The big question I get asked a lot when friends and family visit me in Japan is this; “Is it worth buying a Japan Rail Pass?” The short answer is, it depends.
A lot of my friends and family have come to visit me in Kobe and stayed only in the Kansai region for a week. They have flown in and out of Kansai Airport (KIX) and visited cities the cities of Kyoto, Osaka, Himeji, Nara and of course Kobe. If you are planning to do something similar then the Japan Rail Pass won’t pay off.
There are many websites that cover this topic and they basically all give you the same answer. You have to break down your trip and calculate the costs of train fares between places to see if the Japan Rail Pass is really worth it. Sites like HyperDia and Japan Transit Planner can assist you.
Think about these questions.
- Where am I flying in and out from?
- How long am I staying in Japan?
- What cities am I planning on visiting?
- Are the places I want to visit covered by the JR Pass?
Japan Rail Pass Costs
| Standard | Green Car | |
| 7 days | ¥29,650 | ¥39,600 |
| 14 days | ¥47,250 | ¥64,120 |
| 21 days | ¥60,450 | ¥83,390 |
The Green Car is a first class car with more leg room and wider seats. The standard Shinkansen seats are quite spacious enough for most travelers.
Let’s break down a couple of basic Japan travel itineraries and see if the Japan Rail Pass will pay off.
Japan Itinerary – Plan 1
7 day trip. Fly in and out of Tokyo (Narita Airport). Visit Kyoto, Osaka and around Tokyo.
| JR Train Journey | Train Fares |
| Narita Airport – Tokyo on Narita Express (N’EX) return | ¥4,070 |
| Tokyo – Kyoto | ¥13,650 |
| Kyoto – Osaka | ¥570 |
| Osaka – Tokyo | ¥14,520 |
| Around Tokyo (approx.) | ¥2,000 |
| Total Costs: | ¥34,810 |
With this basic plan above you can see the JR train pass is about ¥5000 cheaper than buying tickets individually. It is also a lot less hassle of trying to figure out individual tickets so it will be worth it for sure.
If you decide to make any other trips such as heading down to the famous Himeji Castle from Osaka (¥1520, one way) or farther down to Hiroshima (¥10,430, one way) the JR Pass will have you covered.
Japan Itinerary – Plan 2
10 day trip. Fly into Kansai Airport, use Osaka as a base, travel around Kansai and head up Tokyo. Fly out of Tokyo.
| JR Train Journey | Train Fares |
| Kansai Airport – Osaka | ¥1,190 |
| Osaka – Kyoto return | ¥1.140 |
| Osaka – Kobe | ¥410 |
| Kobe – Himeji | ¥990 |
| Himeji – Osaka | ¥1,520 |
| Osaka – Nara (return) | ¥1,620 |
| Osaka – Tokyo | ¥14,520 |
| Travel in Tokyo (approx.) | ¥4,000 |
| Total Costs: | ¥25,390 |
If this is your plan and you have forked out ¥47,250 for the 14 day pass you will be quite a bit out of pocket. In this instance it isn’t worth the value. However, like I mentioned above, if there are just a couple of extra tweaks to your itinerary the costs can build up quickly. Jumping on a Shinkansen from Tokyo to the beautiful town of Kanazawa (and experience the Omicho Market) will cost about ¥28,000 return. Here, the 14 day rail pass suddenly becomes worth it with just one extra side trip.
I have just scratched the surface here and given you a general idea of the costs associated with catching a train in Japan. There are a heap of websites with more detailed information on the Japan Rail Pass such as japan-guide.com or jrailpass.com. Check them out and if you have any questions please leave a comment below.
Upgrades to the Japan Rail Pass in Spring 2020
JR will launch a new website around April 2020 which will make it easy for users of Japan rail pass to reserve seats for the Shinkansen (bullet trains). The new Japan Rail Pass will also allow you to pass through the automatic ticket gates at stations (you currently have to show your pass at a manned gate and they wave you through).
We will update this post with more information as it becomes available.
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