National Japan Rail Pass vs Regional Passes: Which should you choose?

The National Japan Rail Pass grants unlimited access to much of the public travel transportation network throughout the Japanese archipelago for a designated period of time (7 days for 50,000 yen, 14 days for 80,000 yen, or 21 days for 100,000 yen) at one price, providing users with notable flexibility and convenience while traveling. 

This national coverage provided by the pass means that, theoretically, traversing Japan from its most northern parts in Hokkaido to the most southern ends of the mainland in Kyushu is possible with the National Japan Rail Pass at a single price. The pass additionally provides the option to make reservations for certain trains, including the Shinkansen bullet train, at no extra charge as opposed to riding with individual train tickets. Even travel within major cities, like Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, and Fukuoka, is easily done with the National Pass since it covers the JR Train lines that service these cities. The cost of such travels within and between cities piles up quite quickly when traveling via Shinkansen bullet train. 

When ordering a National Japan Rail Pass, Japan Experience will send you a voucher for you to exchange for the actual usable pass after arriving in Japan. The National Pass voucher that is received after ordering the pass online can be exchanged at a number of different JR Offices throughout the country. 

The primary difference between these regional passes and the National Pass is the coverage. As the name implies, these passes grant access to transportation that are within a specific part or area of the country, unlike the National Pass which can be used to cover transportation across Japan. Additionally, the voucher exchange for such passes is often limited to the major JR Offices within the specific region of coverage. 

There are regional passes that cover the island of Kyushu, the northern area of Honshu island that is Tohoku, the Kansai Region that is home to Osaka and Kyoto, the west area of Japan that includes Hiroshima, and many more! There are even multiple variations of regional passes that exist for the same area or region but cover different travel coverage. Many of these passes even allow exploration or departures from Tokyo and/or the Tokyo area, making the capital city a great central hub for some regional pass holders, however, a majority of these passes do not have this option. 

For veteran travelers to the country, or individuals who wish to focus their travel plans on one area of Japan, these regional passes come at a more affordable cost than the National Pass with the trade off of more limited coverage and less options for duration, as many regional passes are only available for one designated period of usage. These passes are available to buy on our website. 

One of the notable exceptions, however, is that of the Hakone Regional Pass that allows access to the Odakyu-operated Romance Car out to Hakone in Kanagawa. Hakone is also accessible via the National Pass. Fortunately, a vast majority, including all Shinkansen bullet trains, are operated by the Japan Rail Group, meaning they are pass-usable. 

Added to these benefits of access is the added option to reserve seats with both the National Pass and Regional Pass. With both variations, transportation options with such seating are available to reserve ahead of time to assure a comfortable place to sit during your travel time. It's highly advised to reserve seats during peak travel/tourism times in Japan, such as the spring, summer Obon, and towards the end of the year. 

• More information on reserving seats for trains can be found here.