PURCHASE YOUR RAIL PASS IN JAPAN

Purchase your JR West Sanyo-San'in Area Pass (7-day) and receive your exchange order by email.

We facilitate advance reservation for the JR West Sanyo-San'in Area Pass valid for unlimited travel in Kansai and Chugoku regions and Fukuoka prefecture in Kyushu island.

Passengers can travel on Shinkansen trains, Limited Express trains, as well as Express, Rapid or Local trains in the available area for 7 consecutive days.

Trains operated by JR West

Rail services in western Japan are operated by JR West.

JR West is one of the companies of JR Group dedicated to provide passenger train services in Hokuriku, Kansai and Chugoku regions in Honshu island.

To achieve a complete coverage of the railway transportation, JR West operates several types of intercity trains, including:

• - Shinkansen high-speed rail
• - Limited Express conventional rail

Shinkansen high-speed rail

Shinkansen is the high-speed railway service operated with trains running at a maximum speed of 240–320 km/h.

The Shinkansen lines operated by JR West are the following:

• - Sanyo Shinkansen between Osaka and Fukuoka
• - Hokuriku Shinkansen between Joetsumyoko and Kanazawa

The Tokaido and Sanyo lines are interconnected forming a continuous corridor that links Tokyo, Osaka and Fukuoka, and is used by through services operated by JR Central and JR West. The Sanyo and Kyushu lines are interconnected forming a continuous corridor that links Osaka, Fukuoka and Kagoshima, and is used by through services operated by JR West and JR Kyushu. JR West operates the Sanyo line between Osaka and Fukuoka.

The Hokuriku line operates over the Joetsu and Tohoku lines tracks between Tokyo and Takasaki, then it separates and continues on its own dedicated tracks to Nagano and Kanazawa. JR West operates the Hokuriku line between Joetsumyoko and Kanazawa.

Shinkansen trains are designated by a code name that identifies the class of service followed by one to three numerals. The fast services stop only at key stations, the semi-fast services stop at the major stations, and the local services stop at all stations:

• - In the Sanyo line, NOZOMI and MIZUHO are the fast services, HIKARI and SAKURA are the semi-fast services and KODAMA is the local service.
• - In the Hokuriku line, KAGAYAKI is the fast service, HAKUTAKA is the semi-fast service and TSURUGI is the local service.

Shinkansen trains are powered by electric multiple units and can carry up to 16 cars per train, arranged in Green Car with business class seats that require advanced reservation and Ordinary Car with standard class seats distributed in Reserved and Non-reserved.

In total, the Shinkansen trains offer three passengers classes: Green Car Seat, Reserved Seat and Non-reserved Seat.

Travellers with Reserved Seat tickets are required to take their numbered seat in the Green Cars or the Ordinary Cars. Travellers with Non-reserved Seat tickets are allowed to take any seat available in the Ordinary Cars designated as Non-reserved. On these cars, seating is on a first-come, first-served basis. When all the seats are full, passengers must travel standing on the corridor or the coach entrance without blocking the access to other passengers.

Limited Express conventional rail

JR West operates many intercity and regional lines with trains running on conventional rail at a maximum speed of 130-160 km/h.

Given the limited coverage of the Shinkansen network, passengers may need to use conventional trains to reach certain areas of western Japan or travel directly between two cities.

Conventional rail services are classified depending on the stop pattern:

• - Limited Express is the fastest service
• - Express is a semi-fast service stopping at major stations
• - Rapid is a fast service stopping at most stations
• - Local is a slow service stopping at all stations

When travelling on conventional rail, the standard ticket depends on the travel distance and it is the same for all the trains regardless of the number of stops or transfers. The standard ticket allows the passenger to access the platform and board Limited Express trains as well as Express, Rapid or Local trains.

On Limited Express trains, passengers can travel on Non-reserved Seat or Reserved Seat. In case of travelling with Reserved Seat, passengers are required an extra ticket for the Reserved Seat, which is purchased separately from the standard ticket and is inspected by the train conductor on board.

In total, the Limited Express trains offer three passengers classes: Green Car Seat, Reserved Seat and Non-reserved Seat.

Travellers with Reserved Seat tickets are required to take their numbered seat in the Green Cars or the Ordinary Cars. Travellers with Non-reserved Seat tickets are allowed to take any seat available in the Ordinary Cars designated as Non-reserved. On these cars, seating is on a first-come, first-served basis. When all the seats are full, passengers must travel standing on the corridor or the coach entrance without blocking the access to other passengers.

On Express, Rapid and Local trains, passengers can travel on Non-reserved Seat.

Getting around Japan by train

The JR West Sanyo-San'in Area Pass is valid for unlimited travel in the available area: Nara, Kyoto, Osaka, Hyogo and Shiga prefectures in Kansai region; Okayama, Hiroshima, Yamaguchi, Shimane and Tottori prefectures in Chugoku region; and Fukuoka prefecture in Kyushu island.

Travel with JR West Sanyo-San'in Area Pass

Passengers can travel on Shinkansen trains, Limited Express trains, as well as Express, Rapid or Local trains in the available area for 7 consecutive days.

The rail pass reservation is available 3 months in advance.

The rail pass is not valid for the following trains:

Destinations

Western Japan is divided into four regions: Hokuriku, Kansai, Chugoku and Kyushu.

Kansai region

Kansai region comprises Mie, Nara, Wakayama, Kyoto, Osaka, Hyogo and Shiga prefectures. This region is served by the Sanyo Shinkansen and the Limited Express trains operated by JR West.

Chugoku region

Chugoku region comprises Okayama, Hiroshima, Yamaguchi, Shimane and Tottori prefectures. This region is served by the Sanyo Shinkansen and the Limited Express trains operated by JR West.

Kyushu island

Kyushu is the third largest of Japan's five main islands. This region is served by the Sanyo Shinkansen.

Getting around Osaka by train

Osaka's urban rail network comprises train lines operated by Japan Railways (JR) and subway lines operated by Osaka Metro.

Getting around Osaka with rail pass

The railway company JR West operates two train lines that interconnect Osaka's major stations, including Osaka, Namba and Tennoji.

Travellers with the Japan Rail Pass or JR West Pass can get around Osaka using the Osaka Loop Line and the Yamatoji Line since the services are operated by JR West.

JR West

Getting to Osaka Airport by train

Kansai Airport is connected to Shin-Osaka, Osaka and Tennoji stations in Osaka by the Limited Express trains operated by JR West.

Travellers with Japan Rail Pass or JR West Pass can reserve seats on the Haruka Express since the service is operated by JR West. Other travellers can book tickets 3 months in advance.

JR West

How to purchase your rail pass in Japan?

Purchasing your rail pass in Japan is very quick and simple. Search for train routes between any two cities in the available area for your travel dates.

Select your route

After search, we will display the results for your itinerary.

Find the Shinkansen and Limited Express services operated by JR West available for your itinerary. Select the most convenient option.

We accept rail pass reservations from 3 months in advance up to 24 hours before departure. For departures under 24 hours, the rail pass must be reserved directly at the station.

Click to expand the details of the route, you will find the rail passes available for this route.

JR West offers various types of rail pass valid for unlimited travel on Shinkansen trains, Limited Express trains, as well as Express, Rapid or Local trains for a number of consecutive days.

Fill in the passenger and contact details

According to the policy of JR West, the passenger must meet the following criteria for rail pass reservation.

Passenger must hold a passport issued by a foreign government
− Japanese nationals are not allowed to use this rail pass for tourists.

Passenger must enter Japan as a 短期滞在 (Temporary Visitor)
− Visitor must obtain a Temporary Visitor stamp at Immigration. Do not use the automated gates, as no stamp will be applied on the passport.
− Student permit and work permit holders, permanent residents in Japan are not allowed to use this rail pass for tourists.

In case you meet the criteria of eligibility, please provide the passenger information and the contact details of the person responsible for booking. We will send by email the booking confirmation and the electronic ticket.

Complete your payment

Select your payment method. We accept international credit or debit cards.

Check your itinerary and price breakdown. Confirm that the booking information is correct. Before you proceed to payment, you must read and accept the terms and conditions of booking.

Receive your electronic ticket by email

Once your payment is complete, your reservation will be processed.

In the following 24 hours you will receive the itinerary and booking confirmation by email with the electronic ticket attached in PDF format.

You can also access to Manage your booking via web and download the electronic ticket to your device.

How to use the rail pass?

The electronic ticket is valid to collect the rail pass at the station. It cannot be used to board the train.

After arriving in Japan, passengers can exchange the rail pass by scanning the passport and the QR code included in the exchange order (E-TICKET) at the ticket vending machines or presenting the passport and the exchange order (E-TICKET) at the ticket office in the exchange locations.

Once exchanged, the rail pass will be associated with the passport and the holder will be able to travel for a number of consecutive days according to the validity indicated in the physical ticket.

Passengers can travel on Shinkansen trains, Limited Express trains, as well as Express, Rapid or Local trains in Non-reserved Seat.

If you wish to travel in Reserved Seat, you must receive your tickets for Reserved seat from the ticket vending machine before boarding.