Hi I purchased 2 JR passes through your affiliated site . This was through my Visa - the money was debited on 6 June but I have not received confirmation and no validation has been delivered to my address - where do I go from here … we leave for Japan in 5 days and we are very concerned …..
@@alisonjones8241 So sorry to hear that. Have you tried contacting JR Pass? If there isn't time for them to mail an Exchange Order, perhaps they could cancel the order. It's possible to purchase a JR Pass in Japan, once you arrive.🌺Heidi
Hi, we are travelling to japan in September. I have a question about JR pass, can we use it for round trip? For example from Tokyo to Kyoto and then to Osaka and Osaka to Tokyo? Thankyou
Plan your trip, write down all the Shinkansen Train you are taking, and you provide you list to the counter and they can reserve all your intended train in Osaka or Tokyo Airport (JR Ticket Office) upon arrival. Then you have less worry and less hassle of going to the ticket office repeatedly.
The process for reserved tickets has changed. For past 15 years I’ve lined up as you’ve described. But now it’s all moved to machines that allow anyone with a rail-pass to reserve any included train at any time. It prevents double booking but likely allowed more accurate accounting leading up to JR Central deciding to massively increase rail pass price.
As someone who will be visiting Japan for the first time, I found this video extremely informative and helpful. Thank you for the detailed and step by step guide. Keep up the good work guys 👍
Thank you so much for spending time sharing your experience. I learned a lot from your videos and have more confident planning my trip. I am so happy for your family that able to travel together.🤗
Omg thank you so much! I panicked for a second because I realized that the website I used wasn’t the official website, so I’m glad to know that this website it legitimate.
Most helpful video so far regarding the JR Pass. Thank you. Some youtube videos mention scam sites and those that ignore you if there are problems. Just wanted to confirm that the site you mentioned is valid. I need three green passes. We are off to Japan for Golden Week.
Hi, so glad to know that the video is helpful :) It is true there are some scam sites and with others, the usual problems are with delivery time and/or refunds. jrpass is a legit company based in London. They also have an active forum if you have questions for them. We don't want you to have a bad experience with them! Alternatively, we like Klook. We use them regularly here in Asia. We have links to both of those in the description. Let us know if you have any further questions. I'm sure you will have a great time during Golden Week!
Great video, easy and straight up to the point :) I am travelling for the first time to Japan for a month in late April by myself and i am defnitely going to return to this video for refference..i guess i will probably have to buy both the JR pass (21 days) and a suica wecome card if i want to move freely around :)
the way you talk makes everything super clear and easy to digest. Speech level 100. quick question. the new jr pass ticket and shikensen ticket. Do you stick both of them into the gate at the same time or separate? dumb question but stuff in japan can work so differently..
Thanks! Sometimes you only need to feed the JR Pass through at the ticket gate. Sometimes we stacked both the JR Pass and Shinkansen ticket on top of each other and fed them through together. We were instructed to do it that way by one of the gate attendants, so you can always ask the attendant if you’re unsure what to do. Have a wonderful trip! 🌺 Heidi
I have traveled to Japan many times during my career but have not been in the last 14 years. We are planning a trip for April 2024 and from watching your videos a number of things have changed and added (such as pocket Wi-Fi). However I had never been able to figure out which tickets, or how many) to put into the machines when going to the platform. In my previous travels I was almost always with my suppliers who guided me at that time. Any information about that showing some of the details will be good.
Hi. We normally insert our "train ticket" but not our "seat reservation ticket" into the automatic ticket gate at the train station. We will try to film and share more of those details on our next trip to Japan. 🌺 Heidi
We have used JR pass in Tokyo too, if you want to visit more than 2 cities in Japan , buy it for sure. Also within the 7 days you can go from Tokyo to Kyoto and return to Tokyo. Also for reserve seat train, you can get to the ticket booth a day or anytime earlier than your desired travel time to avoid crowd.
You guys are amazing! Un fortunately, I arrive in Tokyo then my plan is to travel South such as Osaka, circling up & around, returning to Tokyo. Mainly I 'd love to sakura but I afraid that it may be already in full bloom so that Sapporro is a back up trip for that. BTW, here is my iternary: After arriving to Tokyo, I 'd take the bullet train to Osaka, then staying there for 3 nights to see Nara & Kobe, them onward to Kyoto for 2 nights... head up to Kanazawa for 2 nights, & hopefully to spend sometime at Toyama... here I haven't decided where to go next, but the last three days I shall be in Tokyo, to hopefully travel a day to see MT Fuji & Abiraki , etc... Beside chasing the Sakura, my most favorite is to have stay at one of the ryokan with onsen. Yet, I can go ahead to book the JR pass with green Seat. Therefore, I don't have to worry about reservations... I will be fumbling around figuring out which shinkanshin to take to places where I need to be. .. Any of your recommendations would be greatly appreciated ❤
HI, it sounds like you have your trip mostly figured out! I think Hokkaido is a good backup as you may be right in that sakura blossoms may be over since they started early this year. You may already know this, but the Yamataka Jindai Zakura is a must since it is the oldest in Japan and still blooms. ryokan with onsen will be a great experience as well. Great locations include Miyajima island, kyoto and near Mt Fuji. I'm sure in the Toyama area would be beautiful as well. Regarding the green seat. While it is reserved only, you still need to reserver your seats ahead of time. And since you are heading to Osaka area, you will mostly be taking the tokaido shinkansen. If you do end up going to Hokkaido then please visit Furano, farm Tomita and the Shirogane Gorge and pond. I hope this helps, you will have a grand adventure for sure!
it's a bummer that it's consecutive only - I don't know why they don't have a day use option. I was there like a dozen years ago - used the jr pass - loved it. I'm a solo traveler, so I opted for the green car. I did ok, but I wish it wasn't consecutive use.
@@shaylennaidoo3397 Google Maps can give you a good estimate. For adding up the prices of Shinkansen trains I use either Klook or JR Fare Calculator. I show both of those in this separate video: ua-cam.com/video/fUn5MCYFjNU/v-deo.htmlsi=zCNiEzwOCIjVWI5u
Great video! Thanks. One thing I recommend is when buying JR Pass at Klook, change the currency to JPY. Don't use USD. Klook actually makes more money if you pay in USD. Very bad exchange rate! I got USD 0.78 for JPY 100 when market rate is only 0.75
Great info as planning a trip to Japan. It would help if you also do inches and lbs as in the US not many people use the metric system. I need to pause the idio and install a converter on my phone. Keep up the good work.
Thanks for sharing the experience! Let say I stay in Tokyo few days then I will visit Kyoto for few days can you please tell me which train good for me to go there ? I have 1 checkIng luggage and 1 carry on. Thanks
Great vid. Thanks for the informative vid..What is the “official” official site to buy the JR Pass online. Which site has a map that shows all JR lines that they cover?
The official website is Japanrailpass.net For maps you can look at the specific websites such as JR West or JR East, otherwise jrpass.net also has a map. 🌺 Heidi
We bought the JR Rail pass through your link. What I am trying to figure out now is that my son will be traveling from Tokyo to Osaka and back during his 2 week trip at the end of this month. He will be exploring other places along the way. What I need advice on is what other passes we should get him. For example, he will be spending 4 days in Tokyo. Does that mean I need to buy him a bus pass and a subway pass? Then do the same in Osaka?
Hi! The easiest thing would be for him to purchase a Suica or Pasmo card at the train station, once he’s in Japan. Either of those can be recharged and used in any city on subways, buses, and trains (especially those not covered by the JR Pass). We’re working on a separate video explaining how to buy and use a Pasmo card.
Am traveling in Japan right now. They have stopped selling the green SUICA cards to foreigners, instead there is a relatively new red WELCOME SUICA card that can be bought from the JR travel centers. Two of the biggest benefits are 1. No deposit needed. 2. Can be used anywhere in Japan wherever you see the “IC” sign. With your JR pass and Welcome SUICA card, you can travel anywhere in Japan with a level of efficiency and rapidity unavailable in any other country in the world.
Hi I’m very confused by the purchase date and activation date of the JR pass. Please help clarify this as my travel to Japan is approaching. Today is Aug 24, 2023 my travel day to Japan is Oct 22. I plan to use the pass on the 22nd. Can I buy it now to lock on the current price before the price hike? Or I need to wait until Sept 23 to purchase because I heard from other source saying you have to activate the pass within 30 days. Thank you very much. Your channel is one of the best Japan info on yt.
Hi! You can purchase your JR Pass *now* through a travel agent such as Klook. (Affiliate link: kenshoquest.com/recommends/klook-jr-pass/). They will send you an Exchange Order. You then have 90 days from date of purchase to swap the Exchange Order for your actual JR Pass in Japan. When you pick up your JR Pass, you can set an activation date for within the next 30 days, but it sounds like you will be activating your pass that day, which is fine too. Here is our separate video where we explain this timeline: ua-cam.com/video/PHZIxioFpuU/v-deo.html
I see! Thank you so much for taking time to explain and clarify. There’re so much info for first timer to Japan. You’re a lifesaver (and money 😅). Thank you and god bless you and your family.
I thought the JR pass acts like the ticket. You mention that I will need to insert the Shinkansen reservation ticket into the machine as well? If so, in what order? And do I have to pull out the first before inserting the second?
The JR pass can act like the ticket when riding in an unreserved car. For times when we were told to insert both the reserved ticket and the JR pass, we stacked one on top of the other. I don’t remember which was on top. The attendant at the ticket gate told us what to do. Just remember to grab both after passing through the gate. Also, most of the time we only inserted the JR Pass, so always have that one ready as you will always need it to go through the ticket gate.
How long ago did you purchase? The exchange order will be sent through the mail, and is normally received in 3 business days. They are based in London, so may respond base on that time zone.
Aloha, if we are going to use the JR PASS from Oct 2-9 (7day pass) when do we purchase them? What’s the earliest we can buy them? In June? Or July? Seems simple but I’m soo confused with all of these modes of transportation.
Aloha! Once you purchase your JR pass, you have a 90 day window to swap your Exchange Order for your actual JR Pass (which you will do in Japan). Please leave a couple days wiggle room on this, in case things don’t go exactly as planned. Once you have made the exchange, you have 30 days to activate your JR Pass. Your activation day is the first day you will use the pass to ride a train. Hope that helps. 🌺 Heidi
Hi, thank you!! Yes , green car is reserved only. If you will be traveling off season then there will usually be plenty of seats on ordinary trains and no need to reserve. Let us know if you have further questions or need more clarification!
Great information! Thank you so much. We are coming into Japan for 16 days and plan on buying 14 day passes. Do you think it is worth it as we will be doing the following. Narita-Tokyo. Tokyo-Kyoto. Kyoto-Osaka. Osaka-Hakone. Hakone-Tokyo. Thank you
Hi, and thanks for the comment :) If you are coming to Japan before the October price increase then yes, the JR Pass is worth it for your journey as you will be making a round trip. However, to get to Hakone you will probably be using the Odakyu line which will take you from Shinjuku station to Hakone-Yumoto Station. The Odakyu line is not part of the JR Pass. You can watch this video guide to Hakone Free Pass for more information: ua-cam.com/video/XpuGU_2zNuQ/v-deo.html Sounds like a great adventure, let us know if you have further questions.
Thank you so much for the reply. I have watched a few of your channels and they are very informative! Great job to the both of you! I thought it looked less expensive if done singular. We have to get 4 passes.
@@jodyh8108 I just showed in our latest video how you can use the JR Fare Calculator to compare the prices of buying individual train tickets vs getting the JR pass. On the Fare Calculator you can switch the pass type from 7 Day to 14 Day: ua-cam.com/video/fUn5MCYFjNU/v-deo.html
Thanks for the video. Very helpful! However, would like to clarify the dimensions of the luggage for reserved seats. 160-250cm sounds wrong. That's taller than a door! Is this in centimeters? Thanks!
Hi, sorry for any confusion! The maximum size L+W+D = 160cm. Anything larger than 160cm to a maximum of 250cm will require a reservation. So total maximum dimension allowed with reservation is L+W+D 250cm. Anything larger than 250cm is not accepted but there are exceptions such as bikes. I hope this helps and I'm not being more confusing!!
Hi I need some advice… I have a 17 hour layover out of Haneda airport. Booked a hotel in Hamamatsucho as my flight arrives at 2230 and I plan to grab food and crash that evening. Since the hotel is closer to Tsukiji, I was going to tour around that place in the morning and my question is do you think I have time to head to Tokyo Skytree, tour around there and then make it back to Haneda airport for a 1530 flight?
Hi, it is possible to see both. Just get to Tsukiji early and try to be done with Skytree by noon at the latest. Then take the Asakusa line back to Haneda. You won't have to change any trains. For example, from Skytree Oshiage station, which is just outside of Skytree Solamachi mall, if you take the 1140 Asakusa line Airport-Rapid-Limited Express > Haneda Airport Terminal, it will only take 36 minutes to get to terminal 3. So just check the schedule to be sure you can catch the trains with less stops. Good luck!
Thanks for the informative video! This is exactly the information I was looking for 🙌🏼 very helpful! So if I‘ve got the JR Railpass and I‘m not planning on using any of the JR East routes, but only routes further south, I can‘t make an online reservation, right? ☹️
Hi, so glad the video is helpful! Unfortunately, I believe this is correct. Are you traveling during holidays? Otherwise, there are usually plenty of seats. Another optiont is to check out the official JR website. They do reserve on some of their trains as well but you do pay extra for the passes. Good luck and let us know if you have further questions!
@@KenshoQuest thank you so much! I will check out the JR website 🙏🏼 I‘m going by the end of this month/ beginning of april, so I thought it would be very busy because of the cherry blossoms 🌸
@@KenshoQuest ok great thankyou so much i really appreciate it, can you also answer when do they start to decorate for christmas, is it november or december? thank you
So I'm guessing yes, but as a single traveler that will be taking round trip day trips to Osaka, Nikko, Kuwana, Fujiyoshida, Hiroshima, and Kyoto each time back to Tokyo...the JR Pass will be well worth it?
HI, if you are taking multiple round trips then 100% yes worth it. Even with the impending new prices in October it will be worth it! Sounds like an awesome trip!
Heading to Kyoto next week, if I understand how the ic cards work I can just swipe at the flapper gates and ride local train from say Umahori Station back to Kyoto with out having to actually purchase a physical ticket first from the machines near the gates?
Thank you for the informative video. I'm planning to visit Tokyo, Hakone, Kyoto, and Osaka. I plan to stay for roughly 2 weeks. From the fare calculations, it looks like I don't have to buy a JR pass . Do you recommend buying one? Thank you
Hi, glad the video is helpful :) Since you know you don't need to purchase a JR Pass I think it comes down to whether or not you want to ride the shinkansen. It is an amazing experience and I highly recommend because it is part of the whole Japan experience. You might consider going as far as Hiroshima if time allows. Have a great trip!
Thank you for another great video! When you have obtained your physical reserved ticket, do you insert that ticket OR the JR Pass into the gate machine?
Hi, thanks for watching! Great question, you will always need to insert your JR Pass, so always be ready for that. Oddly, only sometimes we also inserted our reserved ticket and this was when we were instructed to by the attendant. I hope this answers otherwise let us know!
Thanks for the info! Just one question You mentioned that we’ll need both a JR pass and shinkansen pass - how does that work at the ticket gate? Do we put one ticket after the other? Does it have a chance of eating the Jr pass?
Hi, we run into this issue sometimes and have to settle for getting two rooms. This usually only happens during peak season and/or if it is short notice. Otherwise, we use booking.com. It has a good filter for families and usually shows a fair amount of options that allow 4-5 people and more. We also, stay in Airbnbs. I hope this helps!
Hi, good question. The main reason is to save money and time. Yes, you can purchase in some airports in Japan but that means you need to arrive during business hours. Also, the cost for an ordinary pass for an adult when purchased in Japan is currently 4,000 Yen more than if you purchased back home. I hope this helps!
Great video, how do you know what rail you will be using. I am testing the addresses out in Google maps but google maps doesn't tell me if they train is part of JR pass or not.
Hi, I recommend downloading the Japan Travel NaviTime app. With that app you can set a filter to only show trains included within the JR Pass play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.navitime.inbound.walk&hl=en&gl=US&pli=1
I've noticed that 29,650 has been used my JR calculators. But when I checked the official JR pass website, that price is for buying the 7-day JR pass through an overseas agency? If bought online (through the official site), an adult price is actually 33,610. Am I missing something? Thanks...love your informative videos.
That’s correct. It’s more expensive to buy the pass directly through the official website. Other websites and agents selling the JR pass sell it for about 4,000 yen cheaper. The one advantage to buying through the official site is being able to reserve seats online right away. 🌺 Heidi
Super important question - when you buy JR pass on the official website (not travel agent website) - do they also mail you the voucher to your home address or you get confirmation on your email? It's really inconvenient for some people to get voucher sent by mail, instead of just print voucher from email and then show up at JR office in Japan. I don't understand that physical mailing (time consuming).
Hello this is great information! This may be too basic, but how do you know what station to be at when options are just "Tokyo" or "Osaka"? Leaving for Japan in a week and can't wait!
Hi, so glad to know the video is helpful! Happy to help but can you give me us a little more information regarding your question? not quite sure I understand what you mean by just "Tokyo" or "Osaka" as station options. thanks!
wow this is so useful thank you, iv got a question, if i were to travel from Toyko to Osaka but i decided to get off at Hamamatsu just to explore the city then can i jump back on the JR train to osaka?
Absolutely! You can do this anywhere. Though, keep in mind if you were traveling on a reserved seat then you will either need to rebook or travel in an unreserved car for the next train you get on. Now, if were traveling on a reserved only train, then you need to rebook a seat for sure, unless the next train has unreserved seating. I hope this is clear, if not let me know!
Amazing video!!! I have twi questions: 1) if I start my JR pass in Tokyo, I cannot finish it in Tokyo at the end of the 7day Pass? 2)if I buy the pass through Klook, am I able to make seat reservations online through JR website? Thank you so much!!!!!
Hi, thanks for the kind words! 1) You can certainly finish at your starting location. We are just giving suggestions to maximize the areas you can cover within 7-days. 2) If you are traveling on the JR East network then you can reserve through their website. If you are traveling on others such as heading south to Kyoto or Osaka then unfortunately, you can only make online reservations through the official JR rail website. Which means you will need to purchase your passes with them. I hope this makes sense. Let me know otherwise, thanks and good luck!!
My wife and I have used 7-days and 14-days many times. To answer #1, we always use our passes up to almost midnight on the 7th day/14th day. As for #2, it looks like you can only reserve seats online IF you bought the pass via the official JR website. That's why it more expensive buying a pass through the official JR site.
@@KenshoQuest Thank you so much. The prices from JR official website and other sellers are not that different. Even if I purchase the pass in the JR official website, when I`m making seat reservation I will still have to go in person to take the ticket, correct? Thanks so much! I`m very very excited for this trip. I`ll go in June, I know it's the rainy season but at least it will be hot hahahaha
@@pedrocosta6242 Our last trip was in June/July 2020 and the weather was surprisingly good. As for getting the actual train tickets after you've reserved them, there are videos of travelers printing them out from the JR vending machines but you have to enter your passport #s over and over, which can be a pain. Enjoy planning!
I will be in Japan for two weeks, and I want to go to Osaka, Nara, Kyoto, Kanazawa, Toyama, possibly Sopporo besides Tokyo, of course! With that much moving around, 14 day JR pass is recommended, right. Besides that what else should I get, and thank you for your input. BTW, my trip is 04/19/23 'till 05/03/23. IC card to move around within the ciry, right. Thanks again
Hi, your trip sounds amazing! You will be moving around a lot. My first question is are you arriving in Osaka then working your way up to Hokkaido? And are you flying out of a different airport? If so this will make your trip less stressful as you won't have to do a round trip. It will also give you more time to explore places. Yes, the 14 day pass will serve you well for all the places you want to visit. It is doable! When in Kanazawa we highly recommend that you rent a car and drive up to Shirakawa-go/ Ainokura. About an hour from Kanazawa. Absolutely stunning old japan homes in a postcard perfect background. ua-cam.com/video/CWaMYzk8txs/v-deo.html Yes, IC card as soon as you arrive as well. What about your data? Do you need a pocket WiFi or SIM? Also, you probably already know this but you will be traveling partially through Golden Week. It will be crowded during that time. So as soon as you arrive, reserve seats on trains during Golden Week to ensure you have a seat. Otherwise, we have another video on how you can get a seat on unreserved, unless you are riding in green class. If you can give us some ideas of what you want to do we can offer more suggestions. Happy to help :)
If you are going to ride in an unreserved car, the JR Pass is all you need. You can insert the pass into the automatic ticket gate and then proceed to your platform. Here's our most recent video with tips for using the JR Pass: ua-cam.com/video/VyRWmVzbAjQ/v-deo.htmlsi=TIoKBOaIpy3m02ao
Hi! Thank you for this helpful tips. My family are planning to visit Japan this November and my route is Tokyo-Kyoto-Osaka for 10 days. My question is it's better to go back to Tokyo for departure or find the nearest airport near Osaka or Kyoto? Your reply would be really appreciated. Thank you.
Hi! You could do either way. You could fly into Haneda airport in Tokyo and out of Kansai airport in Osaka. But if it’s easier for you to book a round trip ticket into and out of Tokyo, it only takes about 3 hours by train to get back to Tokyo from Osaka. Since you have 10 days you could spend a few days in Tokyo before activating a 7-day JR Pass. 🌺 Heidi
Thank so mush for this information, just wondering do I need a physical Exchange Order or is their a digital version? I just don't trust the postal service in my country.😒
Hi. If you don't want to receive a physical exchange order in the mail, you can purchase through the official website and receive an email confirmation: japanrailpass.net/ You can do this up to 30 days before you arrive in Japan. And remember, prices are going up on October 1st!
@@KenshoQuest Seems I finally found my answer which I am bombarding you here (sorry!). So to be 100% sure - if you buy it through official website, you will get email confirmation, which you print and then in Japan change into physical pass in JR office, right? Any sort of exchange order is NOT sent to your address? That would be a relief and worth that additional 4k yen - mail post, where I live is not reliable and FedEx also not worth the stress waiting for delivery, when your travel is week or two away.
Could you please confirm that you got email confirmation and didn't have to wait for any physical post mail with voucher (exchange voucher)? You just printed confirmation and went to JR office in Japan to get pass, right?
@@goodweight Yes, that is our understanding. If you purchase through the official website you get an email confirmation. You do not need to wait for an Exchange Order in the mail. Personally, we have only purchased from an agent and in a JR Office in Japan (which is only an option until Sept 30).
Hi, are you only visiting Osaka and Kyoto? If so, it may not be worth it to buy the pass. It will take a about 70 minutes if you take the Haruka Express from Kansai Airport (Osaka) to Kyoto station. THere is no bullet train from Kansai to Kyoto. Depending on the size of your party you may even consider hiring private transport, as it may be cheaper and faster and take you directly to your accommodation.
Hello, First off I want to say Thank you for the video. I do have some questions that i Hope you can answer for me: - If I am using the Visit Japan Web to get through the customs, how do i get the stamp needed for the passport for the JR Pass? - I have seen some videos where they reserver (get the tickets) for the Shinkansen at a terminal/ticket machine, is that also an option or do i have to go to the counter? - When i have a shinkansen ticket and the JR Pass, do i put them in the gate at the same time(on top of each other)? or one after the other? Hopefully you can resolve some of the worries i have. Thanks in advance!
HI, we're not certain we understand all of your questions so please let us know 1) You will first go through immigration to get your visitor stamp in your passport. Once you have this then you can go to any of the many JR ticket counters including the airport to collect your JR Pass. 2) Yes, you can also reserve and get your tickets directly from a machine. We did not mention this in the video because they are not available everywhere. So if you cannot find these machines then proceed to the midori no madoguchi ticketing office. If you have trouble finding this please ask any of the attendants. Many speak at least some English. 3) If you do not have reserved seating then you will not even have a shinkansen ticket. So only feed your JR Pass. Now if you do have both the ticket and your JR Pass, even in this instance you will most likely only need to feed your JR Pass. Only in some cases will you be required to feed both. Unfortunately, we do not remember if it matters which goes on top, but we did feed them at the same time. If you have any issues there is usually an attendant standing nearby and they are friendly. I hope this helps!
Hello @kenshoquest We are flying into Haneda from Australia on 1st November around 8pm for 22 day trip with our 3 year old toddler. We have been to Japan for our honeymoon 5 years ago so would like to visit different places this time and are staying at airbnbs throughout our trip. Can you please help me decide/organise which JR pass to buy ? And what the estimated time to and from each location will be ? So confused but since some of the distances are far would really like to use bullet train to lesson time travelling. Our itinerary 1/2/3/4 ~ Tokyo (inc Disneyland) 5/6/7 ~ Kofu 8/9/10/11 /12 ~ Nara (inc day trip to Osaka) 13/14/15 ~ Kyoto 16/17/18/19 ~ Iwami 20/21/22 ~ Nagano 23 ~ Tokyo - Fly home from Heneda airport 9pm
Hi, these are some amazing places, we haven't been to some of them! I think you will need at least a 14-Day JR Pass for your trip. But if you will be traveling a lot then the cost of the 21-Day might be worth the little extra expense since it will cover most of your transportaion. Otherwise, you can get by in tokyo without the pass and you might consider the Tokyo Wide Pass which will cover the Kofu area for 3 days. From Kofu you might want to continue to Nagano since it is closer and since you have a 3yo. Regarding Iwami, do you mean near tottori? If so, that is quite far to reach since you will need to take slower trains and you might want to go there between Kyoto and Nara, that way you break up your travel days and will have less distance to return to Tokyo or Nagano if you keep Nagano as your last stop before returning to Tokyo. The good thing is once you are in either Nagano or Kyoto area you can take the shinkansen back to Toyko.
Really useful video! I have my exchange order and I will activate my JR pass on Day 3 of my trip for Tokyo to Osaka. Can I book reserved seats now (before it’s been activated)? We’re going during Golden Week and I’m getting very nervous about how busy the stations might be. Thank you!
Hi, so glad the video is helpful! Unfortunately, you cannot book reserved seats until you have traded in your exchange order for your actual JR Pass. So you will need to wait until you arrive in Japan. The trains and stations will be busy but not to worry! I have two suggestions: 1) As soon as you arrive, go straight to the ticket office and get your JR Pass. At the same time ask the attendant to reserver seats for you on the shinkansen. It will most likely be the Hikari Shinkansen. If HIkari is not available as for the Kodama, it will take a little longer but still get you to Kyoto. If there are not seats available for the time you want to travel you can go unserved. 2) If you go unreserved, be sure to be in the very front of the line for the unreserved car. There will be multiple unreserved cars so find the shortest line. If you are unsure about the correct line, please ask an attendant. As long as you are near the front you should not have any problems getting seats. However, if you are far back then it is best to move up the line but not board the train if you think it will already be full. Then since you have moved up the line you will be near the front and can easily get a seat on the next train. I hope this helps, good luck, I'm sure you will have a great trip!
No one will buy the pass and travel in unreserved compartments. It’s a waste of the pass cos it literally cost nothing extra and if you bought through JR rail pass website directly you can actually reserved seats in advance unless you bought the pass from travel agents
Great video on this topic as well as the video on pocket Wifi. Had a quick question. We ordered our voucher for a 7 day pass and it just arrived. However, the voucheer doesn't have our middle names. We have our first and last. Our passports have the middle names. Does this mean they won't exchange it for us in Japan? Do we have to return these and then purchase new ones?
Oh, dear. Sorry that happened. I'm not certain if the missing middle names will prevent getting your JR Passes. The instructions do say it's supposed to match your passport exactly. If you have time, I recommend contacting the agent you bought them through and asking if they can replace your exchange orders with updated names. 🌺Heidi
We are traveling from Osaka to Fukuoka-Hakata with a side trip to Yufuin and back to Kyoto and are looking at a JR West regional pass. Would you recommend the Sanyo San’in and is buying online directly from JR West reliable?
Hi, sounds like a fabulous journey to the less traveled areas of Japan! I think the Sanyo San'in will be perfect. However, and you probably already know that it only goes as fr south as Kumamoto, so Yufuin should be fine. As for JR West website, we personally have not purchased through them. However, our overall experience purchasing directly from Japanese portals is underwhelming if you run into any issues. That is why we prefer to purchase from a site that we know we can get good clear and timely information in English if we need to actually speak with a person. Have a great trip!
Hi, sorry for any confusion. You will only have a shinkansen ticket if you have also reserved a seat on a shinkansen train. For example, the Hayabusa is a reserved only train so in that case you would need a shinkansen reserved ticket. If you are riding in an unreserved car of the shinkansen then you would not need a ticket. I hope this helps!
Great video! I have a question. If I'm arriving to Narita on the 11th of March and staying in Japan until 30th. Can I buy a 7-day JR Pass but only use it for the 24th-30th? Can I pick it up the day I land at Narita and activate it later on? Thanks!
Yes, I believe that is fine. You can pick up your JR pass up to 30 days before the activation date. Just specify the day you want it to be valid from. And Narita airport is a location to pick it up. Have a wonderful trip! 🌺 Heidi
Hi, only if you purchased your tickets directly through the official website. Otherwise, you need to wait until you trade in your exchange voucher for your JR Pass. Then at the same time you can reserve seats. As long as you are not traveling during peak holiday seasons such as Golden Week or Obon which is coming in the middle of August then it is usually no problem to reserve seats.
Thank you for the video. I just wanted to say that Klook was cheaper than Jrpass. Not only each ticket is $23 cheaper but also save $14 on shipping. However, painful experience was my eye sight! The date presentation was backwards than American date format. When i realized my mistake, I immediately contacted their customer service through the online chat. Sadly, they do not have option for me to cancel or change the order. (Yes! the confirmation email notified me payment had been made and they were still processing). Even they recommended me to cancel and rebooking, I can't cancel on my own. After they canceling from their side, they charged 10% fee.. However! Look at jrpass, they allow you to cancel, and they don't charge you 10% fee without telling you! Unless you don't make mistakes.. Otherwise, I would suggest to book through jrpass than klook on this one.
When you buy JR pass on the official website - do they also mail you the voucher to your home address or you get confirmation on your email? It's really inconvenient for some people to get voucher send my mail, instead just print voucher from email and then show up at JR office in Japan. I don't understand that physical mailing (time consuming).
This video is very helpful, but I am still confused, can you please let me know which Shinkansen should we purchase the tickets from, there are many different one from Tokyo to Kyoto, thank you in advance 🙏
Hi, sorry but I'm not certain I understand your question but let me try to answer. If you are purchasing the Japan Rail Pass then you will take either the Hikari Shinkansen or the Kodama Shinkansen from Tokyo to Kyoto. Let us know if you need further information!
Hi! Is there any reason why you didnt mention/dont recommend buying the pass on the official site? We have 6 weeks until our trip and im not sure which option to go with, but the official site seems to be the best one, as they offer online seat reservations...
Hi! Booking through the official site (japanrailpass.net/) has the advantage of allowing you to make seat reservations right away. The downside is that JR Passes cost more on the official site. We discussed this in our follow-up video: ua-cam.com/video/uJbTGRV1mIw/v-deo.html
@@KenshoQuest Could you please clarify - when you buy JR pass on the official website (not travel agent website) - do they also mail you the voucher to your home address or you get confirmation on your email? It's really inconvenient for some people to get voucher sent by mail, instead of just print voucher from email and then show up at JR office in Japan. I don't understand that physical mailing (time consuming).
If you purchase the JR pass now with the current exchange rates will you need to pay an exchange rate difference when you arrive in japan and receive your pass?
Hi - thank you so much for all of this information. Our flight arrives in Haneda Airport at 5:00AM local time. It seems we would not be able to redeem our Japan Rail Pass until the office opens at 6:45am. I have checked office times for JRailPass, Japan Rail Pass, and JRPass - they all open at 6:45am. Do you know if we are stuck waiting until those offices open to get our passes, so we can use the Tokyo Monorail to get into the city? Thanks in advance!
Hi, we are happy to help :) If you arrive at 5:00 there is a very good chance that by the time you clear immigration, pickup your luggage, and clear customs it will be after 6:00. And by the time you find the ticket office it may be closer to 6:45. However, if you are lucky and get through early then you will have to wait until the office opens. Another option is to just pay for the monorail or use other trains depending on where you are going. For instance, if you are going all the way to Ikebukuro station ( which is about an hour away ) it will cost about 750 JPY/person which is currently less than $6 USD. Then you could trade in your passes at one of the many offices around Tokyo. I completely understand not wanting to wait around especially after such a long flight and also wanting to take full advantage of your JR Pass, but I hope these ideas help! Have a great time :), 🤙🏼 George
@@KenshoQuest You have a great point about all the de-boarding time, customs, etc. I think we will go ahead and purchase and plan on picking up upon arrival. Thank you for the insight and quick response!
HI I purchased my tickets from your guys link. I noticed that its says "HONG KONG" under date & place of issue on the tickets. Is that normal? We live in the USA and will be traveling to Japan from the usa, never going through HONG KONG.
HI, yes, you can certainly use both. But probably the 7-day is sufficient. I recommend you activate your JR Pass on the day you travel from Osaka to Kyoto. This way you can take the shinkansen from Shin Osaka to Kyoto Station. It's like 15 minutes! Then have the Japan Travel navitime app installed since it is the only one we know of that shows all the available routes of which you can use your JR Pass. Then after your 4 days in Kyoto you can use the JR Pass to get to Tokyo and you still have a couple more days to use it in the Tokyo area or anywhere else you want to go. Let us know if you have other questions! Have a great trip! ~ Joji
Hello! i have a question when it comes to the voucher. is there a Time limit to when i can exchange the voucher for my pass or no? I plan on going in July so would you recommend i order it now?
Yes, there is. From the purchase date, you must swap the Exchange Order for the actual JR Pass within 90 days. You then can activate the JR Pass within 30 days. 🌺 Heidi
When fill out the online form to purchase the Jr pass, there is no place for the middle name. Would it be an issue since it doesn’t match with name in the passport?
Hi, We just ordered JR Passes through Klook. At the beginning it asked for First and Last name. Later in the booking process it had us verify our names, and we were able to add in our middle names. Were you successful at booking your JR Pass? 🌺Heidi
Hi there, lovely video, could I please ask you something, I am going to Japan with my family my oldest child is 11 yoL now, but he’s turning 12 this year on the 11/5/2023 our trip is planned from 31/4 to 5/24. Will he be considered as adult? When I buy the tickets? Thanks Martin
Hi, first thank you for the nice compliment :) Regarding your son, yes, unfortunately once he turns 12, he will be considered an adult and needs an adult ticket.
You can travel multiple directions, back and forth, however you want for the 7 day period. We just recommend going one direction to maximize the ground you can cover in 7 days.
Do you need to use a different website to reserve a seat from Tokyo to Nagoya? Nagoya doesn't seem to be a station available in the drop down on the site you showed at 10:46
Hi, sorry but the website is specific to trains that are in JR East. Unfortunately Nagoya is not part of JR East and therefore, you cannot reserve online. You will need to visit a ticketing office or use the ticketing machine. Our other video explains more in details: ua-cam.com/video/uJbTGRV1mIw/v-deo.html I hope this helps!
I have a quick question, I recently purchased a jr pass through Klook and it says on the date and place of issue is in Hong Kong but I am located in the USA, will this cause a error when I exchange my pass in person?
No. Children under 6 years old do not need a JR Pass to travel with an adult who has one. Our 2 yr old did not have a pass. That also meant he did not have his own reserved seat, so he sometimes sat on our lap. 🌺 Heidi
Have you personally bought your jr passes from that site? I've just bought two and i was expecting to receive a tracking code to track the delivery on fedex but i still haven't received it and i'm kind of panicking rn lol
Hello! I’m visiting Tokyo in the fall and the only far distance trip I plan is a trip to Kyoto and back. Is it worth still buying the JR pass? Or just single tickets each way? Thanks for the help
Hi, if you are doing a round trip then I do think it's worth getting the JR Pass as you will be able to use it on other trains such as going to Nara and/or Osaka and all the local JR trains. Activate your pass on your travel date to kyoto to get the most use out of your pass. I hope this helps, this is a great route and trip!
Thx for the nice video. My question is I am going on a round trip from Tokyo to Sendai. Is it worth to buy a jr pass or ordinary tickets will be more affordable? My 2nd question, which line of Shinkansen that goes to Sendai as I am so confused? Thx in advance
We’ve tried reserving a couple hours before, but all the seats were taken. If you really want a reserved seat, I recommend booking it at least a day in advance. Even sooner if it’s a crowded holiday season. 🌺 Heidi
Hi, I am arriving in Haneda airport. I will be travelling to Kyoto and Hiroshima 1 week after I arrive in Tokyo. I read somewhere from the internet that the Haneda jr office cannot make advance seat reservations. Can you please advise whether the JR EAST Travel Service Center in Haneda Airport Terminal 3 can provide full services - ie exchange voucher for JR PASS AND also make advance seat reservations for Shinkansen/ express trains?
Hi, I do not know why they wouldn't? This is Haneda Airpot after all :) I just checked on their site and while this document was last updated it should be correct: www.jreast.co.jp/e/customer_support/service_center_haneda.html Also, on the official site, Haneda is listed as having the services you need: japanrailpass.net/exchange.html If they cannot make the reservations, you can use one of the machines and/or visit a different office. I am sure they can redirect you if you run into any problems. Good luck!
Is it true that we can only book the shinkansen seat after we exchange our exchange-order(buy from 3rd party) in the office? I was afraid I won't get the hayabusa shinkansen seat bcs it would be the start of hirosaki cherry blossom festival
Hi, yes this is mostly true. If you are traveling on the Hayabusa then you will be using JR East which has an online reservation website mentioned in the video. It does not require you to have your pass on hand. However, you still need to pick up your ticket at the office and if I remember correctly this needs to be before your reserved travel date on the shinkansen. Here is the link: www.eki-net.com/en/jreast-train-reservation/Top/Index Good luck and let us know how it goes!
We appreciate the commission we earn when you purchase your JR Pass through our affiliate link: click.jrpass.com/SH82
@@disruptapps Thanks for letting us know! Please do keep us updated. 🌺 Heidi
@@disruptapps We hope you receive the JR Passes in time!
Hi I purchased 2 JR passes through your affiliated site . This was through my Visa - the money was debited on 6 June but I have not received confirmation and no validation has been delivered to my address - where do I go from here … we leave for Japan in 5 days and we are very concerned …..
@@alisonjones8241 So sorry to hear that. Have you tried contacting JR Pass? If there isn't time for them to mail an Exchange Order, perhaps they could cancel the order. It's possible to purchase a JR Pass in Japan, once you arrive.🌺Heidi
Hi, we are travelling to japan in September. I have a question about JR pass, can we use it for round trip? For example from Tokyo to Kyoto and then to Osaka and Osaka to Tokyo? Thankyou
Plan your trip, write down all the Shinkansen Train you are taking, and you provide you list to the counter and they can reserve all your intended train in Osaka or Tokyo Airport (JR Ticket Office) upon arrival. Then you have less worry and less hassle of going to the ticket office repeatedly.
Excellent advice!
Where can I find what trains I need to take?
The process for reserved tickets has changed. For past 15 years I’ve lined up as you’ve described. But now it’s all moved to machines that allow anyone with a rail-pass to reserve any included train at any time. It prevents double booking but likely allowed more accurate accounting leading up to JR Central deciding to massively increase rail pass price.
As someone who will be visiting Japan for the first time, I found this video extremely informative and helpful. Thank you for the detailed and step by step guide. Keep up the good work guys 👍
You’re welcome! Here’s our more recent JR Pass video:
ua-cam.com/video/fUn5MCYFjNU/v-deo.htmlsi=cl8tgQ_oP-pWmNOl
Thank you so much for spending time sharing your experience. I learned a lot from your videos and have more confident planning my trip. I am so happy for your family that able to travel together.🤗
Thank you! Have a wonderful trip to Japan.
Omg thank you so much! I panicked for a second because I realized that the website I used wasn’t the official website, so I’m glad to know that this website it legitimate.
No problem!!
I am Malaysian, but I must admit that Japan is a very fine country.
We hope to be back in Malaysia soon!
Most helpful video so far regarding the JR Pass. Thank you. Some youtube videos mention scam sites and those that ignore you if there are problems. Just wanted to confirm that the site you mentioned is valid. I need three green passes. We are off to Japan for Golden Week.
Hi, so glad to know that the video is helpful :) It is true there are some scam sites and with others, the usual problems are with delivery time and/or refunds. jrpass is a legit company based in London. They also have an active forum if you have questions for them. We don't want you to have a bad experience with them! Alternatively, we like Klook. We use them regularly here in Asia. We have links to both of those in the description. Let us know if you have any further questions. I'm sure you will have a great time during Golden Week!
@@KenshoQuest Thanks for the quick reply. I feel more confident now and will be using your link to order three passes.
This is by far the most complete video about JR PASS!!! thanks!!!
Thank you!!!
Great video, easy and straight up to the point :)
I am travelling for the first time to Japan for a month in late April by myself and i am defnitely going to return to this video for refference..i guess i will probably have to buy both the JR pass (21 days) and a suica wecome card if i want to move freely around :)
We hope you have a wonderful time in Japan! It’s one of our favorite countries to visit. 🌺✈️ Heidi
Thank you for your thorough info. I was freaking out and feeling scared to use the JR pass for the first time next month. I think I got this😊
Wonderful. Let us know if you have any questions :)
Great video! From japan
Thank for your infos, I am on my way in a month, a happy family I see, your kids are so beautiful......🥰
Thank you so much! Have a great journey!
Such a lovely family you have there. And i love the video you made, very very informative.
Regards from Poland
This was really helpful. My sister and I are planning a trip to Japan and I am freaking out about the rail system.
So glad to know if was helpful! Please let us know if you have further questions as it can be daunting.
My god I just found my trip gurus.🤗
Amazing video!
Are you planning to get a Japan Rail Pass?
Thanks so much for showing all detail information.
You’re welcome! Are you thinking of getting the JR Pass?
i’ve been googling for jr rail pass guides and this is by far the best! thank u so much for making this video!!!
Glad it was helpful! Thank you!
Thank you so much, life saver!
Thank you so much for this very straight to the point, informative video… especially for traveling with kids! Please keep it up ❤
Thanks for the video, please help to review the LUUP scooter rental service , how to check out and return the scooter for tourist , thank you !
Thank you ; these tips are valuable 🙏🙏🙏❤️
Your welcome! We also made a more recent Guide to the JR Pass: ua-cam.com/video/fUn5MCYFjNU/v-deo.htmlsi=nvqXuNEAV7iixUsa
the way you talk makes everything super clear and easy to digest. Speech level 100.
quick question. the new jr pass ticket and shikensen ticket. Do you stick both of them into the gate at the same time or separate? dumb question but stuff in japan can work so differently..
Thanks! Sometimes you only need to feed the JR Pass through at the ticket gate. Sometimes we stacked both the JR Pass and Shinkansen ticket on top of each other and fed them through together. We were instructed to do it that way by one of the gate attendants, so you can always ask the attendant if you’re unsure what to do. Have a wonderful trip! 🌺 Heidi
Wow . Excellent video.
Thank you for this video and the nitty gritty details, such as how to reserve, how to buy and how to pick up your tickets! I found this VERY helpful!
Glad to help! Will you visit Japan soon?
hugely helpful. Leaving for my first trip to Japan on Sunday for 2 weeks. Thank you!
Glad we could help! You are going to have such an awesome time in the beautiful spring!!
I have traveled to Japan many times during my career but have not been in the last 14 years. We are planning a trip for April 2024 and from watching your videos a number of things have changed and added (such as pocket Wi-Fi). However I had never been able to figure out which tickets, or how many) to put into the machines when going to the platform. In my previous travels I was almost always with my suppliers who guided me at that time. Any information about that showing some of the details will be good.
Hi. We normally insert our "train ticket" but not our "seat reservation ticket" into the automatic ticket gate at the train station. We will try to film and share more of those details on our next trip to Japan. 🌺 Heidi
Great Video! short yet details and informative! thanks so much for the video!
Glad it was helpful!
We have used JR pass in Tokyo too, if you want to visit more than 2 cities in Japan , buy it for sure. Also within the 7 days you can go from Tokyo to Kyoto and return to Tokyo.
Also for reserve seat train, you can get to the ticket booth a day or anytime earlier than your desired travel time to avoid crowd.
For ticket booth/machine option, can you also reserve online at pick up at the machine? Or the machine is only avialable for in-person reservacation?
I live in the Us, and I am going to Japan On July 10. Can I purchase it online?
You guys are amazing!
Un fortunately, I arrive in Tokyo then my plan is to travel South such as Osaka, circling up & around, returning to Tokyo.
Mainly I 'd love to sakura but I afraid that it may be already in full bloom so that Sapporro is a back up trip for that.
BTW, here is my iternary:
After arriving to Tokyo, I 'd take the bullet train to Osaka, then staying there for 3 nights to see Nara & Kobe, them onward to Kyoto for 2 nights... head up to Kanazawa for 2 nights, & hopefully to spend sometime at Toyama... here I haven't decided where to go next, but the last three days I shall be in Tokyo, to hopefully travel a day to see MT Fuji & Abiraki , etc...
Beside chasing the Sakura, my most favorite is to have stay at one of the ryokan with onsen.
Yet, I can go ahead to book the JR pass with green Seat. Therefore, I don't have to worry about reservations... I will be fumbling around figuring out which shinkanshin to take to places where I need to be. ..
Any of your recommendations would be greatly appreciated ❤
HI, it sounds like you have your trip mostly figured out! I think Hokkaido is a good backup as you may be right in that sakura blossoms may be over since they started early this year.
You may already know this, but the Yamataka Jindai Zakura is a must since it is the oldest in Japan and still blooms.
ryokan with onsen will be a great experience as well. Great locations include Miyajima island, kyoto and near Mt Fuji. I'm sure in the Toyama area would be beautiful as well.
Regarding the green seat. While it is reserved only, you still need to reserver your seats ahead of time. And since you are heading to Osaka area, you will mostly be taking the tokaido shinkansen.
If you do end up going to Hokkaido then please visit Furano, farm Tomita and the Shirogane Gorge and pond.
I hope this helps, you will have a grand adventure for sure!
it's a bummer that it's consecutive only - I don't know why they don't have a day use option.
I was there like a dozen years ago - used the jr pass - loved it.
I'm a solo traveler, so I opted for the green car.
I did ok, but I wish it wasn't consecutive use.
Thank you so much for this excellent run down! Can't wait to use it!
We're excited for you! Where do you plan to visit on your journey?
@@KenshoQuest Osaka & Kyoto (+area), Hiroshima, Takayama, Tokyo - 14 days. We think this itinerary will be cheaper using JR Pass Thoughts?
@@shaylennaidoo3397 Yes the JR Pass will save you money, as long as you are able to purchase your JR Pass by Sept 30, before the prices increase.
@@KenshoQuestare the google maps prices of the train trips accurate?
@@shaylennaidoo3397 Google Maps can give you a good estimate. For adding up the prices of Shinkansen trains I use either Klook or JR Fare Calculator. I show both of those in this separate video:
ua-cam.com/video/fUn5MCYFjNU/v-deo.htmlsi=zCNiEzwOCIjVWI5u
Great video! Thanks. One thing I recommend is when buying JR Pass at Klook, change the currency to JPY. Don't use USD. Klook actually makes more money if you pay in USD. Very bad exchange rate! I got USD 0.78 for JPY 100 when market rate is only 0.75
Excellent tip!
Great info as planning a trip to Japan. It would help if you also do inches and lbs as in the US not many people use the metric system. I need to pause the idio and install a converter on my phone. Keep up the good work.
Noted!
Well explained, thankss :)
Thank you
Thanks for sharing the experience! Let say I stay in Tokyo few days then I will visit Kyoto for few days can you please tell me which train good for me to go there ? I have 1 checkIng luggage and 1 carry on. Thanks
Hi. We explain in this separate video step-by-step how to take a bullet train from Tokyo to Kyoto: ua-cam.com/video/TQYemOXavAA/v-deo.html
Great vid. Thanks for the informative vid..What is the “official” official site to buy the JR Pass online. Which site has a map that shows all JR lines that they cover?
The official website is Japanrailpass.net For maps you can look at the specific websites such as JR West or JR East, otherwise jrpass.net also has a map. 🌺 Heidi
We bought the JR Rail pass through your link. What I am trying to figure out now is that my son will be traveling from Tokyo to Osaka and back during his 2 week trip at the end of this month. He will be exploring other places along the way. What I need advice on is what other passes we should get him. For example, he will be spending 4 days in Tokyo. Does that mean I need to buy him a bus pass and a subway pass? Then do the same in Osaka?
Hi! The easiest thing would be for him to purchase a Suica or Pasmo card at the train station, once he’s in Japan. Either of those can be recharged and used in any city on subways, buses, and trains (especially those not covered by the JR Pass). We’re working on a separate video explaining how to buy and use a Pasmo card.
Am traveling in Japan right now. They have stopped selling the green SUICA cards to foreigners, instead there is a relatively new red WELCOME SUICA card that can be bought from the JR travel centers. Two of the biggest benefits are 1. No deposit needed. 2. Can be used anywhere in Japan wherever you see the “IC” sign. With your JR pass and Welcome SUICA card, you can travel anywhere in Japan with a level of efficiency and rapidity unavailable in any other country in the world.
Hi I’m very confused by the purchase date and activation date of the JR pass. Please help clarify this as my travel to Japan is approaching. Today is Aug 24, 2023 my travel day to Japan is Oct 22. I plan to use the pass on the 22nd. Can I buy it now to lock on the current price before the price hike? Or I need to wait until Sept 23 to purchase because I heard from other source saying you have to activate the pass within 30 days. Thank you very much. Your channel is one of the best Japan info on yt.
Hi! You can purchase your JR Pass *now* through a travel agent such as Klook. (Affiliate link: kenshoquest.com/recommends/klook-jr-pass/). They will send you an Exchange Order. You then have 90 days from date of purchase to swap the Exchange Order for your actual JR Pass in Japan. When you pick up your JR Pass, you can set an activation date for within the next 30 days, but it sounds like you will be activating your pass that day, which is fine too. Here is our separate video where we explain this timeline: ua-cam.com/video/PHZIxioFpuU/v-deo.html
I see! Thank you so much for taking time to explain and clarify. There’re so much info for first timer to Japan. You’re a lifesaver (and money 😅). Thank you and god bless you and your family.
I thought the JR pass acts like the ticket. You mention that I will need to insert the Shinkansen reservation ticket into the machine as well? If so, in what order? And do I have to pull out the first before inserting the second?
The JR pass can act like the ticket when riding in an unreserved car. For times when we were told to insert both the reserved ticket and the JR pass, we stacked one on top of the other. I don’t remember which was on top. The attendant at the ticket gate told us what to do. Just remember to grab both after passing through the gate.
Also, most of the time we only inserted the JR Pass, so always have that one ready as you will always need it to go through the ticket gate.
Great information. I bought JRpass tickets from the link mentioned in the video but they haven’t sent me the tickets and no response to the email.
How long ago did you purchase? The exchange order will be sent through the mail, and is normally received in 3 business days. They are based in London, so may respond base on that time zone.
Aloha, if we are going to use the JR PASS from Oct 2-9 (7day pass) when do we purchase them? What’s the earliest we can buy them? In June? Or July? Seems simple but I’m soo confused with all of these modes of transportation.
Aloha! Once you purchase your JR pass, you have a 90 day window to swap your Exchange Order for your actual JR Pass (which you will do in Japan). Please leave a couple days wiggle room on this, in case things don’t go exactly as planned. Once you have made the exchange, you have 30 days to activate your JR Pass. Your activation day is the first day you will use the pass to ride a train. Hope that helps. 🌺 Heidi
This is great info! 👏💕 does the green car required reservation as well or can we just do unreserved seats? Thinking the green car is less people? 😅🙏
Hi, thank you!! Yes , green car is reserved only. If you will be traveling off season then there will usually be plenty of seats on ordinary trains and no need to reserve. Let us know if you have further questions or need more clarification!
Does JR Pass include fares of all Shinkansen trains, apologies if I missed it in your video, thanks.
Almost all Shinkansen trains. The two that are excluded are the Nozomi and Mizuho.
Great information! Thank you so much. We are coming into Japan for 16 days and plan on buying 14 day passes. Do you think it is worth it as we will be doing the following. Narita-Tokyo. Tokyo-Kyoto. Kyoto-Osaka. Osaka-Hakone. Hakone-Tokyo. Thank you
Hi, and thanks for the comment :) If you are coming to Japan before the October price increase then yes, the JR Pass is worth it for your journey as you will be making a round trip.
However, to get to Hakone you will probably be using the Odakyu line which will take you from Shinjuku station to Hakone-Yumoto Station. The Odakyu line is not part of the JR Pass. You can watch this video guide to Hakone Free Pass for more information: ua-cam.com/video/XpuGU_2zNuQ/v-deo.html
Sounds like a great adventure, let us know if you have further questions.
Thank you so much for the reply. I have watched a few of your channels and they are very informative! Great job to the both of you! I thought it looked less expensive if done singular. We have to get 4 passes.
@@jodyh8108 I just showed in our latest video how you can use the JR Fare Calculator to compare the prices of buying individual train tickets vs getting the JR pass. On the Fare Calculator you can switch the pass type from 7 Day to 14 Day: ua-cam.com/video/fUn5MCYFjNU/v-deo.html
Thanks for the video. Very helpful! However, would like to clarify the dimensions of the luggage for reserved seats. 160-250cm sounds wrong. That's taller than a door! Is this in centimeters? Thanks!
Hi, sorry for any confusion! The maximum size L+W+D = 160cm. Anything larger than 160cm to a maximum of 250cm will require a reservation. So total maximum dimension allowed with reservation is L+W+D 250cm.
Anything larger than 250cm is not accepted but there are exceptions such as bikes.
I hope this helps and I'm not being more confusing!!
@@KenshoQuest Thanks for the clarification! We love watching your travel videos as we also have kids when we travel. :)
Hi I need some advice… I have a 17 hour layover out of Haneda airport. Booked a hotel in Hamamatsucho as my flight arrives at 2230 and I plan to grab food and crash that evening. Since the hotel is closer to Tsukiji, I was going to tour around that place in the morning and my question is do you think I have time to head to Tokyo Skytree, tour around there and then make it back to Haneda airport for a 1530 flight?
Hi, it is possible to see both. Just get to Tsukiji early and try to be done with Skytree by noon at the latest. Then take the Asakusa line back to Haneda. You won't have to change any trains. For example, from Skytree Oshiage station, which is just outside of Skytree Solamachi mall, if you take the 1140 Asakusa line Airport-Rapid-Limited Express > Haneda Airport Terminal, it will only take 36 minutes to get to terminal 3. So just check the schedule to be sure you can catch the trains with less stops. Good luck!
Thanks for the informative video! This is exactly the information I was looking for 🙌🏼 very helpful!
So if I‘ve got the JR Railpass and I‘m not planning on using any of the JR East routes, but only routes further south, I can‘t make an online reservation, right? ☹️
Hi, so glad the video is helpful! Unfortunately, I believe this is correct. Are you traveling during holidays? Otherwise, there are usually plenty of seats. Another optiont is to check out the official JR website. They do reserve on some of their trains as well but you do pay extra for the passes. Good luck and let us know if you have further questions!
@@KenshoQuest thank you so much! I will check out the JR website 🙏🏼 I‘m going by the end of this month/ beginning of april, so I thought it would be very busy because of the cherry blossoms 🌸
You can get reserve tickets as soon as you arrive and activate your pass. That means you can get your tickets a few days ahead
Hi could you please tell which month you went there are i noticed there was snow thanks
We were in Japan November-January. We went north to Hokkaido for the snow. ❄️ ⛄️
@@KenshoQuest ok great thankyou so much i really appreciate it, can you also answer when do they start to decorate for christmas, is it november or december? thank you
So I'm guessing yes, but as a single traveler that will be taking round trip day trips to Osaka, Nikko, Kuwana, Fujiyoshida, Hiroshima, and Kyoto each time back to Tokyo...the JR Pass will be well worth it?
HI, if you are taking multiple round trips then 100% yes worth it. Even with the impending new prices in October it will be worth it! Sounds like an awesome trip!
@@KenshoQuest Thanks! I can't wait until October! Counting down the hours! Great video!
Heading to Kyoto next week, if I understand how the ic cards work I can just swipe at the flapper gates and ride local train from say Umahori Station back to Kyoto with out having to actually purchase a physical ticket first from the machines near the gates?
Yep, just tap your IC card!
Thank you for the informative video. I'm planning to visit Tokyo, Hakone, Kyoto, and Osaka. I plan to stay for roughly 2 weeks. From the fare calculations, it looks like I don't have to buy a JR pass . Do you recommend buying one? Thank you
Hi, glad the video is helpful :) Since you know you don't need to purchase a JR Pass I think it comes down to whether or not you want to ride the shinkansen. It is an amazing experience and I highly recommend because it is part of the whole Japan experience. You might consider going as far as Hiroshima if time allows.
Have a great trip!
Thank you for another great video! When you have obtained your physical reserved ticket, do you insert that ticket OR the JR Pass into the gate machine?
Hi, thanks for watching! Great question, you will always need to insert your JR Pass, so always be ready for that. Oddly, only sometimes we also inserted our reserved ticket and this was when we were instructed to by the attendant. I hope this answers otherwise let us know!
@@KenshoQuest Yes thank you a lot! Sounds good, I guess I will just insert JR Pass only until I am asked to also insert the reserved ticket LOL!
50,000 ¥ now. The price has gone up. 7 days 50,000¥
Thanks for the info! Just one question
You mentioned that we’ll need both a JR pass and shinkansen pass - how does that work at the ticket gate? Do we put one ticket after the other? Does it have a chance of eating the Jr pass?
We stacked the two together and fed them through at the same time. I think it was JR pass on top and Shinkansen ticket on bottom. 🌺 Heidi
for family of 4 near tokyo station, which hotel should we stay? I check marriotts, for most hotel, only 2-3 occupancy
Hi, we run into this issue sometimes and have to settle for getting two rooms. This usually only happens during peak season and/or if it is short notice. Otherwise, we use booking.com. It has a good filter for families and usually shows a fair amount of options that allow 4-5 people and more. We also, stay in Airbnbs. I hope this helps!
why to purchase in USA and bring to Japan? Can I just purchase in airport when I get to japan?
Hi, good question. The main reason is to save money and time. Yes, you can purchase in some airports in Japan but that means you need to arrive during business hours. Also, the cost for an ordinary pass for an adult when purchased in Japan is currently 4,000 Yen more than if you purchased back home. I hope this helps!
Great video, how do you know what rail you will be using. I am testing the addresses out in Google maps but google maps doesn't tell me if they train is part of JR pass or not.
Hi, I recommend downloading the Japan Travel NaviTime app. With that app you can set a filter to only show trains included within the JR Pass
play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.navitime.inbound.walk&hl=en&gl=US&pli=1
I've noticed that 29,650 has been used my JR calculators. But when I checked the official JR pass website, that price is for buying the 7-day JR pass through an overseas agency? If bought online (through the official site), an adult price is actually 33,610. Am I missing something? Thanks...love your informative videos.
That’s correct. It’s more expensive to buy the pass directly through the official website. Other websites and agents selling the JR pass sell it for about 4,000 yen cheaper. The one advantage to buying through the official site is being able to reserve seats online right away. 🌺 Heidi
Super important question - when you buy JR pass on the official website (not travel agent website) - do they also mail you the voucher to your home address or you get confirmation on your email?
It's really inconvenient for some people to get voucher sent by mail, instead of just print voucher from email and then show up at JR office in Japan. I don't understand that physical mailing (time consuming).
Hello this is great information! This may be too basic, but how do you know what station to be at when options are just "Tokyo" or "Osaka"? Leaving for Japan in a week and can't wait!
Hi, so glad to know the video is helpful! Happy to help but can you give me us a little more information regarding your question? not quite sure I understand what you mean by just "Tokyo" or "Osaka" as station options. thanks!
wow this is so useful thank you, iv got a question, if i were to travel from Toyko to Osaka but i decided to get off at Hamamatsu just to explore the city then can i jump back on the JR train to osaka?
Absolutely! You can do this anywhere. Though, keep in mind if you were traveling on a reserved seat then you will either need to rebook or travel in an unreserved car for the next train you get on. Now, if were traveling on a reserved only train, then you need to rebook a seat for sure, unless the next train has unreserved seating. I hope this is clear, if not let me know!
Amazing video!!! I have twi questions:
1) if I start my JR pass in Tokyo, I cannot finish it in Tokyo at the end of the 7day Pass?
2)if I buy the pass through Klook, am I able to make seat reservations online through JR website?
Thank you so much!!!!!
Hi, thanks for the kind words!
1) You can certainly finish at your starting location. We are just giving suggestions to maximize the areas you can cover within 7-days.
2) If you are traveling on the JR East network then you can reserve through their website. If you are traveling on others such as heading south to Kyoto or Osaka then unfortunately, you can only make online reservations through the official JR rail website. Which means you will need to purchase your passes with them.
I hope this makes sense. Let me know otherwise, thanks and good luck!!
My wife and I have used 7-days and 14-days many times. To answer #1, we always use our passes up to almost midnight on the 7th day/14th day. As for #2, it looks like you can only reserve seats online IF you bought the pass via the official JR website. That's why it more expensive buying a pass through the official JR site.
@@KenshoQuest Thank you so much. The prices from JR official website and other sellers are not that different. Even if I purchase the pass in the JR official website, when I`m making seat reservation I will still have to go in person to take the ticket, correct? Thanks so much! I`m very very excited for this trip. I`ll go in June, I know it's the rainy season but at least it will be hot hahahaha
@@nateshf9303 Thank you so much!
@@pedrocosta6242 Our last trip was in June/July 2020 and the weather was surprisingly good. As for getting the actual train tickets after you've reserved them, there are videos of travelers printing them out from the JR vending machines but you have to enter your passport #s over and over, which can be a pain. Enjoy planning!
I will be in Japan for two weeks, and I want to go to Osaka, Nara, Kyoto, Kanazawa, Toyama, possibly Sopporo besides Tokyo, of course!
With that much moving around, 14 day JR pass is recommended, right.
Besides that what else should I get, and thank you for your input.
BTW, my trip is 04/19/23 'till 05/03/23. IC card to move around within the ciry, right.
Thanks again
Hi, your trip sounds amazing! You will be moving around a lot. My first question is are you arriving in Osaka then working your way up to Hokkaido? And are you flying out of a different airport? If so this will make your trip less stressful as you won't have to do a round trip. It will also give you more time to explore places.
Yes, the 14 day pass will serve you well for all the places you want to visit. It is doable! When in Kanazawa we highly recommend that you rent a car and drive up to Shirakawa-go/ Ainokura. About an hour from Kanazawa. Absolutely stunning old japan homes in a postcard perfect background. ua-cam.com/video/CWaMYzk8txs/v-deo.html
Yes, IC card as soon as you arrive as well.
What about your data? Do you need a pocket WiFi or SIM?
Also, you probably already know this but you will be traveling partially through Golden Week. It will be crowded during that time. So as soon as you arrive, reserve seats on trains during Golden Week to ensure you have a seat. Otherwise, we have another video on how you can get a seat on unreserved, unless you are riding in green class.
If you can give us some ideas of what you want to do we can offer more suggestions. Happy to help :)
Hello, do I need another ticket or is the JR pass enough to get on the train? Not thinking about the seat reservation.
If you are going to ride in an unreserved car, the JR Pass is all you need. You can insert the pass into the automatic ticket gate and then proceed to your platform. Here's our most recent video with tips for using the JR Pass: ua-cam.com/video/VyRWmVzbAjQ/v-deo.htmlsi=TIoKBOaIpy3m02ao
Hi! Thank you for this helpful tips. My family are planning to visit Japan this November and my route is Tokyo-Kyoto-Osaka for 10 days. My question is it's better to go back to Tokyo for departure or find the nearest airport near Osaka or Kyoto? Your reply would be really appreciated. Thank you.
Hi! You could do either way. You could fly into Haneda airport in Tokyo and out of Kansai airport in Osaka. But if it’s easier for you to book a round trip ticket into and out of Tokyo, it only takes about 3 hours by train to get back to Tokyo from Osaka. Since you have 10 days you could spend a few days in Tokyo before activating a 7-day JR Pass. 🌺 Heidi
@@KenshoQuest Thanks so much for your advice. Because I thought you mention in your blog that its not easy to get Kansai airport for example.
Thank so mush for this information, just wondering do I need a physical Exchange Order or is their a digital version? I just don't trust the postal service in my country.😒
Hi. If you don't want to receive a physical exchange order in the mail, you can purchase through the official website and receive an email confirmation: japanrailpass.net/ You can do this up to 30 days before you arrive in Japan. And remember, prices are going up on October 1st!
@@KenshoQuest Seems I finally found my answer which I am bombarding you here (sorry!). So to be 100% sure - if you buy it through official website, you will get email confirmation, which you print and then in Japan change into physical pass in JR office, right? Any sort of exchange order is NOT sent to your address?
That would be a relief and worth that additional 4k yen - mail post, where I live is not reliable and FedEx also not worth the stress waiting for delivery, when your travel is week or two away.
Could you please confirm that you got email confirmation and didn't have to wait for any physical post mail with voucher (exchange voucher)? You just printed confirmation and went to JR office in Japan to get pass, right?
@@goodweight Yes, that is our understanding. If you purchase through the official website you get an email confirmation. You do not need to wait for an Exchange Order in the mail. Personally, we have only purchased from an agent and in a JR Office in Japan (which is only an option until Sept 30).
@@KenshoQuest thanks! Great videos btw. :)))
We’ll explained. We are visiting Osaka and Kyoto. Do we need the JR pass especially coming from Osaka airport? Thank you.
Hi, are you only visiting Osaka and Kyoto? If so, it may not be worth it to buy the pass. It will take a about 70 minutes if you take the Haruka Express from Kansai Airport (Osaka) to Kyoto station. THere is no bullet train from Kansai to Kyoto. Depending on the size of your party you may even consider hiring private transport, as it may be cheaper and faster and take you directly to your accommodation.
@@KenshoQuest thanks
Hello, First off I want to say Thank you for the video.
I do have some questions that i Hope you can answer for me:
- If I am using the Visit Japan Web to get through the customs, how do i get the stamp needed for the passport for the JR Pass?
- I have seen some videos where they reserver (get the tickets) for the Shinkansen at a terminal/ticket machine, is that also an option or do i have to go to the counter?
- When i have a shinkansen ticket and the JR Pass, do i put them in the gate at the same time(on top of each other)? or one after the other?
Hopefully you can resolve some of the worries i have.
Thanks in advance!
HI, we're not certain we understand all of your questions so please let us know
1) You will first go through immigration to get your visitor stamp in your passport. Once you have this then you can go to any of the many JR ticket counters including the airport to collect your JR Pass.
2) Yes, you can also reserve and get your tickets directly from a machine. We did not mention this in the video because they are not available everywhere. So if you cannot find these machines then proceed to the midori no madoguchi ticketing office. If you have trouble finding this please ask any of the attendants. Many speak at least some English.
3) If you do not have reserved seating then you will not even have a shinkansen ticket. So only feed your JR Pass. Now if you do have both the ticket and your JR Pass, even in this instance you will most likely only need to feed your JR Pass. Only in some cases will you be required to feed both. Unfortunately, we do not remember if it matters which goes on top, but we did feed them at the same time.
If you have any issues there is usually an attendant standing nearby and they are friendly.
I hope this helps!
Hello @kenshoquest
We are flying into Haneda from Australia on 1st November around 8pm for 22 day trip with our 3 year old toddler.
We have been to Japan for our honeymoon 5 years ago so would like to visit different places this time and are staying at airbnbs throughout our trip.
Can you please help me decide/organise which JR pass to buy ?
And what the estimated time to and from each location will be ?
So confused but since some of the distances are far would really like to use bullet train to lesson time travelling.
Our itinerary
1/2/3/4 ~ Tokyo (inc Disneyland)
5/6/7 ~ Kofu
8/9/10/11 /12 ~ Nara (inc day trip to Osaka)
13/14/15 ~ Kyoto
16/17/18/19 ~ Iwami
20/21/22 ~ Nagano
23 ~ Tokyo - Fly home from Heneda airport 9pm
If needed we could possibly rejig places/dates if you think there is a better route?
Hi, these are some amazing places, we haven't been to some of them! I think you will need at least a 14-Day JR Pass for your trip. But if you will be traveling a lot then the cost of the 21-Day might be worth the little extra expense since it will cover most of your transportaion. Otherwise, you can get by in tokyo without the pass and you might consider the Tokyo Wide Pass which will cover the Kofu area for 3 days. From Kofu you might want to continue to Nagano since it is closer and since you have a 3yo.
Regarding Iwami, do you mean near tottori? If so, that is quite far to reach since you will need to take slower trains and you might want to go there between Kyoto and Nara, that way you break up your travel days and will have less distance to return to Tokyo or Nagano if you keep Nagano as your last stop before returning to Tokyo. The good thing is once you are in either Nagano or Kyoto area you can take the shinkansen back to Toyko.
Really useful video! I have my exchange order and I will activate my JR pass on Day 3 of my trip for Tokyo to Osaka. Can I book reserved seats now (before it’s been activated)?
We’re going during Golden Week and I’m getting very nervous about how busy the stations might be. Thank you!
Hi, so glad the video is helpful! Unfortunately, you cannot book reserved seats until you have traded in your exchange order for your actual JR Pass. So you will need to wait until you arrive in Japan. The trains and stations will be busy but not to worry! I have two suggestions:
1) As soon as you arrive, go straight to the ticket office and get your JR Pass. At the same time ask the attendant to reserver seats for you on the shinkansen. It will most likely be the Hikari Shinkansen. If HIkari is not available as for the Kodama, it will take a little longer but still get you to Kyoto. If there are not seats available for the time you want to travel you can go unserved.
2) If you go unreserved, be sure to be in the very front of the line for the unreserved car. There will be multiple unreserved cars so find the shortest line. If you are unsure about the correct line, please ask an attendant. As long as you are near the front you should not have any problems getting seats. However, if you are far back then it is best to move up the line but not board the train if you think it will already be full. Then since you have moved up the line you will be near the front and can easily get a seat on the next train.
I hope this helps, good luck, I'm sure you will have a great trip!
No one will buy the pass and travel in unreserved compartments. It’s a waste of the pass cos it literally cost nothing extra and if you bought through JR rail pass website directly you can actually reserved seats in advance unless you bought the pass from travel agents
Great video on this topic as well as the video on pocket Wifi. Had a quick question. We ordered our voucher for a 7 day pass and it just arrived. However, the voucheer doesn't have our middle names. We have our first and last. Our passports have the middle names. Does this mean they won't exchange it for us in Japan? Do we have to return these and then purchase new ones?
Oh, dear. Sorry that happened. I'm not certain if the missing middle names will prevent getting your JR Passes. The instructions do say it's supposed to match your passport exactly. If you have time, I recommend contacting the agent you bought them through and asking if they can replace your exchange orders with updated names. 🌺Heidi
We are traveling from Osaka to Fukuoka-Hakata with a side trip to Yufuin and back to Kyoto and are looking at a JR West regional pass. Would you recommend the Sanyo San’in and is buying online directly from JR West reliable?
Hi, sounds like a fabulous journey to the less traveled areas of Japan! I think the Sanyo San'in will be perfect. However, and you probably already know that it only goes as fr south as Kumamoto, so Yufuin should be fine. As for JR West website, we personally have not purchased through them. However, our overall experience purchasing directly from Japanese portals is underwhelming if you run into any issues. That is why we prefer to purchase from a site that we know we can get good clear and timely information in English if we need to actually speak with a person. Have a great trip!
18:30 You have a separate Shinkansen ticket? I thought the JR pass is already the ticket.
Hi, sorry for any confusion. You will only have a shinkansen ticket if you have also reserved a seat on a shinkansen train. For example, the Hayabusa is a reserved only train so in that case you would need a shinkansen reserved ticket. If you are riding in an unreserved car of the shinkansen then you would not need a ticket. I hope this helps!
Great video! I have a question. If I'm arriving to Narita on the 11th of March and staying in Japan until 30th. Can I buy a 7-day JR Pass but only use it for the 24th-30th? Can I pick it up the day I land at Narita and activate it later on?
Thanks!
Yes, I believe that is fine. You can pick up your JR pass up to 30 days before the activation date. Just specify the day you want it to be valid from. And Narita airport is a location to pick it up. Have a wonderful trip! 🌺 Heidi
Am I able to make reservations online for the Shinkansen while I am still in my home country and have already purchased the JR Pass?
Hi, only if you purchased your tickets directly through the official website. Otherwise, you need to wait until you trade in your exchange voucher for your JR Pass. Then at the same time you can reserve seats. As long as you are not traveling during peak holiday seasons such as Golden Week or Obon which is coming in the middle of August then it is usually no problem to reserve seats.
Can you pick up at any location? We arrive after the airport exchange office closes, so wanted to see if there's flexibility there?
Hi, yes, you can exchange for your pass at many different locations throughout Japan!
Thank you for the video. I just wanted to say that Klook was cheaper than Jrpass. Not only each ticket is $23 cheaper but also save $14 on shipping. However, painful experience was my eye sight! The date presentation was backwards than American date format. When i realized my mistake, I immediately contacted their customer service through the online chat. Sadly, they do not have option for me to cancel or change the order. (Yes! the confirmation email notified me payment had been made and they were still processing). Even they recommended me to cancel and rebooking, I can't cancel on my own. After they canceling from their side, they charged 10% fee.. However! Look at jrpass, they allow you to cancel, and they don't charge you 10% fee without telling you!
Unless you don't make mistakes.. Otherwise, I would suggest to book through jrpass than klook on this one.
Sorry that happened. Thanks for sharing your experience.
When you buy JR pass on the official website - do they also mail you the voucher to your home address or you get confirmation on your email?
It's really inconvenient for some people to get voucher send my mail, instead just print voucher from email and then show up at JR office in Japan. I don't understand that physical mailing (time consuming).
This video is very helpful, but I am still confused, can you please let me know which Shinkansen should we purchase the tickets from, there are many different one from Tokyo to Kyoto, thank you in advance 🙏
Hi, sorry but I'm not certain I understand your question but let me try to answer. If you are purchasing the Japan Rail Pass then you will take either the Hikari Shinkansen or the Kodama Shinkansen from Tokyo to Kyoto. Let us know if you need further information!
@@KenshoQuest yes 👍
Hi! Is there any reason why you didnt mention/dont recommend buying the pass on the official site? We have 6 weeks until our trip and im not sure which option to go with, but the official site seems to be the best one, as they offer online seat reservations...
Hi! Booking through the official site (japanrailpass.net/) has the advantage of allowing you to make seat reservations right away. The downside is that JR Passes cost more on the official site. We discussed this in our follow-up video: ua-cam.com/video/uJbTGRV1mIw/v-deo.html
@@KenshoQuest Could you please clarify - when you buy JR pass on the official website (not travel agent website) - do they also mail you the voucher to your home address or you get confirmation on your email?
It's really inconvenient for some people to get voucher sent by mail, instead of just print voucher from email and then show up at JR office in Japan. I don't understand that physical mailing (time consuming).
If you purchase the JR pass now with the current exchange rates will you need to pay an exchange rate difference when you arrive in japan and receive your pass?
No. The exchange rate at the time of purchase is the one that matters.
Are the JR trains from Osaka to Sapporo run 24 hours/day?
Also, where can we check the JR trains schedule?
Thank you
Hi, sorry but they do not run 24 hrs/day. A really great site to check schedules and trains is hyperdia.com.
Have a great trip!
Hi - thank you so much for all of this information. Our flight arrives in Haneda Airport at 5:00AM local time. It seems we would not be able to redeem our Japan Rail Pass until the office opens at 6:45am. I have checked office times for JRailPass, Japan Rail Pass, and JRPass - they all open at 6:45am. Do you know if we are stuck waiting until those offices open to get our passes, so we can use the Tokyo Monorail to get into the city? Thanks in advance!
Hi, we are happy to help :) If you arrive at 5:00 there is a very good chance that by the time you clear immigration, pickup your luggage, and clear customs it will be after 6:00. And by the time you find the ticket office it may be closer to 6:45. However, if you are lucky and get through early then you will have to wait until the office opens. Another option is to just pay for the monorail or use other trains depending on where you are going. For instance, if you are going all the way to Ikebukuro station ( which is about an hour away ) it will cost about 750 JPY/person which is currently less than $6 USD. Then you could trade in your passes at one of the many offices around Tokyo. I completely understand not wanting to wait around especially after such a long flight and also wanting to take full advantage of your JR Pass, but I hope these ideas help! Have a great time :), 🤙🏼 George
@@KenshoQuest You have a great point about all the de-boarding time, customs, etc. I think we will go ahead and purchase and plan on picking up upon arrival. Thank you for the insight and quick response!
HI I purchased my tickets from your guys link. I noticed that its says "HONG KONG" under date & place of issue on the tickets. Is that normal? We live in the USA and will be traveling to Japan from the usa, never going through HONG KONG.
Yes, that is normal. Klook is an international company that issues their Exchange Orders from Hong Kong. It will be fine to exchange it in Japan.
I will be in Osaka for 4 days, 4 days in Kyoto then 5 days in Tokyo. Can I just use 7 days JR pass or 14 days JR pass?
HI, yes, you can certainly use both. But probably the 7-day is sufficient. I recommend you activate your JR Pass on the day you travel from Osaka to Kyoto. This way you can take the shinkansen from Shin Osaka to Kyoto Station. It's like 15 minutes! Then have the Japan Travel navitime app installed since it is the only one we know of that shows all the available routes of which you can use your JR Pass. Then after your 4 days in Kyoto you can use the JR Pass to get to Tokyo and you still have a couple more days to use it in the Tokyo area or anywhere else you want to go. Let us know if you have other questions! Have a great trip! ~ Joji
Hello! i have a question when it comes to the voucher. is there a Time limit to when i can exchange the voucher for my pass or no? I plan on going in July so would you recommend i order it now?
Yes, there is. From the purchase date, you must swap the Exchange Order for the actual JR Pass within 90 days. You then can activate the JR Pass within 30 days. 🌺 Heidi
When fill out the online form to purchase the Jr pass, there is no place for the middle name. Would it be an issue since it doesn’t match with name in the passport?
Hi, We just ordered JR Passes through Klook. At the beginning it asked for First and Last name. Later in the booking process it had us verify our names, and we were able to add in our middle names. Were you successful at booking your JR Pass? 🌺Heidi
Hi there, lovely video, could I please ask you something, I am going to Japan with my family my oldest child is 11 yoL now, but he’s turning 12 this year on the 11/5/2023 our trip is planned from 31/4 to 5/24. Will he be considered as adult? When I buy the tickets? Thanks Martin
Hi, first thank you for the nice compliment :)
Regarding your son, yes, unfortunately once he turns 12, he will be considered an adult and needs an adult ticket.
@@KenshoQuest ok thank you for the answer Martin
Hey, is the JR Pass can be travel only ONE direction or multiple direction within the 7 days period?
You can travel multiple directions, back and forth, however you want for the 7 day period. We just recommend going one direction to maximize the ground you can cover in 7 days.
Do you need to use a different website to reserve a seat from Tokyo to Nagoya? Nagoya doesn't seem to be a station available in the drop down on the site you showed at 10:46
Hi, sorry but the website is specific to trains that are in JR East. Unfortunately Nagoya is not part of JR East and therefore, you cannot reserve online. You will need to visit a ticketing office or use the ticketing machine. Our other video explains more in details: ua-cam.com/video/uJbTGRV1mIw/v-deo.html
I hope this helps!
I have a quick question, I recently purchased a jr pass through Klook and it says on the date and place of issue is in Hong Kong but I am located in the USA, will this cause a error when I exchange my pass in person?
I don't think that should be a problem. Just remember to bring both your passport and exchange order.
JR pass how to book online? Can’t find in Jr east web site?
Hi, here you go: www.eki-net.com/en/jreast-train-reservation/Top/Index
Do 2 year olds need a separate pass while travelling with an adult?
No. Children under 6 years old do not need a JR Pass to travel with an adult who has one. Our 2 yr old did not have a pass. That also meant he did not have his own reserved seat, so he sometimes sat on our lap. 🌺 Heidi
Thanks for the info
Have you personally bought your jr passes from that site? I've just bought two and i was expecting to receive a tracking code to track the delivery on fedex but i still haven't received it and i'm kind of panicking rn lol
Hi, it's usually within a day but depending on your location it may take a couple of days. I'm sure you will get it on time. Have a great trip!
Hello! I’m visiting Tokyo in the fall and the only far distance trip I plan is a trip to Kyoto and back. Is it worth still buying the JR pass? Or just single tickets each way? Thanks for the help
Hi, if you are doing a round trip then I do think it's worth getting the JR Pass as you will be able to use it on other trains such as going to Nara and/or Osaka and all the local JR trains. Activate your pass on your travel date to kyoto to get the most use out of your pass. I hope this helps, this is a great route and trip!
Thx for the nice video. My question is I am going on a round trip from Tokyo to Sendai. Is it worth to buy a jr pass or ordinary tickets will be more affordable?
My 2nd question, which line of Shinkansen that goes to Sendai as I am so confused? Thx in advance
Do you reserve a day before or a couple of hours?
We’ve tried reserving a couple hours before, but all the seats were taken. If you really want a reserved seat, I recommend booking it at least a day in advance. Even sooner if it’s a crowded holiday season. 🌺 Heidi
@@KenshoQuest thank you 😊
Hi,
I am arriving in Haneda airport. I will be travelling to Kyoto and Hiroshima 1 week after I arrive in Tokyo. I read somewhere from the internet that the Haneda jr office cannot make advance seat reservations.
Can you please advise whether the JR EAST Travel Service Center in Haneda Airport Terminal 3 can provide full services - ie exchange voucher for JR PASS AND also make advance seat reservations for Shinkansen/ express trains?
Hi, I do not know why they wouldn't? This is Haneda Airpot after all :)
I just checked on their site and while this document was last updated it should be correct:
www.jreast.co.jp/e/customer_support/service_center_haneda.html
Also, on the official site, Haneda is listed as having the services you need:
japanrailpass.net/exchange.html
If they cannot make the reservations, you can use one of the machines and/or visit a different office. I am sure they can redirect you if you run into any problems.
Good luck!
I checked this site that they recommended it’s was expensive. Other site is cheaper.
We also recommend Klook, which should have the lowest price!
Is it true that we can only book the shinkansen seat after we exchange our exchange-order(buy from 3rd party) in the office? I was afraid I won't get the hayabusa shinkansen seat bcs it would be the start of hirosaki cherry blossom festival
Hi, yes this is mostly true. If you are traveling on the Hayabusa then you will be using JR East which has an online reservation website mentioned in the video. It does not require you to have your pass on hand. However, you still need to pick up your ticket at the office and if I remember correctly this needs to be before your reserved travel date on the shinkansen. Here is the link: www.eki-net.com/en/jreast-train-reservation/Top/Index
Good luck and let us know how it goes!