In a nutshell
- Traveling Japan by train is seriously one of the best parts of the trip — it’s incredibly fast and comfortable.
- You have two options: individual tickets or the Japan Rail Pass. The pass is only worth it if you’re riding the Shinkansen very frequently.
- The JR Pass is available for 7, 14, or 21 days and you buy it online before your trip — it covers almost all Japan Railways trains.
- If you’re only taking the Shinkansen two or three times, individual tickets are the better deal. You can book them a few days ahead on Klook.
- We’ve tried both options ourselves and are sharing exactly what worked — and what didn’t.
Train Travel in Japan with the Japan Rail Pass or Individual Tickets
When traveling by train in Japan, you basically have two options: the Japan Rail Pass or individual tickets.
With the JR Pass, you can use almost all JR trains — including most Shinkansen — flexibly. Individual tickets you simply buy separately for each route.
Which option makes more sense for your trip depends mainly on how often and how far you travel by Shinkansen. If you’re really taking a lot of long-distance rides on the bullet trains, the pass can be worth it. In most cases, though, individual tickets are much better value.
We’ll tell you further below whether the pass is worth it for your own trip to Japan or not.
What Is the Japan Rail Pass?
The Japan Rail Pass is a pass for tourists that lets you use almost all trains in Japan. The pass covers all trains operated by Japan Railways (JR), including most Shinkansen — the high-speed trains that are one of the most popular ways to get around.
Here’s a quick overview of which trains are included in the Japan Rail Pass and which are not:
- Shinkansen
- Narita Express
- Loop lines in Tokyo and Osaka
- Some JR buses (e.g., Hiroshima Sightseeing Bus, JR Hokkaido Bus, and JR Kanto Bus)
- Ferry to Miyajima
- Nozomi and Mizuho Shinkansen (surcharge required)
- Subways (except those operated by Japan Railways)
- Private railways
- Non-JR lines
You need to purchase the Japan Rail Pass before your trip. We recommend buying the pass online. It’s available for 7, 14, or 21 days and in either the standard version or as a Green Car Pass. The Green Car Pass lets you travel in first class. That said, standard seats on Japanese trains are already super comfortable with plenty of legroom — in our opinion, the Green Car Pass just isn’t worth the extra cost.
Is the Japan Rail Pass Worth It for Your Trip, or Should You Buy Individual Tickets?
You can easily calculate yourself whether the pass is worth it. Just write down your route and compare the cost of the Japan Rail Pass with the individual ticket prices for those routes. We’ve listed the individual prices for the most popular routes below. You can find all others on Klook or Google Maps.
But we’ll tell you upfront: the Japan Rail Pass is only worth it if you’re riding the Shinkansen extremely frequently. If not, individual tickets are the better deal.
For a classic round trip through Japan, for example, the pass is no longer worth it these days.
What Does the Japan Rail Pass Cost?
| Standard | Standard Children | Green Car | Green Car Children | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 days | 296 EUR | 148 EUR | 416 EUR | 207 EUR |
| 14 days | 475 EUR | 237 EUR | 655 EUR | 326 EUR |
| 21 days | 594 EUR | 297 EUR | 832 EUR | 415 EUR |
Children up to age 6 ride for free. For children between 6 and 11 years old, you pay the discounted price.
First class in Japan is the Green Car. The Green Car Japan Rail Pass costs almost twice as much and, in our opinion, isn’t worth it.
You also need to factor in that ticket shipping costs an additional €15 and, depending on your payment method, you may have to pay an additional fee of €21–€24. This makes it even less likely that the pass will actually pay off for you.
Book the Japan Rail Pass online
How Much Do Individual Tickets Cost in Japan?
| Route | Standard | Green Car |
|---|---|---|
| Longer Routes by Shinkansen | ||
| Tokyo - Kyoto | from 84 EUR | from 120 EUR |
| Tokyo - Osaka | from 88 EUR | from 124 EUR |
| Tokyo - Hiroshima | from 116 EUR | from 171 EUR |
| Kyoto - Hiroshima | from 68 EUR | from 95 EUR |
| Kyoto - Himeji | from 30 EUR | from 49 EUR |
| Osaka - Hiroshima | from 63 EUR | from 93 EUR |
| Osaka - Himeji | from 20 EUR | from 30 EUR |
| Hiroshima - Himeji | from 50 EUR | from 80 EUR |
| Shorter Routes and Day Trips | ||
| Tokyo - Narita Airport | from 18 EUR | from 21 EUR |
| Tokyo - Kamakura | from 6 EUR | - |
| Tokyo - Nikko | from 19 EUR | - |
| Kyoto - Nara | from 4 EUR | - |
| Kyoto - Osaka | from 9 EUR | from 23 EUR |
| Osaka - Nara | from 5 EUR | - |
| Hiroshima - Miyajima | from 9 EUR | - |
We usually bought our individual tickets a few days in advance through Klook — super easy. For some routes, you have the choice between Shinkansen tickets or Limited Express train tickets. These are the next fastest trains and are often a cheaper public transportation option in Japan than the Shinkansen.
For shorter trips — like getting from your hotel in Japan to the top attractions in Japan — you can often pay with the Suica Card.
Book individual tickets online through Klook
How to Use the Japan Rail Pass
Riding the Shinkansen enough to make the pass worthwhile? Here’s everything you need to know about using it.
Where Do You Buy the Japan Rail Pass?
You buy the Japan Rail Pass before you leave home and receive a voucher first. You then exchange this at one of Japan Railways’ exchange counters for the actual ticket. On the official website you’ll find a list of all the counters where you can do this.
At the counter, you present your voucher and your passport — this confirms your status as a temporary visitor.
You can purchase the voucher in three ways:
- reserve on the official JR website
- at authorized sales offices, after making an online reservation
- buy online from third-party providers like jrailpass.com
Our tip: We bought our Japan Rail Passes from jrailpass.com and were really happy with it. The passes arrived two days after ordering and the price is the same as on the official site.
You can pay by bank transfer, credit card, or PayPal. Paying by bank transfer or credit card comes with an additional fee of €21, and paying with PayPal costs you €24 more. Bank transfers also add about two to three extra days to the shipping time.
When you exchange your voucher, you’ll be asked which day you want the Japan Rail Pass to be valid from. If you’re in Japan for 24 days but spending the first three days only within the Tokyo city area, for example, you should set the start date to the fourth day of your trip. Once the date is entered, it cannot be changed.
How Do You Use the JR Pass?
All train stations in Japan have electronic ticket gates at the entrance and exit. You insert the JR Pass into the machine at the gate both before and after your ride. The ticket comes out the other side — don’t forget to take it with you.
Important: Passes can be checked again on the train. This only happened to us once. In that case, you’re officially required to show your passport as well.
Reserving Seats with the Japan Rail Pass
With the Japan Rail Pass, you can reserve seats free of charge up until shortly before departure. Just head to one of the many station counters and tell them which train you’d like a reservation for.
On our trips, it was never crowded enough that a reservation was strictly necessary.
You can also reserve a spot for large luggage. This is stored at the front and rear ends of the car. It can happen that everything is already full if you haven’t reserved — but in our experience, a large suitcase will usually fit in the overhead compartments above the seats.
Small luggage fits easily in the overhead rack or in the footwell.
Reservations are only available on long-distance trains such as Shinkansen and Limited Express trains. Regional trains don’t have reserved seats.
Our tip: If you’re traveling from Tokyo toward Kyoto or Osaka, reserve a day in advance and ask for a seat on the right side. On a clear day, you’ll get a seriously great view of Mount Fuji.
How to Use Individual Tickets
Individual tickets are usually the more affordable option — and the one we’d recommend for almost every round trip through Japan. Here’s everything you need to know.
Where Do You Buy Individual Tickets?
You can buy your tickets online through Klook at your leisure. We always did this a few days in advance.
After purchasing, you’ll receive a QR code.
Book individual tickets online through Klook
How Do You Use the Individual Tickets?
You simply scan the QR code at the ticket gates in the station and receive a paper ticket with some additional information on it (connection, car number, and seat).
Do You Need a Reservation?
The same applies here as with the Japan Rail Pass: it’s usually not crowded enough that you need a seat reservation. That said, we do recommend reserving a seat on the right side for the route from Tokyo to Osaka or Kyoto. On a clear day, you’ll have a great view of Mount Fuji.
You can easily book seat reservations on Klook. It costs a few extra dollars.
You can also reserve spots for large luggage. This is stored at the front and rear of the car. That said, we had absolutely no trouble fitting our large suitcases in the overhead compartments above the seats.
Our Verdict on the Japan Rail Pass
Honestly, the JR Pass isn’t worth it in most cases. Prices rose significantly a few years ago and it no longer pays off. Individual tickets are usually the smarter choice.
Laura from our team, for example, did a classic round trip in 2025 (Tokyo – Kamakura – Hakone – Lake Kawaguchi – Kyoto – Osaka) and only took the Shinkansen once. That ride was between Mishima and Kyoto and cost €63.
The Japan Rail Pass wouldn’t have been worth it for her at all. She handled all her rides with individual tickets and the Suica Card.
Here’s our verdict on the Japan Rail Pass at a glance:
- You’re taking a huge number of Shinkansen rides: Then the JR Pass might genuinely be worth it for you.
- You’re only taking 2–3 longer Shinkansen rides: Individual tickets are significantly better value.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Japan Rail Pass
What types of trains are there in Japan?
Japan has quite a few different types of trains.
The most well-known is the Shinkansen. It connects major cities and is extremely fast, reaching speeds of up to 320 km/h (200 mph).
Alongside the Shinkansen, there are several slower options. The next fastest are Limited Express trains, which also serve smaller cities. After that come the Rapid Express, the Express, and finally the Local Train — roughly comparable to commuter rail lines.
There are also a number of private railways in Japan, especially on regional routes. The Japan Rail Pass is not valid for these.
How does the train naming system work in Japan?
Shinkansen and Limited Express trains have a name and a train number. A Shinkansen is called, for example, Hikari 472.
Regional trains have no train numbers. They’re usually named after their destination.
Where do you find train schedules in Japan?
We always use the route planner in Google Maps. It works great for train connections in Japan.
Just tap the transit icon in your search and Google will show you the best connection.
Google Maps is also one of our favorite apps for travel planning. We’ve written a whole article with tips for using Google Maps on the road.
Is there anything to eat on trains in Japan?
Food options on trains in Japan are pretty limited. On Shinkansen and Limited Express trains, there’s a mobile snack cart — a friendly staff member pushes it through the aisles.
We recommend picking up something to eat before boarding for longer Shinkansen rides. The food selection at train stations is excellent. You’ll often find bento boxes filled with sushi and other dishes — delicious and very reasonably priced.
Are you allowed to smoke on trains in Japan?
No. Smoking has been prohibited on Japanese trains since 2024.
Smoking compartments are being phased out gradually.
Are there alternatives to taking the train in Japan?
Of course — within Japan you can also book a bus or a domestic flight.
Domestic flights can sometimes even be cheaper than a train ticket, though the train is definitely the fastest option.
The most affordable way to get around Japan is by bus. Buses are, of course, significantly slower and not as comfortable.
Traveling by train in Japan is always a really pleasant experience. The trains are perfectly on time and incredibly fast.
Which attractions offer discounts with the Japan Rail Pass?
With the JR Pass, you can save at quite a few attractions around the country. Sometimes you’ll get a discount on the ticket price, and sometimes even a small gift.
You’ll often save around 100 yen on admission or get between 10 and 20 percent off the ticket or in the souvenir shop. Examples include Shibuya Sky in Tokyo (10% off in the souvenir shop), the Tokugawa Art Museum in Nagoya (free postcard), and the Osaka Castle Museum (10% off admission).
You can find all current discounts on the official Japan Rail website.
