Many who wish to travel to Japan know about the famous JR Pass (Japan Rail Pass), which is a pass that allows unlimited travel on various trains, including the Shinkansen (bullet train). In this article, we will see if it is really worth getting this pass and how to buy it.
The JR Pass consists of a pass that tourists can use to take trains from the JR company and partners unlimitedly for periods of 7, 14, or 21 days and travel on bullet trains without paying except on the nozomi and mizuho (the fastest trains in Japan).
With the JR Pass, you can travel comfortably from Tokyo to Osaka, Hokkaido, Kumamoto, and 90% of other cities in Japan, no matter the distance. It can be very advantageous if you want to travel all over Japan and do not want to pay more than 10,000 yen (+350R$) for a shinkansen (bullet train) trip.
I made a video talking a little about the JR Pass, and you can watch it below:
How much does the JR Pass cost? Where to buy the JR Pass?
Currently, the JR Pass costs about $250 for 7 days, $415 for 14 days, and $550 for 21 days. There are places where the 21-day JR Pass can exceed 3000 reais, which apparently is quite expensive.
In yen, a 21-day JR Pass can cost up to 80,000. If you plan to use the shinkansen about 8 times, it might already be worth buying it despite the high price. A trip from Tokyo to Osaka on the shinkansen can cost up to 13,000 yen.
To buy the JR Pass, you need to do this outside of Japan before your trip. You can order it through the official website or from other websites and agencies that represent and sell the JR Pass officially and securely. You will receive an exchange voucher by mail, which you must present at the specific counter in Japan to activate it.
You should pay attention to the deadline to activate your JR Pass and also the expiration date after activation. Although some guards may turn a blind eye when looking at your pass, do not try to use it after it has expired. Only people with a Temporary Visitor visa can obtain and use a JR Pass.
Is it worth buying the JR Pass?
As each day passes, the value of the JR Pass and the Real currency depreciate, which does not make it something very advantageous. There are various situations where it is not worth using the JR Pass. For example, if you are going to visit Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka, it might be more advantageous to buy a one-way ticket to Tokyo and a return ticket from Osaka.
If you do this, you will only need to use the shinkansen once or you can save even more by using local trains from Tokyo to Osaka and still get to know more cities. Not to mention that the JR Pass does not work everywhere, especially in the Kansai region, which is dominated by train stations of another company.
There are other options for cards and passes in cities like Tokyo and Osaka that can replace the JR Pass if you want to use it more within these large cities. If you want to travel only to the South or North of Japan, there may be better options than using a Shinkansen.
For example, I will go to Hokkaido; the JR Pass may be advantageous, but I chose to take a plane to Hokkaido and take local trains down to the Sendai region or further into central Japan. Sometimes buying a plane ticket is much more practical and cheaper than using a bullet train with the JR Pass.
The JR Pass is only worth it if you are going to travel a lot, to different cities, and using the bullet train. In that case, it is worth making the high investment in the passes of $250, $415, and $550. What do you think of the JR Pass? Is it worth it? We want to hear your opinion in the comments.
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