The Japan Rail Pass Conundrum - I (Arrival/Tokyo)
The passes have now been replaced with a magnetic fare card instead of a paper based booklet.
Effective: October 1, 2023
I have used the famous Japanese Shinkansen trains many times in my travels in Japan. With the recent official JR East announcement in April 2023 and effective October 2023, I am pondering the implications as my sister’s family wants to go visit Japan in 2024.
This will be a good exercise for me, so let’s break this down.
First the changes
The announcement can be found on
JR East website in Japanese (https://www.jreast.co.jp/press/2023/20230414_ho02.pdf).
I also used the Japan Travel website version which is in English (https://www.japan.travel/en/ca/news/changes-are-coming-to-the-japan-rail-pass/)
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This post is going to be heavy on spreadsheet analysis as I want to know does the JR Pass that I used in the past still a good deal if my family wants to go to the typical ‘Golden Corridor’ locations in Japan. The ‘Golden Corridor’ is traveling between Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka. The old price used to cover it easily and extending it to other locations further away normally made traveling a bargin when using the Shinkansen. I know that the new price will probably not be a good deal but how much of a difference will it make is what I want to find out.
Spreadsheet One : Change in Cost
I created a spreadsheet and added two scenarios of if the Japanese Yen is stronger and weaker than the Canadian Dollar. Currently (2023), the Japanese Yen is weaker to most foreign currencies which makes it great for foreigners who will want to visit when their native currency is strong. I used Yahoo Finance to estimate the conversion but don’t take the number as the final number as most financial institutions will add on their fees which will decrease the amount received when exchanging funds.
Now, that I have some numbers, I can start to compare whether or not buying a JR Pass is worth the investment versus paying individual fares. For the purpose of this analysis, I am going to assume a 7 day ordinary pass which will cost 50,000 yen after Oct 1, 2023.
The JR Pass is only useful for Japan Rail affiliated travel service (JR local buses, JR Trains, Shinkansen ‘Bullet Train’ and the JR ferry at Miyakojima)
Segment fare costs
To aid in my research, I normally like to use the Japan Transit Planner by Jourdan on the web as it very comprehensive as it provides great point to point information. They also have an app version for both Apple and Android devices and there are many other similar apps including Google search that also provide similar information. I am also going to try to keep my analysis simple and not discuss the various ways to get to the same destination. I am also going to try to stick with the JR Yamanote line in Tokyo and the Osaka Loop Line in Osaka unless it is not feasible.
Traveling from Narita Airport or Haneda Airport
Every trip to Tokyo starts with the arrival at either Narita or Haneda Airport. Recently, flights from Toronto have been arriving at both. This could be due to a host of factors so I will state the main ways most individuals will get to the Tokyo area from either airport.
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The Keisei Skyliner is a separate private rail company that links Narita Airport and to Ueno Station. It takes about 41 minutes and costs 4,480 yen for an reserved adult ticket for a round trip if purchased online through their website; otherwise it costs 5,140 yen. The benefits depends upon familiarity with Tokyo transit system. Ueno is a popular place if that is the final destination has many hotels and famous locations close by. It connects with many other points around Tokyo via the JR Yamanote Line and Tokyo Metro; both requiring separate additional fares. The major downside is that it is not covered by a JR Pass. I have used it in Dec 2022 as I did not need or have a JR Pass. It was very quick and smooth ride to Nippori Station which is the station before Ueno Station as it was the best transfer point to get to my hotel.
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The Narita Express or N’EX is probably more familiar to many people who need to travel to/from Narita Airport to Tokyo. There are several stops within Tokyo that the train will stop including Shinjuku, Shibuya, Shinagawa, and Tokyo. It also stops at several other stations beyond Tokyo including Yokohama. Similar to the Shinkansen, the N’EX has both a green car (first class) and ordinary car which both can be reserved. The cost also depend upon how far you are travelling (get used to this idea when traveling in Japan) if you don’t buy a round trip ticket: Tokyo is 3,070 yen one way, Shinjuku/Shibuya/Shinagawa is 3,250 yen one way and Yokohama is 4,370 yen one way. A 14 day round trip ticket is 4,070 yen is good value since even the cheapest round trip fare to/from Tokyo Station is going to cost 6,140 yen. This is obviously all moot if you have exchanged your JR Pass voucher for the actual pass at Narita Airport as all travel costs on the N’EX is covered by the JR Pass during its travel period.
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On most occasions when I go to Tokyo, I usually arrive/depart from Haneda Airport. It is a quick ride to any of the major areas of Tokyo and is pretty inexpensive. It is a fully automated monorail and boarding starts from Hamamatsucho Stations. It is also connected to the Yamanote Line [JY 28] or the Keihin Tohoku line [JK 23]. The cost of the Tokyo Monorail is 500 yen for each ride and is covered under the JR Pass within its travel period.
Tokyo & Yokohama (Days 1-4)
Tokyo is a mega city with many great places to visit, eat, shop or check out. Each area has a lot to offer, so my general recommendation is to try to tackle different areas of Tokyo systematically. A great way is to travel and to keep it simple is to use the Japan Rail Yamanote Line. It is a circular line so there is no need to use the other JR lines or the other rail networks. The JR Yamanote line is covered by the Japan Rail Pass if using one, otherwise, individual fares can be purchased at the fare machine or by using a loaded Suica or Pasmo card. The cost to travel from one station to the next is about 210 yen per trip.
A simplified view of the JR Yamanote Line and the ones I use most often (wikimedia)
Covering Tokyo and maybe Yokohama over a 3.5 day is not a simple task. As extensive and easy the rail network are in Tokyo, it is still takes approximately 2-5 minutes to go from one adjacent station to the next and over 20-30 minutes to cross from one side of the Yamanote to the other.
Day 1:
It is doubtful that a lot can be really visited on day 1. Normally, arrival to Japan is usually in the mid-afternoon with a couple of hours to clear immigration, gather baggage, get oriented and taking one of the rail methods to get to the hotel.
PM - I am thinking that if there is time, Shinjuku/Kabukicho/Golden Gai at night, after dinner, is a good way to spend some time before bed as it is lively, full of interesting sights and a good introduction to modern Japan.
Day 2:
AM - Sensoji Temple, Ameyoko Street, and Akihabara (optional)
PM - Harajuku, Shibuya, Shinjuku (optional) and Naka Meguro (optional)
First full day in Japan. Depending upon jet lag, breakfast time, I think it is doable to check out all of these places at a casual pace. The optional places in my opinion depends upon interest and time. Akihabara is interesting to see but there isn’t really a lot to do there except shopping for anime interests. Naka Meguro is not on a JR line but is not a bad walk from Shibuya and is a short hop by using one of the other rail networks from Shibuya Station. It is most famous for its cherry blossom trees by the Naka Meguro River if the timing is right and for the Tokyo Starbucks Roastery. There are many Instagram photos of the trees being lit up at night by the river. My timing has never been right but here’s hoping till next year. I have also included Shinjuku as an optional revisit as Shinjuku Park might be worth visiting when the cherry blossoms are in bloom.
Day 3:
AM - Visit Yoyogi Park, Shinjuku Park, or leisurely take in the cherry blossoms which are everywhere if the timing is right. Otherwise, cover off any missed places from Day 2, as it can be a lot to cover.
PM - Yokohama
Yokohama is my favourite place in Eastern Japan and worth more than just a half day visit. If there is more time to go, I would suggest taking it a slower pace and maybe spending some fun time at the Yokohama Ramen Museum or Cup Ramen Museum. The waterfront is beautiful and an easy walk. Starting at JR Sakuragicho Station, it is possible to walk the entire waterfront and go to the biggest Chinatown in Japan.
Day 4:
AM - Take the Shinkansen to Kyoto after breakfast and arrive by late morning. It takes about 2-2.5 hours depending upon which type of Shinkansen taken. The new JR Pass allows the use of the Nozomi class Shinkansen for an additional cost. In the past, the Nozomi class could not be used and the next fastest train was the Hikari class. Reservations can be made at any JR Midori-no-Madoguchi office at any JR station, through the kiosks at the station or through the app. There are no luggage racks on the Tokaido Shinkansen routes that I have seen so usually I check with the agent to ensure that I get the seats that had the spaces behind it to put my suitcases. There is usually enough space for two suitcases per person. All other seats are just the normal traditional seats. All Shinkansen also has some overhead shelving racks for putting small stuff on them. Its amazing how the items never seem to shift considering how fast the Shinkansens are. The cost to use the Nozomi Shinkansen is 14,140 yen (2 hours 11 minutes) or HIkari Shinkasen 13,850 (2 hours 30 minutes) to get to Kyoto.
Activating a JR Pass from the start of the trip can be beneficial as it will save many of the individual costs from the airport and around Tokyo. The benefits can only really be felt once traveling across the country on the Shinkansen beyond Tokyo.
I will guesstimate that the amount spent so far is probably :
Travel from Narita Airport to Tokyo Station on N’EX - 4,070 yen (w/round trip ticket)
Travel around Tokyo (10 round trips) - 210 yen x 12 or 2,520 yen. There are day passes that can be purchased to alleviate the cost burden but I will just price it out for flexibility in travel
Nozomi class Shinkansen; one way, adult reserved ticket to Kyoto - 14, 140 yen
The total cost for Tokyo is approximately 20,730 yen if paid separately so far.
The new price of the JR Pass for the 7 day ordinary ticket is 50,000 yen.
Total remaining to break even is 29,270 yen.
I decided to split up the blog post as it was getting long so I will cover off the other half of the ‘Golden Corridor’ which is Osaka and Kyoto.
