With a JAPAN RAIL PASS, you can go through the automatic ticket gates. Many JR stations have automatic ticket gates. When going through the gate, insert the JAPAN RAIL PASS into the slot. After passing through the gate, do not forget to pick up the PASS after it comes out on the other side.

As of March 2026, the Japan Rail (JR) Pass is a small, magnetic-stripe ticket that is inserted directly into the slot of the automatic ticket gates. Unlike the old large cardboard passes that required you to walk past a station agent, the modern pass functions just like a standard train ticket. You insert the pass into the slot at the entrance gate, walk through as the gates open, and then immediately retrieve the pass as it pops out of the slot on the other side of the gate. It is vital not to forget your pass at the gate, as it is your only proof of travel. One important exception: you cannot use the "IC-only" gates (often marked with a bright blue sticker), which are designed only for tap-cards like Suica or Pasmo. If you have a digital version of the pass on your phone, you will tap your QR code or NFC sensor against the reader, but for the majority of paper-pass holders, the "slot-and-retrieval" method is the standard way to enter and exit stations across Japan.