tokyo to Hokkaido via Hokkaido Shinkansen
- Multiple multi-city legs in a single week
Common questions.
How much did the JR Pass go up in 2024?
When is the Japan Rail Pass actually worth it now?
Where do I buy individual shinkansen tickets if I skip the pass?
Can I use the Nozomi train with a JR Pass?
Is the calculator accurate? Where do the fares come from?
Your calculator said buy the pass?
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