(1) Transportation services
Railways: | All JR Group Railways-Shinkansen"bullet trains" (except any reserved or non-reserved seat on "NOZOMI" trains), limited express trains, express trains, and rapid or local trains. (With some exceptions) |
Buses: | JR Bus Companies: JR Bus Divisions: JR Highway Bus Lines: |
Ferry: | Only the JR Miyajima ferry is covered. |
Remarks: | The JAPAN RAIL PASS is not valid for "NOZOMI" Shinkansen trains. If you use a "NOZOMI," you must pay the ordinary fare and the limited express charge, and if in a Green car, the Green car charge. When the JAPAN RAIL PASS is used on JR trains that run through non-JR lines, fares and charges for the sections travelled on such lines must be paid to the private railway company concerned. Please pay these on the train or at a station on the said company’s line. |
(2) Train accommodations
- Most JR trains have Ordinary Cars (coach class) while many long-distance trains also offer Green Cars (superior class). With a Green-type JAPAN RAIL PASS you can use either class, while with an Ordinary-type JAPAN RAIL PASS you can use only Ordinary Cars without paying an additional charge. Refer to the table below for details.
- The cars with ◎ can be used with JAPAN RAIL PASS.
- Use of the cars with ★ requires paying additional charges.
- There are no Green Cars on most HIKARI and KODAMA trains on the Sanyo Shinkansen line (Shin-Osaka/Hakata), or on TSUBAME trains on the Kyushu Shinkansen line(Shin-Yatsushiro - Kagoshima- chuo)
Trains | Accomodations | Green | Ordinary |
NOZOMI trains* on the Tokaido and Sanyo Shinkansen |
Green Car |
X | X |
Ordinary Car |
X | X | |
HIKARI and KODAMA trains on the Tokaido and Sanyo Shinknasen and any trains on the Tohoku, Yamagata, Akita, Joetsu, Nagano and Kyushu Shinkansen | Green Car |
◎ | ★ |
Ordinary Car | ◎ | ◎ | |
Ordinary private compartment | ★ | ★ | |
Limited express and ordinary express | Green Car | ◎ | ★ |
Ordinary Car | ◎ | ◎ | |
Green private compartment | ★ | ★ | |
Ordinary private compartment | ★ | ★ | |
Sleeping car | ★ | ★ | |
Local and rapid trains | Green Car | ◎ | ★ |
Ordinary Car | ◎ | ◎ |
Remarks:
- If you use a DX Green on Relay TSUBAME train (operated by JR Kyushu), you must pay the limited express charge in addition to the DX Green charge.
- Private Compartments are available on some of “HIKARI” and “KODAMA” trains on the Sanyo Shinkansen.
- Green Private Compartments are on certain limited express trains, such as NARITA EXPRESS and Super-view Odoriko.
- Use of “Home Liner” and other “liner” trains requires an additional charge.
(3) Validity period
- The validity period of a JAPAN RAIL PASS is the consecutive 7, 14, or 21 days beginning on the date the PASS is first used.
- Within three months from the date the Exchange Order was issued, you must turn in your Exchange Order to obtain your JAPAN RAIL PASS. At that time, you have to specify the date that you want to start using the PASS. It can be any date within one month from the date the PASS is received.
- Once the PASS has a starting date written on it, the date cannot be changed.