Japan Rail Pass for 7, 14 or 21 Days

How the Japan Rail Pass works

The pass is sold only to temporary visitors: you must not hold a Japanese passport and must enter Japan as a temporary visitor or under the visa waiver. Because the voucher is sent by courier, book before you leave for Japan. Once issued, it must be exchanged and activated within three months, at a JR ticket office in a major station or at an international airport such as Narita, Haneda or Kansai, where you show your passport and pick the start date.

From that date, the pass runs for 7, 14 or 21 consecutive days. You can ride as often as you like on JR trains and reserve bullet train seats at no extra cost at ticket offices and machines. If you are asking how to use the JR Pass day to day, simply show it or pass it through the gates, and reserve a seat for long journeys at busy times.

Shinkansen bullet trains and what is covered

Japan's Shinkansen network reaches speeds of up to 300 km/h and links Tokyo with Kyoto in about 2 hours 40 minutes on the Hikari service. The pass covers Hikari, Kodama, Sakura and most other bullet train services, plus a luggage allowance on bullet trains for large suitcases when reserved. On the Tokaido line between Tokyo and Kyoto, look out on the right-hand side for Mount Fuji on a clear day.

Nozomi and Mizuho trains, the fastest services on the Tokaido, Sanyo and Kyushu lines, are not included unless you pay a supplement; Hikari and Sakura run on the same routes with only slightly longer journey times. The pass also covers the Narita Express from Narita Airport, the monorail from Haneda Airport, the JR Yamanote loop line around central Tokyo and the JR ferry to Miyajima. Private railways and city subways are not included.

A suggested 7-day route: Tokyo, Nikko, Kyoto, Nara, Hiroshima, Himeji and Osaka

With a 7-day pass, the classic first trip covers Japan's best-known sights. Day one in Tokyo, riding the Yamanote line between Shinjuku and Shibuya. Day two to Nikko by Shinkansen and the JR Nikko line, about two hours each way, for cedar forests and the vermilion Shinkyo Bridge. Day three, take the Hikari to Kyoto, about 2 hours 40 minutes, and stroll Gion and Higashiyama.

Day four, the JR Nara line takes you to Fushimi Inari in five minutes for the torii-gate trail, then on to Nara and its deer park. Day five, Shinkansen to Hiroshima for the Peace Memorial Park, then JR train and ferry to Miyajima's floating torii gate. Day six, Himeji Castle in the morning and street food in Osaka's Dotonbori at night. Day seven, ride back to Tokyo or to Kansai Airport.

Going further with 14 or 21 days

The longer passes make sense when you want to see more than the main route or travel at a slower pace. With 14 or 21 days you can head north on the Shinkansen to Hokkaido for snowy landscapes in winter and flower fields in summer, or south to Kyushu for hot spring towns, volcanoes and the city of Fukuoka.

Other routes include Kanazawa, with its historic samurai and geisha districts and one of Japan's finest landscape gardens, and the Japanese Alps, where mountain towns and scenic rail lines are at their best in autumn. The English guide booklet suggests route ideas for each region. As a rule of thumb, the pass pays off when you plan several long-distance bullet train journeys; the longer passes add the freedom to change plans along the way.

Standard class or Green Car first class

Standard class seats on the Shinkansen are comfortable, with good legroom and reclining seats, and are the choice of most travellers. The Green Car, Japan's first class, has wider seats arranged two-and-two, more legroom and quieter carriages, and is easier to reserve at peak times such as cherry blossom season, Golden Week in early May, the summer holidays and the New Year.

Each length of pass is available in both classes, so you can choose 7, 14 or 21 days in standard or Green Car in the booking panel. Whichever you choose, seat reservations are free, and the same pass covers JR local trains, airport express trains and the Miyajima ferry. Keep your passport with you, as staff may ask to see it with the pass.