Japan Rail, Global Access Travel Network

The Japan Rail Pass allows unlimited travel on the entire nationwide Japan Railway (JR) network, including the Shinkansen (bullet train), JR ferries, and JR buses.

There are two (2) kinds of Japan Rail Passes: Green and Ordinary. The Japan Rail Pass Green is valid in the superior class green cars without additional charges. 7-day, 14-day and 21-day passes are available at the following prices:

Japan Rail Pass	Green		Ordinary
Japan Rail Pass	Adult	Child	Adult	Child
7-day	JPY 37,800	JPY 18,900	JPY 28,300	JPY 14,150
14-day	JPY 61,200	JPY 30,600	JPY 45,100	JPY 22,550
21-day	JPY 79,600	JPY 39,800	JPY 57,700	JPY 28,850

*Pass prices for children apply from 6 years up to and including 11 years of age
*Prices are subject to change.

CURRENCY CONVERTER

The Japan Rail Pass is available to:
1. Tourists visiting Japan from abroad under "temporary visitor" entry status.

2. Japanese nationals living in a foreign country,
     a) as a permanent resident of that country, or
     b) a resident in that country for ten (10) or more years, or
     c) who is married to a citizen of that country.

How to apply for a Japan Rail Pass:
1. Purchase an exchange order with an authorized agent BEFORE coming to Japan.
(Japan Rail Pass cannot be purchased in Japan).

2. After arrival in Japan, go to the JR Information and Ticket Office at Narita Airport, or to one of the JR Travel Service Centers, such as Tokyo Station. Exchange your exchange order for your Japan Rail Pass; when you fill out the pass application form, specify the first date on which you want to use the pass. Show your passport at the time of exchange.

3. The exchange order must be exchanged within three (3) months of the date of issue.

Conditions and Information:
1. A Japan Rail Pass is strictly personal and not transferable.

2. Always carry your passport and show it if requested.

3. Begin your travel within three (3) months of the date on issue of the exchange order.

4. The pass is valid for unlimited travel on the Shinkansen ("Kodama" and "Hikari" trains, not "Nozomi" trains), limited express, ordinary express and local trains on all JR lines. It is valid on local lines of JR bus companies (JR Bus Tohoku, JR Bus Kanto, JR Tokai Bus, West Japan JR Bus Company and Chugoku JR Bus Company) and bus divisions of the JR Hokkaido, JR Shikoku and JR Kyushu, and also on some of the JR highway bus lines on the express highways, as follows:

Morioka, Hirosaki and Aomori
Tokyo to Nagoya, Kyoto, Osaka and Tuskuba Center
Nagoya to Kyoto and Osaka
Osaka to Ochiai Interchange and Fukuchiyama
The pass is also valid for basic fares on the JR ferry between Miyajima and Miyajimaguchi.

5. Seat reservations may be made in advance without additional payment; seat availability cannot be guaranteed otherwise. For reservations, you should apply to any Travel Service Center or the *Midori no madoguchi* (Green window) at a JR station.

6. If you hold a Japan Rail Pass Ordinary and you want to use a berth or green car seat, you must pay the regular berth or green car charge and the associated limited or ordinary express charge.

7. If you hold a Japan Rail Pass Green and you want to use a berth on a sleeping car train or private compartments on the Shinkansen or limited express "Superview Odoriko", you must pay the regular berth charge of the Green Private Compartment charge and the associated Shinkansen, limited express or ordinary express charge.

8. The pass cannot be reissued if lost or stolen.

9. The pass is refundable only if presented for cancellation at a Travel Service Center in a JR station designated to handle Japan Rail Passes BEFORE the stamped first day of use. Ten (10) percent of the yen price of the pass will be collected as a handling fee. No refund can be made on or after the stamped first day for any reason whatsoever.

Shinkansen reservations and information

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Tokaido/Sanyo Shinkansen

The Tokaido Shinkansen, connecting Tokyo, Nagoya, Kyoto and Osaka, was inaugurated in 1964 as the first shinkansen line and the world's first high speed train service. At that time the trains already ran at about 200 km/h. Nowadays they reach speeds of 300 km/h.

The extension of the Tokaido Shinkansen, the Sanyo Shinkansen from Shin-Osaka Station to Hakata Station in Fukuoka was completed by 1975.

The trains operating on the Tokaido/Sanyo Shinkansen are of the following three categories:

Nozomi: Nozomi trains stop only at the most important stations, and reach Osaka from Tokyo in about two and a half hours. The nozomi is one of the very few trains on the JR network that cannot be used with the Japan Rail Pass.

Hikari: Hikari trains stop a little bit more frequently than nozomi trains, and need roughly three hours to reach Osaka from Tokyo. On the Sanyo Shinkansen, the Hikari trains are known as "Hikari Railstar".

Kodama: The slowest category. Kodama trains stop at all stations.

Kyushu Shinkansen

The southern half of the Kyushu Shinkansen, connecting Yatsushiro with Kagoshima, was inaugurated in March 2004. The northern half from Yatsushiro to Hakata is scheduled to be completed by 2010. The trains operating on the Kyushu Shinkansen are called Tsubame.

Northern Shinkansen

The first north bound lines, the Tohoku Shinkansen from Tokyo to Morioka and the Joetsu Shinkansen to Niigata, were completed in 1982.

Since then, the following further lines have been put into service: the Yamagata Shinkansen from Fukushima to Shinjo, the Akita Shinkansen from Morioka to Akita, the Nagano Shinkansen from Takasaki to Nagano and the extension of the Tohoku Shinkansen from Morioka to Hachinohe.

Currently under construction are the further extension of the Tohoku Shinkansen to Aomori, as well as the extension of the Nagano Shinkansen to Kanazawa.

The trains operating on the north bound lines are of the following categories:

Hayate (Tohoku Shinkansen): The fastest train category on the Tohoku Shinkansen. Hayate trains run all the way from Tokyo to Hachinohe and stop only at major stations. All seats are reserved. Between Tokyo and Morioka, Hayate trains are coupled with a Komachi train.

Yamabiko (Tohoku Shinkansen): The second fastest train category on the Tohoku Shinkansen, running as far as Morioka. Yamabiko trains stop more frequently than Hayate trains.

Nasuno (Tohoku Shinkansen): The slowest train category on the Tohoku Shinkansen. Nasuno trains run only as far as Koriyama (one stop before Fukushima) and stop at all stations.

Komachi (Akita Shinkansen): This is the only train category on the Akita Shinkansen. Komachi run between Tokyo and Akita. All seats are reserved. Between Tokyo and Morioka, Komachi trains are coupled with a Hayate train.

Tsubasa (Yamagata Shinkansen): This is the only train category on the Yamagata Shinkansen. Tsubasa run between Tokyo, Yamagata and Shinjo. Between Tokyo and Fukushima, some Tsubasa trains are coupled with a Yamabiko train.

Toki (Joetsu Shinkansen): This is the faster of two categories on the Joetsu Shinkansen, running all the way from Tokyo to Niigata.

Tanigawa (Joetsu Shinkansen): This is the slower of two categories on the Joetsu Shinkansen. Tanigawa run only as far as Echigo-Yuzawa and stop more frequently than the Toki trains.

Asama (Nagano Shinkansen): This is the only train category on the Nagano Shinkansen. Asama run between Tokyo and Nagano.

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