Swapping your Exchange Order

Swapping Your Exchange Order

 

Before you can start taking advantage of all the great benefits the JR Pass has to offer you will need to transform your Exchange Order to receive your actual Japan Rail Pass. You will need to find an exchange office in which you will need to take your exchange order and passport (with your temporary visitor stamp). You will also be asked to fill out a short application form.

How to Transform your Exchange Order to the Japan Rail Pass:

The process for transforming your Exchange Order voucher is simple. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to do it:

  1. Find the nearest JR Pass Exchange Office
    Before heading to Japan, do some research on where the closest JR exchange office is located. For convenience, book a plane ticket to a major Japanese city with an international airport so as to be able to exchange your voucher as soon as you land. You can find a list of exchange offices at the bottom of the page or on the official JR website. There should be at least one exchange office at major airports (such as at the Kansai International Airport, Narita International Airport and Haneda Airport), as well as in train stations (such as the Tokyo, Shinjuku, Osaka, Nagoya, and Kyoto stations). These exchange offices are usually called “Midori no Madoguchi” or “Green Window” and they are easy to spot as they have a large green sign with the JR logo on it. Please note: Due to the high volume of passengers expect queues of 15-60 minutes at Airport Exchange offices.

    One of the many Exchange Offices - See below for complete listings.

    One of the many Exchange Offices – See below for complete listings.

  1. Fill out an application form
    Upon finding a JR exchange office, present your passport with your temporary visitor status and your Exchange Order to a staff member and be ready to fill out a form. Provide your complete name, nationality, passport number, first date of use for your pass and your contact details in Japan. Here is a tip: You may choose an activation date that is not necessarily the day you make the transformation. You may activate it later on, as long as it is within 30 days from the date of exchange.

    You will fill in this application form to complete your transformation.

    You will fill in this application form to complete your transformation.

  1. Take your Japan Rail Pass and start your journey
    After waiting for about five minutes or so, your JR Pass will be ready. It is a small booklet that contains the information you provided in the form. Once it is in your possession, you may reserve seats on your planned Shinkansen journeys right then and there. Or, you can also do it some other time, even just minutes before your train departs. On the days of your train trips, simply show the rail pass to a station attendant each time you enter the gates to allow you to access your designated platform. You can read more on using your Japan Rail Pass here.

    You're ready to go!

    You’re ready to go!

Stations to Transform your JR Pass Exchange Order:

 

Station Office Service Hours
Mon- Fri Sat, Sun & Hols
Kushiro Travel Service Center 10:00-18:00
Obihiro Travel Service Center 9:00-17:00
Asahikawa Travel Service Center 9:30-17:30
Sapporo JR Information Desk 8:30-19:00
Travel Service Center (East) 10:00-19:30 10:00-18:00
Travel Service Center (South) 10:00-20:00
New-Chitose Airport JR Visitors Information Desk 8:30-19:00
Hakodate Travel Service Center 10:00-18:00
Aomori Travel Service Center 10:00-17:30
Hachinohe Travel Service Center 10:00-17:30
Morioka Travel Service Center
10:00-19:00
(Mon-Sat)
10:00-17:00
(Sun & Hols)
Akita Travel Service Center 10:30-18:00 10:30-17:00
Sendai Travel Service Center
10:00-19:00
(Mon-Sat)
10:00-18:00
(Sun & Hols)
Yamagata Travel Service Center 10:00-18:00 10:00-17:00 (Closed on Sundays & Holidays)
Fukushima Travel Service Center 10:00-18:00 10:00-18:00 (Closed on Sundays & Holidays)
Niigata Travel Service Center 10:00-19:00 10:00-17:00
Nagano Travel Service Center 10:00-19:00 10:00-17:30
Mito Travel Service Center 10:00-19:00 10:00-17:00
Narita Airport
Terminal 1
JR EAST Travel Service Center 8:15-19:00
Ticket Office 6:30-8:15, 19:00-21:45
Narita Airport
Terminal 2
JR EAST Travel Service Center 8:15-20:00
Ticket Office 6:30-8:15, 20:00-21:45
Haneda Airport International Terminal JR EAST Travel Service Center
(Tokyo Monorail 2F Ticket Gate/Arrival lobby)
6:45-18:30
Tokyo JR EAST Travel Service Center
(Marunouchi North)
7:30-20:30
JR-CENTRAL Ticket Office
(Yaesu Central)
7:30-20:30
JR Tokai Tours Tokyo Office 10:00-18:00
Ueno Information Center
(Central Ticket Gate)
9:00-19:00
Shinjuku JR EAST Travel Service Center
( New South Gate )
8:00-19:00
Information Center
(East Ticket Gate)
9:00-19:00
Shibuya Information Center (South) 10:00-18:30
Ikebukuro JR EAST Travel Service Center (East) 9:00-18:00
Shinagawa Information Center
(Central Ticket Gate)
9:00-19:00
JR Tokai Tours Shinagawa Office 11:00-19:00 11:00-18:00
Yokohama Travel Service Center 10:00-20:00 10:00-19:00
Shin-Yokohama JR-CENTRAL Ticket Office 08:00-20:30
JR Tokai Tours Shin-Yokohama Office 11:00-19:00 10:00-18:00
Odawara JR-CENTRAL Ticket Office 5:45-22:30
Mishima Ticket Office (South) 5:45-22:30
Shizuoka Ticket Office 5:00-23:05
Hamamatsu Ticket Office 5:50-23:20
Nagoya JAPAN RAIL PASS Exchange Office 10:00-19:00
Ticket Office 6:00-10:00, 19:00-23:00
JR Tokai Tours Nagoya Station Hirokoji Entrance Office 11:00-19:00 11:00-18:00
JR Tokai Tours Nagoya Office 9:00-19:30
Toyama Ticket Office (Central) 5:40-23:00
Kanazawa Ticket Office (Central) 4:40-23:00
Kyoto Ticket Office
(JR-WEST Central)
5:30-23:00
Ticket Office
(JR-CENTRAL Hachijo Shinkansen)
8:30-23:00
JR Tokai Tours Kyoto Office 8:30-19:00
Ticket Office
JR Tokai Tours Kyoto Station Shinkansen Central Entrance Office
11:30-19:00 11:30-18:00
Shin-Osaka Ticket Office (JR-WEST East) 5:30-23:30
Ticket Office (JR-CENTRAL Central) 5:30-23:00
JR-WEST Travel Corner 9:00-20:00
JR Tokai Tours Shin-Osaka Office 8:00-20:30 9:00-18:00
Osaka Ticket Office (Central NO.12,13) 5:30-23:00
Nippon Travel Agency TiS Osaka Branch (Travel Service Center OSAKA) 8:00-20:00
Kansai Airport Ticket Office 5:30-23:00
Sannomiya Ticket Office (Central) 5:00-23:00
Okayama Ticket Office 5:00-23:00
Yonago Ticket Office 5:00-22:00
Matsue Ticket Office 4:50-21:30
Hiroshima Ticket Office 5:20-23:00
Shimonoseki Ticket Office 5:30-22:30
Takamatsu Travel Service Center 10:00-18:00 10:00-17:00
Matsuyama Travel Service Center 10:00-18:00 10:00-17:00
Tokushima Travel Service Center 10:00-18:00
Kokura Travel Service Center 11:00-19:00 10:30-18:00
Hakata Travel Service Center
10:00-20:00
(Mon-Sat)
10:00-18:00
(Sun & Hols)
JR-KYUSHU Ticket Office 7:00-23:00
Saga Travel Service Center 10:30-19:00 10:30-18:00 (Sat)
Nagasaki Travel Service Center 10:30-19:00 10:30-18:00
Kumamoto Travel Service Center 10:30-19:00 10:30-17:30
Oita Travel Service Center 10:30-19:00 10:30-18:00
Miyazaki Travel Service Center 10:30-18:00 10:30-18:00
Kagoshima-Chūō Travel Service Center 10:00-19:00 10:30-18:00
Nara Travel Service Center 9:00-20:00
Higashi-Maizuru Ticket Office 5:30-21:00
Nishi-Maizuru Ticket Office 5:40-21:00
Tottori Ticket Office 5:45-23:00
Sakaiminato Ticket Office 7:10-18:30
Shin-Yamaguchi Ticket Office 5:30-23:00
Shin-Hakodate Hokuto Ticket Office 9:00-19:00
Higashi-Maizuru Ticket Office 5:30-21:00
Nishi-Maizuru Ticket Office 5:40-21:00