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UPDATE: NEW JAPAN RAIL PASS Ultimate Guide! Everything you need to know!



The Japan Rail pass HAS CHANGED! There is now a NEW PASS. So, anyone visiting the country must be aware of the good and the bad. Although it is not needed by everyone, Some travelers and tourists visiting Japan will certainly make good use of this one ticket that can UNLOCK JAPAN TRAVEL.

I have used many Japan rail pass or JR PASS throughout my many trips to Japan, so let me help you with your Japan Rail Pass planning!

Here are a list of companies that you can check out yourself. ( Please note that I may have not personally used them all)

Official online purchase:
JAPANRAILPASS.NET
https://japanrailpass.net/en/

Jrpass.com
https://www.jrailpass.com

A comprehensive guide can also be found here:
https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2361.html

Time stamps:
00:00 Intro
00:39 What is A Japan Rail pass?
02:28 How to get a JR pass
05:01 Is it worth it?
05:21 Sample Itineraries
07:23 How to use the JR pass
07:36 Regional passes
09:48 The small print
10:28 End and more

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29 Comments

  1. Amnistar

    Great video. I think you hit the nail on the head for how to approach the JR pass. It's a math problem, work out your itinerary first and see how close your primary routes get you to making it worthwhile. If it's close to the same price, get it and you don't have to fret about things and can take day trips easily on the fly in addition. If it's not close then don't get it and work around it.

  3. Philippe VH

    🚄Thanks for this very comprehensive up to date JR Pass guide Nathan!
    Let's not forget alternative Rail companies, like e.g. Kintetsu, with which you can travel comfortably from Nagoya to Osaka-Namba for half the price.

  6. Jim Ross

    Ninja Monkey has my JR pass covered, that is so generous of you. I expected you just to explain the various offers, but since you've got me covered, that's an expense I now don't have worry about. One thing that about Japan that has changed as of today, is being armed with knowledge of the available travel options is now more important than ever. No point in wasting money that could be better spent on other experiences and attractions in Japan.

  8. JaxJ16

    This is an action as a result of the over tourism and hopefully there’s less tourism as a result. The reality is Japan like any country needs a healthy balance between tourism and the wellbeing of its own people.Thank you for the content!

  12. Mark G

    Thanks for all the information Nathan, great stuff. Regarding your 14-day pass travelling to 10 cities, I would say no. There is simply too much to do and to see in just a handful of these cities. If not careful, you will be missing a lot and your 14 days vacation will leave you exhausted. At the moment I am not even considering a JR Pass anymore, as there are different methods some which you mentioned. JR Pass from my perspective at this point is pure for convenience to escape the hassle.🚄

  15. Not an internet troll

    I’m a repeat traveler that had the privilege to live in Japan for a Semester so I actually don’t feel like I’m missing on much at this point. I’m visiting 9 cities in Total on a 14 day Pass. 4 of those cities are within an hour of Tokyo or Osaka, so to be honest, it’s more of a commute than a trip. Plus I’m finally gonna get to ride the Sunrise Seto and the Saphir Odriko, and I’ll pay the upgrade charge for the GranClass seat to Toyama.

    From Tokyo, using the JR pass for 1 day trips to Shimoda, Omiya, Toyama, Sendai and Aomori (Autumn leaves)
    From Osaka, using the JR Pass for 1 day trips to Fukuoka, Hiroshima, Kobe and Kyoto. If a friend of mine can meet up, I’ll go to Nara.

    Why? Because it’s cheaper to have 2 hotel hubs (Tokyo and Osaka), than reserve 7 hotel rooms and drag or pay to deal with luggages. I don’t have any highlights on this trip as well. I’m there to hang out with friends and take full benefits of the Green Car pass. Lastly, I’m a train weeb.

    What I will be doing though, is actually use the daily bullet train trips to see how much I would need to spend to break even over the new prices. At which point I’ll consider if it’s still worth it. I know that hitting 9 cities will exceed the old price of 65000 yen, but will it be worth it at 110000 yen is what I will find out when I return after 3 weeks.

  19. Ask edward TMI

    love your videos can you do a video about traveling in japan on the night busses and the different company's to use keep up the great work 🚄

  21. Bravo Sierra

    The price increase is so shocking, I bought mine in time, but if I had left it until now it would of cost me another $1750AUD

  23. FollowTheSun

    🚅 I used the Tokyo Wide Pass a few times, I do recommend it , fantastic information, so many ways to travel 🧳

  25. Timothy Johns

    Thanks for the great video. Been a few years since I last visited Japan. Previous trips the JR Pass was an automatic no-brainer and represented superb value for zipping all over Japan in style while avoiding domestic airports. Now it's genuinely "poor" value IMO.. as your video highlights, one CAN get some value from the new passes… but only if you really WANT it and WORK for it. Not my idea of a useful travel tool, or an enjoyable trip. Travelling just for the sake of "getting your money's worth".

    I am curious as to your thoughts on why Japan has decided to go down this route and effectively "ruin" the attraction & value proposition of the JR Pass for foreign visitors.

  26. Darth Diddums

    🚄 Just 2 weeks to go…using Kyoto, Kanazawa and Tokyo as hubs to travel further afield as day trips, taking an Express bus from Kanazawa to Takayama then on to Matsumoto being the most 'hectic' part of the trip. Travelling solo too at 65. Wish me luck!

  27. Henry Chew

    Its value really diminishes unless you plan to utilize a lot of train rides and squeeze your sightseeing in between.

    Even regional passes now need planning as it may not be worth while if you don't travel far enough! E.g if you choose to use wide pass and only go karuizawa for 2 days 1 night, and the last day in local tokyo jr will not pay off.

  28. The Cleeze

    Good video. I think most people coming to Japan as a tourist are just not going to get the value out of the JR Pass at this price. In my opinion, most of those people would be flying in to Tokyo, and visiting Kyoto and Osaka. Now… it's cheaper to just buy a train ticket.

    I'd consider getting the JR Pass, because I might return after my current residency, because I'd take the train from all the way north to all the way south (and then I'd be sad there is not a train to Okinawa). I guess it's about $100 US for about 2 hours on the shinkansen. Then I'd roughly estimate that Japan is approximately 6 of those. But I'm not a typical traveler, and I'd have a different agenda. I lament that the 'arch pass' is limited to the tourist visa, because I want to go to Kanazawa. I take the driving test in 3 days though, so maybe I will get to get out of the train system for awhile.

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