The Japan Rail Pass is going to get much more expensive later this year. I talk about the key changes, alternative passes like the Tokyo Wide Pass or Kansai Wide Pass and which kinds of travellers are going to be affected the most.
/// GET YOUR JR PASS
→→→ Japan Rail Pass
https://bit.ly/KLOOK-JAPANRAILPASS
→→→ JR Tokyo Wide Pass
https://bit.ly/KLOOK-Tokyo-Wide
→→→ JR Kansai Wide Pass
https://bit.ly/KLOOK-Kansai-Wide
→→→ JR West Kansai Pass (1,2,3 or 4 days)
https://bit.ly/KLOOK-JR-West-Kansai
→→→ Pocket Wifi + Powerbank Rental
https://bit.ly/KLOOK-Pocket-Wifi
→→→ Unlimited Data 4G SIM Card (Multiple JP Airport Pick Up)
https://bit.ly/KLOOK-Data-SIM-Card
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Japan Rail Pass Playlist
Music:
“Samba Isobel” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Thumbnail Photo:
https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6177123 by R2d2ki (changes made)
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en

19 Comments
Will you buy the Japan Rail Pass at the new price, or is it no longer worth it for your trip? Let me know your reactions and as always, ask any questions!
Ouch. I was expecting a price hike due to tourism picking up again almost 3 years of closed borders, but this is borderline ridiculous.
I would encourage everyone, with far more reason than ever, to thoroughly study and plan your routes through the country. I came to the conclusion that I would spend around $210 in my 11 day stay if I follow my routes (even using the Nozomi line, not included in the JR pass), so even then I wasn't getting the full value out of the then $230ish cost. Now with a nearly (or over) $100 price increase, it's even less appealing than before.
Cheers!
Already planned a trip in October, what if I buy ahead of time? Is the october change already priced in, or is there no info on that yet since I think you can only buy 3 months in advance.
Thanks for the update. I'm travelling mid-Nov to early Dec and planning to grab a 21 day pass. Here's hoping the current lead time arrangements for the voucher stand and I can buy a pass around August (maybe even July) at current prices.
Im going to japan end of September, so if im lucky i may just avoid the price hike, but like you say it may be worth me planning ahead and seeing how much my shinkansen tickets cost individually
Oh no! I've been holding back waiting for some affordable flights to come through from UK and then this happens. Fingers 🤞 the local passes won't go up as I'll be sticking to them if that's the case.
Thanks for giving us a heads up! We may be traveling in September or October, so if we can buy early at the old price, it may still be worth it.
Shinkansen's one way ticket will increase too maybe.
As for why they may be keeping sales at travel agencies outside of Japan (at least for now), I feel like there are probably many people who want to buy JAPAN RAIL PASS in-person at a sales office like JTB or NTA branches outside Japan. They might not feel comfortable buying online especially because you have to use a credit card. I personally drive straight over to the JTB office in Torrance, California to buy JRP. Also at least for now, if you’re a Japanese person who wants to use the JRP, you don’t have the option to buy from JRPR and you have to buy it from an overseas agency.
JR is going to suffer from this decision. Hopefully they don't go through with it. 50000 per 7 JR pass is absolutely ridiculous.
YIKES…I paid $350 for a two week pass last October. $600 is a little ridiculous. Looks like I’ll be getting a voucher in late September (since it’ll be good for three months).
Are they trying to get people to fly more within Japan? Is there a concerted effort to have less tourists on the Shinkansen? I'm honestly shocked at how much it went up that I feel like my questions aren't ridiculous. The next time I visit Japan, it might just be for one major city and anywhere nearby that doesn't require a Shinkansen.
Overnight bus Tokyo to Osaka is $30
Just returned from a long-awaited 2 weeks trip and will be going again in the summer to see fireworks before price hike, could be the last time for a while.
It'd be foolish to pay $375 for a 7-day pass especially if you are just going to one or two cities within 3 hours from Tokyo.
Where are the links?
Thanks for the update just found your channel
I am going to Japan in Oct – would you recommend I get the JR Pass.
I will need to travel Tokyo / Kyoto / Tokyo & Kyoto / Osaka / Kyoto and Kyoto / Hiroshima / Kyoto.
Also how far in advance can I buy the JR Pass ??
How long in advance can you get your JR pass, thank you