Everything you need for your train travel in Japan!

Depending on the duration of your stay in Japan and the places you wish to visit, several types of pass are available. Below, our advice for an informed choice.

THE DIFFERENT JAPAN RAIL PASS

As the Japan Rail Pass can only be used for consecutive days from the starting date of use and throughout its period of validity, it is very important to match your itinerary, schedule and your Japan Rail Pass.Three types of Japan Rail Pass are available to the travelers: the 7 day pass, the 14 day pass and the 21 day pass.

THE 7 DAY JAPAN RAIL PASS

If you stay in Japan for a week and are planning to move around a lot then a 7 days Japan Rail Pass is ideal. For your trip you could:

• Make Tokyo or Kyoto your base and organize daytrips from there (from Kyoto it is very nice to spend a day in Nara or Miyajima for instance) 
• Organize your own itinerary and change city everyday

THE 14 DAY JAPAN RAIL PASS

If you are lucky enough to stay in Japan for more than 10 days you can buy a 14 days pass Japan Rail Pass and organize your trip alternating visits and relaxing days.

THE 21 DAY JAPAN RAIL PASS

If you are staying in Japan for more than 2 weeks, it is very economical to get the 21 day Japan Rail Pass and will allow you to enjoy Japan at a leisurely pace.



Don’t forget that there are also regional rail passes that can complete the national one and will allow you to fully enjoy a specific region.

A Japan Rail Pass is a personal train ticket specifically designed for foreign travelers who wish to visit Japan.

WHAT DOES IT GIVE ACCESS TO?

It provides access to all train lines operated by Japan Railways (JR) throughout Japan (with the exception of some high-speed trains including the 'Nozomi' Shinkansen) for a period of 1, 2 or 3 weeks.

 

WHERE TO USE IT?

The Japanese railway network consists in more than 20 000 km of track. With this ticket you can reach the main attractions on the 4 main islands of the Japanese archipelago.

 

WHEN TO USE IT?

The Japan Rail Pass can be used 24/7, all year long, even if it is sometimes difficult to get a seat during the holiday periods:

• From December 28th to January 6th: New year holiday during which most Japanese go back to their hometowns
• From April 27th to May 6th: 'Golden week', time during which Japanese people travel in the country 
• Around August 15th: 'O-bon Festival', which brings families together.

The JR Pass allows unlimited use of JR trains, including bullet trains, for a certain period of time, and can save you money if you plan on taking multiple long-distance train journeys. If you are traveling to multiple cities in Japan and plan on using the bullet train (Shinkansen) or other long-distance trains (local, express or limited-express trains), then the JR Pass can be a cost-effective option.

In addition to the National Japan Rail Pass, other regional ones can be bought (JR Hokkaido Rail Pass, JR East Pass, JR Kansai area Pass, JR Sanyo area Pass and JR Kyushu Rail Pass) but are only valid for a specific region.

If you plan on staying for several days in the same region you can buy a regional pass.

However since the regional pass allows for travel on the same lines as the national pass it’s usually not worth buying it if you already have a national one.



If you have any doubts about which ticket to order please contact our travel agents.

With over 40 years of dedicated experience dealing specifically with Japan travel and tourism, you can rest assured that we will have the best knowledge and familiarity with getting around the country. Our train tickets are acquired through an official partnership with JR West. We also offer reliable and expert assistance thanks to our onsite team in Japan, flexible modification options, and a fully digital booking experience with no hidden fees. 

Modification and Cancellation

Order cancellation

Customers have up to 3 working days prior to their departure date to cancel their train ticket orders as long as they have not scanned the corresponding QR code and exchanged for their physical train tickets. A 15% cancellation fee will be charged, and the QR code will be instantly deactivated upon order cancellation. Cancellation of only a portion of the booking is not possible. 

For train ticket orders that have already had the corresponding QR code scanned and where the tickets have been received, or orders in less than 3 working days before departure, orders may be canceled at JR Station offices in the departure city up to 10 minutes before your train departure.

JR staff will refund you, in cash, in yen (¥):

Up to 2 days before departure: the price of the ticket minus 560¥ as cancellation fees.

From 1 day before to 10 min before departure: the price of the "normal fare" ticket minus 220¥ and 70% of the "limited express" ticket. To sum up, in that case, you will receive a cancellation refund of around 70% of your initial order, given that Japan Experience service fee and currency exchange rate difference cannot be refunded.

Past the day and time of departure, refunds cannot be issued, regardless if the corresponding QR code has been used or not, and regardless if customers have received their physical tickets or not. Note that, however, if you missed the departure train of the time, you can still board the next trains within the next hour, in non-reserved seats.

- If your train is delayed more than 2 hours, then: 

If you decide not to use your train tickets to travel to your destination, you can claim a full refund for them by contacting us here or by email at contact@japanexperience.com with your order number and photos of all your tickets (if you have already used your QR code to print your tickets at the machine, if not, no photos are required)

If you were able to take your delayed train to your destination, you can go to the JR counter at your destination with your tickets and request a partial refund (around 85% of the initial ticket price, depending on the current exchange rate). The refund will be made in cash. 

If you still plan to travel to your destination, you can go to a JR desk to modify your tickets free of charge. You can change your tickets to a train at a later time or date, but cannot claim for any compensation

- If your train is canceled, then:

If you decide not to use your train tickets to travel to your destination, you can claim a full refund for them by contacting us here or by email at contact@japanexperience.com with your order number and photos of all your tickets (if you have already used your QR code to print your tickets at the machine, if not, no photos are required)

If you still plan to travel to your destination, you can go to a JR desk to modify your tickets free of charge. You can change your tickets to a train at a later time or date, but cannot claim for any compensation.

These cancellation conditions still apply after one modification, according to the modification conditions below.

Order modification 

If you want to modify:

• Departure time on the same day OR seat for another seat except luggage seat:

Japan Experience can modify one time, free of charge, your booking if the corresponding QR code has not been used AND if it is NOT within 3 working days of the departure date. 

You will then be sent a new QR code to use at JR stations to exchange for your new tickets.

Otherwise, you will need to go to JR station machines to exchange your QR code to receive your tickets and then change the departure time at the same machine up to 10 minutes prior to your train departure.

You cannot modify the same ticket twice. For the second modification, the order will need to be canceled (check cancellation conditions) and then re-ordered with the new travel information.

• Departure date, route, seat for luggage seat, number of seats in the booking: 

Japan Experience cannot modify your booking. You will need to go to JR station machines to exchange QR code to receive your tickets and change time at the same machine up to 10 minutes prior to departure. There may be a difference in fare to be paid on the spot.

You cannot modify the same ticket twice. For the second modification, the order will need to be canceled (check cancellation conditions) and then re-ordered with the new travel information. 

• If you have made a mistake in your departure date or number of seats, you have to make a new booking online. Japan Experience will allow you to cancel your previous order free of charge. Kindly note that modifications for the new issued tickets won't be possible.

Children under the age of 6 years old can travel for free as long as they travel with a pass holder. However they are not entitled to their own seat. If you want your child to have an individual seat, and even if the child is under 6 years old, you will need to buy a children's Japan Rail Pass.

Children between the age of 6 and 11 years old have to travel with a children's Japan Rail Pass. From 12 years old the child will have to travel with an adult Japan Rail Pass.