I just watched several of your videos - great information and clear explanations - but you're the real hero for coming in here and answering all these personal questions about everyone's trip.
I'm leaving in one week for a 10 week trip, with the first three weeks being dominated by a JR Pass excursion. This video came at the perfect time as I'm looking to purchase it tonight! I came here from your 5 things that changed video, keep up sharing all this great info! :)
Thanks for making such an informative video! I've been to Japan before COVID and used the JR pass. Finally going back this year and you covered some of the changes that have occurred since then nicely. The online reservation is great to see added.
Thanks for your kind words. I'm sure that having the experience of waiting to show the old style pass to staff and to make reservations will make you much more appreciative of the changes. Have fun on the trip this year!
Thank you so much for this video. I accidentaly planned my trip on Golden Week and what's worse I need to get from Tokyo to Osaka on 3rd 😅 I know stupid idea but I didn't want to change flights. So, I really need to get my reservation in advance, and thanks to you I feel confident to successfully complete it.
Thank you for making this video! It’s surprisingly difficult to find information on using the JR pass, and how to reserve seats. This answered all the questions I had plus more!
Super helpful. My luggage is JUST under the oversized classification and I'm really paranoid about it. It sure looks huge... You obviously know a ton about this. Thank you.
Just returned. You are spot on. The JR ticket vending machine was fun and easy to use, if you get to one very early in the morning and if you don't need to input more than 2 passport numbers because entering those #s was a tedious process.
Thanks - I might be tempted to just go to the ticket office early in the morning because there's often a 0 minute wait time. I expect you have your passport number memorised now!
Thanks for making this video. There's a chance I might be going to Japan soon for business reasons, so I told my boss that a JR Pass would be useful given that it works on the Shinkansen lines, since a lot of intercity travel will be involved.
Thanks for this! First time coming across your video and very nicely explained! I'm going to be visiting Japan next month and will buy the pass directly from JR website because reserving seats via desktop/phone is very convenient!
5:21 the machine actually ate my ticket! But every ticket gate area is staffed so I just waved around to the staff and they helped me get it out. Was a bit stressful tho.
Okay, the question is : I bought a jrpass on the official website, booked seats online in advance. if I can get a Jr pass at the Jr branch, how can I get a ticket with the specified seat reservation that needs to be shown to the conductor?😇 Thank you
If you've bought the pass with JR online and booked seats in advance, you should get the reservation tickets at the same time that you pick up the pass. Does that help?
If it's through a travel agency, just order enough in advance so that you receive the exchange order in time. It depends on the delivery time. I'd order a month before my trip starts if it were me. You can often deliver to an address in Japan though. If ordering direct from JR, there are no exchange orders, and you can only order a pass 1 month before anyway.
Can I please ask is there an alternative to Nozomi train? I have checked travel from Yokosuka to Tokyo and always had a Nozomi train which is not included in JR pass all of Japan. Thank you.
Hey, I have a small question about 2 things I'm still confused about: You mentioned that if one misses a train that they had reservations for, they can just hop onto the next one but will have to sit in the unreserved section. Does that mean it's not possible to make a last minute reservation for that next train (assuming you have the time to do so)? In that same vein, in the Green Pass car segment you mentioned that if one makes an impulse trip, they'll have to sit in the non-Green cars, but is it not possible to similarly make a reservation a few minutes before that impulse train journey? Both of those combined make me wonder if reservations close a certain amount of time before the train departs, or if they stay open until departure. I'm particularly curious about this because my plan was to be flexible on the trains I'd take (say I end up wanting to spend one more morning/noon in Kyoto, or on the contrary get back to Tokyo ASAP, or if I end up spending more time in Kanazawa than I planned when starting a day-trip, ...) instead of making reservations for everything well in advance. So my plan for at least some of my trips was to pop into the station with 20/30 minutes to spare and make the reservations at that point, but now I'm wondering if that can be done. Thanks a lot for the very informative videos, anyway !
Good question! You can make reservations up to about 10 minutes before the train leaves. I forget the exact number because it's different for shinkansen and limited expresses. Of course you can go reserve seats 20-30 mins before. The ticket offices may have long lines, so I recommend making reservations at the ticket machines when busy.
Hi, I want to know if can you able to upgrade one of your shinkansen trip from Green Car to Gran Class? I am planning to try the Gran Class on my trip from Hokkaido to Tokyo. Thanks for the answer
No, if you want Gran Class you need to buy a separate ticket. As in, you can't just pay the difference between the green car fee and the gran class fee. You need to pay for the whole gran class ticket.
Thank you for your videos! I’m traveling to japan at the end of March to visit my daughter, who is living/working in Japan. We’d like to reserve seats in advance, but I’ll have a jrail pass and she is not able to get one, since she is a temporary resident. Is there a way we can reserve seats together with two different types of tickets?
Good question. If you go together to the ticket office, they should be able to handle that best. Also possible at the ticket machines, if you stand next to each other at separate ones!
Good day! I have a question. We are planning to visit Japan in the next week, but we didnt buy JR Pass yet. I think we wont have enough time to receive our Exchange Order because we live in the country no one knows about. So here is the question: If we buy Jr Pass directly from JR official website, do we still have to get physical paper of Exchange Order, or do we just get E-MAIL confirmation, and will be able to use that E-Mail at the airport? In first case is it better to buy JR Pass straight in airport? (Price doesn't matter, just want to get Pass in time) Thank you!
Thank you for this video. It really answered most of my question related to JR Pass. I've read all the previous comments,but haven't found one I'm confused about, sorry if I missed it. I understand that now we don't need to show the pass to the staff when entering the gates, and use the machine gates intead. I'm still confused on which ticket should I insert when I need to transfer between conventional JR Lines trains to shinkansen or the other way around. I googled it but found no clear explanation. Hope you can help.
Thanks for your kind words. When moving through the transfer gates between shinkansen and conventional lines like that, you only need to put the JR Pass through. Hope that helps!
Thanks for the useful video! Question please! I'm travelling to Japan with all my relatives next month. Is it possible for me to create an account for myself - and then purchase all the JR Passes for my relatives using my account? And then book online seats for them all via my account as well? Or would everyone need to setup their own accounts, purchase their own pass and make their own bullet train reservations? (Note, we intend to pick the JR Passes up at Narita airport however I will be arriving at at a different terminal to my relatives incase that matters?) Thankyou!!
Yes, it seems possible! From the website: "In addition to the purchaser, a JAPAN RAIL PASS may be purchased for up to 6 people who are traveling with the purchaser and meet the eligibility conditions." You can also save time at the office because you can take all the passports and get everything at once while your relatives can get a coffee or something... Different terminals don't matter - have fun!
It's a good question, but difficult to answer without considering how much time you want to spend in each place, when you book, and how much luggage you have. You also have to factor in the time + cost getting to and from the airport. Low cost carriers like Peach and Jetstar are very good value compared to ANA and JAL and give more options. This idea is in my video do-list, so I may well use this itinerary! Thanks!
Great question! By far the best way is just having them delivered by takyubin. Yamato is the most popular company for this and has desks at airports, but you can also arrange it at hotels or convenience stores. Just contact wherever you're staying in Hakuba and make sure it's fine to send your gear ahead of you. It will usually get there the next day. It's very inexpensive too and also the best way of getting it back to the airport too. More info here: www.global-yamato.com/en/hands-free-travel/
@@japanunravelled Just sharing, my boss was at Nozawa-onsen end Dec 2022 and we looked at the option of forwarding her luggage from Tokyo to Nozawa-onsen. The hotel helping us with this advised that due to heavy snowfall in the destination region, the luggage will take 3 days to reach instead of next day service. So luggage forwarding has its time limitations especially when sending to a heavily snowing place. Best to get the hotel to check.
@@aphraelk6214 Yes, this is a very good point! It's easy to forget that there's some major weather going on elsewhere in Japan that can cause trouble with forwarding luggage or delay flights. Another very common issue is typhoons in summer. More than once I've been told it'll take 3 days to get my case home from the airport because of a typhoon!
Some JR pass purchase page says " no middle name" but some says the name has to "match" the passport. Did you all but middle names when purchasing JR Pass?
The most informative video on the JR Pass i've seen so far, keep ud the good work! How do you go about using your JR Pass to book on the Sunrise Izumo 'Sleeper train' if you don't want the Nobi Nobi seats but desire to upgrade to one of the private cabins?
Thanks for your kind words. For the Sunrise Izumo/Seto I've always gone to the ticket office/green window, shown my JR Pass and then they ask you which kind of cabin you want. Have a look on this page for the seat options: jprail.com/trains/sort-by-type/limited-express/sunrise-seto.html You *may* be able to do it online but I've not done that with a JR pass. I've tried the "solo" cabin before which was great, although I don't mind the Nobi Nobi. Note that they have changed the departure times recently so that page may be a bit out of date.
The cost of that is well short of what a pass costs. Just buy a ticket from the machine/office. It is possible to save money by buying online or going to a discount ticket shop, but you'll need to navigate in Japanese to some extent for both.
Many tks for your usefull tips Question about reservation: I already know all my destinations I will visita in Japan, but Not the Time ! The rservations are only valid for a specifific time or simply for the directions? Means can I take a Train to Nagano from Tokyo only at a time or just every JR Train?
You should only make reservations if you're sure you want or need to take a certain train, and yes, they're tied to specific trains. If you're not sure about the times, just use the unreserved seats cars. Do check ahead though because some trains on the Nagano Shinkansen are all reserved cars.
Thank you for the video..I saw that in Tokyo station there is a jr cafe, where is possible to activate the pass, and maybe I can reserve the seat also.. What about covid certification if I have them printed with all the info do the prefer to have those registered in the app they are using?
Yes, the JR cafe is an exchange office as far as I remember. There's a link on my other JR Pass video you can check for all the locations. About covid stuff - you'll have to do your own research there.
Thanks for this - super helpful! One question from me - how late can you reserve a ticket? For example, if on the day you decide you want to go to Kyoto. Can you reserve a ticket for a train on the same day?
Thank you for your video, help heaps. I know that by buying directly from JR I can make reservations before activating the pass or arriving at Japan whereas from an agent I cannot. But will I get access to the online system to make reservations after pass activation? Hope I am making sense..
Wow...just find out my previous question in your other video is answered here....very complete information, thanks. For green car, can we definitely put our oversize luggage in front of our seat ? (seems big enough space) or they have special place to put?
Glad it was helpful! Yes, that space is all yours, but they also have oversized baggage areas in Green cars if you want to use them. May as well when you have to reserve seats anyway.
Is it for consecutive days or is it month to month? We’re traveling April through May and not sure if I need to buy one for each month or will they carryover just for the days that I purchase
Fantastic and concise content. Question - if I purchase a pass directly from JR I am able to book tickets online for a month before arriving in Japan. Once I’m in Japan, can I still purchase tickets online or must these be done at the stations? Many thanks!
Great Video - 1) Ill be in Japan for 14 days , Tokyo 7days (just in the City) then the rest Kyoto 3 Hiroshima 2 Fukuoka 2. The 14day pass is £100+ dearer am i right in thinking it would be cheaper just getting a 7 day JR pass then a subway/metro passes whilst in Tokyo 2)If I buy the pass in the UK when does the pass become Activated ? When I exchange the voucher for the JR pass or when i first put the JR pass in the machine as I possibley wouldnt be using it until I leave Tokyo to Kyoto ....Thanks
Thanks! Yes, get the 7 day pass. It's activated on the date you specify when exchanging the voucher, so you can set it up to start when you leave for Kyoto.
And one more question- when I reserve seat online (in case when I buy JR pass directly from JR web) - what I show to conductor? Because I do not have paper seat reservation receipt 😊 Thank You!
You'll still have seat reservation tickets. You'll get them when you pick up the pass. Because you'll need to show them to the conductor when required, along with the pass itself. Showing anything online won't be acceptable.
Thanks for the info..I am planning taking train from tokyo to hokkaido, to stay 1 night at Hakodate before head to Sapporo. Shall I buy the Hayabusa shinkansen from tokyo station to shin-hakodate then buy the 7 days jR pass to use within Hokkaido for few days travelling? thank you...
Tokyo to Hakodate is 23,760 yen one way. If you're going back to Tokyo then I'd try to cover both journeys with the 7 day pass. You may be able to save money and a lot of time by flying, then just buying the trains you need while you're there.
Thanks very informative. Gave me options. Did some research since. It will cost 10,000 yen more to order the JR pass online, then it is to buy in my own country. So pay more to get early reservation access. Or wait to pick up pass on arrival and the book reservations. For me as a family of 5 that is a saving of 50,000 yen! Decisions???
Thanks for the informations. Can I also check the validity of the jr pass for 7 days? If I activate it on the 1 mar when will the pass expire? Does it expire on 7mar 00:00 or 8 mar 00:00? Also is there a size limit for luggage that we can put on the overhead compartment? Is 28inch or 30 inch lugguage alright or only cabin size? Thank you
Good question! It will expire at 2359 on the 7th, although if you're still on a train then you can complete your journey. There's no limit for the overhead rack as such - JR says you can fit cases with combined dimensions of 160cm up there, and many people do that.
Thanks for the explanations. I have a question if you have reserved seats, can you change them without a problem on the online website ? And do you have go get your reservation seats at a counter/machine before travel or can you ride with your online reservation and your JR pass. 😊
Not being able to get the JR Pass, I haven't used the online website so you'd have to check yourself. At the very least you'll be able to change them at any ticket office. Yes, you need to pick up the seat reservations before you travel.
Hi, I'll be arriving at 17.30 Narita time and might pass the immigration after 18.30. i see on the website that JR office in T1 Narita only open until 18:00. if the info is right, should i go to T2 to exchange the JR Pass? thanks
Hi ! Thank you for the detailed info. We are traveling with 5 people with JR Passes. can we reserve seats in bulk so that we can sit together ? (online or at the vending machine)
On the official JR pass website, is it only possible to buy the default nationwide JR pass? I see that on other websites they offer regional JR passs, e.g. All Kyushu Pass, Sanyo-San'in Area Pass, that are cheaper than the national pass but have restricted coverage. These don't seem to be mentioned on the official website, much less available for purchase.
This is a great question that had me wondering when I was making the other JR Pass video. Not offered on JR's own JR Pass site no, but they are offered on the separate JR companies' sites, West, East, what have you. JR West: www.westjr.co.jp/global/en/ticket/pass/ JR East: www.jreast.co.jp/multi/en/pass/ JR Kyushu: www.jrkyushu.co.jp/english/railpass/index.html JR Hokkaido: www.jrhokkaido.co.jp/global/english/ticket/index.html
@@japanunravelled Oh I didn't realise that the regional JR companies sold passes on their website! Thank you for that. On the JR West website, at the time of writing, a 7 day Sanyo-San'in Area pass for adults sells for different prices depending on where you purchase it: JPY20,000 from a travel agent overseas, JPY21,500 from "JR-West Train Online Reservation" (the official website), and JPY22,000 from a JR-West counter. Looked at this particular pass because I'll be travelling between Kansai and Kyushu. I wonder what the benefit of paying more is - is it the ability to make shinkansen reservations online before arriving at Japan? Anyway, I'll probably buy from a third party and make reservations after I land.
Yes, exactly - that's what the extra money gets you. For travel between Kansai and Kyushu, totally not worth it. That section is rarely busy enough to worry about seat availability. Protip for you: definitely get a reserved seat on either a Sakura /Mizuho (Mizuho is included on some of the non-whole-country passes). It's like a first class seat on other shinkansen. Enjoy!
Not gonna lie , I am bit terrified on using my jr pass for the first time . I am a bit confused. Do I need to always make a seat reservation on the Shinkansens? Can I just go in the bullet train with my jr pass without the need of making reservations ? Do I also need to make reservations to all the trains included in the JR pass in the Tokyo area? Is it necessary to get a Suica card to move main areas in Tokyo or can I just use the jr trains ?
This video should help you: th-cam.com/video/v4AQSL3dHOs/w-d-xo.html You don't need to reserve seats for trains in urban areas, and Suica cards are only a form of payment. You can always buy tickets with cash. You'll likely need to use the subway and other lines in Tokyo though - the JR pass may not be enough.
Yes, it's good until the end of March as far as I know. There's a link in the description to the direct from JR site where they have the prices for that too.
Hi Andrew, great and informative video. I have purchased and received my exchange vouchers for my JR pass via a travel agency. Is there a way to reserve seats ahead of time or must one go to a JR office or ticket machine? Also, are non Shinkansen JR stations able to do seat reservations?
Thanks and congrats on using my name! No, you're limited to ticket offices and machines I'm afraid. Not really a big problem. As for the non-Shinkansen stations, I'm fairly sure the answer is yes! I think the same is true for the ticket machines.
Hi, I've just ordered my JR Pass online, but it's to pick up the pass when I'm in Japan. Is the Exchange order element only applicable if you buy from an agent?
Thank you so much for this video. But I have one more question, i use this apps called japan official travel apps. When I searched for route from a to b, i can key in the pass i have such as jrpass then it shows up prices and when u clicked on some route has JRpass written on it, some are not, i supposed those not arent covered by JR and they showed up price also. Here is the question, there's also some route it shows JRPASS also with price, does it mean by using jrpass i also need to pay that amount? Eg. I use to check from asakusabashi to hakone, then on Kodama train route it stated some price and JRPASS. But i heard from other guys that Kodama isnt included in JR and it shows price, im confused... isnt all JR line are covered except nozomi and mizuho? Thanks
Yeah, it will show the price that you would pay without having the pass. I guess it's there to help you figure out if you're getting your money's worth, but it is confusing. Kodama is included with the pass, it's only Nozomi and Mizuho that aren't.
@@japanunravelled omg thanks for replying in such a short time! Thank you so much. Anyway, one more question. Is it better to buy a 14d jrpass or 7d jr pass + tokyo wide pass? 15d14n trip 5nights tokyo 5nights osaka 1night yuzawa hotel 1 night kusatsu hotel 2night tokyo hotel Start from the day we go from Tokyo to Osaka, then back on the 6th day from Osaka to Yuzawa. On 7th Day Kusatsu overnight On 8th Day kusatsu back to Tokyo On 9th Kawaguchiko and 10th back to Narita I was planning on getting 7days jrpass + tokyo wide pass for 3days. But the price is not much different. Or is it better just get a 14days JRpass? But will it be waste of money since first 5days in Tokyo i'll just explore the disneyland and city? Thanks in advance
I think the Tokyo Wide Pass makes sense for days 7 8 and 9, but I'm not sure that a JR pass is such a good idea. Single tickets may well be cheaper, especially if you're spending your time in the cities. 2x Tokyo Wide Pass may make more sense, if you can group Yuzawa, Kusatsu, Kawaguchiko and the journey back to Narita.
A major downside to the vending machine is that you cannot cancel/undo once your tickets are issued so you have to go into one of those ticket office to do it which is a pain. Hope this helps viewers.
Good question. You can, but I think you'll need to go and do it at the ticket office. Another viewer told me that the ticket machines won't let you book overlapping journeys. Hope that helps.
Hey, can I just buy the pass once I'm at a train station or the airport? Rather than buying it in the UK and wait for the 'voucher' delivery. P.S I'm flying in a few days. Thank you for this video, very helpful! :)
Yes you can! Most companies offering the pass can also send it to an address in Japan if you're short on time. Or you can buy it online from JR (no voucher).
If buying from JR directly, the price is 33,610 yen, both if you buy it online and from a ticket office in Japan. JR is only selling passes from the ticket office until 31st March 2023. If you buy it online from JR in advance you can make seat reservations in advance of arriving in Japan like I mentioned in the video.
This is fantastic advice. As an aside do you know if I can only reserve train seats online before getting to Japan if I buy a HOKKAIDO rail pass from a 3rd party agent and not the official site.
My family is going to Japan 29th December this year. We have bought JR Pass for 7 days. My plan is that we are going to activate the JR Pass starting from 3rd January 2023. But if i can, i would like to make a reservation for shinkansen seats now since i'm afraid i wont be able to get the seats due to holiday season. Do you think i can reserve seats now without activating the JR Pass? If I have to activate it to make a reserve, then the only option i have is to start reserving seats at 3rd January? Can i activate the pass now for 3rd Jan until 10th Jan?
Unless you bought the passes direct from JR, you'll have to wait until you activate them to make reservations. The busiest day for the Shinkansen is forecast to be the 3rd, and busy until the 5th. If you're planning on taking luggage on the 3rd, I'd suggest sending it with takyubin instead. Hope that helps!
Hey, good information. I also use JR pass a lot. I think one thing is missing. JR pass cannot be used on Nozomi and Mizuho lines both reserved and non-reserved seat. I'm not sure they already have changed this rule or not. If not, I think JR pass holder should be very becareful with this. Train officer might charge you the full cost of that train.
Thanks! Yes, it's an important point so thanks for bringing it up here. I'm surprised it didn't come up in the questions I covered. When I do a video about route planning or the inevitable JR Pass guide video I'll include this kind of warning!
Hi, after booking a seat (online or at any desk/machine in japan), what happens if I change my plans and if I want to amend time of departure? Can I go to the counter and change che seats easily ? And if I miss the train? If I have two bags that are under 160cm (so no baggage reservation needed), can I book the baggage space as well just to be more comfortable? Even if my baggage fit the space upon the seats I’m not sure I’ll be able to put them there 😅…to heavy. Thanks
1. Go to the ticket office. 2. Sit in a non-reserved car, or go to the ticket office to reserve another train. Next, watch this video about luggage: th-cam.com/video/PpBkZR8dxG8/w-d-xo.html Enjoy!
Great video. Just a question, how much time in advance, in your opinion, should I make the reservation for the oversized luggage seats? I’m arriving at Tokyo at night and want to travel the next morning (May 11) Normal cars.
Thank you! Great question! You should try to book them as soon as you can, especially if you want to take a particular train. If you're a bit more flexible, that helps. Often when I've been reserving one it's the last one on the train, or I have to take the next train to get one.
@@japanunravelled thanks for the quick answer. I don´t need to take a train in particular, what I mean is, can I go to the station and book seats for some train that same morning?
I am planning to stop and stay in Japan for 6 days before going back to United States. Can I buy the JR pass from the Philippines and if plan changes can I get a refund? Thanks
If buying from a travel agency, you can return unused JR Pass exchange orders for a refund, although there will probably be a fee. Check with the travel agency for exact details. I imagine there are similar rules if you buy directly from JR, but can't find the info on their website.
You can do that, but if you're planning on using the free carpeted "Nobi Nobi" section, don't be surprised if it's sold out by then. That's entirely free with the JR Pass, but is extremely popular. Compartments may have better availability 1 or 2 days before, but you'll need to pay extra. Also depends on the time of year too how booked up the train is.
Hi! I arrive in Japan on the 31/3 but don't want to activate my JR pass until I leave Tokyo on the 7/4 - if I want to purchase from the official JR website and take advantage of the online booking system, what date should I purchase the pass? Just a little bit confused about the 1 month advance purchase in relation to arrival date or activation date..Thanks!
JR will ask you when you want the pass to start, then you tell them the 7th of April. I imagine this means you can't buy from JR until March 7th, but I could be wrong. Do drop me a comment and tell me how it goes.
hello, i want to ask so i dont need to look for the staff before entering the train and just go straight to the machine to enter the jr pass that looks like ticket?
Just to clarify, you've said when we buy JR pass direct from JR website, we can use their online seat reservation in advance although our JR pass would not have been activated yet, so I assume JR website will ask us to specify the activation date, so it knows whether we're booking trains on dates within the correct date range of our JR pass, is that right? That would also mean, before making the seat reservation, I can book the trains on the JR website without going to JR ticket office to ask them to book for me, is that right? Understand that I still have to go to JR office to pick up the actual tickets. I plan to buy early next year so haven't gone into the website to look at how it works. And thanks so much for your very helpful video & patience in answering so many questions! I didn't know which is the official JR site so thanks again for providing that link!
Yes, that's exactly right. The system knows when your pass will be valid and allows reservations within the validity period. The great part about going this route is you can just pick up all your reservations at the same time you pick up your actual pass. And having spent a nerve-wracking 15-20 minutes waiting at a ticket office just recently (when my train was due to leave in 30 mins) I highly recommend booking ahead if possible! (JR Direct link: japanrailpass.net/) Glad I can help you!
Great information. We are going to visit Kyoto, Osaka and Hiroshima in 2 weeks. We are planning to get the JR West Pass for Kansai-Hiroshima. We want to take a bullet train directly from Kyoto to Hiroshima, but I know this pass doesn't cover the bullet train from Kyoto to Osaka, can we still get the bullet train from Kyoto to Hiroshima by paying the difference? And can we also book the Green Car for this route by paying additional difference?
Good question. Yes, I find that restriction difficult too. As far as I know you'll need to pay for a separate ticket for the KyotoShin-Osaka section - the full fare -1,440 yen for a non-reserved seat. If it's anything like the national JR Pass then you'll be able to upgrade to the green car using an ordinary pass, but it will only cover the base fare. The Shinkansen supplement ticket is 8,680 yen between Kyoto and Hiroshima (one way). I'd recommend visiting a ticket office to confirm and get the right supplement ticket. The staff are very good in Kyoto if you're there. Although you want to go directly from Kyoto to Hiroshima, you might consider taking a limited express between Kyoto to Shin-Osaka. There are many, only take 25 minutes, and are fully-covered by this pass.
I have a bit of a specific question. I ordered my pass through an agent and not Japan rail directly. I got the 2 week pass but I'll be there for 18 days. I know I can choose when it goes into effect, so I'll wait 4 days before I activate it. My question is, when I land at Haneda and exchange my pass (I'll tell them to start it in 4 days from then) am I still able to reserve future seats even though my pass isn't technically active yet? Thanks!
If I buy from JR directly, can I buy more than one (in Japan for a month, so Feb 1st-14th and Feb 15th- rest of trip)? Also, I know JTBUSA mailed out a voucher for JR Pass. How does an online direct JR pass purchase work? Can I buy days before my trip (say Jan 15th for that Feb 15th) and just pickup with a reservation code and ID?
Not having bought from JR directly I don't know for sure, but I don't see any reason why it wouldn't let you buy more than one pass. There aren't any rules against doing so. If you buy direct from JR you still need to go to the exchange counter and show them your passport to get the pass itself. I imagine that there's some code to find the purchase too. You'll have to check to make sure but I would say a month prior will be fine.
Thank you very much for your video, I was really confused because I was watching videos from 3 years ago and you still had to show the staff your JR pass, and today I saw a video where they explained about the machines, your video clarified many doubts and I feel more confident. I hope someone can answer, when I enter without a reservation, how will I know which seat is not reserved by someone else?
creo que ya encontre la respuesta: Si no eres tan previsor, siempre podrás montarte sobre la marcha en cualquiera de los vagones etiquetados como “NO-RESERVED”, a riesgo de que estén todos los asientos ocupados y tengas que viajar de pie. Si realizas la reserva de asientos, tendrás que montarte en el coche indicado en tu billete, que estará entre los marcados como “RESERVED”. Como indicamos más adelante, con las marcas del suelo del andén localiza el punto exacto dónde parará tu vagón.
Hi, thanks for the informative video. Very helpful. Quick question....? Does buying the green rail pass allow you to pre-booked seats if bought from third party agents? (unlike the standard class) Thank you in advance.
@Japan Unravelled Thanks for your reply. I am trying to book my Japan rail pass on the oficial page, but it is telling me that I can only purchase it one month in advance. Don’t they have to post it to us in the UK? It seems to close to our trip. Is it that correct? Thanks again!
@@belen4200 You don't get an exchange order when buying from JR - you only need to take your passport to the service counter to collect your pass. So you don't get anything in the post - which is probably just as well considering how that is these days!
Can you buy multiple JR passes for one person in advance of going to Japan. I hope to be in Japan for 3 months year next, and was thinking of just buying four 3 week passes. I’m concerned there are restrictions on how many passes can be used by one person during a single stay. Thanks!
hello! this was so informative! thank you! but i’m only going to be in japan from 14-23 March and i’ll be city hopping from tokyo (2 days) - kyoto (2 days + 1 day trip to nara) - fujikawaguchiko 2 days - shinjuku (3 days) and i’m not sure if i should get the JR pass cus it’s either the 7 or 14 days pass😭 & im on a budget carrying my luggage with me
Thanks! Tokyo to Kyoto return, plus Tokyo to Kawguchiko return (JR pass only covers it up to Otsuki), and a round trip to Nara? You'll just about cover the cost of a 7 day pass. A 14 day pass, not a chance of it being worth it. Hope that helps!
You need to pay extra from Otsuki to Kawguchiko (1170 yen x2). Nara to Kyoto is so cheap it's not worth me looking up the price! If you got the Tokyo Wide Pass from JR the whole journey to Kawaguchiko would be covered and you'd have 1 extra day for another journey. I'd also look at flying Peach or Jetstar down to Kansai Airport (there are cheap options to get from there to Kyoto) instead of getting a JR Pass. Just some options to look into!
Thank you for your information video! Question, can I reserve seats on trains before activating my JR pass? Example: Let's say I plan to travel to Tokyo to Osaka on Monday, in the hopes of making the JR pass to be activated on that Monday. Would I be able to reserve seats before that?
@@japanunravelled Thanks for the reply! Not quite, I understand at the time of exchanging the actual JR pass I can specify the starting date of the pass. If I could obtain the pass beforehand with the "activate" date, that will goes back to my question if I be able to reserve seats before that.
Thanks for the extra details! Yes, once you have the pass in hand, you can reserve seats for any trains during the period of validity, even if the start date is in the future.
@@japanunravelled Thanks again for unraveling my question! Watched quite a few of your other videos and also gained a lot of knowledge from them too! Subbed for future videos ahead! 😄
JR seems to only allow on line purchase one month in advance. Is that enough time to get your pass’s voucher in that US. I want to be able to make sear reservations in advance.
Hi! I would like for your opinion. My friends and I are going to Tokyo for a week stay. We were thinking of going to Tokyo-Osaka for only 1 day round trip and will be back to Tokyo again. Should we get the jr pass or just suica card? Thank you!
JR Pass. Economically cheaper. Staying in Tokyo and only seeing Osaka when you have a 1 week JR pass is a collosal waste though. There's far more to Japan than big cities.
@@japanunravelled Thanks for responding! 😊 we did plan to come again to stay longer on each places too (finding the rite time since we’r working), since this is our first trip to Japan we decided to start from Tokyo!
@@syarahyaya It's great that you're already thinking about the next trip. This time definitely consider one or two side trips from Tokyo if you have time for it. Nikko is pretty great and very easy to reach for example. Enjoy!
So helpful!! I wish I'd seen your video before I bought my pass from a third party (I would have liked the online seat reservation option, haha). Do you think finding a spot for a full sized luggage bag (the kind you need to check on a plane) is ever a problem? I will be travelling using the Green Pass.
Thanks! If you write out all the trains you want, staff at the ticket office are usually very fast, but you may want to use the machines because sometimes you have to wait a long time in the queue. The special luggage spaces are very popular, and I've tried to book a seat to use on on many occasions only to find they're all gone. Green cars however are rarely busy, so you should have no trouble booking the oversized baggage seats. That size bag supposedly fits on the overhead shelves, but if it's heavy, I'd want it in the luggage area.
I'll put the idea on my list, thanks. Are you talking about this pass for Tokyo? www.tokyometro.jp/en/ticket/travel/index.html#anc02 That won't work between Narita and Tokyo unfortunately - the subway doesn't run that far. For Osaka I can't find anything longer than a 1 day pass. I want to do videos about other passes (some arguably better than the JR Pass) so if you let me know the kind of travel you want to do (like how many days your trip is, where you want to go) it'll give me a better idea of what to cover.
@@japanunravelled great info. I bet others world love to see a video on that pass you linked. Reading reviews are one thing, but a video is 100% better. Even for someone like me who has been to Japan 3 times going on 4 times now. Each time is a learning experience.
Hi there, I found your video very informative, I am also leaving for Japan a lil over a week from now. I was wondering, I purchased my JR pass from one of the vendors listed in the Japanrailpass website. I got the exchange order and I know that I won't be able to make reservations until my pass is activated. However I was wondering once its activated, will I be able to make reservations online? or would I have to go to ticket office or machine to make reservations?
If you bought the pass from an authorized travel agent, you can’t make reservations on the website, even after you exchange it in Japan. You’ll need to make them at station ticket offices, reserved seat ticket vending machines, or major travel agency branches in Japan.
This is correct, but with a small caveat: if you're travelling north of Tokyo or in the JR East area, you can actually use Ekinet to make seat reservations online, but only for journeys in that area. Unfortunately I think the vast majority of people head south and miss out on the great stuff in this part of Japan. www.jrpass.com/blog/using-ekinet-to-make-online-seat-reservations-with-the-japan-rail-pass
so I will be in osaka for 18 days and I want to go to Kyoto once and tokyo once during my stay and I will be using the trains in osaka to go around Osaka! Do you feel it is worth it to buy a JR Pass?
Wow I can’t believe I bumped into this video and you answered all my questions . So useful and informative so Thank You!!
I'm glad to hear it, thank you for stopping to comment!
I just watched several of your videos - great information and clear explanations - but you're the real hero for coming in here and answering all these personal questions about everyone's trip.
Thanks for your kindness!
I'm leaving in one week for a 10 week trip, with the first three weeks being dominated by a JR Pass excursion. This video came at the perfect time as I'm looking to purchase it tonight! I came here from your 5 things that changed video, keep up sharing all this great info! :)
Thanks very much, I hope you have a brilliant trip!
Have a great trip!
Thanks for making such an informative video! I've been to Japan before COVID and used the JR pass. Finally going back this year and you covered some of the changes that have occurred since then nicely. The online reservation is great to see added.
Thanks for your kind words. I'm sure that having the experience of waiting to show the old style pass to staff and to make reservations will make you much more appreciative of the changes. Have fun on the trip this year!
Thank you so much for this video. I accidentaly planned my trip on Golden Week and what's worse I need to get from Tokyo to Osaka on 3rd 😅 I know stupid idea but I didn't want to change flights. So, I really need to get my reservation in advance, and thanks to you I feel confident to successfully complete it.
Glad it was helpful!
Thank you for making this video! It’s surprisingly difficult to find information on using the JR pass, and how to reserve seats. This answered all the questions I had plus more!
Thanks for stopping to leave your kind words! Glad I could help.
This has been incredibly helpful! I love the questions you answered. Thank you! ❤
You are so welcome!
Very helpful.
Thank you so much 🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾
Cheers!
Thank you! This video was super helpful.
Glad it was useful!
Excellent video that answered my questions without any nonsense. ありがとごさいます、
You're welcome!
Super helpful. My luggage is JUST under the oversized classification and I'm really paranoid about it. It sure looks huge... You obviously know a ton about this. Thank you.
In all likelihood, nobody will check it. If you're still paranoid, reserve one of the oversized baggage seats. Have a great trip!
Perfect video!!! Great questions and nice details!!
Many many thanks, and best wishes for the future!!
Thanks for your kindness!
Just returned. You are spot on. The JR ticket vending machine was fun and easy to use, if you get to one very early in the morning and if you don't need to input more than 2 passport numbers because entering those #s was a tedious process.
Thanks - I might be tempted to just go to the ticket office early in the morning because there's often a 0 minute wait time. I expect you have your passport number memorised now!
@@japanunravelled Ours were easy to memorize because they only differ by one digit.
@@japanunravelled I used a machine from 6-7am at Hiroshima Station and printed out a bunch of tickets. It was fun.
I'm so glad you weren't afraid of using them - I've seen people who don't want to touch the machines!
Mate, you have answered my questions so well! Thank you so much and yes, I am subscribed to your channel!!
You're very welcome, thanks for commenting with the questions. I hope you have a great trip! Enjoy riding the Hokuto train!
Very very well explained!
Glad it was helpful!
This channel is really helpful for first time visitor❤
You're very kind to say so, thanks!
Very insightful! Answered all my questions!
I'm glad it helped!
Thank you! Really! This was very helpful ❤
You're so welcome!
Great video! Thank you!
You are welcome!
Also, do you recommend we get the green car pass during Sakura season to ensure we get seats? We’re traveling Tokyo-Kyoto-Osaka-Hiroshima-Fuji-Tokyo.
That's overkill. You'll be fine reserving seats in the standard cars.
Thanks for making this video. There's a chance I might be going to Japan soon for business reasons, so I told my boss that a JR Pass would be useful given that it works on the Shinkansen lines, since a lot of intercity travel will be involved.
Glad it was helpful!
Thanks for this! First time coming across your video and very nicely explained! I'm going to be visiting Japan next month and will buy the pass directly from JR website because reserving seats via desktop/phone is very convenient!
Thanks! Hope you have a great trip!
Your explanation is so good, easy to understand and narrated well
You're very kind! Cheers!
5:21 the machine actually ate my ticket! But every ticket gate area is staffed so I just waved around to the staff and they helped me get it out. Was a bit stressful tho.
Oh dear! Was this a pass or just a single use ticket?
Okay, the question is : I bought a jrpass on the official website, booked seats online in advance. if I can get a Jr pass at the Jr branch, how can I get a ticket with the specified seat reservation that needs to be shown to the conductor?😇 Thank you
If you've bought the pass with JR online and booked seats in advance, you should get the reservation tickets at the same time that you pick up the pass. Does that help?
@@japanunravelled oh thank you 😇 yes👌🏻
Your videos are the best!! How long prior to my trip to Japan I have to order JR pass? My trip will be in July 2023. Thank You!
If it's through a travel agency, just order enough in advance so that you receive the exchange order in time. It depends on the delivery time. I'd order a month before my trip starts if it were me. You can often deliver to an address in Japan though.
If ordering direct from JR, there are no exchange orders, and you can only order a pass 1 month before anyway.
Can I please ask is there an alternative to Nozomi train? I have checked travel from Yokosuka to Tokyo and always had a Nozomi train which is not included in JR pass all of Japan. Thank you.
Hikari and Kodama. Have a look at this video to find them: th-cam.com/video/VS0imfarrYw/w-d-xo.html
Hey, I have a small question about 2 things I'm still confused about:
You mentioned that if one misses a train that they had reservations for, they can just hop onto the next one but will have to sit in the unreserved section. Does that mean it's not possible to make a last minute reservation for that next train (assuming you have the time to do so)?
In that same vein, in the Green Pass car segment you mentioned that if one makes an impulse trip, they'll have to sit in the non-Green cars, but is it not possible to similarly make a reservation a few minutes before that impulse train journey?
Both of those combined make me wonder if reservations close a certain amount of time before the train departs, or if they stay open until departure. I'm particularly curious about this because my plan was to be flexible on the trains I'd take (say I end up wanting to spend one more morning/noon in Kyoto, or on the contrary get back to Tokyo ASAP, or if I end up spending more time in Kanazawa than I planned when starting a day-trip, ...) instead of making reservations for everything well in advance. So my plan for at least some of my trips was to pop into the station with 20/30 minutes to spare and make the reservations at that point, but now I'm wondering if that can be done.
Thanks a lot for the very informative videos, anyway !
Good question! You can make reservations up to about 10 minutes before the train leaves. I forget the exact number because it's different for shinkansen and limited expresses.
Of course you can go reserve seats 20-30 mins before. The ticket offices may have long lines, so I recommend making reservations at the ticket machines when busy.
Hi, I want to know if can you able to upgrade one of your shinkansen trip from Green Car to Gran Class? I am planning to try the Gran Class on my trip from Hokkaido to Tokyo.
Thanks for the answer
No, if you want Gran Class you need to buy a separate ticket. As in, you can't just pay the difference between the green car fee and the gran class fee. You need to pay for the whole gran class ticket.
Thank you for your videos! I’m traveling to japan at the end of March to visit my daughter, who is living/working in Japan. We’d like to reserve seats in advance, but I’ll have a jrail pass and she is not able to get one, since she is a temporary resident. Is there a way we can reserve seats together with two different types of tickets?
Good question. If you go together to the ticket office, they should be able to handle that best. Also possible at the ticket machines, if you stand next to each other at separate ones!
Good day! I have a question. We are planning to visit Japan in the next week, but we didnt buy JR Pass yet. I think we wont have enough time to receive our Exchange Order because we live in the country no one knows about. So here is the question: If we buy Jr Pass directly from JR official website, do we still have to get physical paper of Exchange Order, or do we just get E-MAIL confirmation, and will be able to use that E-Mail at the airport? In first case is it better to buy JR Pass straight in airport? (Price doesn't matter, just want to get Pass in time) Thank you!
You only need your passport in that case. Watch this video: th-cam.com/video/v4AQSL3dHOs/w-d-xo.html
Thank you for this video. It really answered most of my question related to JR Pass. I've read all the previous comments,but haven't found one I'm confused about, sorry if I missed it. I understand that now we don't need to show the pass to the staff when entering the gates, and use the machine gates intead. I'm still confused on which ticket should I insert when I need to transfer between conventional JR Lines trains to shinkansen or the other way around. I googled it but found no clear explanation. Hope you can help.
Thanks for your kind words. When moving through the transfer gates between shinkansen and conventional lines like that, you only need to put the JR Pass through. Hope that helps!
@@japanunravelled Ah I see. It's so simple😅. Can't find better explaination than yours. Thank you so much, I really appreciate it 😊
Thanks for the useful video! Question please!
I'm travelling to Japan with all my relatives next month. Is it possible for me to create an account for myself - and then purchase all the JR Passes for my relatives using my account? And then book online seats for them all via my account as well? Or would everyone need to setup their own accounts, purchase their own pass and make their own bullet train reservations?
(Note, we intend to pick the JR Passes up at Narita airport however I will be arriving at at a different terminal to my relatives incase that matters?) Thankyou!!
Yes, it seems possible! From the website: "In addition to the purchaser, a JAPAN RAIL PASS may be purchased for up to 6 people who are traveling with the purchaser and meet the eligibility conditions." You can also save time at the office because you can take all the passports and get everything at once while your relatives can get a coffee or something...
Different terminals don't matter - have fun!
Would it be more cost effective to just fly between major cities, like tokyo, osaka, kyoto, and hiroshima?
It's a good question, but difficult to answer without considering how much time you want to spend in each place, when you book, and how much luggage you have. You also have to factor in the time + cost getting to and from the airport. Low cost carriers like Peach and Jetstar are very good value compared to ANA and JAL and give more options. This idea is in my video do-list, so I may well use this itinerary! Thanks!
2 thumbs up for the sharing, very relevant and well explained. 😊
Thanks for your kindness!
Hi I’m travelling to Japan mid January. I have snowboard bags and was wondering the best way to get them from Tokyo to Hakuba ? Thank you
Great question! By far the best way is just having them delivered by takyubin. Yamato is the most popular company for this and has desks at airports, but you can also arrange it at hotels or convenience stores. Just contact wherever you're staying in Hakuba and make sure it's fine to send your gear ahead of you. It will usually get there the next day. It's very inexpensive too and also the best way of getting it back to the airport too. More info here: www.global-yamato.com/en/hands-free-travel/
Thank you!! Do you know if buses allow snowboard bags ?
@@morgangraham2549 Depends on the company and route! If you know I'll have a look.
@@japanunravelled Just sharing, my boss was at Nozawa-onsen end Dec 2022 and we looked at the option of forwarding her luggage from Tokyo to Nozawa-onsen. The hotel helping us with this advised that due to heavy snowfall in the destination region, the luggage will take 3 days to reach instead of next day service. So luggage forwarding has its time limitations especially when sending to a heavily snowing place. Best to get the hotel to check.
@@aphraelk6214 Yes, this is a very good point! It's easy to forget that there's some major weather going on elsewhere in Japan that can cause trouble with forwarding luggage or delay flights. Another very common issue is typhoons in summer. More than once I've been told it'll take 3 days to get my case home from the airport because of a typhoon!
Great tips. Thanks.
Glad it was helpful!
If i have 2 luggage, and each is less than 160cm (length, width, heigth), do i need to reserve a seat?
No, not necessary.
Some JR pass purchase page says " no middle name" but some says the name has to "match" the passport. Did you all but middle names when purchasing JR Pass?
Good question! As far as I know/remember, I don't think the middle name matters - as long as your main names match, you should be fine.
@@japanunravelled Thank you just used Japan experience website and the JR pass came the next day !
The most informative video on the JR Pass i've seen so far, keep ud the good work!
How do you go about using your JR Pass to book on the Sunrise Izumo 'Sleeper train' if you don't want the Nobi Nobi seats but desire to upgrade to one of the private cabins?
Thanks for your kind words.
For the Sunrise Izumo/Seto I've always gone to the ticket office/green window, shown my JR Pass and then they ask you which kind of cabin you want. Have a look on this page for the seat options: jprail.com/trains/sort-by-type/limited-express/sunrise-seto.html
You *may* be able to do it online but I've not done that with a JR pass.
I've tried the "solo" cabin before which was great, although I don't mind the Nobi Nobi.
Note that they have changed the departure times recently so that page may be a bit out of date.
If I just need a one way trip from Hiroshima to Tokyo via bullet train what would you recommend?
The cost of that is well short of what a pass costs. Just buy a ticket from the machine/office. It is possible to save money by buying online or going to a discount ticket shop, but you'll need to navigate in Japanese to some extent for both.
Many tks for your usefull tips
Question about reservation: I already know all my destinations I will visita in Japan, but Not the Time ! The rservations are only valid for a specifific time or simply for the directions? Means can I take a Train to Nagano from Tokyo only at a time or just every JR Train?
You should only make reservations if you're sure you want or need to take a certain train, and yes, they're tied to specific trains. If you're not sure about the times, just use the unreserved seats cars. Do check ahead though because some trains on the Nagano Shinkansen are all reserved cars.
Thank you for the video..I saw that in Tokyo station there is a jr cafe, where is possible to activate the pass, and maybe I can reserve the seat also..
What about covid certification if I have them printed with all the info do the prefer to have those registered in the app they are using?
Yes, the JR cafe is an exchange office as far as I remember. There's a link on my other JR Pass video you can check for all the locations.
About covid stuff - you'll have to do your own research there.
Thanks for this - super helpful!
One question from me - how late can you reserve a ticket?
For example, if on the day you decide you want to go to Kyoto. Can you reserve a ticket for a train on the same day?
Yes you can! I think the exact deadline is measured in single digit minutes - but I wouldn't like to leave it that late.
@@japanunravelled thanks that would be cutting it extremely fine 😱
Thank you for your video, help heaps. I know that by buying directly from JR I can make reservations before activating the pass or arriving at Japan whereas from an agent I cannot. But will I get access to the online system to make reservations after pass activation? Hope I am making sense..
Buying direct from JR - yes.
Buying from an agent - no.
Wow...just find out my previous question in your other video is answered here....very complete information, thanks. For green car, can we definitely put our oversize luggage in front of our seat ? (seems big enough space) or they have special place to put?
Glad it was helpful! Yes, that space is all yours, but they also have oversized baggage areas in Green cars if you want to use them. May as well when you have to reserve seats anyway.
@@japanunravelled BIG THANKS !!
Is it possible to make the reservation for the luggage space in advance as well?
Yes - seats that allow use of the area can be reserved up to 1 month in advance.
@@japanunravelledThank you!
Is it for consecutive days or is it month to month? We’re traveling April through May and not sure if I need to buy one for each month or will they carryover just for the days that I purchase
Consecutive days! More in my guide here: th-cam.com/video/v4AQSL3dHOs/w-d-xo.html
Fantastic and concise content. Question - if I purchase a pass directly from JR I am able to book tickets online for a month before arriving in Japan. Once I’m in Japan, can I still purchase tickets online or must these be done at the stations? Many thanks!
Thanks! Yes, online is still possible as far as I know.
Great Video - 1) Ill be in Japan for 14 days , Tokyo 7days (just in the City) then the rest Kyoto 3 Hiroshima 2 Fukuoka 2. The 14day pass is £100+ dearer am i right in thinking it would be cheaper just getting a 7 day JR pass then a subway/metro passes whilst in Tokyo 2)If I buy the pass in the UK when does the pass become Activated ? When I exchange the voucher for the JR pass or when i first put the JR pass in the machine as I possibley wouldnt be using it until I leave Tokyo to Kyoto ....Thanks
Thanks! Yes, get the 7 day pass. It's activated on the date you specify when exchanging the voucher, so you can set it up to start when you leave for Kyoto.
And one more question- when I reserve seat online (in case when I buy JR pass directly from JR web) - what I show to conductor? Because I do not have paper seat reservation receipt 😊 Thank You!
You'll still have seat reservation tickets. You'll get them when you pick up the pass. Because you'll need to show them to the conductor when required, along with the pass itself. Showing anything online won't be acceptable.
Thanks for the info..I am planning taking train from tokyo to hokkaido, to stay 1 night at Hakodate before head to Sapporo. Shall I buy the Hayabusa shinkansen from tokyo station to shin-hakodate then buy the 7 days jR pass to use within Hokkaido for few days travelling? thank you...
Tokyo to Hakodate is 23,760 yen one way. If you're going back to Tokyo then I'd try to cover both journeys with the 7 day pass. You may be able to save money and a lot of time by flying, then just buying the trains you need while you're there.
@@japanunravelled Yes, I am going back to Tokyo by train too...wan to experience the train journey....Thank you for your advise...
this video is really helpful , it has all the information i needs about JR pass , thank you
Glad I could help you!
Thanks very informative. Gave me options. Did some research since. It will cost 10,000 yen more to order the JR pass online, then it is to buy in my own country. So pay more to get early reservation access. Or wait to pick up pass on arrival and the book reservations. For me as a family of 5 that is a saving of 50,000 yen! Decisions???
Oh wow, that's quite a big potential saving! Glad I helped with the video.
Thanks for the informations. Can I also check the validity of the jr pass for 7 days? If I activate it on the 1 mar when will the pass expire? Does it expire on 7mar 00:00 or 8 mar 00:00?
Also is there a size limit for luggage that we can put on the overhead compartment? Is 28inch or 30 inch lugguage alright or only cabin size?
Thank you
Good question! It will expire at 2359 on the 7th, although if you're still on a train then you can complete your journey.
There's no limit for the overhead rack as such - JR says you can fit cases with combined dimensions of 160cm up there, and many people do that.
Thanks for the explanations. I have a question if you have reserved seats, can you change them without a problem on the online website ? And do you have go get your reservation seats at a counter/machine before travel or can you ride with your online reservation and your JR pass. 😊
Not being able to get the JR Pass, I haven't used the online website so you'd have to check yourself. At the very least you'll be able to change them at any ticket office.
Yes, you need to pick up the seat reservations before you travel.
This was real useful thanks!
Glad it was helpful!
Hi, I'll be arriving at 17.30 Narita time and might pass the immigration after 18.30. i see on the website that JR office in T1 Narita only open until 18:00. if the info is right, should i go to T2 to exchange the JR Pass? thanks
Yes - looks like the travel centre at terminal 2 is open till 8pm.
Hi ! Thank you for the detailed info. We are traveling with 5 people with JR Passes. can we reserve seats in bulk so that we can sit together ? (online or at the vending machine)
Yes you can! I can't remember what the exact limit was for this, it may have been 6 people but not sure. Hope that helps.
@@japanunravelled Thank you !
On the official JR pass website, is it only possible to buy the default nationwide JR pass? I see that on other websites they offer regional JR passs, e.g. All Kyushu Pass, Sanyo-San'in Area Pass, that are cheaper than the national pass but have restricted coverage. These don't seem to be mentioned on the official website, much less available for purchase.
This is a great question that had me wondering when I was making the other JR Pass video. Not offered on JR's own JR Pass site no, but they are offered on the separate JR companies' sites, West, East, what have you.
JR West: www.westjr.co.jp/global/en/ticket/pass/
JR East: www.jreast.co.jp/multi/en/pass/
JR Kyushu: www.jrkyushu.co.jp/english/railpass/index.html
JR Hokkaido: www.jrhokkaido.co.jp/global/english/ticket/index.html
@@japanunravelled Oh I didn't realise that the regional JR companies sold passes on their website! Thank you for that.
On the JR West website, at the time of writing, a 7 day Sanyo-San'in Area pass for adults sells for different prices depending on where you purchase it: JPY20,000 from a travel agent overseas, JPY21,500 from "JR-West Train Online Reservation" (the official website), and JPY22,000 from a JR-West counter. Looked at this particular pass because I'll be travelling between Kansai and Kyushu.
I wonder what the benefit of paying more is - is it the ability to make shinkansen reservations online before arriving at Japan?
Anyway, I'll probably buy from a third party and make reservations after I land.
Yes, exactly - that's what the extra money gets you.
For travel between Kansai and Kyushu, totally not worth it. That section is rarely busy enough to worry about seat availability. Protip for you: definitely get a reserved seat on either a Sakura /Mizuho (Mizuho is included on some of the non-whole-country passes). It's like a first class seat on other shinkansen. Enjoy!
Not gonna lie , I am bit terrified on using my jr pass for the first time . I am a bit confused. Do I need to always make a seat reservation on the Shinkansens? Can I just go in the bullet train with my jr pass without the need of making reservations ? Do I also need to make reservations to all the trains included in the JR pass in the Tokyo area? Is it necessary to get a Suica card to move main areas in Tokyo or can I just use the jr trains ?
This video should help you: th-cam.com/video/v4AQSL3dHOs/w-d-xo.html
You don't need to reserve seats for trains in urban areas, and Suica cards are only a form of payment. You can always buy tickets with cash. You'll likely need to use the subway and other lines in Tokyo though - the JR pass may not be enough.
I hope to be in Japan in March. on the 15th or 16th can i still buy the jr pass in Japan and how much is it if i buy it there
Yes, it's good until the end of March as far as I know. There's a link in the description to the direct from JR site where they have the prices for that too.
@@japanunravelled thank you so much for the reply and your vids
Hi Andrew, great and informative video. I have purchased and received my exchange vouchers for my JR pass via a travel agency. Is there a way to reserve seats ahead of time or must one go to a JR office or ticket machine? Also, are non Shinkansen JR stations able to do seat reservations?
Thanks and congrats on using my name! No, you're limited to ticket offices and machines I'm afraid. Not really a big problem. As for the non-Shinkansen stations, I'm fairly sure the answer is yes! I think the same is true for the ticket machines.
Hi, I've just ordered my JR Pass online, but it's to pick up the pass when I'm in Japan. Is the Exchange order element only applicable if you buy from an agent?
Yes! This video outlines the whole thing: th-cam.com/video/v4AQSL3dHOs/w-d-xo.html
@@japanunravelled Thank you! I’m really grateful. Fantastic videos.
Thank you so much for this video. But I have one more question, i use this apps called japan official travel apps. When I searched for route from a to b, i can key in the pass i have such as jrpass then it shows up prices and when u clicked on some route has JRpass written on it, some are not, i supposed those not arent covered by JR and they showed up price also.
Here is the question, there's also some route it shows JRPASS also with price, does it mean by using jrpass i also need to pay that amount?
Eg. I use to check from
asakusabashi to hakone, then on Kodama train route it stated some price and JRPASS. But i heard from other guys that Kodama isnt included in JR and it shows price, im confused... isnt all JR line are covered except nozomi and mizuho? Thanks
Yeah, it will show the price that you would pay without having the pass. I guess it's there to help you figure out if you're getting your money's worth, but it is confusing. Kodama is included with the pass, it's only Nozomi and Mizuho that aren't.
@@japanunravelled omg thanks for replying in such a short time! Thank you so much. Anyway, one more question.
Is it better to buy a 14d jrpass or 7d jr pass + tokyo wide pass?
15d14n trip
5nights tokyo
5nights osaka
1night yuzawa hotel
1 night kusatsu hotel
2night tokyo hotel
Start from the day we go from Tokyo to Osaka, then back on the 6th day from Osaka to Yuzawa.
On 7th Day Kusatsu overnight
On 8th Day kusatsu back to Tokyo
On 9th Kawaguchiko and 10th back to Narita
I was planning on getting 7days jrpass + tokyo wide pass for 3days.
But the price is not much different. Or is it better just get a 14days JRpass? But will it be waste of money since first 5days in Tokyo i'll just explore the disneyland and city?
Thanks in advance
I think the Tokyo Wide Pass makes sense for days 7 8 and 9, but I'm not sure that a JR pass is such a good idea. Single tickets may well be cheaper, especially if you're spending your time in the cities. 2x Tokyo Wide Pass may make more sense, if you can group Yuzawa, Kusatsu, Kawaguchiko and the journey back to Narita.
A major downside to the vending machine is that you cannot cancel/undo once your tickets are issued so you have to go into one of those ticket office to do it which is a pain. Hope this helps viewers.
Thanks for coming back to add your experience! I want to do a video that compares the different ways of getting the pass. I'd find this a pain too!
If one reserves a seat in advance,
but missed that specific train, can I get another seat reserved on the next train?
Good question. You can, but I think you'll need to go and do it at the ticket office. Another viewer told me that the ticket machines won't let you book overlapping journeys. Hope that helps.
Very helpful, thanks👍🏼
Thanks for your kindness!
Hey, can I just buy the pass once I'm at a train station or the airport? Rather than buying it in the UK and wait for the 'voucher' delivery. P.S I'm flying in a few days.
Thank you for this video, very helpful! :)
Yes you can! Most companies offering the pass can also send it to an address in Japan if you're short on time. Or you can buy it online from JR (no voucher).
What’s the difference between buying on-line before arriving in Japan and buying the pass on e arriving in Japan?
If buying from JR directly, the price is 33,610 yen, both if you buy it online and from a ticket office in Japan. JR is only selling passes from the ticket office until 31st March 2023. If you buy it online from JR in advance you can make seat reservations in advance of arriving in Japan like I mentioned in the video.
This is fantastic advice. As an aside do you know if I can only reserve train seats online before getting to Japan if I buy a HOKKAIDO rail pass from a 3rd party agent and not the official site.
Thanks! As far as I know, you won't be able to make reservations until you convert your exchange order from the agent into a pass.
My family is going to Japan 29th December this year. We have bought JR Pass for 7 days. My plan is that we are going to activate the JR Pass starting from 3rd January 2023. But if i can, i would like to make a reservation for shinkansen seats now since i'm afraid i wont be able to get the seats due to holiday season. Do you think i can reserve seats now without activating the JR Pass? If I have to activate it to make a reserve, then the only option i have is to start reserving seats at 3rd January? Can i activate the pass now for 3rd Jan until 10th Jan?
Unless you bought the passes direct from JR, you'll have to wait until you activate them to make reservations. The busiest day for the Shinkansen is forecast to be the 3rd, and busy until the 5th. If you're planning on taking luggage on the 3rd, I'd suggest sending it with takyubin instead. Hope that helps!
Hey, good information. I also use JR pass a lot.
I think one thing is missing. JR pass cannot be used on Nozomi and Mizuho lines both reserved and non-reserved seat.
I'm not sure they already have changed this rule or not. If not, I think JR pass holder should be very becareful with this. Train officer might charge you the full cost of that train.
Thanks! Yes, it's an important point so thanks for bringing it up here. I'm surprised it didn't come up in the questions I covered. When I do a video about route planning or the inevitable JR Pass guide video I'll include this kind of warning!
Hi,
after booking a seat (online or at any desk/machine in japan), what happens if I change my plans and if I want to amend time of departure? Can I go to the counter and change che seats easily ? And if I miss the train?
If I have two bags that are under 160cm (so no baggage reservation needed), can I book the baggage space as well just to be more comfortable? Even if my baggage fit the space upon the seats I’m not sure I’ll be able to put them there 😅…to heavy.
Thanks
1. Go to the ticket office.
2. Sit in a non-reserved car, or go to the ticket office to reserve another train.
Next, watch this video about luggage: th-cam.com/video/PpBkZR8dxG8/w-d-xo.html
Enjoy!
Great video. Just a question, how much time in advance, in your opinion, should I make the reservation for the oversized luggage seats? I’m arriving at Tokyo at night and want to travel the next morning (May 11) Normal cars.
Thank you! Great question! You should try to book them as soon as you can, especially if you want to take a particular train. If you're a bit more flexible, that helps. Often when I've been reserving one it's the last one on the train, or I have to take the next train to get one.
@@japanunravelled thanks for the quick answer. I don´t need to take a train in particular, what I mean is, can I go to the station and book seats for some train that same morning?
Yes, you should be fine if you don't need a particular train!
@@japanunravelled awesome! thanks :)
I am planning to stop and stay in Japan for 6 days before going back to United States. Can I buy the JR pass from the Philippines and if plan changes can I get a refund? Thanks
If buying from a travel agency, you can return unused JR Pass exchange orders for a refund, although there will probably be a fee. Check with the travel agency for exact details. I imagine there are similar rules if you buy directly from JR, but can't find the info on their website.
Can we reserve ticket for Sunrise Seto/express sleeper train before 1 or 2 days before the departure using JR Pass?
You can do that, but if you're planning on using the free carpeted "Nobi Nobi" section, don't be surprised if it's sold out by then. That's entirely free with the JR Pass, but is extremely popular. Compartments may have better availability 1 or 2 days before, but you'll need to pay extra. Also depends on the time of year too how booked up the train is.
Hi! I arrive in Japan on the 31/3 but don't want to activate my JR pass until I leave Tokyo on the 7/4 - if I want to purchase from the official JR website and take advantage of the online booking system, what date should I purchase the pass? Just a little bit confused about the 1 month advance purchase in relation to arrival date or activation date..Thanks!
JR will ask you when you want the pass to start, then you tell them the 7th of April. I imagine this means you can't buy from JR until March 7th, but I could be wrong. Do drop me a comment and tell me how it goes.
@@japanunravelled thanks for the speedy reply - will let you know!
Also, I forgot to mention that if you order direct from JR, you can't change the start date once selected.
@@alexwinter7352 Thank you!
hello, i want to ask so i dont need to look for the staff before entering the train and just go straight to the machine to enter the jr pass that looks like ticket?
Yes, you don't need to show the staff your pass anymore. Just put it through the ticket gate and go to the train.
Just to clarify, you've said when we buy JR pass direct from JR website, we can use their online seat reservation in advance although our JR pass would not have been activated yet, so I assume JR website will ask us to specify the activation date, so it knows whether we're booking trains on dates within the correct date range of our JR pass, is that right? That would also mean, before making the seat reservation, I can book the trains on the JR website without going to JR ticket office to ask them to book for me, is that right? Understand that I still have to go to JR office to pick up the actual tickets. I plan to buy early next year so haven't gone into the website to look at how it works. And thanks so much for your very helpful video & patience in answering so many questions! I didn't know which is the official JR site so thanks again for providing that link!
Yes, that's exactly right. The system knows when your pass will be valid and allows reservations within the validity period.
The great part about going this route is you can just pick up all your reservations at the same time you pick up your actual pass. And having spent a nerve-wracking 15-20 minutes waiting at a ticket office just recently (when my train was due to leave in 30 mins) I highly recommend booking ahead if possible! (JR Direct link: japanrailpass.net/)
Glad I can help you!
@@japanunravelled Thank you so much for your advice!
Great information. We are going to visit Kyoto, Osaka and Hiroshima in 2 weeks. We are planning to get the JR West Pass for Kansai-Hiroshima. We want to take a bullet train directly from Kyoto to Hiroshima, but I know this pass doesn't cover the bullet train from Kyoto to Osaka, can we still get the bullet train from Kyoto to Hiroshima by paying the difference? And can we also book the Green Car for this route by paying additional difference?
Good question. Yes, I find that restriction difficult too.
As far as I know you'll need to pay for a separate ticket for the KyotoShin-Osaka section - the full fare -1,440 yen for a non-reserved seat.
If it's anything like the national JR Pass then you'll be able to upgrade to the green car using an ordinary pass, but it will only cover the base fare. The Shinkansen supplement ticket is 8,680 yen between Kyoto and Hiroshima (one way). I'd recommend visiting a ticket office to confirm and get the right supplement ticket. The staff are very good in Kyoto if you're there.
Although you want to go directly from Kyoto to Hiroshima, you might consider taking a limited express between Kyoto to Shin-Osaka. There are many, only take 25 minutes, and are fully-covered by this pass.
That's what we would do to get the tickets at the office at the same time we pickup the pass. Thank you!
Have fun! I recommend the deep-fried momiji manju in Hiroshima!
I have a bit of a specific question. I ordered my pass through an agent and not Japan rail directly. I got the 2 week pass but I'll be there for 18 days. I know I can choose when it goes into effect, so I'll wait 4 days before I activate it. My question is, when I land at Haneda and exchange my pass (I'll tell them to start it in 4 days from then) am I still able to reserve future seats even though my pass isn't technically active yet? Thanks!
Good question! Yes - you can definitely do that.
@@japanunravelled Awesome, thanks!
If I buy from JR directly, can I buy more than one (in Japan for a month, so Feb 1st-14th and Feb 15th- rest of trip)? Also, I know JTBUSA mailed out a voucher for JR Pass. How does an online direct JR pass purchase work? Can I buy days before my trip (say Jan 15th for that Feb 15th) and just pickup with a reservation code and ID?
Not having bought from JR directly I don't know for sure, but I don't see any reason why it wouldn't let you buy more than one pass. There aren't any rules against doing so.
If you buy direct from JR you still need to go to the exchange counter and show them your passport to get the pass itself. I imagine that there's some code to find the purchase too. You'll have to check to make sure but I would say a month prior will be fine.
I wish I seen this before I got the rail pass from hawaii authorized seller:/ I rather make reservations online prior to being in Japan 😮
It's not so bad making them when you get here. Takes a little time but not that much.
Thank you very much for your video, I was really confused because I was watching videos from 3 years ago and you still had to show the staff your JR pass, and today I saw a video where they explained about the machines, your video clarified many doubts and I feel more confident. I hope someone can answer, when I enter without a reservation, how will I know which seat is not reserved by someone else?
creo que ya encontre la respuesta: Si no eres tan previsor, siempre podrás montarte sobre la marcha en cualquiera de los vagones etiquetados como “NO-RESERVED”, a riesgo de que estén todos los asientos ocupados y tengas que viajar de pie.
Si realizas la reserva de asientos, tendrás que montarte en el coche indicado en tu billete, que estará entre los marcados como “RESERVED”. Como indicamos más adelante, con las marcas del suelo del andén localiza el punto exacto dónde parará tu vagón.
Yes, you're right - there are specific cars for reserved and non-reserved seats.
Hi, thanks for the informative video. Very helpful. Quick question....? Does buying the green rail pass allow you to pre-booked seats if bought from third party agents? (unlike the standard class) Thank you in advance.
Cheers! No - for that you need to buy direct from JR.
@Japan Unravelled Thanks for your reply. I am trying to book my Japan rail pass on the oficial page, but it is telling me that I can only purchase it one month in advance. Don’t they have to post it to us in the UK? It seems to close to our trip. Is it that correct? Thanks again!
@@belen4200 You don't get an exchange order when buying from JR - you only need to take your passport to the service counter to collect your pass. So you don't get anything in the post - which is probably just as well considering how that is these days!
@Japan Unravelled That is very helpful ;) Thanks again!!
Can you buy multiple JR passes for one person in advance of going to Japan. I hope to be in Japan for 3 months year next, and was thinking of just buying four 3 week passes. I’m concerned there are restrictions on how many passes can be used by one person during a single stay.
Thanks!
Great question! There's no problem doing that - you're not restricted on how many passes you can use at all. Enjoy!
hello! this was so informative! thank you! but i’m only going to be in japan from 14-23 March and i’ll be city hopping from tokyo (2 days) - kyoto (2 days + 1 day trip to nara) - fujikawaguchiko 2 days - shinjuku (3 days)
and i’m not sure if i should get the JR pass cus it’s either the 7 or 14 days pass😭 & im on a budget carrying my luggage with me
Thanks! Tokyo to Kyoto return, plus Tokyo to Kawguchiko return (JR pass only covers it up to Otsuki), and a round trip to Nara? You'll just about cover the cost of a 7 day pass. A 14 day pass, not a chance of it being worth it. Hope that helps!
@@japanunravelled thank you so much for this! oh no🥹 there’s no JR train to Kawaguchiko? yes it’s a round trip to nara
You need to pay extra from Otsuki to Kawguchiko (1170 yen x2). Nara to Kyoto is so cheap it's not worth me looking up the price! If you got the Tokyo Wide Pass from JR the whole journey to Kawaguchiko would be covered and you'd have 1 extra day for another journey. I'd also look at flying Peach or Jetstar down to Kansai Airport (there are cheap options to get from there to Kyoto) instead of getting a JR Pass. Just some options to look into!
So..I have jr rail pass,I don't need to buy ic again to travel around tokyo,right?
Well, that's impossible to answer since I don't know where you want to visit. I'd imagine that you might want to use the subway at some point though.
Thank you for your information video! Question, can I reserve seats on trains before activating my JR pass?
Example: Let's say I plan to travel to Tokyo to Osaka on Monday, in the hopes of making the JR pass to be activated on that Monday. Would I be able to reserve seats before that?
Good question! When you say "activate", do you mean, convert an exchange order into the actual JR pass?
@@japanunravelled Thanks for the reply! Not quite, I understand at the time of exchanging the actual JR pass I can specify the starting date of the pass. If I could obtain the pass beforehand with the "activate" date, that will goes back to my question if I be able to reserve seats before that.
Thanks for the extra details! Yes, once you have the pass in hand, you can reserve seats for any trains during the period of validity, even if the start date is in the future.
@@japanunravelled Thanks again for unraveling my question! Watched quite a few of your other videos and also gained a lot of knowledge from them too! Subbed for future videos ahead! 😄
Thank you, you're very kind.
JR seems to only allow on line purchase one month in advance. Is that enough time to get your pass’s voucher in that US. I want to be able to make sear reservations in advance.
You don't get a voucher if ordering with JR. Watch my JR Pass Guide video.
Hi! I would like for your opinion. My friends and I are going to Tokyo for a week stay. We were thinking of going to Tokyo-Osaka for only 1 day round trip and will be back to Tokyo again. Should we get the jr pass or just suica card? Thank you!
JR Pass. Economically cheaper. Staying in Tokyo and only seeing Osaka when you have a 1 week JR pass is a collosal waste though. There's far more to Japan than big cities.
@@japanunravelled Thanks for responding! 😊 we did plan to come again to stay longer on each places too (finding the rite time since we’r working), since this is our first trip to Japan we decided to start from Tokyo!
@@syarahyaya It's great that you're already thinking about the next trip. This time definitely consider one or two side trips from Tokyo if you have time for it. Nikko is pretty great and very easy to reach for example. Enjoy!
So helpful!! I wish I'd seen your video before I bought my pass from a third party (I would have liked the online seat reservation option, haha).
Do you think finding a spot for a full sized luggage bag (the kind you need to check on a plane) is ever a problem? I will be travelling using the Green Pass.
Thanks! If you write out all the trains you want, staff at the ticket office are usually very fast, but you may want to use the machines because sometimes you have to wait a long time in the queue.
The special luggage spaces are very popular, and I've tried to book a seat to use on on many occasions only to find they're all gone. Green cars however are rarely busy, so you should have no trouble booking the oversized baggage seats. That size bag supposedly fits on the overhead shelves, but if it's heavy, I'd want it in the luggage area.
@@japanunravelled thanks so much! I really appreciate your reply and I'm very glad I found your channel. 😊
@@GenericaQwerty Cheers! And enjoy the green car experience!
Can you do a video on local Tokyo and Osaka 3 day subway pass. Does the subway pass work from Nartia to Tokyo.
Your video has great info
I'll put the idea on my list, thanks. Are you talking about this pass for Tokyo? www.tokyometro.jp/en/ticket/travel/index.html#anc02 That won't work between Narita and Tokyo unfortunately - the subway doesn't run that far. For Osaka I can't find anything longer than a 1 day pass.
I want to do videos about other passes (some arguably better than the JR Pass) so if you let me know the kind of travel you want to do (like how many days your trip is, where you want to go) it'll give me a better idea of what to cover.
@@japanunravelled great info. I bet others world love to see a video on that pass you linked. Reading reviews are one thing, but a video is 100% better. Even for someone like me who has been to Japan 3 times going on 4 times now. Each time is a learning experience.
@@Andy80222 Definitely!
Hi there, I found your video very informative, I am also leaving for Japan a lil over a week from now. I was wondering, I purchased my JR pass from one of the vendors listed in the Japanrailpass website. I got the exchange order and I know that I won't be able to make reservations until my pass is activated. However I was wondering once its activated, will I be able to make reservations online? or would I have to go to ticket office or machine to make reservations?
If you bought the pass from an authorized travel agent, you can’t make reservations on the website, even after you exchange it in Japan. You’ll need to make them at station ticket offices, reserved seat ticket vending machines, or major travel agency branches in Japan.
This is correct, but with a small caveat: if you're travelling north of Tokyo or in the JR East area, you can actually use Ekinet to make seat reservations online, but only for journeys in that area. Unfortunately I think the vast majority of people head south and miss out on the great stuff in this part of Japan. www.jrpass.com/blog/using-ekinet-to-make-online-seat-reservations-with-the-japan-rail-pass
so I will be in osaka for 18 days and I want to go to Kyoto once and tokyo once during my stay and I will be using the trains in osaka to go around Osaka! Do you feel it is worth it to buy a JR Pass?
If you only get the 7 day pass, it's economically worth it, yes, but only if you take the trip to Tokyo.
@@japanunravelled thank you so much for the reply!
I'm going to Japan tomorrow. Does anyone have the link to the official JR website. They are say they are official.
Look in the description.
Ta
Can I use the JR pass for unlimited travel during the validity period? Or, is it limited to the amount paid for the pass?
It's completely unlimited! Trust me, I've got over 100,000 yen's worth out of a 7 day pass multiple times!
@@japanunravelled Thank you very much brother.
MUST-WATCH!
The price of the Japan Rail Pass will increase DRAMATICALLY in October 2023:
th-cam.com/video/_tcwwkKnXM0/w-d-xo.html
If you reserve a seat using the JR pass online, how do you get the seat reservation tickets to show to the conductor?
You should get the reservation tickets along with your JR pass when you pick it up at the ticket office.