After years of complicated and time-consuming steps to purchasing the coveted Japan Rail Pass, from this spring international travellers will finally be able to both buy the pass and reserve seats online from the comfort of their very own home - if you're one of the many who've boarded a flight to Japan only to remember you've left the Japan Rail Pass Exchange Order on the kitchen table you'll know exactly how huge this launch is.
Plenty of details are yet to be announced, but the fundamentals are that once you've purchased your pass online, you'll still have to collect it from a designated ticket counter at a JR station; reserved seat tickets must also be collected in Japan from a reserved seat ticket vending machine or a JR ticket office. In return for that minor inconvenience, not only will you be able to personally reserve seat tickets at these machines, you'll also be able to use your pass at automatic ticket gates! Missed your local train or Shinkansen by seconds all because you've been waiting for the station attendant to check your pass? This one's for you.
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