IMPORTANT! In Oct 2023 The JR Rail Pass increased in Price! To Calculate if its still worth it go to click.jrpass.com/SH5O and check out their JR Pass Travel Calculator
Purchased and used the JR East pass to travel from Tokyo to Hakodate a few weeks ago, I was able to purchase from the JR East ticket office in Tokyo. I was also advised that I was able to take my quite large suitcase on the Hayabusa Shinkansen without making a reservation
The reality in Japan is you can bend the rules quite a bit / people are kind and understanding, so you can really get away with taking larger luggage and no ones going to bat an eye. But its still worth knowing the rules ;)
in October the JR pass ticket will increase in price, but if you get in in September it should be the old price and valid for 3 months: click.jrpass.com/SH5O
Yay you're still making videos that are full of useful information we were coming to japan next month with our parents,now we're not until november 😠😠 roll on november 🙂🙂 rachel and christina
Glad you're still watching, took a bit of a break but Ill be having a lot more vids coming out with guides, itineraries and tips for travelers coming to Japan, aiming for 1 a week.
Just booked my flight, coming to Japan on May 02, after landing in Tokyo, I plan to travel north toward Hokadate, then visit Osaka in the south. JR pass is a great option for me, now I wonder if I should go for a green pass/ it's about a $100 more... Thanks for this wonderful video, very helpful information Best regards from Saskatoon, Canada
Personally I don't think the green pass is worth it, the chairs are a little bit more comfortable but you don't receive anything special like you might get on a first class airline, but if you want to experience it and have the money its up to you. Since youll have the rail pass you should check out my 2 weeks in Japan video if you want more ideas on what you can do while in Japan! ua-cam.com/video/er3W4ieNpW0/v-deo.html
Its worth noting that as of October the JR Pass has increased in price, you can see the new prices here: click.jrpass.com/SH5O and ill update with a more recent video in the next couple of weeks to reflect the changes
@@InakaAdventure Thank you for the heads up. Yeah I noticed the not on the discretion and went to check how much was the price increase. It's now 50k yen.
Yeah its pretty crazy, if you go to the jrpass site i linked and scroll down there is a fare calculator, in the past it was almost always worth it, but now you really have to think if its worth it
great vid as always. i wonder if they will change the ticket in the near future? i can see why they went to the ticketed format as it means less resources / cost checking, but the down sides are pretty bad i.e they look exactly like a normal disposable train ticket. even looking after it carefully, it can cause a lil stress when shuffling multiple tickets in your hand and ensuring not to throw out the wrong one - it would be like throwing away $600 if accidentally lost. also, for the 21 day iteration, it gets a lot of wear and tear and i had problems with the gate machine swallow it each time. i was unable to get it reprinted but i have heard from other travellers they were able to have it reprinted when theirs got a lil bent. another person suggested it become a plastic card like suica...it can be tapped at gates then and solve the recognition and durability issue. :)
This would be a great Idea if you could link your JR Pass to an IC card, its possible it will happen in the future but Japan is usually slow to make these changes. A definite advantage to the new tickets is you can quickly pass through multiple train stations between local lines and shinkansen, which can be make or break when you're trying to make the right trains. I can definitely see the ticket getting quite worn though, one alternative to this is you could buy mutliple shorter tickets (ie 3 1 weeks passes instead of a 3 week pass) then activate them separately, keeping the tickets crisp and secure with your luggage when not using the unactivated ones.
The information in this video is a little outdated now with the JR pass price increase, heres an updated version ua-cam.com/video/b8WPcBksVAQ/v-deo.html
Since this video is for beginners in Japan who not yet familiar with Japan rail system, it would be helpful if you speak much slower so they can understand. I has to rewind 4 times in some sections in order to digest, given the fact that I know English pretty well. Also, if one reserves seat online, how do they get the reservation ticket? Do they have to pick it up first at the train station before boarding? That seems not efficient. Or do you get the electronic seat reservation? Other than this, the video is very informative and helpful. Thank you.
If you reserve them online I believe you can use the app / just go straight to your seat. Since the train attendants have a list of everyone in which seat they should be able to tell you are in the right place. If you use the non-reserved seats they dont ask for tickets. You could also pick up reserved tickets from the green window / midori no guchi
@@levatuba2615 You really shouldn't get a pass. There are none that will provide you good value given how short your visit is. Just get an IC card and use that. Trying to leave Tokyo would be a bad idea, so just plan around using the metro around the city.
Thanks! This video really helped me a lot. But pls, be aware to delete this video around october, because as the changes of the prices are gonna apply, most of the information here - as well as the recomendation of in which cases it would be worth to get it - would have to get revised
Yeah closer to October im going to put out a revision, there is a chance they will change the prices atm so im waiting for that. glad you enjoyed the vid though!
I'm going for my first time in 2 weeks and I'm beyond excited thank you for making informative videos! What's the difference between an IC card and a pasmo card?
Pasmo is an IC card, so there isnt really any difference between any of them now. They used to be region based but now you can use them all over the country. It really comes down to what cards design you like the best, Suica is most popular in Tokyo and its a Penguin design, Kansai where Im based has the superior platypus.
Not a problem, IC cards can be refunded typically for their remaining balance so they are basically free. You can buy a Suica in Tokyo from any train station for 2000 yen (500 yen deposit and 1500 train credit) as a souvenir, however as someone that lived nextdoor to a penguin colony for years in NZ, I would recommend you get the superior platypus card.
Depending on your trip a tokyo wide pass might be fine, but you can make do with a Suica card as well. Its worth noting that atm there is a limited number of chips so they stopped selling suica in tokyo for non registered cards, but you can always just buy train tickets as needed
Can I use the National JR pass to go to Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka? And can I use that for my internal travel in all three places; like from Ikebukuro to Shibuya, etc? And can I carry my heavy luggage while travelling from Tokyo to Kyoto..?
You can do all those things if its on the JR line, for example the national JR Pass works on the yamanote to go between Ikebukuro and Shibuya, but you cant use it on the Tokyo Metro. Heavy luggage isn't a problem, provided it doesn't exceed size dimensions listed
can i find additional information on luggage reservations on the JR web site? My last trip did not require this although my bag is only 26 inches, shall calculate that in cm
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
I cant judge that unless I know your exact itinerary, a JR Pass is almost always worth it for a two week trip though, if its a few thousand yen more expensive than estimated its probably still a good idea to buy one because it allows you to be flexible going somewhere you didnt plan on originally because you dont need to pay extra.
Google maps would tend to provide the fastest route meaning it gives you the Nozomi and Mizuho most the time. If you use JP Pass dig the other times to get Hikari or Kodama trains.
Its really a shame they ruined hyperdia, for years it was the best train app in japan since you could filter various trains. Dont know what they were thinking when they changed it
Super informativ,thank you very much, but you speak toooooooo fast. it's the first video where i had to change the speed to slower 0,75.Too slow isn't good either, but at your speed I can't keep up.
Thanks for letting me know ill see if i can pace myself next time, hopefully the chapters can let you rewatch the parts that are relevant for your planning. Any place in Japan you are looking to visit?
@@InakaAdventure your videos about Japan are very useful and also very nicely done. I hope you get more subscribers soon. I am in Japan for 3 weeks in May and wanted to see so much, but my plan is not ready yet. ( Tokyo, Yokohama, Nikko, Hakone, Kyoto, Osaka, Nara, Maizuru, Hiroshima, Himeji).
Hi, Love your videos. I am planning my 9 day trip to Japan in June but I am very confused how to come around the transportation. I will be doing Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka 3 days each. What pass should I buy and when should I activate that pass so I get the maximum benefit. Also, do you have any video for each of these cities must do attractions? I will be traveling with kid and wife. Any help will be greatly appreciated. TIA
If its June this year its probably best to activate the JR 7 Day pass as you leave Tokyo so you can use the Shinkansen down to Kyoto, Osaka & back to Tokyo. For ideas on what to do in cities you can check out my 7 days in Japan video: ua-cam.com/video/LC0GYkdjG1w/v-deo.html & 2 Weeks in Japan Video: ua-cam.com/video/er3W4ieNpW0/v-deo.html
I and my wife plan to visit Japan from 4/27 to 5/9. We will arrive at Narita airport late on 4/27 and visit Hakone on 4/28 and Kyoto from 4/29 to 5/3 and come back to Tokyo on 5/3 and spend the rest of the trip around Tokyo. Should we purchase JR pass 7 days and Tokyo wide pass for 3 days?
To know for sure youll need to put in your train times into a Japan Rail Pass Calculator, at a quick glance though the one week pass is probably worth it, depending on what you do in Tokyo the 3 day tokyo wide pass might not be needed, depends really on how much travel around the city you do.
If I am planning on sticking around Tokyo and places not very far outside of Tokyo would it still be a good idea to purcahse the JR pass over using an IC card?
It's probably better value to look at the Tokyo wide pass instead in your case, depending how far out of the city you go. But if you're not using the Shinkansen much just use an IC card
Thanks for the video! Every time I use Google Maps to check train schedules for Tokyo - Kyoto, it only gives me Nazomi trains. Do you know why this is the case?
Google doesnt seem to have a filter for it, I think in this video I mention Navitime as an app. you can select JR pass from that app and it will exclude the Nozomi
Please help us!!!! We are travelling 8-16 October. We are flying into Narita heading to Tokyo for 1 day then to Osaka (Kyoto day trips) then back to Tokyo. This whole train this is blowing my mind, what pass do we need?!
most trains are quite spacious, if you mean the scnes from the seto sunrise thats a special case since its a 2 story sleeper train, which makes things a bit tighter
Hey we are planning to travel to japan in this october, but we heard that price of rail pass will increase. can you help us with it? let me know if you have any more information on it. thank you.
Yep I can, I'm waiting to see if they change the final price of the Jr pass to put out a new video about it. But my understanding is that if you buy your pass before October the old price will stand, you can buy Jr passes up to three months before coming to Japan so you should be golden
I am visiting Japan for a week. I will mostly be staying close to Tokyo with the exception of two days close to Nagoya. Would a jr pass be worth purchasing?
Youd have to check your plans on a calculator to see, but it sounds like you would have a better savings with the Tokyo Wide Pass, check their site for specifics
You have two options, go here click.jrpass.com/SH5O then click on regional passes and select Osaka-Tokyo Hokuriku pass (7 days for 24,500 yen), or just search Tokyo Wide Pass (3 days, 10,000 yen) in Google and it should be the first link, you'll need to evaluate which of those are better for your trip
The Japanese website or the one I linked? Its expensive but its still cheaper than not using it for most trips (unless you're doing a 1 or 2 city trip)
UPDATED VIDEO: New JR Pass Guide after the Price increase > ua-cam.com/video/b8WPcBksVAQ/v-deo.html
IMPORTANT! In Oct 2023 The JR Rail Pass increased in Price! To Calculate if its still worth it go to click.jrpass.com/SH5O and check out their JR Pass Travel Calculator
Purchased and used the JR East pass to travel from Tokyo to Hakodate a few weeks ago, I was able to purchase from the JR East ticket office in Tokyo. I was also advised that I was able to take my quite large suitcase on the Hayabusa Shinkansen without making a reservation
The reality in Japan is you can bend the rules quite a bit / people are kind and understanding, so you can really get away with taking larger luggage and no ones going to bat an eye. But its still worth knowing the rules ;)
Thank you for the informative video.
Cheers Yuki
Thank you very much; we will going to Tokyo, Kyoto and Hiroshima in September: this helped
Lucky you, the prices are increasing in October so youll be one of the last that can take advantage of this awesome deal!
I'm travelling to japan next month and your videos are super helpful! Thank you ❤
in October the JR pass ticket will increase in price, but if you get in in September it should be the old price and valid for 3 months: click.jrpass.com/SH5O
Yay you're still making videos that are full of useful information
we were coming to japan next month with our parents,now we're not until november 😠😠
roll on november 🙂🙂
rachel and christina
Glad you're still watching, took a bit of a break but Ill be having a lot more vids coming out with guides, itineraries and tips for travelers coming to Japan, aiming for 1 a week.
Tell me what part of Japan you want to see in the next video! Get JR Rail Pass & Wifi Here: click.jrpass.com/SH5O
Can you make a video about how to make an itinerary with kids focusing on things kids would love and also Traditional places for a 7 days trip?
Just booked my flight, coming to Japan on May 02, after landing in Tokyo, I plan to travel north toward Hokadate, then visit Osaka in the south.
JR pass is a great option for me, now I wonder if I should go for a green pass/ it's about a $100 more...
Thanks for this wonderful video, very helpful information
Best regards from Saskatoon, Canada
Personally I don't think the green pass is worth it, the chairs are a little bit more comfortable but you don't receive anything special like you might get on a first class airline, but if you want to experience it and have the money its up to you. Since youll have the rail pass you should check out my 2 weeks in Japan video if you want more ideas on what you can do while in Japan! ua-cam.com/video/er3W4ieNpW0/v-deo.html
Thank this is very helpful.
Its worth noting that as of October the JR Pass has increased in price, you can see the new prices here: click.jrpass.com/SH5O and ill update with a more recent video in the next couple of weeks to reflect the changes
@@InakaAdventure Thank you for the heads up. Yeah I noticed the not on the discretion and went to check how much was the price increase. It's now 50k yen.
Yeah its pretty crazy, if you go to the jrpass site i linked and scroll down there is a fare calculator, in the past it was almost always worth it, but now you really have to think if its worth it
great vid as always. i wonder if they will change the ticket in the near future? i can see why they went to the ticketed format as it means less resources / cost checking, but the down sides are pretty bad i.e they look exactly like a normal disposable train ticket. even looking after it carefully, it can cause a lil stress when shuffling multiple tickets in your hand and ensuring not to throw out the wrong one - it would be like throwing away $600 if accidentally lost. also, for the 21 day iteration, it gets a lot of wear and tear and i had problems with the gate machine swallow it each time. i was unable to get it reprinted but i have heard from other travellers they were able to have it reprinted when theirs got a lil bent. another person suggested it become a plastic card like suica...it can be tapped at gates then and solve the recognition and durability issue. :)
This would be a great Idea if you could link your JR Pass to an IC card, its possible it will happen in the future but Japan is usually slow to make these changes. A definite advantage to the new tickets is you can quickly pass through multiple train stations between local lines and shinkansen, which can be make or break when you're trying to make the right trains. I can definitely see the ticket getting quite worn though, one alternative to this is you could buy mutliple shorter tickets (ie 3 1 weeks passes instead of a 3 week pass) then activate them separately, keeping the tickets crisp and secure with your luggage when not using the unactivated ones.
Thank you, what I’m worried most for my trip is the train passes, I can’t find a lot of information or anything really mentioned about them
The information in this video is a little outdated now with the JR pass price increase, heres an updated version ua-cam.com/video/b8WPcBksVAQ/v-deo.html
5:50 What is the location of this stunning triangular building ? Really beautiful !
Its the Aomori Tourist center, on a clear day you can see Hokkaido from it and its near the ferry
Hmm.. looks like a nice place to visit, on my way to Hakodate, I might do a stopover and visit nearby Hirosaki park & castle
Since this video is for beginners in Japan who not yet familiar with Japan rail system, it would be helpful if you speak much slower so they can understand. I has to rewind 4 times in some sections in order to digest, given the fact that I know English pretty well. Also, if one reserves seat online, how do they get the reservation ticket? Do they have to pick it up first at the train station before boarding? That seems not efficient. Or do you get the electronic seat reservation? Other than this, the video is very informative and helpful. Thank you.
If you reserve them online I believe you can use the app / just go straight to your seat. Since the train attendants have a list of everyone in which seat they should be able to tell you are in the right place. If you use the non-reserved seats they dont ask for tickets. You could also pick up reserved tickets from the green window / midori no guchi
If I’m only in Japan for 1 day which of the rail passes should I get from Haneda airport to explore Tokyo.
@@levatuba2615
You really shouldn't get a pass. There are none that will provide you good value given how short your visit is. Just get an IC card and use that. Trying to leave Tokyo would be a bad idea, so just plan around using the metro around the city.
Thanks!
This video really helped me a lot.
But pls, be aware to delete this video around october, because as the changes of the prices are gonna apply,
most of the information here - as well as the recomendation of in which cases it would be worth to get it - would have to get revised
Yeah closer to October im going to put out a revision, there is a chance they will change the prices atm so im waiting for that. glad you enjoyed the vid though!
I'm going for my first time in 2 weeks and I'm beyond excited thank you for making informative videos! What's the difference between an IC card and a pasmo card?
Pasmo is an IC card, so there isnt really any difference between any of them now. They used to be region based but now you can use them all over the country. It really comes down to what cards design you like the best, Suica is most popular in Tokyo and its a Penguin design, Kansai where Im based has the superior platypus.
@Inaka Adventure I'm a penguin vtuber, I've let myself down lol. I bought a pasmo wish I got the suica now.
Not a problem, IC cards can be refunded typically for their remaining balance so they are basically free. You can buy a Suica in Tokyo from any train station for 2000 yen (500 yen deposit and 1500 train credit) as a souvenir, however as someone that lived nextdoor to a penguin colony for years in NZ, I would recommend you get the superior platypus card.
Thanks for the video. If you are travelling by train around Tokyo only, is it best to purchase just a suica card?
Depending on your trip a tokyo wide pass might be fine, but you can make do with a Suica card as well. Its worth noting that atm there is a limited number of chips so they stopped selling suica in tokyo for non registered cards, but you can always just buy train tickets as needed
@@InakaAdventure Thank you!
Can I use the National JR pass to go to Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka? And can I use that for my internal travel in all three places; like from Ikebukuro to Shibuya, etc? And can I carry my heavy luggage while travelling from Tokyo to Kyoto..?
You can do all those things if its on the JR line, for example the national JR Pass works on the yamanote to go between Ikebukuro and Shibuya, but you cant use it on the Tokyo Metro. Heavy luggage isn't a problem, provided it doesn't exceed size dimensions listed
can i find additional information on luggage reservations on the JR web site? My last trip did not require this although my bag is only 26 inches, shall calculate that in cm
Yeah the info is all on the english page of the JR site if you search for it
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
I cant judge that unless I know your exact itinerary, a JR Pass is almost always worth it for a two week trip though, if its a few thousand yen more expensive than estimated its probably still a good idea to buy one because it allows you to be flexible going somewhere you didnt plan on originally because you dont need to pay extra.
Google maps would tend to provide the fastest route meaning it gives you the Nozomi and Mizuho most the time. If you use JP Pass dig the other times to get Hikari or Kodama trains.
Its really a shame they ruined hyperdia, for years it was the best train app in japan since you could filter various trains. Dont know what they were thinking when they changed it
If you use Japan Transit Planner you can filter it for JR Pass to show those trains only.
Super informativ,thank you very much, but you speak toooooooo fast. it's the first video where i had to change the speed to slower 0,75.Too slow isn't good either, but at your speed I can't keep up.
Thanks for letting me know ill see if i can pace myself next time, hopefully the chapters can let you rewatch the parts that are relevant for your planning. Any place in Japan you are looking to visit?
@@InakaAdventure your videos about Japan are very useful and also very nicely done. I hope you get more subscribers soon. I am in Japan for 3 weeks in May and wanted to see so much, but my plan is not ready yet.
( Tokyo, Yokohama, Nikko, Hakone, Kyoto, Osaka, Nara, Maizuru, Hiroshima, Himeji).
Cheers, what are you interested in seeing in Maizuru? Ive only driven through there once but ive heard a couple people say they want to visit
I watched it on 1.5 😂
Hi,
Love your videos. I am planning my 9 day trip to Japan in June but I am very confused how to come around the transportation. I will be doing Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka 3 days each. What pass should I buy and when should I activate that pass so I get the maximum benefit.
Also, do you have any video for each of these cities must do attractions? I will be traveling with kid and wife.
Any help will be greatly appreciated. TIA
If its June this year its probably best to activate the JR 7 Day pass as you leave Tokyo so you can use the Shinkansen down to Kyoto, Osaka & back to Tokyo. For ideas on what to do in cities you can check out my 7 days in Japan video: ua-cam.com/video/LC0GYkdjG1w/v-deo.html & 2 Weeks in Japan Video: ua-cam.com/video/er3W4ieNpW0/v-deo.html
I and my wife plan to visit Japan from 4/27 to 5/9. We will arrive at Narita airport late on 4/27 and visit Hakone on 4/28 and Kyoto from 4/29 to 5/3 and come back to Tokyo on 5/3 and spend the rest of the trip around Tokyo. Should we purchase JR pass 7 days and Tokyo wide pass for 3 days?
To know for sure youll need to put in your train times into a Japan Rail Pass Calculator, at a quick glance though the one week pass is probably worth it, depending on what you do in Tokyo the 3 day tokyo wide pass might not be needed, depends really on how much travel around the city you do.
Why would you recommend a third-party company for the Japan Rail Pass over the official website?
Typically it's cheaper, better costumer service, and in English
If I am planning on sticking around Tokyo and places not very far outside of Tokyo would it still be a good idea to purcahse the JR pass over using an IC card?
It's probably better value to look at the Tokyo wide pass instead in your case, depending how far out of the city you go. But if you're not using the Shinkansen much just use an IC card
Hi, i'm only going from tokyo to kioto and back. Is it worth byuing a JR pass or can i use an IC card also?
You can go to click.jrpass.com/SH5O and scroll down to fare calculator and see if its worth it with the new price
Thanks for the video! Every time I use Google Maps to check train schedules for Tokyo - Kyoto, it only gives me Nazomi trains. Do you know why this is the case?
Google doesnt seem to have a filter for it, I think in this video I mention Navitime as an app. you can select JR pass from that app and it will exclude the Nozomi
Please help us!!!!
We are travelling 8-16 October.
We are flying into Narita heading to Tokyo for 1 day then to Osaka (Kyoto day trips) then back to Tokyo.
This whole train this is blowing my mind, what pass do we need?!
1 Week JR Rail Pass should be fine for you, check out my 1 week in Japan video: ua-cam.com/video/LC0GYkdjG1w/v-deo.html
How narrow are those walkways on those trains?
most trains are quite spacious, if you mean the scnes from the seto sunrise thats a special case since its a 2 story sleeper train, which makes things a bit tighter
Does anyone know if the jr pass is still available to purchase when arriving to Japan? 😊
I believe the promotion that let you purchase it inside Japan is over, its not impossible but unlikely
Hey we are planning to travel to japan in this october, but we heard that price of rail pass will increase. can you help us with it? let me know if you have any more information on it. thank you.
Yep I can, I'm waiting to see if they change the final price of the Jr pass to put out a new video about it. But my understanding is that if you buy your pass before October the old price will stand, you can buy Jr passes up to three months before coming to Japan so you should be golden
@@InakaAdventure thank you for such quick reply, we are also looking into night buses and trying to calculate which will be cheaper
I am visiting Japan for a week. I will mostly be staying close to Tokyo with the exception of two days close to Nagoya.
Would a jr pass be worth purchasing?
Youd have to check your plans on a calculator to see, but it sounds like you would have a better savings with the Tokyo Wide Pass, check their site for specifics
@@InakaAdventurethank you very much. Do you have a link to the site?
You have two options, go here click.jrpass.com/SH5O then click on regional passes and select Osaka-Tokyo Hokuriku pass (7 days for 24,500 yen), or just search Tokyo Wide Pass (3 days, 10,000 yen) in Google and it should be the first link, you'll need to evaluate which of those are better for your trip
@@InakaAdventure thank you again :)
This video is obselete information on the jr pass now lol
Not until October, but ill do an update then :)
@@InakaAdventure すごい!!
Its expensive and JR's website is not very user friendly.
The Japanese website or the one I linked? Its expensive but its still cheaper than not using it for most trips (unless you're doing a 1 or 2 city trip)