(April 1st Revision) … JR-EAST Passes
About
There are 2 passes to choose from: the JR EAST PASS (Tohoku area) and the JR EAST PASS (Nagano, Niigata area). Both passes are sold as an e-ticket exchange voucher and can be used on JR East Lines, including Shinkansen “Bullet” trains, other limited express and local trains within their respective JR-EAST area, including the Tokyo Metropolitan area.
As of April 1st, 2021, both passes will be sold with validities of 5 Consecutive days of travel within a 14 day period.
Destinations
JR EAST PASS (Tohoku area):
Limited express trains (Shinkansen included), express trains, and local trains on JR EAST lines (BRT included), all Izu Kyuko lines, all Tokyo Monorail lines, all Aoimori Railway lines, all Iwate Galaxy Railway lines and all Sendai Airport Transit lines, within the free usage area. In addition, there is also unlimited use of the ordinary car reserved seating on limited express trains such as the Tobu Direct Limited Express “Nikko”, “SPACIA Nikko”, “Kinugawa”, ” SPACIA Kinugawa” trains, and the local trains between Shimo-Imaichi and Tobu-nikko / Kinugawa-onsen stations on the Tobu Railway lines. Includes travel within the pass area on 5 Shinkansens: Tohoku Shinkansen, Akita Shinkansen, Yamagata Shinkansen, Joetsu Shinkansen and Hokuriku Shinkansen.
JR EAST PASS (Nagano, Niigata area):
limited express trains (Shinkansen included), express trains, and local trains on JR EAST lines, all Izu Kyuko lines, all Tokyo Monorail lines, all Hokuetsu Express lines, and the Echigo TOKImeki Railway line (between “Naoetsu – Arai”), within the free usage area. In addition, there is also unlimited use of the ordinary car reserved seating on limited express trains such as the Tobu Direct Limited Express “Nikko”, “SPACIA Nikko”, “Kinugawa”, “SPACIA Kinugawa” trains, and the local trains between Shimo-Imaichi and Tobu-nikko / Kinugawa-onsen stations on the Tobu Railway lines. Includes travel within the pass area on 4 Shinkansens: Tohoku Shinkansen, Yamagata Shinkansen, Joetsu Shinkansen and Hokuriku Shinkansen.
Map
- JR EAST PASS (Tohoku area): View the map
- JR EAST PASS (Nagano, Niigata area): View the map
©JR EAST
JR East Passes are available as follows:
- Standalone 9B/450
Standalone sales (ticketed on 9B plate) are possible in these BSP/ARC markets:
- ARC USA
- BSP Australia
- BSP Austria
- BSP Belgium/Netherlands/Luxembourg
- BSP Canada
- BSP Czech Republic
- BSP Finland
- BSP France
- BSP Germany
- BSP Hong Kong
- BSP India
- BSP Indonesia
- BSP Ireland
- BSP Italy
- BSP Macao
- BSP Malaysia
- BSP Mexico
- BSP Norway
- BSP Scandinavia – Open in Sweden, Denmark, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.
- BSP Singapore
- BSP South Korea
- BSP Spain
- BSP Switzerland/Liechtenstein
- BSP Taiwan
- BSP Thailand
- BSP UK
- BSP Vietnam
GDS Participation
- Abacus
- Amadeus
- Apollo
- Axess
- Galileo
- Sabre
- Worldspan
Eligibility
- Foreign nationals who are holders of non-Japanese passports (who have entered Japan with a “Temporary Visitor” visa to stay in Japan for no longer than 90 days) are eligible. Passports are required for confirmation purposes at the time of exchange or purchase.
Train Range
- 9B flight 9986 – 9987
Booking Classes
- Y – Standard Class / ‘Ordinary Class’
Discounts
- Child (age 6-11) 50%
How to book it
Enter “9B” as the carrier code, “XZJ” for the departure, and “XZP” for the arrival.
| JR East Pass | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pass | Fare | Type | Train | Dep. | Arr. | |
| JR EAST PASS (Tohoku area) | Adult | 5 Consecutive days within 14 days | 9986 | XZJ | XZP | |
| JR EAST PASS (Tohoku area) | Child | 5 Consecutive days within 14 days | 9986 | XZJ | XZP | |
| JR EAST PASS (Nagano, Niigata area) | Adult | 5 Consecutive days within 14 days | 9987 | XZJ | XZP | |
| JR EAST PASS (Nagano, Niigata area) | Child | 5 Consecutive days within 14 days | 9987 | XZJ | XZP | |
The rail passes are filed as pseudo trains/flights between XZJ (Rail) and XZP (Pass). When the availability request is made for travel between these two points at any chosen date, the display will show the number of available “rail pass trains”. Each train represents a rail pass type as per the table above. The date of travel indicates the date when the pass validity starts. The booking class Y represents the standard (coach) class.
From the availability display the pass can be booked and put into a PNR. Once in the PNR the Pass can be auto priced as any other flight or train. Each rail pass train has a corresponding fare basis code and a fare (rail pass price) associated with it. Each rail pass requires only 1 booking. A rail pass segment cannot be ticketed with any other segment. The ticket issued must be exchanged for an actual JR EAST PASS at an exchange office in Japan within three months of purchase.
Tickets are sold the same way as any regular airline: availability display, booking, attaching the fare record and finally ticketing – all are based on the regular PNR.
GDS Availability Display
The image below identifies available train flights bookable with the JR EAST PASS:
PNR Booking
The image below is a PNR booked on the GDS by a travel agent.
Refunds
Passenger may obtain a refund for the Exchange Order at the office or travel agent that issued it within one year from the issue according to the regulation of each sales office. The type of Exchange Order cannot be changed after arrival to Japan. After exchange into a JR East PASS, it can be refunded at the nearest exchange office in Japan only within the validity period and before the first date of use, with a 10% handling fee deducted from the refund. No refund can be made for any reason after the first date of use.
Groups
- No group bookings allowed. Up to 99 passengers with unique names can be issued on the same PNR.
Exchange instructions
When the passenger arrives in Japan, they must show their Exchange Order and a valid foreign passport (regardless of resident status) at the designated ticket offices to receive the actual JR EAST PASS. The exchange must happen within 3 months from the Exchange Order issuance. List of Exchange Offices: Please refer to the JR EAST PASS (Tohoku area) and JR EAST PASS (Nagano, Niigata area) for the locations of exchange offices.
Travel documents
When the Exchange Order e-ticket is redeemed for the actual JR EAST PASS, the passenger will need to select any 5-consecutive days to use the pass within 14 days from the date of exchange in Japan. The pass can be used for 5 days continuously from the day it is first used. Date changes are not permitted.
Period of Validity
- 5-consecutive travel day: Any 5-consecutive travel days within a 14 day period from the date of issue. The date of issue refers to the date of pick-up for the passes purchased overseas and the date of purchase for the passes purchased in Japan. Changes to dates of travel for the pass are not permitted.
Seat reservations
Seats can be reserved without an extra charge. Visit the “JR-EAST Train Reservation” website for details. To reserve a seat at a station, insert the rail pass into the JR East Reserved Seat Ticket Vending Machines (Note that some rail passes issued at certain ticket offices will not support this service. Seat reservations are still available at ticket counters as well). * Reservations cannot be made for the Tokaido & Sanyo Shinkansen, or for the Kyushu Shinkansen. This site is not available for tickets to Nagoya, Kyoto, Osaka, Hiroshima and other cities on those lines.
Baggage policy
Travelers bring their own luggage on the train and must be able to handle their own luggage without assistance, within the following:
- up to two pieces of baggage on board free of charge.
- for each bag the total of the length, width and height must not exceed 250 centimeters, the length must not exceed two meters and the weight must be no more than 30 kilograms.
Airport Transfers
From Narita Airport:
- Passengers are asked to make their way to the Narita Express platform. The Narita Express connects the airport to various major stations in the Tokyo metropolitan area, such as Tokyo Station, Shinjuku Station, Shibuya Station and Yokohama Station.
- To obtain their JR EAST PASS valid on the Narita Express, passengers need to first present themselves at the JR EAST Travel Service Center situated below arrivals before boarding the Narita Express.
- Please be advised that using the Narita Express will count as 1 day of usage of the 5 day JR EAST PASS.
From Haneda Airport:
- Passengers are asked to make their way to the Tokyo Monorail platform. The monorail will bring them to Hamamatsucho Station in central Tokyo.
- To obtain their JR EAST PASS valid on the monorail, passengers should first present themselves at the JR EAST Travel Service Center at Haneda Airport International Terminal before boarding the monorail.
- Please be advised that using the monorail will count as 1 day of usage of the 5 day JR EAST PASS.
