How To Use JR Pass For DIY Trip

Transportation in Japan is very expensive but they have discounts for foreign tourists and one of them is JR Pass which is very useful for DIY travels. This is an all-access pass to all JR trains and JR railways which will save you almost 50% of transportation cost. A one-way bullet train ride cost around US$120. The minimum regular train ride is 170 yen per way. You can get unlimited Shinkansen and regular train rides all over Japan for 7-days with JRPass for only US$274. If will tour just one area then don’t buy this pass. I only recommended this if you are traveling from one city to another, otherwise, It’s not practical. For touring Tokyo, buy the Metro Subway 72-hour pass which costs around US$14. For exploring Osaka, buy the 3-day KTP or Kansai Thru Pass which costs around US$50.

Where To Buy

JAPAN RAIL PASS is a special fare ticket that is available only to foreign travelers with “temporary visitor” stamps on their arrival passports. If you are a foreigner living outside Japan, you can buy JRPass online or through designated ticketing offices all over the world. The standard price of a 7-day pass is US$274 plus the delivery fee but prices may vary depending on where you will purchase it. I have inquired to all ticketing offices here in the Philippines and compared them to those I see online. The cheapest I found was on Klook which was US$40 cheaper than most online and travel agency ticketing offices.

• STEP 1: Buy the exchange voucher online – You cant buy JRpass online if you are 1 week away from your departure date. Don’t buy this 2 weeks or earlier prior to departure. Online, you will be asked about your departure date, encode the date one week earlier than the actual departure. For example, your actual departure is Feb 7, input Feb 1 instead. This is to give a delivery time allowance.
• STEP 2: Receive the voucher via mail – Once you have made the purchase, it takes 3 to 7 days delivery depending on the delivery service provider. Once you get it, make sure the name is correct because japan is very strict on this. If there is an issue, you must contact the online site or the travel agency right away.
• STEP 3:Stamping of “temporary visitor” on your passport – Once you arrive in Japan, immigration will automatically stamp your passport with this if your visa is a tourist visa.
• STEP 4: Claim your JRPass – to claim your JRpass, you must present your exchange voucher and passport to JRpass offices in Narita Airport and Kansai Airport. You can also exchange this at any designated JR office.

Rules of JR Pass

• Only foreigners with temporary visitor visa can avail.
• You can only use the pass to JR trains and JR railways. Therefore, this pass can’t be used for Metro Subway trains in Tokyo or Osaka subways but you can use this on Osaka loop trains.
• This pass in not valid to Nozomi and Mizuho Shinkansen (bullet trains)
• You don’t need to make seat reservations because there is always an a available seat. If you missed the train, you can take the next anyway.
• You don’t have to use this on the same day you arrive in Japan however, once you have activated the use of JRpass, you must use this for 7-days consecutively.
• This pass is non transferable but refundable as long as you have not exchanged the voucher for a pass yet. You can get the refund only from the agency or or website where you bought the ticket. There is a standard 15% fee deducted to the total refund but this may vary depending on the agency.
• If you lost the pass, it’s gone permanently. You can buy another one in Japan at any JR Offices (not JR stations) but it will cost around 50 to 100 dollars higher than average price.

How to Use

The majority of the trains and railways are under by JR however, there are areas where there are no available JR lines or railway or station. For instance, our hotel Imano Ginza hotel is located near Shintomicho station which is a non-JR line. Therefore, we had to transfer trains for most times in order to save money. Don’t worry because it’s not that complicated. Upon our arrival at Narita Airport, we used JRpass for the Narita Express then transfer to Yurakucho lines in order to reach Shintomicho station. Yurakucho lines is a Metro Subway train hence, we paid 170 yen separately for the ticket. Travel time is 1hr and 15min.

In addition, a JR train can run on private company rail tracks and vice-versa. In effect, your JRpass may not be usable or you may need to pay for fare adjustment. Based on the sample below, we used JRPass from Tokyo to Kinugawa-Onsen. We paid 1000 Yen fare adjustment per way for the Omiya to Kinugawa Limited Express. This is because the train is under JR but the portion of the rail track is privately owned. Travel time is 1.5hrs.

Although this may look pricey, JRpass still offers the best value for your money because airport trains and Shinkansen are very expensive. All in all, we used Shinkansen 4 times! Great value for savings!

Using JRPass for Shinkansen

JR pass is your unlimited access to all Shinkansen bullet trains except the Nozomi and Mizuho Shinkansen, which run on the Tokaido, Sanyo, and Kyushu Shinkansen lines. Check which bullet train has fewer stops because you will reach your destination faster. The Hikari, Kodama, and Sakura bullet trains are the fastest trains you can board using the Japan Rail Pass. Below is our route from Tokyo to Universal Studios using JRpass. No additional fare. Travel time is 3hrs and 15mins.

Using Japan Train Apps

I have been to Japan a few times and I must say that there is no perfect app for DIY JR Pass travel. The best is Hyperdia.com but it doesn’t have an app. A long as you know the exact station names, you can filter it to any destination and you can even filter it to just show JR trains schedules. This site will not accept if you just input Tokyo, Osaka, or Hokkaido. If you had filtered it to show just “JR trains and railways”, and the station you entered is not a JR train, an error will pop up. For example, our hotel was located near the Shintomicho station which is a Metro Subway station, I must not use the filter “JR Trains”. Here is a comparative example of “without filter and with filter”:

Things to Know About Riding the Trains

• Their trains are always on time to the very minute.
• A seat reservation is not necessary.
• Seats have enough legroom for a small to medium luggage. Some trains have a separate space at the end or front of each train car just like in Airport trains.
• Always check the time of the first and last train departures. If you missed the last train, then you can either take a taxi or bus.
• If you missed a train, you can always wait and take the next one. A train will come every 2 to 4 minutes except long-distance trains like Shinkansen.
• Don’t take the trains during rush hours of 7 am to 8 am or else you will get stuck in a stampede. Leave by 6 am or after 8 am.
• Don’t talk inside or make phone calls because it is considered disrespectful. Text instead or make sign languages.
• Shinkansen and other long-distance trains have luggage storage which is enough for a 30kg size luggage.
• They have heated seats in the winter and airconditioning during summer.
• Not all train station exits have elevators. If you have luggage, find the exit with an elevator. Don’t sacrifice your energy carrying your luggage up the stairs.
• Every major station has locker rentals for bags and luggage. You can leave your bags or luggage then go on with your tour.

“It’s more fun to travel with friends”

You may also want to read:

• DIY Osaka: Perks of Kansai Thru Pass (KTP)
• Tokyo Subway Unlimited Pass Update

Let me know in your comments, questions and suggestions in the comments below.