Not changing the price since the 80s? Didn't know that. This is a fair price hike. People that want the 'shinkansen experience' will still pay for it. Other travelers will find another way - like air travel. Factor in how weak the Japanese Yen is right now...more than fair price hike. Heck, this past year they were pinching pennies to print IC cards - and ultimately stopped. lol Nothing lasts forever, but the soul of Japan - and the things tourists want to do - are still there.
JR pass can still work on some trips, so not completely dead, but it's very situational and you need to do the maths to see if it's worth it. If you aren't buying a JR pass you should still buy tickets in advance, you can do this through JR Central's Smart-Ex (for the Tokaido, Sanyo and Kyushu shinkansen only), JR East Ekinet, which you can book any JR East train (shinkansen and non-shinkansen), JR West booking service, which is the most versatile for most travellers, allowing you to book any JR West, Central, Kyushu or Shikoku train, and JR East trains in the Kanto area (again can be used for shinkansen and regular trains).
I was told that the 2 main reasons for this price hike were: 1. the obvious inflation vs no price rise in 40 years issue 2. the overcrowding on the main lines like Tokyo to Osaka which is only exacerbated by the tourists riding so cheap. The government decided to look after its own citizens a little better. It all sounds fair to me, but it's a bummer for us Nihon-ophiles 😢
The calculator on the JR site allows you to plan out each trip/stop in your itinerary. The site also allows you to calculate the fares of each leg and they take a lot to add up to the 70k/110k/140k marks Allison mentions in the video. I have been planning a trip this year and the JR pass price marks are much better to simply pay per fare. It is unfortunate that the pass is so expensive now but as mentioned in the video, see if it is the answer for you, don't just buy it.
I did use that website a month ago to compare the options and unfortunately, the JR PASS is more expensive than getting single train faires for my travel. So I will not get the JR pass since it's not worthy in my case.
Allison mentioned the best calculator. It used to pay itself solely with return trip Tokyo to Osaka (or Kyoto), so two big trips. After that, all travel becomes free, including JR airport trains and local lines. Now you really need four big trips in a week for the pass to matter. Noting that while the trains are fast, you still commit much of the day to travel once you add transfer from hotel. So 3 hours Tokyo to Osaka is up to 6 hours door to door. I can't see any tourist travelling four days in a 7 day period.
@trekkergal460 Calculator doesn't matter. Unless you do four big trips in 7 days, the pass saves nothing. Most tourists typically do two big trips, Tokyo to Osaka and return, and that used to pay for the pass alone. Now it only pays only just over half.
Based on the web forums, they had interviewed a rail conductor in the JR Hokkaido region and he said they primarily raised the prices because of the overcrowding of the Tokkaido shinkansen line. Many tourists arriving into Japan typically only travel the Golden Route (Tokyo > Kyoto/Nara/Osaka > Tokyo). They don't travel anywhere else. Because of this, the Hikari and the Kodoma lines on the Tokkaido line are often overcrowded and many Japanese passengers were heavily complaining. These folks pay full priced fares especially all of the business folks traveling on that line. However, jacking up the JR Pass 70% fold is A LOT. What they could have possibly done was to reasonably raise the rates of the pass (maybe 30-35%) and then limit the times on when you can travel on the Tokkaido line during heavy congestion(say block travel between first train and say 1-2pm, and the block it again from 6pm to 9pm or of that sort). What JR also could have done was to sell the JR Pass at a lower cost (still raise the prices resonably) WITHOUT allowing travel on the Tokkaido line period. Trust me, there are no crowding issues on the Joetsu, Tohoku, Yamagata, Hokuriku, and Akita lines. JR has mentioned the increase of price of 70% is also a test to see if demand wanes. If it does, they mentioned they can still adjust the prices to try to hit a sweet spot. If is does not, don't be surprised if they raise the prices even higher.
I was lucky enough to be able to spend my sabbatical in Japan from June 2022 to May 2023, so I experienced a few months without "regular" tourists and then saw it ramp back up during my stay. I can absolutely understand their reasoning with the Tokkaido Shinkansen line. Since I counted as a resident for the time being, I couldn't buy a JR Pass so I usually travelled on Nozomi trains and once borders opened back up and my friends/mom visited me, I was "forced" to ride on Kodama and Hikari again and made my decision right then and there to never buy the JR Pass again. It's not just that the trains that are available with the JR Pass are crowded to hell, the behaviour some people show on those shinkansen is ridiculous. From being loud to putting their luggage behind the last row that is reserved specifically for the people that booked those seats and disregarding the AUDIO announcements regarding this exact thing, I've seen all the ugly that comes with the cheap JR Pass possibilities. The increase is steep and unreasonable still but to be quite honest - even for a 2 week trip to Japan that covered Tokyo -> Kyoto/Nara/Osaka -> Tokyo, the JR Pass wasn't 100% worth it even before this change. Now it's flat out garbage unless you pack in a whole lot of travel across the country within a 2 week timeframe (think Sapporo -> Hakodate -> Tokyo -> Kyoto/Osaka/Nara -> Kobe -> Hiroshima -> Tokyo).
They made the worst decision ever, because now that the JR Pass costs so much. People will ONLY go to Tokyo - Kyoto (cheaper without JR Pass). They would just not go to other places that they WOULD have visited if they had an unlimited Pass.
@@TheMangazixy Worst decision for the foreign tourist, for sure, as the value proposition of the old JR Pass has vanished. But, it was the best corporate decision for the JR group as foreign tourists will still take the shinkansen for their trips, as for many, the bullet train is a main draw of travelling to Japan anyway. My guess is that the JR group will not lose foreign tourist revenue. Moreover, revenues would increase as the tourists still going to be shinkansen patrons anyway and just purchase individual tickets, or the JR Pass as the higher price. Plus, the JR group wins more domestic support from the local population as they know they are not paying less than the locals.
To be honest it sounds like collective punishment of Tourists in majority 😢 Well I understand their issues but those prices are ridiculous…and as you said it they could do way differently and achieve same or better results then rn. I am going in November to Japan and I will be whole month going through whole country so for me even the green 700€ pass still makes sense although I would pay last year for same pass almost 300€ less for 21 days. I did calculations and it would cost me perhaps 60€ less if I would take separate passes/ trips and for that hassle I am prepared to sacrifice 60€ just to have more convenient one ticket in all go:)
@@tonisimeunic7717 “Collective punishment”? Get real. Business is business. JR Group is free to set their train fares to whatever the market can bear. Airline fares being inflated during peak travel seasons is an obvious example of this.
Most of tourist buy JR Pass typically only travel between Tokyo>Kyoto/Osaka and this make tokaido-sanyo shinkansen overcrowed. Thats why Japan increase the price of JR pass and introduce Hokoriku Arch Pass. With less cost than JR pass (around US$250) tourist can still travel between Tokyo>Kyoto/Osaka. The disadvantage using this pass is it would take longer route and time to reach osaka than JR Pass. Hokuriku shinkansen from tokyo the train ends in tsuruga station and you have to change using rapid train to osaka The advantage is you can visit new cities between tokyo and kyoto/osaka like nagano, kanazawa, tsuruga, etc
Here's a tip, if you send you luggage with Yamato for example from Tokyo to Nagano, you can even send it let's say 4 days before you leave Tokyo, offcourse you'll need to have to separate the needed amount of clothes for the remaining days in a separate backpack, but either way you'll travel with the essential. Once you arrive at Nagano, your luggage will be waiting for you in your hotel room like it happen with me when I did this.
Thank you for always making update videos! A lot of my friends ask me about Japan travel as I've gone a couple of times so I've just been linking these changes videos as all my knowledge was JR train pass based RIP ! Cheers!
@@AllisoninTokyo Worst decision for the foreign tourist, for sure, as the value proposition of the old JR Pass has vanished. But, it was the best corporate decision for the JR group as foreign tourists will still take the shinkansen for their trips, as for many, the bullet train is a main draw of travelling to Japan anyway. My guess is that the JR group will not lose foreign tourist revenue. Moreover, revenues would increase as the tourists still going to be shinkansen patrons anyway and just purchase individual tickets, or the JR Pass as the higher price. Plus, the JR group wins more domestic support from the local population as they know they are not paying less than the locals.
Using the JR at present, it’s been great, the price did go up a lot end of last year, but for this trip, two weeks it’s been worth it as we traveled all over, the little local trips that are not included have been very cheap
I'm leaving Japan after being there for a month and it is truly a super affordable vacation. Food is more than half off than the US and hotels are affordable too
This was the most EXTREMELY INFORMATIVE RUclips video on one subject I have seen & heard. I absolutely love it !!! Thank you for no Baloney Sasuage. Lot's of edit stops and starts but done well...completely understandable. Just can't say enough. Current info for 2024 even better...WOW Blown away...it will take me awhile to land from this overwhelming delight. Seriously!
I am SO glad you posted this. Everyone was raving about the JR pass - "you can't go wrong they said". Yet I crunched the numbers for each trip, short and long and found no way to make the JR pass pay off. The only pass that works is two five day regional JR West passes. Other than that, it will be individual tickets. Much appreciated!
Went to Japan in November (bought the pass before the price increase) and we definitely managed to use it beyond it's value because we went to Hokkaido and Hiroshima. Booking seats on the bullet train in advance as a life and time saver!! You can do it at kiosks in most major train stations, and they have it in multiple languages so we just chose it in English and was good to go. The catch is you can only make seat reservations a few days in advance. If you need to make a seat reservation change, that's when you need to go see a ticket agent. Overall though, my partner and I don't think the JR passes are worth it anymore.We would most likely be getting regional passes moving forward
I just got mine and it’s really only worth it if you are taking a lot of Shinkansen in a short amount of time. If you are mostly staying local to Tokyo/Kyoto/Osaka probably not.
I was in Japan for two weeks this past December. We visited 6 different cities and used public transportation the entire time. Our JR passes were absolutely worth it.
Nice summary. One thing I would add is that there are only one or two Hikari trains per hour between Tokyo and western Japan whereas Nozomi trains run several times an hour. Back when the JR Pass started, Nozomi trains were the exception rather than the rule. Domestic flights can be booked using miles from United (ANA) or American (JAL). It may only cost 7500 miles one-way. It has become almost impossible to use miles to book flights between the U.S. and Japan at reasonable rates.
We have opted to do both individual tickets and flights when we come over in June for 3 weeks from Australia. It didn't work out for us to use JR pass anymore. Going all over Kyoto, Osaka, Nagoya, Kanazawa, and Koya-san. Flights were super cheap but factor in the cost of the train from and to the airport.
Arrigato Gozaimasu Allison!! Special thanks for the JR rail pass updates!! Your content is very beneficial for our family Japan trip upcoming November 2024!!
I wish they hadnt raised the price so much. Next time I will buy a normal return ticket when I go to Kyoto from Tokyo. I was in Japan in November last year and we luckily found out about the new prices just a week before they changed them, so we managed to get our JR passes at the old price. Love your videos 🙂
It was sometime after Japan opened the country back open for regular movement again. I remember reading that "they" were feeling overwhelmed with the influx of people. The price hikes for the JR was to discourage the massive wave of people exploring the villages that couldn't support that many tourist.
I visited Japan just before the changes went live in October 2023, and I still didn't buy the pass. Reason being: it didn't pay for itself even at the original price point. As Allison says, you can't use it everywhere, and to make the most of it, you'd have to spend most of your time moving between locations instead of exploring. Getting an IC card and charging it as needed worked out much better for me. I and my travel buddy splurged on the Green Car from Kyoto to Tokyo, and while it was nice and comfy, it wasn't anything special either. Plan your route, work the numbers and decide for yourself if getting the pass now is worth it for you. Cheers!
Did you get back to Tokyo from Osaka/Kyoto to take your plane ? I was considering to land at Osaka, then taking off from Tokyo in the end in order to reduce train expenses, but it's not the way to find the cheaper airline ticket (from France) ^^'
I am a seasoned traveller. Been to Japan several times. With what they did to the JR Pass, you might as well just plan some cheap domestic flights. Yes not as pretty initially, but just walk and bike everywhere when you’re there, and explore. Or take the longer, cheaper, local trains that take longer. And you’re right, just pay the cheaper local price once you’re done with domestic plane or train, or once again take the cheaper non bullet train, and enjoy the longer ride and scenery.
went to japan for a month last year november. After doing tons of math to see if any of the pass's would save us any money, it became pretty clear that it was cheaper to just book our "big" trains months in advance and get the 30% discounts on the different train websites. We went Tokyo-->Kiso Valley-->Nara-->Yoshino-->Nachi-->Kyoto-->Tokyo. If we had done the pass's we would have overspent by a lot.
May 17th Osaka to Kagoshima, May 20th Kagoshima to Miyazaki, May 23rd Miyazaki to Tokio. For that "special route" the pass is worth it, but I agree that most of the times it's not worth it. We are using the Kansai Hokuriku Area Pass the 7 days before which is just 19k instead of 50k ¥.
I lived in Japan from 1999 to 2002. I am now, many years later, planning to return with kids. I was really (REALLY!) hoping to get this JR Pass. I could not get it when I was living there and I had to spend way more to travel around with friends. And now, just as I'm planning to return, the prices go up. Way up! Ugh. But I get it. You explained the history and all the alternatives very well.
My wife and kids got the JR pass for 2 weeks in December. We felt it was worth it as we travelled from Tokyo, Kyoto, Kanazawa, Osaka, Nara, Hiroshima, and Kobe. We literally used the hell out of this pass. I am not 100% sure but I think we got our value out it….that being said we had to use it everyday and we planned our bullet train trips as much as we could.
I was lucky enough to get a green JR pass last spring (2023). Even then, I think I remember hearing that a price hike was coming. It sucks, but your explanation made it make sense...can't believe I was taking advantage of 1980's travel prices! Next time I go, I plan on getting a regional pass. I want to see more of the Tohoku region, and Hokkaido.
For highway bus, you would need to be heavy sleeper I tired one to sendai and the driver wouldn't stop talking for 1 hour after the boarding and it's a bit tight I would recommend 3 seat layout never ever go for more and opt for toilet or you will be miserable
So true, they stop these buses all the time and make announcements and turn the lights on so they are impossible to sleep on if you aren’t a really heavy sleeper 🤧 tried once and never again
Flying made my travel so much better. I flew from Fukuoka to Hokkaido (New Chitose Airport) for 55 dollars and then from Hokkaido to Aomori Airport for only 30 dollars. The first trip would have been like 16 hours by train and the second one around 6 hours, it would have been covered under my JR pass, but the extra 85 dollars for both flights was extremely worth it.
The JR Green Pass is good stuff for cheap. The last week on a 3-week pass is basically the cost of 1 regular fare round trip anywhere and you can go the whole week in first class. Also, for those with a small budget, the Hokuriku Arch pass will get you to Kanazawa or Nagano on your way to Kyoto or Osaka (which you indirectly mentioned).
For domestic flights within Japan, both JAL and ANA offers discounted fare exclusive to tourists (JAL Japan Explorer Pass / ANA Discover JAPAN Fare) and it's competitive to LCC but offers more comfort and flight options. Often times you can travel much cheaper than regular Shinkansen fare.
The last time I went to Japan was in 2019 and I did buy the 7 day JR Pass. At the time it paid for itself with a round trip from Tokyo to Osaka and a day trip from Osaka to Hiroshima but at the current price I would not be able to justify it. Besides I’m a slower traveler and prefer to spend more time in a place and letting my whims set where I want to spend more time. When I go back in May I’ll do point to point travel
I been to Japan more than 30 times and used the JR pass. I would still buy it because it is convenient and it's flexible but it obviously costs more than before. Recently I was in the UK and an 8 day pass cost about the same as the current 21 day pass in Japan, With the JR rail pass there are no queues at booking offices, using cash in ticket machines and you are not restricted to a particular train, for example if the Shinkansen looks full just wait for the next one. It was inevitable the cost would go up after being the same for many years. Not for budget travellers.
Really glad my friends and were able to take advantage of the old pricing before it went up. Bought the 21 day pass for roughly $432 USD while spending a total of 23 days in Japan. We started our trip in Tokyo for a few days before traveling out to Fukuoka and staying for around 4 days(stopped in Kobe and Osaka for 2 days whilst we were on the way there). On our return trip we hit up Hiroshima and Okayama for a day, detouring to Tottori for a day and half, Kyoto for 3 days, southern Wakayama for a day and half for the onsens, back to Tokyo for a few more days before ending the the remainder of the trip in Osaka. Unfortunately did not have time for Nagoya but I would say we more than got our money's worth riding the shinkansen + local JR trains.
Luckly I was able to use the JR Pass when I went early last year. For my next time, I’ll probably look into the regional ones, if they don’t get a price hike, like the JR Pass.
I did a detailed route examination and looked at various options to travel for our 2-week trip coming up. I heard of the JR pass and was excited until I learned that it was increased and it only gave access to JR lines. Using another company or booking directly through the local JR lines, it was much cheaper. Saving about 15k-18k Yen not using the JR pass.
I haven't purchased a JR Pass in almost 20 years now, but I agree that it was insanely cheap for the value. We used the pass for JR subways, buses, a ferry, and even a taxi. I don't know if you can still do that, but it made the value unbelievable.
Thank you so much for this video! You saved me some precious Yen. I agree that the price update was necessary, but did it have to happen when I'm planning to go? 😅
I am planning an upcoming trip for 3 weeks where I'll be traveling every day for 3 weeks and I calculated it will still only cost around 70,000 yen. Absolutely crazy.
This is very helpful. Thank you! Are there lockers for big luggages in Tokyo? I'm planning to fly from Tokyo to Sapporo instead of taking the Shinkansen. It seems much cheaper to fly.
I got the pass on my last two trips and zipped all over the country. With the new price hikes, it’s just not worth it to me personally. I learned on my previous trips that there are other train companies in different regions, and other transit options. It can be a lot of fun to focus your trip in just one region as well- there are so many overlooked destinations within each region that taking the time to slow down and explore can be a fantastic reward.
Depends where you’re going. Just used JR Pass at the same time as this was being posted. Kagoshima to Hiroshima to Osaka to Kyoto to Tokyo. Might not have saved much but the convenience alone was worth it.
JR pass was a godsend for us when we visited in 2016. The staff were super helpful and really nice. This reminds me of stuff that happens in the UK, especially where I live. The bus pass for a small town would increase every April, now since COVID its been February and April!
I've used Shinkansen paper ticket non reserved many times with my large fabric suitcase just having it right in front of my seat with my knees right up against it. In the past with the JR pass I always used non reserved seating. My fabric suitcase was too big for the overhead shelving. All my 5 Japan trips were in winter within December to February.
Hi Allison, I used the JR Pass this summer and very much got my money’s worth. Loved it. Great deal for the confused tourist. If I went back now I would just buy one way passes the day of the trip. Just to keep things flexible. Thanks for your help, I used you to research my trip 🇯🇵 🇺🇸
My 2nd trip to Japan in a couple of weeks - got a 7 day JR Pass despite the crazy hike as it just about works out better for me (Tokyo-Fukuoka return via Hiroshima but will use the ferry and random trips all over). Also, it's actually slightly cheaper to buy it abroad from resellers - the ¥50000 is discounted slightly I believe (I got mine from Klook). Also, I found it easy to get seat reservation tickets via the machines with a JR Pass (did this loads last year) no need to visit manned booths...the hike is annoying though as it was so much cheaper last year!
My last JR pass hurrah: In April 2023, I did a crazy 14 day trip with the old JR pass; Tokyo-Hiroshima-Kagoshima-Nagano-Tokyo! Yep, I saved mucho $$$ on rail travel but I think the officials at JR heard about guys like me and decided to crack down. RIP JR pass!
Overnight buses from Kansai, Hiroshima and Okayama area usually arrive between 6 and 8am, from Sendai and NAgoya 5-7am. If there is a delay,it's usually within 30minutes. I've used them regularly! Greetings from Tokyo, living here since 2014
I used a JR East-South Hokkaido pass last year to go from Tokyo to Sapporo with few stops on the way and it was cheaper than "the" JR pass even before the price hikes. Would recommend. Except for the last bit from Hakodate to Sapporo. That bit wasn't so nice. Stacking the tickets on the ticket gates was also a bit confusing. Flying back to Tokyo was a 5/5 experience.
I recently came back from 1 week in Japan and bought the JR Green pass. And maximized it the most we can. The itinerary was packed but we like riding the shinkansen. Narita NEX express to Tokyo to Hachinohe to Sapporo to Yamagata to Mishima to Kyoto to Tokyo to Niigata back to Tokyo then to Narita NEX. Tiring but awesome plus you could different scenery and types of shinkansens throughout the 1 week. Plus the Green JR car are marvellous
I am planning trip to Tokyo next year, I was looking at the JR pass as I planned trip to Furukawa and also Mount Fuji. Guess it’s now cheaper to just buy individual journeys. The price increase is crazy😱
You are right in that JR Pass prices were low for many years due to Japanese government trying to encourage foreign tourists to visit the country; in a way, Japan was subsidizing their cost of travels. Yes, Japan should have gradually increased the JR Pass prices bit by bit, rather than by a big chunk in 2023. Still, train travel in Japan is for me the most enjoyable and convenient.
Thank you so much for clearing this up! I was very confused about the difference between JR pass and normal fare. I was just wondering as a tourist, is it still recommended to get a Suica card to travel to different places? From my understanding you can load up money into it and use it freely from place to place?
@@Mandooku Oh, that's handier than I thought! Thanks! So it's pretty much a universal card then in Tokyo? Don't you need a different card now in Kyoto/Osaka/Sapporo?
Definitely need a suica! They also have a visitor Suica too now you can get at major stations and airports 👍 Ditto to what jamamanaify said! You can use it most places in the country but some rural lines don’t accept and IC cards and some regional places only take their local brand of IC, but getting it will be super useful for 99% of trips 👯
I have been travelling to japan for 20 years and been there more than 30 times, I've only ever booked a JR pass twice out of 30 (only 1 time i was there for a year and ineligible to get a JR Pass). I've been the type to really plan out my trips and almost very time I've done the math on transportation (it's pretty easy using google map and apps like jorudan) and added it up, even prior to the price hike, it was cheaper to do without. So it's fine, just plan out your trip.
FYI, When trying to reserve the last row in a car (if you are doing so for your oversized luggage space) be aware that it may be the row with the highest number in the car (ex. row #8 in a car with 8 rows of seats) OR it could be row #1 (as the last row of seats) depending on the direction of the train. I travelled last summer from Osaka to Tokyo with "oversized" luggage and reserved the last row (Row #8) going towards Osaka but returning to Tokyo the last row in the car was Row #1. I was so confused when I tried to make the seat reservation online because you can choose an option for "oversized" luggage and it will only let you select the last row of seats (so don't worry about the row# ).
Thanks for this 'no nonsense' breakdown on the JR pass pros/cons. One thing that I see as a factor is trading time (convenience/flexibility) for that cost. Yes, the JR pass (7 day std) is no longer a good value compared to just buying tickets/reservations - but thew other big benefit shouldn't be overlooked, ease. A change in plans does not have a change in cost, I can decide to take a later train/to a different destination and suffer no penalty, I can decide to stop mid route and pay no penalty, I can side trip, use many local trains/subways and not worry about cost/planning- I can explore. For someone who plans out every destination/activity prior to coming to Japan, yes the pass might not be worth the $$..if you are someone that determines (day of) that you actually CAN squeeze a Himeji castle visit between Hiroshima and Kyoto or to change itinerary of a day trip because of bad weather or whatever...the JR pass is still worth it
I used it when I wend first to Japan in.. Princess Mononoke ads everywhere then, so must have been in 1997. I traveled in stages from Tokyo to the southern tip of Kyushu(Ibusuki) and back again. It was worth the price.
We used Smart EX on our trip last year before the JR Pass price change. If sticking to the usual "golden route" I would highly recommend it today post-pass changes. We took the Nozomi from Tokyo to Kyoto for about 14,000 yen each in Green Car... on our other major leg, Nagoya to Tokyo, I think we paid 9,200 yen each for Green Car in the all-stops Kodama. The catch is that you have to reserve it three days ahead of time, but it was very cost effective for us and a great way to move comfortably! I believe similar deals can be had for the Nozomi if you take ordinary seats too :)
Wimler bus are so amazing really. It used it all the time when I was studying in Nagoya to go to Tokyo every 2-3 weekends and it costed like ¥3000 (or even ¥2500 sometimes!) instead of about ¥8000 for bullet train
I think the reason for the increase is the foreign exchange rate versus the yen. JR wanted to maintain the original currency rate before covid. because right now the yen is weak versus other currencies.
Thanks for sharing this info! I m planning a trip in nov and was thinking of making this Tokyo to Kyoto route, now knowing this, not going to happen any more😢
Ohhh 😢 That’s sad news. Had 3 fantastic days getting around on the JR pass back in 2021. Riding the bullet trains without thinking about my wallet was such a treat.
I went to Japan with my fiancée this past nov/dec. We bought the JR pass in Septemberish, so it was still on the cheap pricing but would be valid after the change. We ended up doing Tokyo for four days and used the Yamanote line a ton, went to Sendai for two days - Fox village and Matsushima Bay. All included in the JR pass. Took a flight from Sendai to Osaka (with a tourist price) and sent our bags via Takyubin mail. Then 4 days in Osaka, going to Kyoto several times and even to Kinosaki - still part of the JR lines. Just had to get Osaka metro pass. Finally, train back to Tokyo, JR bullet train. So it was absolutely worth it on that trip. After the price hike, probably not anymore :( But I highly recommend Sendai! Matsushima Bay in fall colours was absolutely stunning.
Thanks for making this video. We are planning to come from SFO via red-eye flight to Hanedo airport and then take the Shinkansen to Shin-Osaka station. Should I be worried about getting delayed when arriving in Tokyo station on reserved seats?
Hi Allison! JR Pass Online Seat Reservation, i found this "This is limited to persons who purchase a pass on the official website!" Greetings , Andy from Germany
Went to Japan for 21 days last month and reserved the seats with the luggage compartment for all our shinkansen travels. Only once did a conductor ask if the luggage behind our seats were ours, and that was in the Hakata to Hiroshima leg. Everywhere else, no one batted an eyelash. I also saw some folks whose seats were the regular ones dump their luggage behind the last seats in the car and the conductors walking by didn’t say anything 🤷🏻♀️so ymmv But yes, can definitely say for sure that the JR pass now is more optional than something I would recommend. When I used the 21-day pass prior to the price hike, the value I got out of each pass was more than double the price even when you just go the non-reserved seats route; this last trip we just broke even even with all reserved seats.
Now you can only review different JR regional passes and select reasonable one that fits your plan. For the limitation of continue days pass in long distance pass, it's likely you have to pay extra for at least one of the trip to/from airport unless you completely skip staying in Osaka / Tokyo / Fukuoka for a few extra day. Without the old price JR Rail Pass, the most painful trip will be any Shinkansen trip going through Shizuoka region. (All JR Central regional pass don't include Shinkansen)
Well done Allison, Your maps very informative'. I was last there just before the price adjustment. My big trip was Tokyo to Kagoshima, Hired a car to drive to the James Bond monument at Bonotsucho Akime. Next one will be to Nagasaki.
Seishun 18 pass is great if you love trains, and if you intend to go to smaller towns that aren’t served directly by shinkansen, such as Hagi or Tsuwano. You must be prepared for slow (but often scenic) train rides though, and have plenty of time to spare.
I am a Japanese but I can use JR pass since I live in USA for 30 years. I am going to buy it for the next trip. 十万円 sounds very expensive but it is only $700. It is still cheap since I will use Shinkansen almost every day for 3 weeks.
wish I had done Osaka, Nara and Kyoto on my first time over rather than saving the longer trips for when I was bit more use to how things work over there 😢 I gather renting a car isn't a great option unless your heading in to the country side due to parking and cost.
My first ever trip to Japan was back in Nov-2023. Thinking back, I was under pressure to plan out the itinerary on budget after the price increase of JR Pass was announced sometime mid-2023. 😂 I could still pre-purchase it at the pre-hike pricing before Oct-2023 and use it in Nov through Dec-2023. At the end of the day, I didn't get it because my detailed itinerary around Japan stretches out and it barely made sense to get JR Pass. My total cost traveling on JR rails throughout 17 days in and around Japan (round trip via Shinkansen between Tokyo & Osaka) came up to about slightly more than the pre-hike 7-day JR Pass. In hindsight, could have planned out better to only use Shinkansen once and pushing my travel cost further down. Post price hike, it made no sense at all to get it. 😅 Good tip about Highway/Express busses. They really are the way to go price wise and still very comfortable.
this was helpful, but I thought I read somewhere that the JR pass would also cover more lines locally? I'm there for roughly 20 days and im going coast to coast basically and a friend had said the JR pass might be better since it'll cover some regular trains in the tokyo area.
With the $USD being near ¥150 may have been a factor. I think there is an attempt to control the huge wave of post covid tourists. Ur spot on with buses. Often overlooked by tourists.
not everything can last forever 🥲🥲
let me know what you think about these changes and if you have any advice for fellow travelers in the comments!!
get a camel?! just kidding. hard to know what is best. i think paying regular Shinkansen and avoiding killer travel is better.
Not changing the price since the 80s? Didn't know that. This is a fair price hike. People that want the 'shinkansen experience' will still pay for it. Other travelers will find another way - like air travel.
Factor in how weak the Japanese Yen is right now...more than fair price hike. Heck, this past year they were pinching pennies to print IC cards - and ultimately stopped. lol
Nothing lasts forever, but the soul of Japan - and the things tourists want to do - are still there.
Does the jr pass include train bus and ferry???
JR pass can still work on some trips, so not completely dead, but it's very situational and you need to do the maths to see if it's worth it.
If you aren't buying a JR pass you should still buy tickets in advance, you can do this through JR Central's Smart-Ex (for the Tokaido, Sanyo and Kyushu shinkansen only), JR East Ekinet, which you can book any JR East train (shinkansen and non-shinkansen), JR West booking service, which is the most versatile for most travellers, allowing you to book any JR West, Central, Kyushu or Shikoku train, and JR East trains in the Kanto area (again can be used for shinkansen and regular trains).
I was told that the 2 main reasons for this price hike were:
1. the obvious inflation vs no price rise in 40 years issue
2. the overcrowding on the main lines like Tokyo to Osaka which is only exacerbated by the tourists riding so cheap. The government decided to look after its own citizens a little better.
It all sounds fair to me, but it's a bummer for us Nihon-ophiles 😢
The calculator on the JR site allows you to plan out each trip/stop in your itinerary. The site also allows you to calculate the fares of each leg and they take a lot to add up to the 70k/110k/140k marks Allison mentions in the video. I have been planning a trip this year and the JR pass price marks are much better to simply pay per fare. It is unfortunate that the pass is so expensive now but as mentioned in the video, see if it is the answer for you, don't just buy it.
I did use that website a month ago to compare the options and unfortunately, the JR PASS is more expensive than getting single train faires for my travel. So I will not get the JR pass since it's not worthy in my case.
Where is the calculator?
@@trekkergal460just Google JR pass calculator
Allison mentioned the best calculator. It used to pay itself solely with return trip Tokyo to Osaka (or Kyoto), so two big trips. After that, all travel becomes free, including JR airport trains and local lines. Now you really need four big trips in a week for the pass to matter. Noting that while the trains are fast, you still commit much of the day to travel once you add transfer from hotel. So 3 hours Tokyo to Osaka is up to 6 hours door to door. I can't see any tourist travelling four days in a 7 day period.
@trekkergal460 Calculator doesn't matter. Unless you do four big trips in 7 days, the pass saves nothing. Most tourists typically do two big trips, Tokyo to Osaka and return, and that used to pay for the pass alone. Now it only pays only just over half.
Based on the web forums, they had interviewed a rail conductor in the JR Hokkaido region and he said they primarily raised the prices because of the overcrowding of the Tokkaido shinkansen line. Many tourists arriving into Japan typically only travel the Golden Route (Tokyo > Kyoto/Nara/Osaka > Tokyo). They don't travel anywhere else. Because of this, the Hikari and the Kodoma lines on the Tokkaido line are often overcrowded and many Japanese passengers were heavily complaining. These folks pay full priced fares especially all of the business folks traveling on that line.
However, jacking up the JR Pass 70% fold is A LOT. What they could have possibly done was to reasonably raise the rates of the pass (maybe 30-35%) and then limit the times on when you can travel on the Tokkaido line during heavy congestion(say block travel between first train and say 1-2pm, and the block it again from 6pm to 9pm or of that sort). What JR also could have done was to sell the JR Pass at a lower cost (still raise the prices resonably) WITHOUT allowing travel on the Tokkaido line period. Trust me, there are no crowding issues on the Joetsu, Tohoku, Yamagata, Hokuriku, and Akita lines.
JR has mentioned the increase of price of 70% is also a test to see if demand wanes. If it does, they mentioned they can still adjust the prices to try to hit a sweet spot. If is does not, don't be surprised if they raise the prices even higher.
I was lucky enough to be able to spend my sabbatical in Japan from June 2022 to May 2023, so I experienced a few months without "regular" tourists and then saw it ramp back up during my stay. I can absolutely understand their reasoning with the Tokkaido Shinkansen line. Since I counted as a resident for the time being, I couldn't buy a JR Pass so I usually travelled on Nozomi trains and once borders opened back up and my friends/mom visited me, I was "forced" to ride on Kodama and Hikari again and made my decision right then and there to never buy the JR Pass again.
It's not just that the trains that are available with the JR Pass are crowded to hell, the behaviour some people show on those shinkansen is ridiculous. From being loud to putting their luggage behind the last row that is reserved specifically for the people that booked those seats and disregarding the AUDIO announcements regarding this exact thing, I've seen all the ugly that comes with the cheap JR Pass possibilities.
The increase is steep and unreasonable still but to be quite honest - even for a 2 week trip to Japan that covered Tokyo -> Kyoto/Nara/Osaka -> Tokyo, the JR Pass wasn't 100% worth it even before this change. Now it's flat out garbage unless you pack in a whole lot of travel across the country within a 2 week timeframe (think Sapporo -> Hakodate -> Tokyo -> Kyoto/Osaka/Nara -> Kobe -> Hiroshima -> Tokyo).
They made the worst decision ever, because now that the JR Pass costs so much. People will ONLY go to Tokyo - Kyoto (cheaper without JR Pass). They would just not go to other places that they WOULD have visited if they had an unlimited Pass.
@@TheMangazixy Worst decision for the foreign tourist, for sure, as the value proposition of the old JR Pass has vanished.
But, it was the best corporate decision for the JR group as foreign tourists will still take the shinkansen for their trips, as for many, the bullet train is a main draw of travelling to Japan anyway.
My guess is that the JR group will not lose foreign tourist revenue. Moreover, revenues would increase as the tourists still going to be shinkansen patrons anyway and just purchase individual tickets, or the JR Pass as the higher price.
Plus, the JR group wins more domestic support from the local population as they know they are not paying less than the locals.
To be honest it sounds like collective punishment of Tourists in majority 😢 Well I understand their issues but those prices are ridiculous…and as you said it they could do way differently and achieve same or better results then rn. I am going in November to Japan and I will be whole month going through whole country so for me even the green 700€ pass still makes sense although I would pay last year for same pass almost 300€ less for 21 days. I did calculations and it would cost me perhaps 60€ less if I would take separate passes/ trips and for that hassle I am prepared to sacrifice 60€ just to have more convenient one ticket in all go:)
@@tonisimeunic7717 “Collective punishment”? Get real. Business is business. JR Group is free to set their train fares to whatever the market can bear. Airline fares being inflated during peak travel seasons is an obvious example of this.
Most of tourist buy JR Pass typically only travel between Tokyo>Kyoto/Osaka and this make tokaido-sanyo shinkansen overcrowed. Thats why Japan increase the price of JR pass and introduce Hokoriku Arch Pass.
With less cost than JR pass (around US$250) tourist can still travel between Tokyo>Kyoto/Osaka.
The disadvantage using this pass is it would take longer route and time to reach osaka than JR Pass.
Hokuriku shinkansen from tokyo the train ends in tsuruga station and you have to change using rapid train to osaka
The advantage is you can visit new cities between tokyo and kyoto/osaka like nagano, kanazawa, tsuruga, etc
Here's a tip, if you send you luggage with Yamato for example from Tokyo to Nagano, you can even send it let's say 4 days before you leave Tokyo, offcourse you'll need to have to separate the needed amount of clothes for the remaining days in a separate backpack, but either way you'll travel with the essential. Once you arrive at Nagano, your luggage will be waiting for you in your hotel room like it happen with me when I did this.
Thank you for always making update videos! A lot of my friends ask me about Japan travel as I've gone a couple of times so I've just been linking these changes videos as all my knowledge was JR train pass based RIP ! Cheers!
rip to the 40 years of knowledge from the old jr pass 😞
@@AllisoninTokyo Worst decision for the foreign tourist, for sure, as the value proposition of the old JR Pass has vanished.
But, it was the best corporate decision for the JR group as foreign tourists will still take the shinkansen for their trips, as for many, the bullet train is a main draw of travelling to Japan anyway.
My guess is that the JR group will not lose foreign tourist revenue. Moreover, revenues would increase as the tourists still going to be shinkansen patrons anyway and just purchase individual tickets, or the JR Pass as the higher price.
Plus, the JR group wins more domestic support from the local population as they know they are not paying less than the locals.
Using the JR at present, it’s been great, the price did go up a lot end of last year, but for this trip, two weeks it’s been worth it as we traveled all over, the little local trips that are not included have been very cheap
I'm leaving Japan after being there for a month and it is truly a super affordable vacation. Food is more than half off than the US and hotels are affordable too
This was the most EXTREMELY INFORMATIVE RUclips video on one subject I have seen & heard. I absolutely love it !!!
Thank you for no Baloney Sasuage.
Lot's of edit stops and starts but done well...completely understandable. Just can't say enough. Current info for 2024 even better...WOW
Blown away...it will take me awhile to land from this overwhelming delight.
Seriously!
I am SO glad you posted this. Everyone was raving about the JR pass - "you can't go wrong they said". Yet I crunched the numbers for each trip, short and long and found no way to make the JR pass pay off. The only pass that works is two five day regional JR West passes. Other than that, it will be individual tickets. Much appreciated!
Went to Japan in November (bought the pass before the price increase) and we definitely managed to use it beyond it's value because we went to Hokkaido and Hiroshima. Booking seats on the bullet train in advance as a life and time saver!! You can do it at kiosks in most major train stations, and they have it in multiple languages so we just chose it in English and was good to go. The catch is you can only make seat reservations a few days in advance. If you need to make a seat reservation change, that's when you need to go see a ticket agent. Overall though, my partner and I don't think the JR passes are worth it anymore.We would most likely be getting regional passes moving forward
I just got mine and it’s really only worth it if you are taking a lot of Shinkansen in a short amount of time. If you are mostly staying local to Tokyo/Kyoto/Osaka probably not.
I returned from Japan last November after spending two weeks and I’m glad I had the JR Pass. I would buy it again without hesitation.
I was in Japan for two weeks this past December. We visited 6 different cities and used public transportation the entire time.
Our JR passes were absolutely worth it.
What do you suggest if I wanna travel for all districts except Shikoko and I wanna stay at least 2 days in each city?
@@mazinalansari88 You didn't say how many cities you were visiting.
Nice summary. One thing I would add is that there are only one or two Hikari trains per hour between Tokyo and western Japan whereas Nozomi trains run several times an hour. Back when the JR Pass started, Nozomi trains were the exception rather than the rule. Domestic flights can be booked using miles from United (ANA) or American (JAL). It may only cost 7500 miles one-way. It has become almost impossible to use miles to book flights between the U.S. and Japan at reasonable rates.
We have opted to do both individual tickets and flights when we come over in June for 3 weeks from Australia. It didn't work out for us to use JR pass anymore. Going all over Kyoto, Osaka, Nagoya, Kanazawa, and Koya-san. Flights were super cheap but factor in the cost of the train from and to the airport.
Really good information.thank you for sharing 🥰👍
Arrigato Gozaimasu Allison!! Special thanks for the JR rail pass updates!! Your content is very beneficial for our family Japan trip upcoming November 2024!!
I wish they hadnt raised the price so much. Next time I will buy a normal return ticket when I go to Kyoto from Tokyo. I was in Japan in November last year and we luckily found out about the new prices just a week before they changed them, so we managed to get our JR passes at the old price. Love your videos 🙂
It was sometime after Japan opened the country back open for regular movement again. I remember reading that "they" were feeling overwhelmed with the influx of people. The price hikes for the JR was to discourage the massive wave of people exploring the villages that couldn't support that many tourist.
I visited Japan just before the changes went live in October 2023, and I still didn't buy the pass.
Reason being: it didn't pay for itself even at the original price point. As Allison says, you can't use it everywhere, and to make the most of it, you'd have to spend most of your time moving between locations instead of exploring.
Getting an IC card and charging it as needed worked out much better for me. I and my travel buddy splurged on the Green Car from Kyoto to Tokyo, and while it was nice and comfy, it wasn't anything special either.
Plan your route, work the numbers and decide for yourself if getting the pass now is worth it for you.
Cheers!
Shes correct. I just came back from Japan and I am glad I didnt buy the JR Pass. I did, Tokyo, Osaka, Nara and Kyoto and only spent like 25000 YEN.
I see that pass as an option between Tokyo-Kyoto-Osaka. How was the travel time on that?
Did you get back to Tokyo from Osaka/Kyoto to take your plane ? I was considering to land at Osaka, then taking off from Tokyo in the end in order to reduce train expenses, but it's not the way to find the cheaper airline ticket (from France) ^^'
Can you tell me if there were other trains in the railways network other than bullet trains? Were you still able to experience the JR regional?
@@KLBlessing travel time depends on the type of train. The fastest is the Hikari I think. 2 hrs
It's $140 AUD to get from Tokyo to Kyoto. How you spend so little?
I am a seasoned traveller. Been to Japan several times. With what they did to the JR Pass, you might as well just plan some cheap domestic flights. Yes not as pretty initially, but just walk and bike everywhere when you’re there, and explore. Or take the longer, cheaper, local trains that take longer. And you’re right, just pay the cheaper local price once you’re done with domestic plane or train, or once again take the cheaper non bullet train, and enjoy the longer ride and scenery.
went to japan for a month last year november. After doing tons of math to see if any of the pass's would save us any money, it became pretty clear that it was cheaper to just book our "big" trains months in advance and get the 30% discounts on the different train websites. We went Tokyo-->Kiso Valley-->Nara-->Yoshino-->Nachi-->Kyoto-->Tokyo. If we had done the pass's we would have overspent by a lot.
May 17th Osaka to Kagoshima, May 20th Kagoshima to Miyazaki, May 23rd Miyazaki to Tokio. For that "special route" the pass is worth it, but I agree that most of the times it's not worth it. We are using the Kansai Hokuriku Area Pass the 7 days before which is just 19k instead of 50k ¥.
I lived in Japan from 1999 to 2002. I am now, many years later, planning to return with kids. I was really (REALLY!) hoping to get this JR Pass. I could not get it when I was living there and I had to spend way more to travel around with friends. And now, just as I'm planning to return, the prices go up. Way up! Ugh. But I get it. You explained the history and all the alternatives very well.
i just want tot say thanks for all the videos, me and my mom are planning a trip to japan and they're very helpful! :)
My wife and kids got the JR pass for 2 weeks in December. We felt it was worth it as we travelled from Tokyo, Kyoto, Kanazawa, Osaka, Nara, Hiroshima, and Kobe. We literally used the hell out of this pass. I am not 100% sure but I think we got our value out it….that being said we had to use it everyday and we planned our bullet train trips as much as we could.
I was lucky enough to get a green JR pass last spring (2023). Even then, I think I remember hearing that a price hike was coming. It sucks, but your explanation made it make sense...can't believe I was taking advantage of 1980's travel prices! Next time I go, I plan on getting a regional pass. I want to see more of the Tohoku region, and Hokkaido.
For highway bus, you would need to be heavy sleeper I tired one to sendai and the driver wouldn't stop talking for 1 hour after the boarding and it's a bit tight I would recommend 3 seat layout never ever go for more and opt for toilet or you will be miserable
So true, they stop these buses all the time and make announcements and turn the lights on so they are impossible to sleep on if you aren’t a really heavy sleeper 🤧 tried once and never again
Very helpful information, thank you very much for it.
Flying made my travel so much better. I flew from Fukuoka to Hokkaido (New Chitose Airport) for 55 dollars and then from Hokkaido to Aomori Airport for only 30 dollars. The first trip would have been like 16 hours by train and the second one around 6 hours, it would have been covered under my JR pass, but the extra 85 dollars for both flights was extremely worth it.
The JR Green Pass is good stuff for cheap. The last week on a 3-week pass is basically the cost of 1 regular fare round trip anywhere and you can go the whole week in first class. Also, for those with a small budget, the Hokuriku Arch pass will get you to Kanazawa or Nagano on your way to Kyoto or Osaka (which you indirectly mentioned).
For domestic flights within Japan, both JAL and ANA offers discounted fare exclusive to tourists (JAL Japan Explorer Pass / ANA Discover JAPAN Fare) and it's competitive to LCC but offers more comfort and flight options. Often times you can travel much cheaper than regular Shinkansen fare.
The last time I went to Japan was in 2019 and I did buy the 7 day JR Pass. At the time it paid for itself with a round trip from Tokyo to Osaka and a day trip from Osaka to Hiroshima but at the current price I would not be able to justify it. Besides I’m a slower traveler and prefer to spend more time in a place and letting my whims set where I want to spend more time. When I go back in May I’ll do point to point travel
Hello,
Thank you, Allison😀: thanks to you and your videos I purchased the JR Pass in August and used it in November ( of 2023 ).
I been to Japan more than 30 times and used the JR pass. I would still buy it because it is convenient and it's flexible but it obviously costs more than before. Recently I was in the UK and an 8 day pass cost about the same as the current 21 day pass in Japan, With the JR rail pass there are no queues at booking offices, using cash in ticket machines and you are not restricted to a particular train, for example if the Shinkansen looks full just wait for the next one. It was inevitable the cost would go up after being the same for many years. Not for budget travellers.
I had no idea how complicated trains are in Japan. This is eye opening, thank you for being so informative!
Really glad my friends and were able to take advantage of the old pricing before it went up. Bought the 21 day pass for roughly $432 USD while spending a total of 23 days in Japan. We started our trip in Tokyo for a few days before traveling out to Fukuoka and staying for around 4 days(stopped in Kobe and Osaka for 2 days whilst we were on the way there). On our return trip we hit up Hiroshima and Okayama for a day, detouring to Tottori for a day and half, Kyoto for 3 days, southern Wakayama for a day and half for the onsens, back to Tokyo for a few more days before ending the the remainder of the trip in Osaka. Unfortunately did not have time for Nagoya but I would say we more than got our money's worth riding the shinkansen + local JR trains.
Luckly I was able to use the JR Pass when I went early last year.
For my next time, I’ll probably look into the regional ones, if they don’t get a price hike, like the JR Pass.
I did a detailed route examination and looked at various options to travel for our 2-week trip coming up. I heard of the JR pass and was excited until I learned that it was increased and it only gave access to JR lines. Using another company or booking directly through the local JR lines, it was much cheaper. Saving about 15k-18k Yen not using the JR pass.
I haven't purchased a JR Pass in almost 20 years now, but I agree that it was insanely cheap for the value. We used the pass for JR subways, buses, a ferry, and even a taxi. I don't know if you can still do that, but it made the value unbelievable.
Thank you so much for this video! You saved me some precious Yen. I agree that the price update was necessary, but did it have to happen when I'm planning to go? 😅
I am planning an upcoming trip for 3 weeks where I'll be traveling every day for 3 weeks and I calculated it will still only cost around 70,000 yen. Absolutely crazy.
This is very helpful. Thank you! Are there lockers for big luggages in Tokyo? I'm planning to fly from Tokyo to Sapporo instead of taking the Shinkansen. It seems much cheaper to fly.
Super useful! Thank you Allison :) I really enjoy all your content.
I got the pass on my last two trips and zipped all over the country. With the new price hikes, it’s just not worth it to me personally. I learned on my previous trips that there are other train companies in different regions, and other transit options. It can be a lot of fun to focus your trip in just one region as well- there are so many overlooked destinations within each region that taking the time to slow down and explore can be a fantastic reward.
Very helpful vid. Thanks for explaining
Depends where you’re going. Just used JR Pass at the same time as this was being posted. Kagoshima to Hiroshima to Osaka to Kyoto to Tokyo. Might not have saved much but the convenience alone was worth it.
JR pass was a godsend for us when we visited in 2016. The staff were super helpful and really nice. This reminds me of stuff that happens in the UK, especially where I live. The bus pass for a small town would increase every April, now since COVID its been February and April!
This was very informative. Thank you!
I've used Shinkansen paper ticket non reserved many times with my large fabric suitcase just having it right in front of my seat with my knees right up against it. In the past with the JR pass I always used non reserved seating. My fabric suitcase was too big for the overhead shelving. All my 5 Japan trips were in winter within December to February.
Hi Allison, I used the JR Pass this summer and very much got my money’s worth. Loved it. Great deal for the confused tourist. If I went back now I would just buy one way passes the day of the trip. Just to keep things flexible. Thanks for your help, I used you to research my trip 🇯🇵 🇺🇸
My 2nd trip to Japan in a couple of weeks - got a 7 day JR Pass despite the crazy hike as it just about works out better for me (Tokyo-Fukuoka return via Hiroshima but will use the ferry and random trips all over). Also, it's actually slightly cheaper to buy it abroad from resellers - the ¥50000 is discounted slightly I believe (I got mine from Klook). Also, I found it easy to get seat reservation tickets via the machines with a JR Pass (did this loads last year) no need to visit manned booths...the hike is annoying though as it was so much cheaper last year!
Even before 2020 it was worth getting the "X travel days in a Y day period" pass, use it for your long distance, and pay normally for local transit.
My last JR pass hurrah: In April 2023, I did a crazy 14 day trip with the old JR pass; Tokyo-Hiroshima-Kagoshima-Nagano-Tokyo! Yep, I saved mucho $$$ on rail travel but I think the officials at JR heard about guys like me and decided to crack down. RIP JR pass!
Overnight buses from Kansai, Hiroshima and Okayama area usually arrive between 6 and 8am, from Sendai and NAgoya 5-7am. If there is a delay,it's usually within 30minutes.
I've used them regularly!
Greetings from Tokyo, living here since 2014
I used a JR East-South Hokkaido pass last year to go from Tokyo to Sapporo with few stops on the way and it was cheaper than "the" JR pass even before the price hikes. Would recommend. Except for the last bit from Hakodate to Sapporo. That bit wasn't so nice. Stacking the tickets on the ticket gates was also a bit confusing. Flying back to Tokyo was a 5/5 experience.
I recently came back from 1 week in Japan and bought the JR Green pass. And maximized it the most we can. The itinerary was packed but we like riding the shinkansen. Narita NEX express to Tokyo to Hachinohe to Sapporo to Yamagata to Mishima to Kyoto to Tokyo to Niigata back to Tokyo then to Narita NEX. Tiring but awesome plus you could different scenery and types of shinkansens throughout the 1 week. Plus the Green JR car are marvellous
We went in February and just took a domestic flight for like $25 and saved a lot of money.
I am planning trip to Tokyo next year, I was looking at the JR pass as I planned trip to Furukawa and also Mount Fuji. Guess it’s now cheaper to just buy individual journeys. The price increase is crazy😱
very informative indeed
Also like to note u can only reserve using the online feature if you buy ur pass directly with JR but if anywhere else you can’t..
Very useful exactly what I needed rn ❤
You are right in that JR Pass prices were low for many years due to Japanese government trying to encourage foreign tourists to visit the country; in a way, Japan was subsidizing their cost of travels. Yes, Japan should have gradually increased the JR Pass prices bit by bit, rather than by a big chunk in 2023. Still, train travel in Japan is for me the most enjoyable and convenient.
Thank you so much for clearing this up! I was very confused about the difference between JR pass and normal fare. I was just wondering as a tourist, is it still recommended to get a Suica card to travel to different places? From my understanding you can load up money into it and use it freely from place to place?
Yes, suica is a must. It saves so much hassle when using public transit and can be used at vending machines and even many restaurants/stores
@@Mandooku Oh, that's handier than I thought! Thanks! So it's pretty much a universal card then in Tokyo? Don't you need a different card now in Kyoto/Osaka/Sapporo?
Definitely need a suica! They also have a visitor Suica too now you can get at major stations and airports 👍 Ditto to what jamamanaify said! You can use it most places in the country but some rural lines don’t accept and IC cards and some regional places only take their local brand of IC, but getting it will be super useful for 99% of trips 👯
Thanks! I knew the JRP price went up, but I didn't realize it is so pricy now, so it's useless besically
I have been travelling to japan for 20 years and been there more than 30 times, I've only ever booked a JR pass twice out of 30 (only 1 time i was there for a year and ineligible to get a JR Pass). I've been the type to really plan out my trips and almost very time I've done the math on transportation (it's pretty easy using google map and apps like jorudan) and added it up, even prior to the price hike, it was cheaper to do without. So it's fine, just plan out your trip.
FYI, When trying to reserve the last row in a car (if you are doing so for your oversized luggage space) be aware that it may be the row with the highest number in the car (ex. row #8 in a car with 8 rows of seats) OR it could be row #1 (as the last row of seats) depending on the direction of the train. I travelled last summer from Osaka to Tokyo with "oversized" luggage and reserved the last row (Row #8) going towards Osaka but returning to Tokyo the last row in the car was Row #1. I was so confused when I tried to make the seat reservation online because you can choose an option for "oversized" luggage and it will only let you select the last row of seats (so don't worry about the row# ).
Thanks for the update!
you rock Allison! thanks for giving us info and options in post covid JR
Thanks for this 'no nonsense' breakdown on the JR pass pros/cons. One thing that I see as a factor is trading time (convenience/flexibility) for that cost. Yes, the JR pass (7 day std) is no longer a good value compared to just buying tickets/reservations - but thew other big benefit shouldn't be overlooked, ease. A change in plans does not have a change in cost, I can decide to take a later train/to a different destination and suffer no penalty, I can decide to stop mid route and pay no penalty, I can side trip, use many local trains/subways and not worry about cost/planning- I can explore. For someone who plans out every destination/activity prior to coming to Japan, yes the pass might not be worth the $$..if you are someone that determines (day of) that you actually CAN squeeze a Himeji castle visit between Hiroshima and Kyoto or to change itinerary of a day trip because of bad weather or whatever...the JR pass is still worth it
You can basically do all this with regional passes...
Thanks! Are the regional JR passes interesting if I want to stay at least 2 nights ( or even more) at one destination?
I used it when I wend first to Japan in.. Princess Mononoke ads everywhere then, so must have been in 1997. I traveled in stages from Tokyo to the southern tip of Kyushu(Ibusuki) and back again. It was worth the price.
Ótimo vídeo. obrigado pelas dicas.
We used Smart EX on our trip last year before the JR Pass price change. If sticking to the usual "golden route" I would highly recommend it today post-pass changes. We took the Nozomi from Tokyo to Kyoto for about 14,000 yen each in Green Car... on our other major leg, Nagoya to Tokyo, I think we paid 9,200 yen each for Green Car in the all-stops Kodama. The catch is that you have to reserve it three days ahead of time, but it was very cost effective for us and a great way to move comfortably! I believe similar deals can be had for the Nozomi if you take ordinary seats too :)
If you're a first time visitor who won't be traveling very frequently, but more ad hoc it seemingly has lost a lot of its value.
Wimler bus are so amazing really. It used it all the time when I was studying in Nagoya to go to Tokyo every 2-3 weekends and it costed like ¥3000 (or even ¥2500 sometimes!) instead of about ¥8000 for bullet train
I think the reason for the increase is the foreign exchange rate versus the yen. JR wanted to maintain the original currency rate before covid. because right now the yen is weak versus other currencies.
I suspected similar.
Ahhh so many details! Taking like 13 teenagers from Aichi to Gifu in June... Sounds like we're reserving seats.
Thanks for sharing this info! I m planning a trip in nov and was thinking of making this Tokyo to Kyoto route, now knowing this, not going to happen any more😢
Ohhh 😢 That’s sad news. Had 3 fantastic days getting around on the JR pass back in 2021. Riding the bullet trains without thinking about my wallet was such a treat.
I went to Japan with my fiancée this past nov/dec. We bought the JR pass in Septemberish, so it was still on the cheap pricing but would be valid after the change.
We ended up doing Tokyo for four days and used the Yamanote line a ton, went to Sendai for two days - Fox village and Matsushima Bay. All included in the JR pass.
Took a flight from Sendai to Osaka (with a tourist price) and sent our bags via Takyubin mail. Then 4 days in Osaka, going to Kyoto several times and even to Kinosaki - still part of the JR lines. Just had to get Osaka metro pass.
Finally, train back to Tokyo, JR bullet train. So it was absolutely worth it on that trip. After the price hike, probably not anymore :(
But I highly recommend Sendai! Matsushima Bay in fall colours was absolutely stunning.
Thanks for making this video. We are planning to come from SFO via red-eye flight to Hanedo airport and then take the Shinkansen to Shin-Osaka station. Should I be worried about getting delayed when arriving in Tokyo station on reserved seats?
Hi Allison! JR Pass Online Seat Reservation, i found this "This is limited to persons who purchase a pass on the official website!" Greetings , Andy from Germany
Went to Japan for 21 days last month and reserved the seats with the luggage compartment for all our shinkansen travels. Only once did a conductor ask if the luggage behind our seats were ours, and that was in the Hakata to Hiroshima leg. Everywhere else, no one batted an eyelash. I also saw some folks whose seats were the regular ones dump their luggage behind the last seats in the car and the conductors walking by didn’t say anything 🤷🏻♀️so ymmv
But yes, can definitely say for sure that the JR pass now is more optional than something I would recommend. When I used the 21-day pass prior to the price hike, the value I got out of each pass was more than double the price even when you just go the non-reserved seats route; this last trip we just broke even even with all reserved seats.
Now you can only review different JR regional passes and select reasonable one that fits your plan.
For the limitation of continue days pass in long distance pass, it's likely you have to pay extra for at least one of the trip to/from airport unless you completely skip staying in Osaka / Tokyo / Fukuoka for a few extra day.
Without the old price JR Rail Pass, the most painful trip will be any Shinkansen trip going through Shizuoka region. (All JR Central regional pass don't include Shinkansen)
This is extremely informative and also humorous. Thank you very much!
Wow! A lot of great information. A bit confusing for sure 🧐 but definitely need to know for tourists 👏
I visited Japan last April and bought two week pass. I think it was well worth. But if it costs twice it will not be efficient.
Well done Allison, Your maps very informative'. I was last there just before the price adjustment. My big trip was Tokyo to Kagoshima, Hired a car to drive to the James Bond monument at Bonotsucho Akime. Next one will be to Nagasaki.
Seishun 18 pass is great if you love trains, and if you intend to go to smaller towns that aren’t served directly by shinkansen, such as Hagi or Tsuwano. You must be prepared for slow (but often scenic) train rides though, and have plenty of time to spare.
I am a Japanese but I can use JR pass since I live in USA for 30 years. I am going to buy it for the next trip. 十万円 sounds very expensive but it is only $700. It is still cheap since I will use Shinkansen almost every day for 3 weeks.
wish I had done Osaka, Nara and Kyoto on my first time over rather than saving the longer trips for when I was bit more use to how things work over there 😢
I gather renting a car isn't a great option unless your heading in to the country side due to parking and cost.
Yea, I wouldn’t recommend a car unless you’re going to the countryside! 🚗
Helpful vlog especially with our upcoming Japan trip! Thank you. 😊
Thanks for the information 🤔
Thank you for this video!
Thank you for the update!! What day trips would you recommend from Tokyo? ☺️
My first ever trip to Japan was back in Nov-2023.
Thinking back, I was under pressure to plan out the itinerary on budget after the price increase of JR Pass was announced sometime mid-2023. 😂
I could still pre-purchase it at the pre-hike pricing before Oct-2023 and use it in Nov through Dec-2023.
At the end of the day, I didn't get it because my detailed itinerary around Japan stretches out and it barely made sense to get JR Pass. My total cost traveling on JR rails throughout 17 days in and around Japan (round trip via Shinkansen between Tokyo & Osaka) came up to about slightly more than the pre-hike 7-day JR Pass.
In hindsight, could have planned out better to only use Shinkansen once and pushing my travel cost further down.
Post price hike, it made no sense at all to get it. 😅
Good tip about Highway/Express busses. They really are the way to go price wise and still very comfortable.
this was helpful, but I thought I read somewhere that the JR pass would also cover more lines locally? I'm there for roughly 20 days and im going coast to coast basically and a friend had said the JR pass might be better since it'll cover some regular trains in the tokyo area.
With the $USD being near ¥150 may have been a factor. I think there is an attempt to control the huge wave of post covid tourists. Ur spot on with buses. Often overlooked by tourists.