You will be able to travel economically and practically with the Japan Rail Pass so that you have access to the most important Japanese attractions. There are some restrictions so please follow these to keep your pass valid.

Japan Rail Pass Validity:

You will be able to use all JR railway network trains with the Japan Rail Pass. These include the JR Shikoku, JR Center, JR Hokkaido, JR East, JR Ouest and JR Kyushu networks.

You will also have access to the express and local trains, but the Shinkansen trains (bullet trains) are the fastest and have connections to the main Japanese cities.

The Rail Pass is also valid on:

  • The JR Bus and the JR Miyajima Ferry
  • The monorails connecting Hamamatsucho Station and Haneda Airport can also be used with your pass.
  • You can take the “Kodoma” and “Hikari” lines, which travel the same routes but stop at more stations. There is not that much of a time differences between the lines – about 20 minutes between the “Nozomi” and “Hikari” Shinkansens.
  • You can take night trains but only using the regular standard (i.e not sleeper, private or  special wagons)

Japan Rail Pass Restrictions

  • You do not have access to the private rail lines with the Japan Rail Pass
  • The fastest Shinkansen trains “Mizuho” and “Nozomi” are also not valid with the Japan Rail pass. These are on the Sanyo and Tokaido lines.
  • The JR Hakata-Pusan ferry to get to Korea is not valid with this pass.
  • You will need to buy tickets to travel on the Odakyu trains, which are in the Kanto region, and the Kintetsu trains within the Kansai region.
  • You cannot use the sleeper, private or special compartment wagons. You will need to pay extra for these.

If the JR train uses another company during your journey, your pass becomes invalid and you will need to pay for that section. This can be done onboard or before getting the train. This happens when travelling from Shinjuko/Ikebukuro to Nikko, where there are JR stations in Nikko and Tokyo. From Kurihasi, the train uses the Tobu tracks. It would usually cost 3,900 yen for the whole trip but with a Rail Pass, you can travel for 1,560 yen.