Japan Rail Pass & All Regional Pass Price Update
Starting from October 1st, 2023, there will be an increase in prices for Japan Rail Pass and all other Regional Passes, such as JR East, JR West, JR Hokkaido, JR Central, JR Shikoku and JR Kyushu.
Japan Rail Pass
Effective October 1st, 2023, Japan Rail Pass prices will see a significant increase, with revisions set to take place at, 0400 Japan time. The price adjustments range from 65% to 77%, for various pass categories.
Japan Rail Pass - 7 / 14 / 21 Days
To provide added value, Japan Rail Pass will now include a special Nozomi/Mizuho ticket, exclusively for pass holders.
The Nozomi/Mizuho ticket, allows travel on Tokaido and Sanyo Shinkansen with Nozomi train, the Sanyo and Kyushu Shinkansen with Mizuho trains.
This ticket will be available for sale on October 1st, and can be used from the same date onwards. Please note that, it can only be used alongside the Japan Rail Pass, and is valid for one day only.
You can purchase it at all JR ticket offices nationwide, designated ticket machines, and overseas agents authorised by JR.
For Green and Ordinary car reserved seats, you can make one change before the departure time of the boarding station. Non-reserved seats in the ordinary car allow one change as well.
The prices remain the same for green and ordinary cars, reserved and non-reserved seats. Children's fares are generally half the price, though exceptions may apply for certain routes.
Despite the price increase, JR plans to provide special discounts for attractions in major cities across Japan, with more details set to be released from early September onwards.
Notably, from October 1st, Japan Rail Pass can only be purchased from the official dedicated website or other overseas agents authorised by JR, as local Japan sales offices will no longer sell it.
Here's the revised price table for your reference.
Keep these changes in mind when planning your travels with Japan Rail Pass, and take advantage of the additional benefits it offers.
JR East Rail Pass
JR East has also implemented price increases for their regional pass, with adjustments ranging from 23% to 50% depending on the type of pass.
Here's a table for your reference.
JR East Pass (Tohoku Area) / JR East Pass (Nagano, Niigata Area) / JR Tokyo Wide Pass
JR East-South Hokkaido Rail Pass / JR Tohoku-South Hokkaido Rail Pass
Additionally, the price of the Hokuriku Arch Pass, will be updated in conjunction with the line extension of Hokuriku Shinkansen to Tsuruga Station, which is scheduled for the spring of 2024.
JR West Rail Pass
JR West has implemented a price revision and made changes to products exclusive for visitors to Japan, especially their regional passes.
Similar to the Japan Rail Pass, prices remain the same when purchasing from overseas agents or making online reservations through JR West Online Train Reservation.
However, it's important to note that, due to increase of online bookings, JR West ticket offices will stop selling some regional passes on-site.
Here's a table for your reference.
Kansai Area Pass / Kansai WIDE Area Pass / Kansai-Hiroshima Area Pass / Sanyo-San’in Area Pass
Hiroshima-Yamaguchi Area Pass / Okayama-Hiroshima-Yamaguchi Area Pass / JR West All Area Pass
Fortunately, the price adjustments for JR West are not as drastic as those for the Japan Rail Pass.
One positive change, is the increase in the number of reserved seats allocated to certain passes. Previously, some passes could only reserve seats up to 6 times, but starting from October 1st, this will change to unlimited, which is a great improvement.
Regarding the "Icoco & Haruka" deals, they will be discontinued as of September 30, 2023. If you are interested in collecting the unique designs of these Icoco cards, be sure to get them before September 30.
Hokkaido Rail Pass
JR Hokkaido will be implementing price revisions, with changes ranging from 1000 to 1500 yen, and some increase up to 6000 yen and 8000 yen respectively.
Unlike the Japan Rail Pass, JR Hokkaido will still retain the price difference between purchasing from inside Japan and from overseas agents authorised by JR.
Here's the table for your reference.
Sapporo-Noboribetsu Area Pass / Sapporo-Furano Area Pass / Hokkaido Rail Pass 5-7 Days
JR East-South Hokkaido Rail Pass / JR Tohoku-South Hokkaido Rail Pass
Additionally, JR Hokkaido has plans to introduce a new pass, a 10 days Hokkaido Rail Pass, which will cater to visitors planning to stay for a longer period. This new pass is expected to offer more convenience and flexibility for travelers exploring the beautiful region of Hokkaido.
JR Central Tourist Pass
JR Central will be implementing a price increase ranging from 1,930 to 5,540 yen.
Unlike JR Hokkaido, there will be no price difference between purchasing from overseas agents and JR West online train reservation.
Here's the table for your reference.
Takayama-Hokuriku Area Tourist Pass / Ise-Kumano-Wakayama Area Tourist Pass
Mt. Fuji-Shizuoka Area Tourist Pass Mini / Alpine Takayama Matsumoto Area Tourist Pass
As for the Alpine Takayama Matsumoto Area Tourist Pass, there is no update available at the moment. Please stay tuned for any announcements regarding this pass in the future.
JR Shikoku Rail Pass
JR Shikoku has recently revised its prices on May 20, 2023. Interestingly, they continue to maintain the price difference, between overseas agents and local sales, with a difference of 500 yen.
Regarding seat reservations, JR Shikoku has an interesting approach. They offer reserved seat booklets, containing 4 reserved tickets, providing travelers with more flexibility.
Here's the table for your reference.
JR Kyushu Rail Pass
JR Kyushu has implemented price increases ranging from 1,000 yen, to as high as 5,000 yen.
However, for the San-yo San'in Northern Kyushu pass, the price remains consistent regardless of whether you purchase it from overseas agents, the JR West online train reservation website or a JR station ticket office.
Here's the table for your reference.
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Official Japan Rail Pass Website - https://japanrailpass.net/en/
Japan Rail Pass Price Table - https://www.jreast.co.jp/press/2023/20230726_ho01.pdf
JR East Price Table - https://www.jreast.co.jp/press/2023/20230726_ho02.pdf
JR West Price Table - https://www.westjr.co.jp/global/en/pdf/press_20230726.pdf
JR Hokkaido Price Table - https://www.jrhokkaido.co.jp/CM/Info/news_en/pdf/pass_revised_202307_en.pdf
JR Central Price Table - https://jr-central.co.jp/news/release/_pdf/000042849.pdf
JR Shikoku Price Table - https://shikoku-railwaytrip.com/news/pdf/202304_pricechange_en.pdf?_230323
JR Kyushu Price Table - https://www.jrkyushu.co.jp/english/pdf/20231001_pricerevision.pdf
Luggage Size Limit - https://japanrailpass.net/pdf/oversized_baggage_EN_230317.pdf
Agent JR Pass - https://click.jrpass.com/SH8T
Agent Regional Pass - https://click.jrpass.com/SH8U