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About JAPAN RAIL PASS
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Who is eligible for a JAPAN RAIL PASS.
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JAPAN RAIL PASS types
and prices.
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JAPAN RAIL PASS validity.
How to obtain
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Where exchange orders are sold.
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How to turn in an exchange order to receive a JAPAN RAIL PASS.
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How to make seat reservations
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Notes regarding use
Information
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Stations with JAPAN RAIL PASS exchange offices.
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Major JR lines, stations, and airports throughout Japan.
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Helpful infomation for JR travel.
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Japan's national Holidays
 
JAPAN RAIL PASS validity

1. Transportation services

The JAPAN RAIL PASS is valid for the railways, buses, and ferry boats shown in Table 1.

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)
Japan Rail Pass can not be used for Tokyo monorail.
Buses:

Local lines of JR bus companies (JR Hokkaido Bus, JR Bus Tohoku, JR Bus Kanto, JR Tokai Bus, West Japan JR Bus, Chugoku JR Bus, JR Shikoku Bus, JR Kyushu Bus) and some of JR highway bus services*.

* Sapporo-Otaru; Morioka-Hirosaki; Tokyo-Nagoya, Kyoto, Osaka,Tsukuba Center; Nagoya-Kyoto, Osaka; Osaka-Tsuyama, Kasai Flower Center
Ferry: Only the JR Miyajima ferry is covered. The JR Hakata-Pusan (Korea) ferry is not covered.
 
Important notes:
The JAPAN RAIL PASS is not valid for any seats, reserved or non-reserved, on "NOZOMI" trains on the Tokaido and Sanyo Shinkansen lines.(The pass holders must take “HIKARI” or “KODAMA” trains.)If you use a "NOZOMI," you must pay the basic fare and the limited express charge, and for a Green Car the Green Car surcharge.
Note also that passengers using JR trains on non-JR lines must pay additional fares and charges for sections traveled on such lines.
Some JR trains use the lines of private railways for direct services.
Table 1

 
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.
【Major JR Trains Running Through Non-JR Lines and the Sections Concerned】
Train Main route Section requiring separate fares and charges Private railway company involved
Odoriko, Super View Odoriko Shinjuku・Tokyo ~ Izukyu-Shimoda Between Ito and Izukyu-Shimoda Izu Kyuko
Tokyo ~ Shuzenji Between Mishima and Shuzenji Izuhakone Railway
Nikko, Spacia Nikko Shinjuku ~ Tobu Nikko Between Kurihashi and Tobu Nikko Tobu Railway
Kinugawa, Spacia Kinugawa Shinjuku ~ Kinugawa Onsen Between Kurihashi and Kinugawa Onsen
Hakutaka Echigo Yuzawa ~ Kanazawa Between Muikamachi and Saigata Hokuetsu Express
Wide View Nanki Nagoya ~ Shingu Between Kawarada and Tsu Ise Tetsudo
Hashidate, Tango Discovery Kyoto ~ Amanohashidate・Toyooka Between Fukuchiyama and Toyooka Kitakinki Tango Railway
Monju, Tango Explorer Shin- Osaka ~ Amanohashidate・Toyooka
Super Hakuto Kyoto ~ Tottori・Kurayoshi Between Kamigori and Chizu Chizu Express
Nanpu, Shimanto, Ashizuri Okayama・Takamatsu・Kochi ~ Nakamura・Sukumo Between Kubokawa and Sukumo Tosa Kuroshio Railway


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- chūō )

Trains
Accomodations
Green
Ordinary
“NOZOMI” trains* on the Tokaido and Sanyo Shinkansen
Green Car
Ordinary Car
“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

Table 2

Remarks:
* The JAPAN RAIL PASS is not valid for any seats, reserved (incl. Green Car) or non-reserved, on “NOZOMI” trains.
** 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 “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.