Japan Rail Pass 🇯🇵

When we decided that Japan was going to be our next holiday destination, it was certain that we would be using the Japan Rail Pass. It was quite expensive, considering that it costs about half the price of the standard return airfare from Mumbai to Tokyo per person.

I ordered the Japan Rail Pass vouchers from www.japan-rail-pass.com, and they were shipped to us by FedEx. These vouchers were to be exchanged for the actual Japan Rail Pass at a JR Travel Service Center.

There were lots of websites and blogs with sample itineraries for the 7-day Japan Rail Pass. After reading up, I did my own research on how to optimize and/or maximize both the Japan Rail Pass and our time there. From my experience, I found that www.hyperdia.com is the best website out there for checking train schedules and fares.

Our flights were already booked into and out of Narita Airport. The final itinerary that I worked out would have us starting and ending our journey in Tokyo and take us from Onumakoen in Hokkaidō to Ibusuki in Kyūshū. The total distance traversed was 5,164.2 km, with the tickets valued at around ¥84,860 (base fare only, without seating fees). We visited all four main islands of the Japanese archipelago and experienced journeys on five of the seven major Shinkansen lines. Besides the numerous train journeys, the Japan Rail Pass also gave us access to the JR Hiroshima Loop Bus and the JR Miyajima Ferry.

Looking back, if there was anything I would consider changing, it would be extending the overall trip by a day or two: arriving at Narita Airport and seeing Tokyo first, then using the Japan Rail Pass from the journey to Hakodate (making that Day 1), visiting Sapporo on Day 2, and on Day 7 visiting Fukuoka or Himeji, ending the journey in Osaka and flying out of Kansai Airport.

Day 1 🔗: 66.8 kms | ¥4,070

Trip Total: 66.8 kms | ¥4,070

We used the Japan Rail Pass to take the Narita Express from Narita Airport to Tokyo Station.

Day 2 🔗: 880.4 kms | ¥12,540

Trip Total: 947.2 kms | ¥16,610

We traveled on the Tōhoku Shinkansen and Hokkaidō Shinkansen lines from Tokyo to Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto and then the Hakodate Liner onward to Hakodate.

Day 3 🔗: 1414.2 kms | ¥21,440

Trip Total: 2361.4 kms | ¥38,050

We took the Super Hokuto Limited Express from Hakodate to Onumakoen and then to Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto. From Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto, we traveled on the Hokkaidō Shinkansen and Tōhoku Shinkansen lines to Tokyo and then the Tōkaidō Shinkansen line to Kyoto.

Day 4 🔗: 26.0 kms | ¥780

Trip Total: 2387.4 kms | ¥38,830

We traveled on the Sagano Line to Saga-Arashiyama and then on the Nara Line to Fushimi-Inari.

Day 5 🔗: 999.8 kms | ¥17,770

Trip Total: 3387.2 kms | ¥56,600

We traveled on the Tōkaidō Shinkansen and the San’yō Shinkansen lines to Hiroshima and then the JR Hiroshima Loop Bus there. After that, we took the Sanyo Line to Miyajimaguchi and the JR Miyajima Ferry to Miyajima. Then, we traveled on the San’yō Shinkansen and Kyūshū Shinkansen lines to Kagoshima-Chūō.

Day 6 🔗: 91.4 kms | ¥2,040

Trip Total: 3478.6 kms | ¥58,640

We traveled on the Ibusuki Makurazaki Line to Ibusuki and back.

Day 7 🔗: 1685.6 kms | ¥26,220

Trip Total: 5164.2 kms | ¥84,860

We traveled on the Kyūshū Shinkansen and San’yō Shinkansen lines to Okayama. From there, we took the Marine Liner to Takamatsu and back. Then we traveled on the San’yō Shinkansen and Tōkaidō Shinkansen lines to Tokyo and then the JR Sobu/Narita Line to Narita Airport.

🚅 www.japan-rail-pass.com
🕰️ www.hyperdia.com