Japan Rail Pass
If you are spending a week or more exploring several regions of Japan, the JR Pass is excellent value. While it is valid you get unlimited rides on JR trains, buses, and ferries, shinkansen included. Buy online and we mail an “exchange order” to your address in Canada; once you arrive in Japan, you trade it in for the pass itself.
Which pass fits? Three questions
1. How many days of long-distance travel?
2. Which seat class?
3. Who is it for?
Answer all three and we will highlight one pass. Before you buy, check that your actual route earns the price back.
CHECKOUT
Purchase
Nothing selected yet. Pick a pass from the list below, or use the three-question guide.
Before you buy, please confirm just these four points. The purchase button activates once every box is checked.
The total includes a CA$10 issuing fee.
Ordinary car
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JAPAN RAIL PASS | ORDINARY 7 DAYS Adult (age 12+)
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JAPAN RAIL PASS | ORDINARY 7 DAYS Child (ages 6–11)
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JAPAN RAIL PASS | ORDINARY 14 DAYS Adult (age 12+)
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JAPAN RAIL PASS | ORDINARY 14 DAYS Child (ages 6–11)
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JAPAN RAIL PASS | ORDINARY 21 DAYS Adult (age 12+)
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JAPAN RAIL PASS | ORDINARY 21 DAYS Child (ages 6–11)
Green car (first class)
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JAPAN RAIL PASS | GREEN 7 DAYS Adult (age 12+)
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JAPAN RAIL PASS | GREEN 7 DAYS Child (ages 6–11)
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JAPAN RAIL PASS | GREEN 14 DAYS Adult (age 12+)
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JAPAN RAIL PASS | GREEN 14 DAYS Child (ages 6–11)
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JAPAN RAIL PASS | GREEN 21 DAYS Adult (age 12+)
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JAPAN RAIL PASS | GREEN 21 DAYS Child (ages 6–11)
Area passes (regional and cheaper)
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AREA PASS 6 DAYS Adult (East Japan + South Hokkaido)
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AREA PASS 7 DAYS Adult (Tokyo–Hokuriku–Osaka)
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AREA PASS 7 DAYS Adult (Osaka–Hiroshima–San’in)
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AREA PASS 5 DAYS Adult (Nagoya–Takayama–Kanazawa)
Data SIM for Japan
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DATA SIM 8 DAYS Data SIM (unlimited)
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DATA SIM 16 DAYS Data SIM (unlimited)
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DATA SIM 31 DAYS Data SIM (unlimited)
Types & prices
The pass comes in two classes, Green car and Ordinary car, each valid for 7, 14, or 21 days. The table below shows approximate exchange-order prices.
| Pass | 7 days | 14 days | 21 days |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ordinary, Adult | CA$465 | CA$745 | CA$930 |
| Ordinary, Child | CA$233 | CA$373 | CA$465 |
| Green car, Adult | CA$650 | CA$1,032 | CA$1,302 |
| Green car, Child | CA$325 | CA$516 | CA$651 |
How buying works
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01
Choose your pass
Green or Ordinary, and the length (7, 14, or 21 days)
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02
Order online
Enter your passport name spelling exactly
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03
Exchange order arrives
We mail it to your address in Canada
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04
Swap it for your pass in Japan
After arrival, exchange it for the actual pass at a JR exchange office
JR Pass complete guide
Tap any topic to open the details.
Eligibility
The Japan Rail Pass is a special ticket for people visiting Japan from abroad for sightseeing. To buy and use it, you must qualify under one of the following.
1. Foreign visitors entering Japan for sightseeing under “Temporary Visitor” status
Only travelers who receive the “Temporary Visitor” stamp or sticker in their passport at immigration can use the pass. Statuses such as “Trainee”, “Entertainer”, or “Re-entry” do not qualify for the exchange.
2. Japanese citizens living abroad who either (a) hold permanent residency in that country, or (b) are married to a non-Japanese citizen living outside Japan. Since June 2017, documentation from a Japanese embassy or consulate confirming 10 or more consecutive years of residence abroad is also accepted. You must present your passport and the supporting document (originals only, no copies) at the exchange.
How to reserve seats
- Shinkansen, limited express, and express trains offer Green car reserved seats, Ordinary car reserved seats, and non-reserved seats. Seat reservations cost nothing extra.
- To reserve, show your pass at a JR station “Midori-no-madoguchi” ticket office or travel center and have the seat ticket issued.
- The “Nozomi” and “Mizuho” trains can be used if you buy a separate “Nozomi/Mizuho supplement ticket” (since October 2023; e.g. Tokyo/Shinagawa to Kyoto ¥4,960). Without the supplement you cannot board them. To pay nothing extra, take the “Hikari”, “Sakura”, or “Kodama” instead.
- The pass does not work in automatic ticket gates. Use the staffed gate.
What the pass covers (lines, trains, validity)
| Rail | All JR Group lines: shinkansen (except “Nozomi” and “Mizuho”), limited express, express, rapid, and local trains (a few trains are excluded) |
|---|---|
| Bus | Local routes of the JR bus companies (some excluded) |
| Ferry | JR West Miyajima Ferry (Miyajima–Miyajimaguchi) |
Validity
- The pass is valid for 7, 14, or 21 consecutive days from your start date.
- The exchange order must be exchanged for the pass within 3 months of the purchase date.
- You can choose any start date within 1 month of the day the pass is issued. Once written on the pass, the start date cannot be changed.
How and where to exchange the pass
- The exchange order itself is not valid for travel on JR lines. Exchange it for the actual pass at an exchange office in Japan (travel centers at major stations and airports).
- At the exchange office you fill in an application form and must show the “Temporary Visitor” stamp or sticker in your passport. Bring your actual passport, not a copy.
- See the list of exchange offices on the official JR site.
Things to know & refunds
- The pass can only be used by the person it was issued to; it cannot be transferred or lent. Carry your passport with you throughout your trip.
- Private compartments, sleeper berths, GranClass, and “liner” trains require separate charges.
- An unused exchange order can be refunded within 1 year of issue (minus a handling fee).
- Once you start using the pass, no extension or refund is given even if trains are cancelled or delayed.
- Neither the exchange order nor the pass can be reissued if lost or stolen.