While the Japan Rail Pass is well-known among travelers for its unlimited access to Japan Rail (JR) lines across the country, it’s not always the best choice since many visitors focus on just one or two regions of Japan.
Here are the main advantages of Regional Passes:
Convenience: They offer unlimited travel within the covered area without the need to buy individual tickets for each trip.
Cost-effectiveness: Regional passes are often more economical than the national pass, especially if you’re staying in one area for several days.
In the rest of this article, you’ll find the regional passes most beneficial for tourists, along with the following details:
- A mini map to compare each pass's valid area with major cities
- Validity periods, which are always consecutive days
- Prices for adults and children
Passes around Tokyo
There are several passes that allow you to depart from Tokyo and neighboring tourist places.
Pass to Hakone, Mount Fuji and Kamakura
| Map | Description and price (adult / child) |
|---|---|
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- 3 days: 48 € / 31 € Complete circuit on the Odakyu lines to go to Hakone, Enoshima and Kamakura from Shinjuku (Tôkyô). The pass offers discounts at many locations. |
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- 2 days: 41 € / 25 € Hakone-limited version of the Hakone Kamakura Pass on the Odakyu Lines. The pass offers discounts at many locations. |
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- 1 day: 1 640 yen (~10 €) / 430 yen (~3 €) Kamakura-limited version of the Hakone Kamakura Pass on the Odakyu Lines. The pass offers discounts at many locations. |
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- 3 days: 63 € / 35 € This pass includes the "Hakone Free Pass" with an extension north of Mount Fuji to access the great lakes. The pass is profitable if you return to Tokyo. It offers discounts in many locations. |
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- 3 days: 40 € / 20 € This pass allows travel on JR train lines and bus lines that tour Mount Fuji. |
Pass to Nikkô
| Map | Description and price (adult / child) |
|---|---|
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- 2 days: 12 € / 8 € Complete circuit to Nikkô from Tokyo via TOBU lines. The pass offers discounts in a few locations. |
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Nikko All Area Pass Access to the entire Nikkô area via the TOBU lines, including Lake Chuzenji and Yumoto Onsen. |
Other passes in Tokyo
| Map | Description and price (adult / child) |
|---|---|
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- 5 days: 163 € / 81 € This pass allows you to travel throughout the area between Tokyo, Nagano and Niigata. It includes shinkasen. |
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- 1 day: 9 € / 4 € Visit the ancient town of Kawagoe and the Chichibu Mountains on a day trip. At an additional cost (500 yen), a version of the pass takes you to Nagatoro. |
Japanese Alps passes
The Japanese Alps are the mountainous region located between Tokyo, Nagano, Kanazawa and Kyoto.
| Map | Description and price (adult / child) |
|---|---|
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- 7 days: 185 € / 92 € This pass takes you on a 7-day trip to the Hokuriku region (around Kanazawa). It allows you to take all JR trains from Tokyo and Osaka airports via the arch of the Japanese Alps. |
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- 5 days: 122 € / 61 € Route between Nagoya and Ôsaka via the Japanese Alps and the Hokuriku region via JR lines and buses. It allows you to pass through the town of Shirakawago. |
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- 1 day: 43 € / 19 € Return trip between Takayama and Shirakawago including entrance to the Minka-en museum (old Japanese farms). |
Kansai passes (around Osaka, Kyoto)
| Map | Description and price (adult / child) |
|---|---|
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- 5 days: 43 € / 23 € The pass allows you to go to tourist places in Kansai via the Kinsetsu train and bus lines. Probably the best pass in Kansai. |
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- 1 day: 17 € / 9 € | 2 days: 30 € / 15 € Access to all major cities in Kansai around Kyoto via JR lines. |
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- 5 days: 74 € / 37 € Extended version of the "Kansai Area Pass" which allows you to go to Tottori, Takamatsu and Shingu via the JR lines. |
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- 5 days: 105 € / 52 € Extended version of the "Kansai Area Pass" which allows you to go to Hiroshima, Miyajima and Iwakuni via the JR lines. |
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Ise - Kumano - Wakayama Area Pass - 5 days: 102 € / 51 € This pass allows you to take a complete tour of the Isé Peninsula from Nagoya to Ösaka, passing through places of interest. |
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- 2 days: 25 € Perfect for a round trip from Namba (Ôsaka) to Koyasan via the Nankai train and bus lines with a night with Buddhist monks. |
Chûgoku passes
| Map | Description and price (adult / child) |
|---|---|
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- 7 days: 142 € / 71 € Accès à tous les trains de la JR de Honshû à l'ouest de la zone Tsuruga, Nara, Ôsaka et Shirahama. Des accès vers Takamatsu et Hakata (Fukuoka) sont prévus dans le pass. |
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- 7 days: 160 € / 80 € Extended version of the "Sanyo San'in Pass" which allows you to take the Shinkansen from Tsuruga to Toyama in the north and go to Shingu in the south. |
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- 7 days: 135 € / 68 € This pass allows you to travel on the JR lines around the Seitô Sea: southern Honshû and northern Shikoku. Access to Hataka (Fukuoka) is planned. |
Tôhoku passes
| Map | Description and price (adult / child) |
|---|---|
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- 5 days: 183 € / 91 € Access to all JR trains around Tokyo to Aomori north of Honhû. This pass is ideal for discovering greater Tokyo and the Tôhoku region. |
Les pass de Hokkaidô
| Map | Description and price (adult / child) |
|---|---|
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- 5 days: 121 € / 60 € Access to all JR trains on the island of Hokkaido. It is not possible to take the Shinkansen. |
Kyûshû passes
| Map | Description and price (adult / child) |
|---|---|
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- 3 days: 72 € / 36 € - 5 days: 90 € / 45 € Access to all JR trains on the northern part of the island of Kyûshû with access to Nagasaki, Kumamoto, Aso and Ôita / Beppu. It includes access to the Shinkansen. |
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- 3 days: 60 € / 24 € Access to all JR trains on the southern part of the island of Kyûshû from Kumamoto, Aso, Ôita to Kagoshima, Ibusuki and Shibushi. It includes access to the Shinkansen. |
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- 3 days: 121 € / 60 € - 5 days: 136 € / 74 € This pass includes the north and south pass of the island of Kyûshû with unlimited access to all JR lines. It includes access to the Shinkansen. |
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- 4 days: 102 € This pass allows you to travel by bus between all the major cities and tourist places in Kyûshû. It is also valid for buses from Fukuoka and Nagasaki. The pass offers many discounts in tourist places. |
Shikoku pass
| Map | Description and price (adult / child) |
|---|---|
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- 3 days: 74 € / 37 € | 4 days: 92 € / 46 € - 5 days: 105 € / 52 € | 7 days: 123 € / 62 € This pass allows you to tour the island of Shikoku in a JR and private line with access to Honshû via Kojima. |