Japan Rail Pass Complete Guide (#jrpass)
Japan is one of the best travel destinations in the World. This country not only preserves its long history of culture and heritage in an excellent way but also maintains a high-tech fast-moving lifestyle. Their authenticity and warm hospitality have attracted foreign tourists to Japan. Nowadays, the number of tourists has multiplied and many convenient arrangements are being made every day here in Japan. Today we will discuss one such necessary issue.
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| JR Pass |
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| Shinjuku National Garden |
Everyone needs to have a brief introduction to the Japan railway system before knowing about the pass.
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| Kyoto Street Car |
- JR Group
- Bullet Trains/Shinkansen
- Major Private Railways
- Metros
- Trams and Cable Cars
- Joyful Trains and Night Trains
Akita Shinkansen
There are more sub-divisions under these but we will talk about the JR group today. This network is made up of a combination of different types of trains in Japan, such as local, regional, and high-speed trains, the last of which is the famous bullet train or shinkansen.
what is Japan Rail Pass or JR pass?
It is a rail pass that allows foreign tourists to make unlimited journeys in Japan by using the JR-operated rail system. Not only trains but also JR-operated buses and ferries can be boarded for free using this pass.
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| Hiroshima-Miyajima ferry |
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| JR Bus |
This pass cannot be used by any Japanese resident but in some cases, foreigners are also unable to use it. This Pass is only available for non-Japanese nationals on short tourism visits and Japanese nationals who live outside Japan and meet certain conditions. This means foreigners with a single-entry temporary tourist visa for 15-90 days can use this japan rail pass.
Those who are not eligible who has these kinds of visa types:
- Long term visas which allow staying in Japan for more than 90 days
- Student visa
- Permanent residency visa
- Tokubetsu Eijuken holders (Special permanent residency visa)
- Entertainer visa
- Working holiday visa
- Military entry status
- Any other visas which are not temporary visitor visas with the purpose of sightseeing.
Chureito Pagoda
Let's take a look at how this pass can save you money!
To fully understand the value of a Japan Rail Pass, it’s worth comparing the cost of the pass with that of individual tickets.
So to check the total cost and see how much you can potentially save on your Japan itinerary, you can even use the free Japan Rail fare calculator.
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| Kiyomizu-dera |
If your journey starts from Tokyo then Kyoto, Osaka, Hiroshima, and Nagasaki, and back to Tokyo again then the total cost is around 624 dollars, but if you travel with this pass, it becomes 279 dollars. That means you can save almost 345 dollars!
Well, if you have a fourteen-day plan instead of seven days, it should cost 625 dollars, but using this pass your costs will be 445 dollars and you can save 180. I hope things are pretty clear right!
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| Hayabusa and Komachi trains connecting |
What Pass Options are There?
This pass has 3 types of duration available. 7 days, 14 days, and 21 days, so that you can choose the right length pass for your trip. There are also different passes for adults and children, providing a great discount for children. There is also a JR Green Pass for those who want to travel by first class which will provide a much more comfortable ride to the passengers. But in this case, I can say that the general class Bullet train is good enough and comfortable too.
Now let’s come to another important topic. So how to use Japan Rail Pass?
The tourist can't use this pass as an ordinary train ticket. It has few steps to activate and use. Don't worry let me describe it for you, hope that will clear the matter easily.
Purchase Your Pass: At first, you need to purchase the pass. please remember not to buy tickets too soon, cause passes can only be purchased up to 6 months in advance of the date you plan to use them.
To buy Japan Rail Pass: JR Pass
JR Regional Pass: JR Regional Pass
Exchange Order: Once you’ve purchased your pass, JRPass.com will send a slip of paper called an “Exchange Order” to you via mail wherever you are in the world. You must keep this Exchange Order somewhere safe.
By the way, you can collect your pass from anywhere in the world. For example: if you collect from the USA, it will take one day and the cost will be 14 dollars, In the same way, you can check exactly how long it will take to collect from your country and how much it will cost.
Travel to Japan: The day is finally here and it’s time to travel to Japan for your trip. Don't forget to pack your Exchange Order and bring it with you.
After your arrival in Japan, the first thing you should do is to go to a JR Service Center or exchange office with your exchange order and passport with you. Don’t worry there are exchange offices in all major airports as well as most big cities.
Get Your Japan Rail Pass: Once at the office, you’ll hand both your order and passport over and fill out a form identifying your “Activation Day”, i.e., the date you would like to start using your Japan Rail Pass.
Travel with your JR Pass: Finally, on the activation day you choose, look for the JR symbol at the station. Once at the turnstiles, show the attendant your pass and they’ll allow you to enter.
That’s all.
By the way, if this whole process seems difficult to you or if you are worried about your first hours in Japan then JR pass offers another solution for you. you can start your trip off on the best possible note with the JRPass.com Airport Meet and Greet service.
What Can the Service Help You With?
All travel assistants speak both English and Japanese, allowing them to provide any translation if needed. another most important of these activities is to help you collect and activate your JR Pass.
- Answering general questions;
- Getting cash out or exchanging money;
- Buying a Suica or IC Card so you can use services like the metro;
- Collecting the Pocket Wi-Fi device, you’ve pre-ordered;
- Escort you to your onward method of transport, be it train, bus, taxi, private car or shuttle.
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| Zen Garden |
How to Book Your Meet and Greet Service
All you have to do is simply click the link given in the description box to make your booking. While there you can select your meeting point and provide any special requests and the details of your journey.
Meet & Greet official website: Meet & Greet
The advantage of pocket wifi
In modern life, the Internet is the companion of all time. Its importance is immense, especially in the case of travel. From viewing maps online or translating phrases and sending messages to others, it provides easy and reliable internet access while someone traveling abroad. That's why in order to facilitate the travel of the traveler, in addition to the purchase of Japan Rail Pass, the benefits of this pocket wifi can also be obtained from them.
Pocket Wifi's Features
- Devices provide a high-speed 4G LTE connection
- The maximum download speed is 187.5 Mbps and upload speed of 37.5 Mbps;
- Able to work on up to 10 devices simultaneously
- It works with any device that is Wi-Fi compatible
- The battery supports 12 hours of continuous use
How to Order and Get Your Pocket Wifi
- At first, open the order page and order the pocket wifi with your desired duration for activation. The minimum duration for the service is 5 days.
- Then set Organise Pick-Up location and Return Location. you can collect it from any major airport in Japan, including Narita Airport, Haneda, Kansai, New Chitose, Komatsu, Nagoya Chubu airport, Fukuoka, and Naha (Okinawa).
- By providing your passport and reservation ID given in the confirmation email of your order for pick up your pocket wifi.
- Finally after getting your device charged it and connects with your device and uses it.
- Finally, return to any major airport when your trip is over. However, you don't need to return to the same location where you have taken it.
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