The Japan Rail Pass offers two different types of travel options. You can travel by Economy or Green (business) class on the Shinkansen (bullet train) and various other trains. Green class travel provides you with more space and comfort.
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The JAPAN RAIL PASS is not valid for any seats, reserved or non-reserved, on “NOZOMI” and “MIZUHO” trains on the Tokaido, Sanyo and Kyushu Shinkansen lines. (The pass holders must take “HIKARI,” “SAKURA,” “KODAMA,” or “TSUBAME” trains.)
The JR Pass is the most cost-effective way to travel around Japan for most visitors. The pass offers unlimited access to all JR public transport including Shinkansen bullet trains, buses, ferries, and airport transfers, for a very cheap, discounted price.
While the metro lines do no accept the JR Pass, other IC Cards, such as the Pasmo and Suica, may be used. These cards give you access to almost any train or bus in Tokyo, and are a perfect complement to the JR Pass.
With JAPAN RAIL PASS, you can ride Shinkansen bullet trains and limited express trains! You can also book reserved seats on your own, so there is no need to stand in line at a crowded ticket office. This makes it easy to create a travel plan.
The JR Pass is valid on all Shinkansen services in all the Shinkansen lines, except for the Nozomi and Mizuho services on the Tokaido and Sanyo Shinkansen lines. You will not have access to the trains with the fewest stops on the Tokaido and Sanyo lines.
The JR pass is only worth it if you travel through different cities, if you are just travelling to Tokyo to Kyoto for example, I would just pay on the Suica. You can do the online calculator or just use google to calculate which trip is easier - paying individually on Suica or getting a JR Pass.
Trains rarely sell out except at peak travel times. The Nozomi sells out the quickest and there are only three non-reserved cars, so it is best to get a seat reservation in advance on these trains. The Hikari, and especially the Kodama, have more non-reserved cars and rarely sell out.
With your Japan Rail PassThe Hikari and Kodama trains on the Tokaido Shinkansen lines are covered by the Japan Rail Pass, and they can take you from Tokyo to Osaka in about 3 to 4 hours. In Tokyo, you can catch the Shinkansen either at Tokyo Station or Shinagawa Station, and then arrive to Shin-Osaka Station in Osaka.
Yes, the Japan Rail Pass is valid for the entire line and all JR lines branching of it. Using your pass to explore Osaka this way, is a very cost-efficient option.
No visitor to Tokyo should be without a Suica card and no visitor to Japan should be without a JR Pass. The Suica card is convenient for intercity trains and buses while the JR Pass saves you time and money when traveling through the country.
If you calculate that your travel costs will be lower if you buy individual tickets for each journey, then it's not worth buying a JR Pass. However, if you take into account journeys on Shinkansen high-speed trains or other means of transport, the savings you make become substantial.
For a limited time only, you can buy a Japan Rail Pass from certain train stations and airports in Japan. Travelers should be aware it is more expensive to buy a JR Pass in Japan than to purchase the pass online.
Exclusively for foreign tourists to Japan, the JR West Kansai Pass provides unlimited travel on local JR trains and West JR buses in the Kansai region around Osaka, Kyoto, Nara, Kobe, and more for one to four days.
The Japan Rail Pass gives you access to JR train lines countrywide, with very few exceptions. With your pass, you can take unlimited rides on most shinkansen (bullet trains), as well as on rapid, express and local JR trains.
With your Japan Rail PassThe cities of Tokyo and Kyoto are linked to each other by the JR Tokaido Shinkansen Line. A one-way trip from Tokyo Station to Kyoto Station on a Hikari or Kodama train costs 13,080 yen (unreserved seat) or 13,800 yen (reserved seat), but is completely free with a JR Pass.