Regional Train Passes in Japan

The national JR Pass has long been a staple of traveling in Japan. However, since its price rose 🌹 substantially on October 1, 2023, it has lost some of its financial appeal for short-term tourists, even though it remains very practical and flexible for traveling across the archipelago and on the Shinkansen 🚅. As a result, these travelers tend to look for more cost-effective passes limited to a specific region or area of the archipelago, or they may instead order individual train tickets.

The range of regional transportation passes across the archipelago is enormous: we counted more than 50 for this article (about 20 of them issued by the JR group), and that's not even an exhaustive list! That said, not all of them are necessarily worthwhile, whether in terms of cost-effectiveness or accessibility to all travelers, not to mention that some are of questionable practicality or downright confusing.

What You Need to Know About Regional Train Passes

Most regional train passes let you travel for free in standard class (ordinary). If you want to travel in first class, Green Class, or the equivalent, you'll need to pay an additional fare. In addition, some trains (marked "Reserved Seat Only") require a mandatory reservation before boarding, though this is usually free with the pass.

Purchasing these passes is also subject to eligibility conditions: unless stated otherwise, they are intended for foreign visitors to Japan holding a non-Japanese passport who entered the country under "Temporary Visitor" status (短期滞在)—in other words, as tourists.

Purchasing these passes, especially those issued by JR, often needs to be done before departing for Japan, through a trusted authorized reseller such as Keikaku. For other companies, online or on-site purchase is more rarely available. In any case, you are required to show your passport when exchanging your voucher for the physical pass, if applicable, or when activating it once in Japan.

Finally, these passes often come with discounts or extra perks at partner restaurants, museums, and other sightseeing spots during their period of validity. Check each pass's official website for the list of participating establishments.

How to Choose Your Regional Train Pass

Choosing a regional train pass helps you better manage your transportation budget, since these deals generally include unlimited travel on certain lines, and good planning lets you optimize your routes. Several factors come into play when choosing a regional train pass:

• The region(s) you want to explore, which means you'll need to have already thought through an itinerary or trip plan;
• How much time you want to (or can) spend in that region;
• How much time you're willing to spend in transit: lower fares sometimes mean longer journeys, while passes that include a Shinkansen line can pay for themselves quickly, both in travel time and in money saved.

It's also worth noting that most regional passes cover major tourist destinations like Tokyo, Kyoto, Nara, or Osaka. However, they aren't necessarily worth it there, since intra-city distances are generally short and fairly cheap, and regional passes rarely cover travel between regions. Since they also tend to have short validity periods, they pay off faster on longer trips. Additionally, big tourist cities like Kyoto already have excellent day passes of their own. When it comes to regional train passes, it's usually better to treat these major cities as convenient home bases for exploring the surrounding area, and save their own exploration for outside the pass's period of use.

As an alternative or complement to the national JR Pass, we've selected about ten regional passes covering Japan's main tourist destinations to help travelers make their choice.

Read more:

Japan Rail Pass discount purchase

Cross-Country Passes: Connecting Eastern and Western Japan

If the national JR Pass seems too expensive or poorly suited to your planned trip, two other JR passes let you connect the archipelago's major destinations.

JR Hokuriku Arch Pass

Jointly operated by JR-West and JR-East, this pass lets you travel between Tokyo and Osaka by bypassing the traditional Tokaido route, taking a bit over 5 hours (compared to 2 hours 40 minutes direct), by necessarily routing through the Japanese Alps.

Area Covered

It allows unlimited travel between Tokyo and the Kansai region, including:

• In Tokyo: both Haneda and Narita airports, the Monorail line, and the Yamanote Line;
• Kyoto, Osaka, Nara, Kobe, and Kansai Airport (KIX);
• The Hokuriku Shinkansen (between Tsuruga and Tokyo) and local JR lines operated by JR-East and JR-West within the pass's coverage zone.

Some sections of the IR Ishikawa Railway, Ainokaze Toyama Railway, Noto Railway, and HAPI-LINE FUKUI lines are also accessible with the Hokuriku Arch Pass.

Destinations covered include: Kobe, Fukui, Kanazawa, the Noto Peninsula, Toyama, Nagano, and Karuizawa.

Validity and Price

The JR Hokuriku Arch Pass is valid for 7 consecutive days and costs ¥35,000 per adult (yen 💴 35000]) since March 14, 2026.

Practical Information

Like the standard JR Pass, it's reserved for non-Japanese visitors entering the country as tourists, and must be purchased before departure through authorized distributors outside Japan.

Seat reservations are free for the Hokuriku Shinkansen and the Haruka and Thunderbird Limited Express trains, and must be made before boarding.

Note that it is not valid on the Tokaido Shinkansen (so it cannot be used between Shin-Osaka and Kyoto Station).

Don't confuse it with two more limited offers that can't be used from Tokyo: the Hokuriku Area Pass (travels between Toyama and Tsuruga) and the Takayama Hokuriku Area Pass (Nagoya, Takayama, Shirakawa-go, Kyoto, Osaka, and KIX).

Order a Hokuriku Pass through Keikaku

Seishun 18 Kippu Ticket

Area Covered

The Seishun 18 Kippu is a JR rail pass that can be used across the entire JR network in Japan, with the exception of the Shinkansen and certain special trains.

Read more:

Seishun 18 Kippu: the Little-known Alternative to JR Pass - Affordable Train Tickets in Japan

It allows travel on all regular and semi-rapid (kaisoku) JR trains, as well as JR BRT (Bus Rapid Transit) buses and the Miyajima ferry ⛴️ (the ¥100 fee still applies separately).

Validity and Price

It comes in 2 versions:

• 3 consecutive days for ¥10,000 (~US$65.02)
• 5 consecutive days for ¥12,050 (~US$78.35)

There's no child fare.

Practical Information

The Seishun 18 Kippu is personal and non-transferable (unlike its older version) and is open to everyone. It can only be purchased in Japan at a JR ticket window.

One quirk: this pass is only available for purchase during certain times of the year, for roughly 2 months at a time, and must also be used within that same period. The Seishun 18 Kippu is generally available:

• In spring: from March 1 to April 10 (sold from February 20 to March 31);
• In summer: from July 20 to September 10 (sold from July 10 to August 31);
• In winter: from December 10 to January 10 (sold from November 26 to December 31).

These dates change each year depending on the Japanese school calendar.

Note that there's an additional paid option for those wanting to travel to Hokkaido: the Seishun 18 Kippu Hokkaido Shinkansen add-on.

Kansai and Western Japan

Western Japan and the Kansai area are particularly well stocked with transportation passes, offered by JR West as well as other private railway companies. Their very similar names can be confusing, especially since the differences between them are often minor, but we've picked out a few that might be worth considering.

JR West Kansai WIDE Area Pass

Area Covered

The JR West Kansai WIDE Area Pass, as its name suggests, covers the Kansai area and part of its surroundings, extending as far as Tsuruga (Hokuriku) and Tottori on the Sea of Japan side, and as far as Kurashiki and Takamatsu (Shikoku) on the Seto Inland Sea side, while also including a few lines within the Chugoku region.

Included train lines are:

• The Sanyo Shinkansen (between Shin-Osaka and Okayama);
• Limited Express trains such as Haruka, Kuroshio, Konotori, Super Hakuto, etc.;
• Special Rapid Service, Rapid Service, and local trains on the JR-West and JR-Shikoku networks;
• West Japan JR buses, but only on routes within the pass's coverage area.

Excluded lines are:

• JR Expressway buses;
• The Tokaido Shinkansen between Shin-Osaka/Kyoto and Tokyo;
• The Sanyo Shinkansen between Okayama and Hakata.

Validity and Price

It's valid for 5 consecutive days and costs ¥12,000 (~US$78.02), and can pay for itself very quickly—for example, with a simple round trip between Shin-Osaka and Okayama (45 minutes each way by Shinkansen, totaling about ¥11,200 / ~US$72.82). You could also do a same-day round trip between Kyoto and Amanohashidate for ¥9,600 (~US$62.42), or between Kyoto and Himeji for ¥8,000 (~US$52.01), or roughly ¥6,000 (~US$39.01) from Shin-Osaka.

Practical Information

As with other passes, the Kansai WIDE Area Pass must be purchased through authorized resellers before departing for Japan, and is reserved for travelers with a non-Japanese passport and "Temporary Visitor" status.

JR West Kansai-Hiroshima Area Pass

Area Covered

The JR West Kansai-Hiroshima Area Pass covers the same area as the JR West Kansai WIDE Area Pass, with the addition of the southern part of Chugoku as far as Hiroshima.

Included train lines are:

• The Sanyo Shinkansen (between Shin-Osaka and Hiroshima);
• Limited Express trains such as Haruka, Kuroshio, Konotori, Super Hakuto, etc.;
• Special Rapid Service, Rapid Service, and local trains on the JR-West and JR-Shikoku networks;
• West Japan JR buses and Chugoku JR Buses, but only on routes within the pass's coverage area;
• Miyajima Ferry (Between Miyajimaguchi and Miyajima);

Excluded lines are:

• JR Expressway buses;
• The Tokaido Shinkansen between Shin-Osaka/Kyoto and Tokyo;
• The Sanyo Shinkansen between Hiroshima and Hakata.

Validity and Price

The pass is valid for 5 consecutive days and costs ¥17,000 (~US$110.53), and can pay for itself fairly quickly, with for example just a round trip between Shin-Osaka and Hiroshima (approx. 1,5h Shinkansen ride per trip, for a total of about ¥19,000 / ~US$123.53).

Practical information

As with other passes, the JR West Kansai-Hiroshima Area Pass must be purchased through authorized resellers before departing for Japan, and is reserved for travelers with a non-Japanese passport and "Temporary Visitor" status.

JR West Kansai Area Pass

Area covered

The JR West Company’s Kansai Area Pass was a day pass (not to be confused with the JR West Kansai Wide Area Pass) whose coverage was limited to the most touristic places of the Kansai area.

The JR West Kansai Area Pass has been discontinued on July 1rst, 2026!

Koya-san Passes

Area covered

Koya-san passes are operated by Nankai Railways and target travelers who would like to visit Mount Koya, an area poorly served by the JR network.

They are usable on 2 consecutive days, allowing:

• One round trip between Namba-Osaka’s Nankai station and Mount Koya (Gokurakubashi Station at the foot of the mountain, then Koyasan Cable Car to the top);
• Unlimited rides on the Nankai Rinkan buses at Mount Koya;
• A discount up to 20% on admission fees to temples Kongobuji, Kondo, Konpon Daito and to the Reihokan Museum;
• A 10 % discount on purchases at partnering souvenir shops.

Validity and price

The pass costs ¥3,140 (~US$20.42) and is valid for 2 consecutive days.

It pays for itself from the 1rst day (the round trip between Namba and Koya-san costs ¥2,860 (~US$18.59) and a day ride on Rinkan bus costs ¥1,100 / ~US$7.15).

Practical information

The pass can be purchased by all types of travelers, but in advance only, and at the latest on the day before the intended day of use, either to authorized resellers, or at the station. Online purchase targets the use of smartphone 📱, however each travelers must have their own device, even children! The paper ticket still exists, but is more expensive than the digital version.

Note that Nankai Limited Express trains (tokkyu) are a little bit faster, but an additional ¥790 / ~US$5.14 fare is required before boarding.

If you don’t intent to stay overnight in a shukubo and spend 2 days in Mount Koya, the return trip can be done on the same day.

Sanyo San'in Area Pass

Area covered

The Sanyo San’in Area Pass is a product of the JR West Railways and covers the whole West of Honshu, from Tsuruga to Hakata (Kyushu), including a large part of the Kansai area (Kyoto, Nara and Osaka) and even Takamatsu on Shikoku.

It allows unlimited travels on the following lines:

• Sanyo Shinkansen (between Shin-Osaka and Hakata);
• Limited Express trains such as Haruka, Yakumo, Konotori etc.;
• JR-West Special Rapid Services, Rapid Services, and local trains;
• Miyajima Ferry (between Miyajimaguchi and Miyajima);
• JR West Japan buses of the covered area (except for the Expressway buses).

Validity and price

The pass has a 7 consecutive days validity and costs ¥23,000 (~US$149.50). It must be bought in advance before departing to Japan to an authorized reseller, upon showing a non-Japanese passport.

Practical information

It gives free access to Ekirin-Kun rental bicycles (without electric assistance) for a day at the partner shops, especially in Hiroshima, Takehara or Shimonoseki.

Note however that the pass can not be used on the Tokaido Shinkansen (between Shin-Osaka and Tokyo) and Kyushu Shinkansen (between Hakata and Kagoshima-Chuo).

Setouchi Area Pass

Area covered

The Setouchi Area Pass is operated by the JR West company for exploring the shores of the Seto Inland Sea, between Kyoto and Hakata (Kyushu), including the north of Shikoku and a couple of islands in the sea.

It grants access to:

• The Sanyo Shinkansen (between Shin-Osaka and Hakata);
• Limited Express trains such as Haruka, Shiokaze, Nampu, etc.;
• JR-West Special Rapid Services, Rapid Services, local trains and JR-Shikoku trains;
• Meipuru tourist buses in Hiroshima;
• Miyajima’s JR ferry;
• Ferries of the following companies: Ishizaki Kisen (between Matsuyama and Hiroshima), Setonaikai Kisen, Shodoshima Ferry (between Shodoshima and Takamatsu, Okayama and Himeji), Kokusai Ryobi (between Shodoshima, Takamatsu and Okayama), except for the speed-foils;
• Okaden tramways and buses in Okayama.

Validity and price

The pass is valid for 7 consecutive days and costs ¥22,000 (~US$143.00).

Practical information

It must be bought in advance before departing to Japan to an authorized reseller, upon showing a non-Japanese passport.

Hankyu Kansai Railway Pass / Surutto Kansai / Kansai Railway Pass Lite

Area covered

The Kansai Railway Pass Lite (formerly known as Surutto Kansai Pass, Kansai Railway Pass and Kansai Thru Pass) is a QR code pass to display on your smartphone screen at the station's gates. The IC card physical version is not available anymore. It allows unlimited travels on all private subways 🚇 and railways within the Kansai area: Eizan Railway, Osaka Metro and Monorail 🚝, Kintetsu, Kyoto Metro, Nankai, Hankyu, etc. It does NOT work on the JR network, the Keifuku Randen Arashiyama line, Hieizan Sakamoto cable car 🚙, Keihan Electric Railway and buses.

It can be used to travel to the main touristic spots of Osaka, Kyoto, Kobe, Himeji (Hyogo), Nara, Wakayama et Shiga.

Validity and price

The pass exists in a 2-days (¥5,200 / ~US$33.81) or a 3-days (¥6,500 / ~US$42.26) version, with days that are not necessarily consecutive, allowing for flexibility. It can be used within a 3-months time period from the day of purchase and must be activated before the end of purchase period.

Practical information

It is sold online only.

It is possible to buy a 2-days pass and a 3 days pass, or 2 successive 3-days passes, but buying more than 3 pass per traveler is not allowed.

Kansai Railway Pass Lite holders can receive discounts or benefits at shops and attractions partnering with Hankyu Railway, only on the days the pass is actually used.

Tokyo and Eastern Japan

Odakyu Passes for Hakone, Kamakura and Enoshima

Covered area

Odakyu Railway, departing from Shinjuku, serves 3 very popular tourist destination near Tokyo : Hakone, Kamakura and Enoshima. Several travel options range from gateways of a couple of days outside the capital to a round-trip over 1 day.

Validity and prices

The Hakone Free Pass is valid for 2 to 3 consecutive days (respectively ¥7,100 and ¥7,500 / ~US$46.16 and ~US$48.76 per adult) and includes:

• The round trip between Shinjuku and Hakone (overall 2h);
• In Hakone: unlimited rides on the 8 types of transportation in the area (Kanko Shisetsu Meguri Bus, Tozan Bus, Tokai Bus and Hakone Highway Bus (in specific areas), pirate ship, cable car, ropeway and Tozan train);
• Various discounts in many partner shops, museums, onsen hot springs, historical sites, etc. upon showing the pass during its validity period.

The Hakone-Kamakura Pass is valid for 3 consecutive days and costs ¥8,520 (~US$55.39) with the same benefits as the Hakone Free Pass, adding unlimited rides on the Enoden Line in Kamakura and Enoshima.

Read more:

Hakone Free Pass - Odakyu’s essential transportation pass

Practical information

Each of these passes is available to all travelers without condition of citizenship. They can be purchased in advance to authorized resellers overseas or in Japan at an Odakyu counter.

For a day-trip to Kamakura / Enoshima, Odakyu also offers the Enoshima Kamakura Free Pass (¥1,640 / ~US$10.66) with a 1-day validity. It includes the round trip Shinjuku-Enoshima and rides on the Enoden line (Fujisawa-Kamakura). It also offers small discounts and advantages at a few attractions in Enoshima (Sea Candle) and Kamakura (Hase-dera).

Tobu Nikko Pass

Covered area

Nikko is one of the must-sees of Japan and is usually well-covered by the JR Pass that allows a round-trip on the same day.
However, those who would like to stay a little bit longer in Nikko may benefit from the passes operated by Tobu Railways, to use on its networks and that include:

• The round-trip train ride from Tokyo (Asakusa) to Nikko (Tobu-Nikko station), and,
• Unlimited rides on trains between Nikko and Kinugawa Onsen.

Validity and price

There are 2 types of passes:

• World Heritage Area Pass, with a 2 consecutive days validity period, it costs ¥3,000 (~US$19.51), and includes transportation around the UNESCO sites and Kinugawa Onsen.
• All Area Pass, the most comprehensive, is valid for 4 consecutive days and costs ¥8,000 (~US$52.01), which allows the exploration of the UNESCO sites, including Oku-Nikko, Lake Chuzenji and Kinugawa Onsen.

Practical information

The 2 types of passes also grant benefits and discounts at the partner attractions, such as theme parks 🎡 Tobu World Square and Edo Wonderland, with various benefits depending on the season. They are targeting foreign tourists and can be purchased at authorized resellers or at designated Tobu counters.

The Tobu lines have the advantage of running direct Limited Express trains (additional charge and mandatory seat reservation) and therefore trips that are quicker than by JR trains.

Tohoku and Northern Japan from Tokyo

JR East Tohoku Area Pass

Covered area

The Tohoku Area Pass offered by the JR East company encompasses the whole eastern Honshu area from the Japanese Alps and including Tokyo. It gives access to the Izu Peninsula, to mountain resorts such as Karuizawa, GALA Yuzawa (winter and spring 🌸 only), Nikko, Aizu-Wakamatsu, Sendai, Aomori and Akita.

It allows boarding on:

• The Hokuriku, Joetsu, Yamagata, Akita and Tohoku Shinkansen trains in the designated area;
• The JR East lines, including the BRT (Bus Rapid Transit) line;
• Tokyo Monorail;
• Izu-Kyuko Line (Izu Peninsula);
• Aoimori Railway Line;
• Iwate Galaxy Railway (IGR) Line;
• Sendai Airport Transit Line;
• Some of the Tobu Limited Express trains bound for Nikko that also use the JR East Lines and part of the local and rapid trains of the Tobu Railway network between Shimo-Imaichi, Tobu-Nikko or Kinugawa-Onsen;
• JR buses (except for the freeway network).

However, it cannot be used on the Tokaido Shinkansen (between Tokyo and Shin-Osaka).

Validity and price

There are 2 categories for the pass:

• 5 consecutive days for ¥30,000 (~US$195.10)
• 10 consecutive days for ¥48,000 (~US$312.10)

Practical information

It is purchasable online or at authorized reseller overseas, and must be bought before departing for Japan. A non-Japanese passport is necessary, but there are no restrictions regarding the type of stay or visa.

JR TOKYO Wide Pass

Area covered

The JR TOKYO Wide Pass of the JR company focuses on Tokyo and its surroundings, with parts of the Kanto plain, including Nikko et GALA Yuzawa in the north and to the Izu Peninsula, the foot of Mount Fuji 🗻 and Kawaguchiko, and Karuizawa in the west.

It gives unlimited rides on:

• The Tohoku, Joetsu and Hokuriku Shinkansen trains (within the covered area);
• JR East trains lines;
• Tokyo Monorail;
• The whole Izu-Kyuko Line;
• The whole Fujikyu Railway Line;
• The whole Joshin Dentetsu Line (serving Tomioka Silk Mill in Gunma prefecture);
• The Saitama New Urban Transit Line (between Omiya and the Railway Museum);
• The whole Tokyo Waterfront Area Rapid Transit Line (Rinkai);
• Some of the Tobu Limited Express trains bound for Nikko that also use the JR East Lines and part of the local and rapid trains of the Tobu Railway network between Shimo-imaichi, Tobu-Nikko or Kinugawa-Onsen.

Validity and price

The pass is valid for 3 consecutive days and costs ¥15,000 (~US$97.53).

Practical information

The JR TOKYO Wide Pass is accessible to anyone without citizenship limitation and can be bought in Japan (passport is required, especially to check children’s age).

Caution: the JR TOKYO Wide Pass can not be used on the Tokaido Shinkansen line, as it is operated by another company. The seat reservation on the Fujisan Express, Fujisan View Express and Fuji Tozan Densha requires a separate fee.

JR Passes for the Other Big Islands

They are probably the most easiest regional pass to understand, as they cover clearly defined areas: one of the 4 big islands of Japan! The passes that are the most popular and easy to access are:

• Hokkaido Rail Pass to travel the northernmost island of Japan;
• All Shikoku Rail Pass to explore the smaller and more rural island of the great 4 of the archipelago; and,
• Kyushu Rail Pass to enjoy the big volcanic island in the south.

Train is one of the best transportation means to travel in the archipelago, except in Okinawa that doesn’t have a railway network: there is only one monorail operating in Naha.