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How to buy

Japan Rail Pass is sold at the authorized agent only. You will find the agent list at Japan Rail Pass official site. If you are in U.S. or Japan, you can order the pass online at MY JR Pass.com (by NTA America).

Basically you cannot purchase Japan Rail Pass in Japan. But some of the agent can mail to you by Courier or Express post service. So if you have already arrived in Japan as temporary visitor, you may ask the agent in your country and make sure that they can mail it or not.

How to exchange

You can get “Exchange Order” at the time of purchasing. It is not an actual pass but a voucher. You have to exchange for an actual pass after you arrive in Japan. The validity of exchange order is three month from the date of issue. The pass is never sold out. So don’t buy it too early.

Exchange Order can be exchanged at the designated station. Narita airport, Kansai airport, Tokyo, Shinagawa, Osaka, Kyoto and more than 40 major stations throughout Japan are on the list. You can find the station list at Japan Rail Pass official site.

When you turn in, go to the station where I mentioned above, and show your passport and exchange order. You will get the application form and fill in. It is easy form to fill in. But I recommend you to download this form and fill in it before you depart. You can save your time at the time of exchange. You can download this form at Japan Rail Pass official site:Application for Japan Rail Pass Exchange (PDF file). (This PDF File was removed.)

When you turn in the pass, you can choose the first day of use within one month from this day. And you will receive the actual pass with stamped that shows the start and finish dates. So technically the earliest day to purchase the exchange order is four month prior to your first day of use.

By the way, the definition of “1 day” is 00:00 to 23:59. If you start to use 7 days pass on April 1, your pass is expired at 23:59 on April 7.

How to refund

You can refund within one year from issue date before you turn in for the actual pass. Simply bring or send your exchange order to the agent where you bought it. They will subtract a handling fee and refund to you. The handling fee is usually 10% of the amount. Contact to your agent and make sure it before you refund.
You can NEVER refund after turned in the actual pass.

Lost or Stolen

Once you lost it, it’s over. Either an exchage order or an actual pass cannot be reissued. Be carefule to use!

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143 Comments to “How to buy and exchange”

1. Buster says:

   May 28, 2013 at 7:15 pm

   Takeshi-san,

   Does the Rail Pass cover the new Hayabusa? I was in Japan in Feb earlier and saw no restrictions on hyperdia. I am going to Japan again next week and note that Hayabusa is now lumped together with Nozomi and Mizuho.

   Thanks for your reply!

   Reply
   • JPRail says:

     May 28, 2013 at 8:49 pm

     Hi Buster,

     JR Pass cover Hayabusa. But Gran Class seat is not covered by Japan Rail Pass fully. Please see the following post:
     http://jprail.com/travel-informations/japan-rail-pass-can-be-used-for-hayabusa.html

     Cheers,

     Takeshi / JP Rail

     Reply
2. st says:

   May 8, 2013 at 3:48 pm

   Hi just wondering if the jr rail pass is valid for buses in kyoto too? Thanks

   Reply
   • JPRail says:

     May 8, 2013 at 10:20 pm

     Hi st,

     There is only one bus service available. Please see the link below:
     http://jprail.com/destinations/kansai-area/how-to-use-japan-rail-pass-in-kyoto.html

     Cheers,

     Takeshi / JP Rail

     Reply
3. Mike M says:

   May 2, 2013 at 8:12 pm

   Hi JP Rail/Takeshi,

   I have a question about visa and JR Rail Pass compatibility. I have tried asking the embassy here and JTB, but neither know the answer. My question is as follows: My wife is a Chinese citizen with a green card. We will travel to China and Japan at the end of May. My wife is leaving first and will fly from the US to Tokyo, stay one night, then continue to China. I will join her in China, and then we will both fly back to Tokyo and start our visit to Japan. Due to these travel arrangements, she has been issued a double entry “Temporary Visitor” visa. I know that you must have a “Temporary Visitor” stamp in order to turn in an Exchange Order for a JR Pass. When she first enters, she will have that stamp. But her visa is only for 15 total days, and she would like her JR Pass to start more than 15 days after her first entry (because she will leave for China the next day). When she comes back to Japan for her second entry, will she again receive a “Temporary Visitor” stamp, or will it be a “Reentry” stamp? If so, should she turn in the Exchange Order on her first or second entry?

   Thanks,
   Mike

   Reply
   • JPRail says:

     May 2, 2013 at 10:06 pm

     Hi Mike,

     I am not 100% sure. China do not have visa waiver program with Japan. So her visa is not for multiple entry.
     http://www.mofa.go.jp/j_info/visit/visa/topics/china.html

     In my understanding, she needs to get another visa for second entry.

     Cheers,

     Takeshi / JP Rail

     Reply
4. Ann says:

   March 25, 2013 at 8:04 pm

   Hello,

   I plan to go to Japan in December with my boyfriend so it’s just the 2 of us travelling. We’ll be landing in Okinawa on 19th December stay there for 2 days then we’ll fly over to Kyushu. We’ll probably spend 3 days in checking out this island and hoping to train to Osaka for Christmas. We’ll be visiting Kyoto and Nara while in Osaka and then we’ll be on the train to Tokyo a couple of days before New Year. While in Tokyo we’re hoping to train out to a few towns outside of Tokyo for sightseeing such as Kamakura and Hakone. While in in Osaka and Tokyo I hope to buy a lot of things. We’ll be flying out from Tokyo on 8 Jan.

   So what train system should I really be looking at? Should we get a JR pass? I’m confused with all these private train lines and bullet train lines. Which one is best for my trip?

   Reply
   • JPRail says:

     March 26, 2013 at 12:16 am

     Hi Ann,

     JR Pass is the best and only choice for you. Only JR trains cover throughout Japan. When you have a small trip in Kyoto, Osaka or Tokyo, you may take private trains. But most of time, you will take JR trains that includes bullet train.
     I recommend you to read these following post to get more details about JR trains:
     http://jprail.com/travel-informations/learn-more-about-japan-railways-trains-and-networks.html
     http://jprail.com/travel-informations/what-is-japan-railways.html

     Cheers,

     Takeshi / JP Rail

     Reply