As of October 1st, 2023, the Japan Rail Pass will increase in price for the first time in several years. This is true for the wildly popular national pass, as well as several of JR’s more localized, regional passes. Read on to learn more about the upcoming changes to the pass.
1) Price Changes
|
Pass Type |
Former Price |
Former Price |
New Price |
|
|
Ordinary |
7-Day |
29,650 |
33,610 |
50,000 |
|
14-Day |
47,250 |
52,960 |
80,000 |
|
|
21-Day |
60,450 |
66,200 |
100,000 |
|
|
Green Car |
7-Day |
39,600 |
44,810 |
70,000 |
|
14-Day |
64,120 |
72,310 |
110,000 |
|
|
21-Day |
83,390 |
91,670 |
140,000 |
|
*Child Passes (6-11 yrs), will cost 50% of the adult price (All prices above indicated in Japanese Yen)
2) Methods of Purchase
- Currently, JR Passes are available for retail at select ticket offices in Japan. As of October 1st 2023 this will be discontinued, however you can still purchase the pass online via Japan Rail’s Official Website, or from any number of authorized retailers (either in person or online).
- Currently, the JR Pass is offered at a discounted rate when purchased from overseas authorized retailers, however the new price scheme will standardize the cost across all channels.
3) Nozomi and Mizuho
Currently it is not possible to ride the Nozomi (the fastest service tier along the Tokaido/Sanyo Shinkansen) and the Mizuho (the fastest service tier along the Sanyo/Kyushu Shinkansen) using the JR Pass. With the latest changes to the pass, it will be possible to enjoy these tiers of service with the purchase of an additional ticket. Fares for some of the major routes are as follows:Tokyo - Nagoya: 4,180 yen
Tokyo - Kyoto: 4,960 yen
Tokyo –Shin Osaka: 4,960 yen
Tokyo - Hiroshima: 6,500 yen
Tokyo - Hakata: 8,140 yen
Shin-Osaka - Hiroshima: 4,170 yen
Shin-Osaka - Hakata: 4,960 yen
Shin-Osaka - Kagoshima-Chuo: 9,460 yen
Hakata - Kagoshima-Chuo: 4,500 yen
*Nozomi/Mizuho upgrade ticket costs are the same, regardless of Ordinary or Green car, and reserved or unreserved seating.
**Upgrade tickets can be purchased at JR ticket offices and select ticket machines.
***Upgrade tickets are sold on a one-way basis for unreserved seating, and by train in the case of reserved seating (please note that seat reservation is mandatory for Green Car service)
4) Special Offers for Pass Holders
Holders of the new Japan Rail Pass will be entitled to special offers at certain attractions. More details will be announced on the pass’ official webpage in September.
5) Important Dates
The price increase will take effect as of October 1st, 2023. On JR’s official website, the increase will be implemented as of 4:00AM JST. For overseas authorized retailers of the pass, the price increase will take effect in accordance with the local time zone. National JR Passes can be activated up until 3 months after the issuing date when purchased from an overseas retailer, meaning that if you are planning to visit Japan within the near future, you may still be able to take advantage of the current prices by purchasing your JR Passes before the price increase takes effect (subject to pass availability; please consult with JR directly for more details).
6) Changes to Regional Passes
In addition to changes to the national Japan Rail Pass, adjustments will also be coming to several of Japan’s more localized rail passes. Please refer to the below press releases for further details:
JR Hokkaido: https://www.jrhokkaido.co.jp/CM/Info/news_en/pdf/pass_revised_202307_en.pdf
JR East: https://www.jreast.co.jp/e/pdf/press_20230802_regional_pass.pdf
JR West: https://www.westjr.co.jp/global/en/pdf/press_20230726.pdf
JR Shikoku:https://www.jr-shikoku.co.jp/global/en/news/pdf/asrp_new-prices.pdf
JR Kyushu: https://www.jrkyushu.co.jp/english/pdf/20231001_pricerevision.pdf
Source:
Information in this article was taken from JR’s Official Press Release, “Date of the Revised Prices of the JAPAN RAIL PASS and the Expansion of Products”, available below:
https://japanrailpass.net/pdf/JRP_pressrelease_en_230802.pdf
INQUIRIES:
Please note that Japan National Tourism Organization is not directly affiliated with the Japan Railways Group, and is not responsible for the sales or management of any JR products. For any inquiries related to the Japan Rail Pass, please contact JR directly.
JR Hokkaido:
Inquiries (Japanese only): https://www.jrhokkaido.co.jp/faq/tel.html
FAQ Page (English): https://www.jrhokkaido.co.jp/global/english/faq/index.html
JR East:
https://www.jreast.co.jp/e/customer_support/infoline.html
JR Central:
https://global.jr-central.co.jp/en/info/questions/input/form
JR Shikoku:
https://www.jr-shikoku.co.jp/global/en/inquiries/question.html
JR Kyushu:
Inquiries (Japanese only): https://www.jrkyushu.co.jp/contact/ask.html
FAQ Page (English): https://www.jrkyushu.co.jp/english/faq/index.html
