JR Setouchi Area Pass

The Setouchi Area Pass covers the Seto Inland Sea, the stretch of water between Honshu and Shikoku dotted with islands and ringed by port towns. It is one of the more scenic corners of Japan and one of the least travelled by overseas visitors, and this pass is built specifically around it.

What it covers

Seven consecutive days across the Setouchi region, combining rail with the ferries that make this area work.

• Sanyo Shinkansen between Shin-Osaka and Hiroshima
• JR West lines across the Sanyo coast and into Okayama
• JR Shikoku lines in the northern part of the island
• Selected Inland Sea ferry routes, including the JR Miyajima ferry
• Some local JR bus services in the area

The ferry element is what separates this from the other JR West passes. The Inland Sea is best seen from the water, and the pass is designed around that.

Is it worth it?

It suits a specific trip rather than a general one. If you are basing yourself in Kansai and making one run to Hiroshima, a cheaper pass will do. If you are island hopping across the Inland Sea, taking in Naoshima or Shodoshima, and crossing to Shikoku, this is the pass built for it.

Seven days is generous, and the pass rewards a slower itinerary than most.

Highlights across the area

Naoshima is the art island, with Tadao Ando museums and Yayoi Kusama’s pumpkins on the shore. Shodoshima has olive groves and a gorge. Onomichi is a hillside port town and the start of the Shimanami Kaido cycling route across the islands to Shikoku.

Kurashiki preserves a canal district of white-walled merchant warehouses. Miyajima and its floating torii sit at the western end, and Takamatsu on Shikoku has Ritsurin Garden, which many consider the finest in Japan outside the official three.

How to buy and activate

Available through overseas agents for exchange in Japan, and from JR West ticket offices in the coverage area. Seat reservations are free and should be made before boarding on limited express services.

Validity runs on consecutive calendar days from midnight to midnight.

Frequently asked questions

Does it include ferries?

Yes, selected Seto Inland Sea routes including the JR Miyajima ferry, which is the main reason to choose this pass over a rail-only alternative.

Does it reach Shikoku?

It covers JR Shikoku lines in the northern part of the island, around Takamatsu. For the whole island look at the All Shikoku Rail Pass.

How does it compare to the Kansai-Hiroshima pass?

Kansai-Hiroshima is a straight rail corridor west. Setouchi trades some of that for island and ferry access, and runs seven days instead of five.

Check Setouchi Area Pass prices