Japan Rail Pass (Photo: fletcherjcm (CC BY-SA 2.0))
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JR Pass to be Sold in Japan

Japan Rail passes will soon be available in Japan

Procrastinate on buying your JR Pass? Not sure you needed one, but wishing you had it once you arrived? Japan Railways Group, the company that sells the popular rail passes for foreign travelers, is planning to allow the pass to be sold in select locations around the country, easing the burden for travelers of having to buy the pass before actually landing in Japan.

The announcement, recently made by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, is just one part of a plan to make Japan more tourist-friendly as the government aims to increase its overseas visitor numbers to 40 million travelers by 2020 and 60 million travelers by 2030.

Under the current Japan Rail Pass system, travelers must purchase the pass in their home country, before their departure. They then receive a voucher, which is turned in upon arrival in Japan (and presentation of a foreign passport), in exchange for the pass itself. Passes are valid for the following duration - 7 days, 14 days and 21 days. When used frequently within the time allotted or to cover long distances, the pass can represent a significant savings to the average traveler.

More Information

Japan Tourism Agency (Japanese only)

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Carlos P. Jones 7 years ago
Helpful indeed for nationals too. We'll see how far the experiment goes!
Katie Jackson 7 years ago
This is fantastic! I often hear of travelers who end up wanting to travel further out of Tokyo or Kyoto than they expected and then wished that they had this pass.
Amanda Ho 7 years ago
Being able to purchase it in Japan makes it more convenient!
Guillaume Doré 7 years ago
The travel agent I used some years refused to sell it to me because I was in Japan with the wrong visa and did not want to "take the chance" to sell it to me if I could not get the righ visa afer going to Korea. At the end I got it online, delivered to me in Japan, but that would have saved me that trouble for sure.
Guillaume Doré 7 years ago
Actually, I got if mailed to me by a French travel agent that ship worldwide. It was super easy to get. It was actually easier than to buy it in Korea as suggested by the travel agent.
Yes, sadly not available to people living in Japan, but that would somehow beat the purpose of bringing foreign tourist to Japan.
Anne Lauenroth 7 years ago
That's fantastic. I remember it was quite the hassle to plan everything ahead and obtain the voucher before departure.
Mandy Bartok Author 7 years ago
I think it will be a big help to travelers, too. I hope they implement it soon!

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