Japan (Lonely Planet, 11th Edition) - Chris Rowthorn [655]
In order to get a pass, you must first purchase an ‘exchange order’ outside Japan at JAL and ANA offices or major travel agencies. Once you arrive in Japan, you must bring this order to a JR Travel Service Centre (found in most major JR stations and at Narita and Kansai international airports). When you validate your pass, you’ll have to show your passport. The pass can only be used by those with a temporary visitor visa, which means it cannot be used by foreign residents of Japan (those on any visa other than the temporary visitor visa).
The clock starts to tick on the pass as soon as you validate it. So don’t validate it if you’re just going into Tokyo or Kyoto and intend to hang around for a few days. Instead, validate when you leave those cities to explore the rest of the country.
For more information on the pass and overseas purchase locations, visit the JR website’s Japan Rail Pass (www.japanrailpass.net/eng/en001.html) section.
JR EAST PASS
This is a great deal for those who only want to travel in eastern Japan. The passes are good on all JR lines in eastern Japan (including Tōhoku, Yamagata, Akita, Jōetsu and Nagano shinkansen, but not including the Tōkaidō shinkansen). This includes the area around Tokyo and everything north of Tokyo to the tip of Honshū, but doesn’t include Hokkaidō.
Prices for five-day passes are ¥20,000/10,000/16,000 for adults over 26/children aged six to 11/youths 12 to 25. Ten-day passes are ¥32,000/16,000/25,000 for the same age groups. Four-day ‘flexible’ passes are also available, which allow travel on any four consecutive or nonconsecutive days within any one-month period. These cost ¥20,000/10,000/16,000 for the same age groups. Green Car passes are available for higher prices.
As with the Japan Rail Pass, this can only be purchased outside Japan (in the same locations as the Japan Rail Pass) and can only be used by those with temporary visitor visas (you’ll need to show your passport). See the preceding Japan Rail Pass section for more details on purchase places and validation procedures.
For more information on the JR East Pass, visit the JR website’s JR East Pass (www.jreast.co.jp/e/eastpass/top.html) section.
JR WEST SAN-YŌ AREA PASS
Similar to the JR East Pass, this pass allows unlimited travel on the San-yō shinkansen line (including the Nozomi super express) between Osaka and Hakata, as well as local trains running between the same cities. A four-day pass costs ¥20,000 and an eight-day pass costs ¥30,000 (children’s passes are half-price). These can be purchased both inside Japan (at major train stations, travel agencies and Kansai International Airport) and outside Japan (same locations as the Japan Rail Pass), but can only be used by those with a temporary visitor visa. The pass also entitles you to discounts at station car-hire offices. For more information on this pass, see the JR West website’s San-yō Area Pass (www.westjr.co.jp/english/global.html) section.
JR WEST KANSAI AREA PASS
A great deal for those who only want to explore the Kansai area, this pass covers unlimited travel on JR lines between most major Kansai cities, such as Himeji, Kōbe, Osaka, Kyoto and Nara. It also covers JR trains to/from Kansai International Airport but does not cover any shinkansen lines. One- /two- /three- /four-day passes cost ¥2000/4000/5000/6000 (children’s passes are half-price). These can be purchased at the same places as the San-yō Area Pass (both inside and outside Japan) and also entitle you to discounts at station car-hire offices. Like the San-yō Area Pass, this pass can only be used by those with a temporary visitor visa. For more information, see the JR West website’s Kansai Area Pass (www.westjr.co.jp/english/global.html) section.
JR KYŪSHŪ RAIL PASS
This pass is valid on all JR lines in Kyūshū with the exception of the shinkansen line. A five-day pass (the only option) costs