For non JR pass travellers. Guide to use JR single ticket, basic rules, validity and stopover

Fare table
This is not a regular JR ticket but a typical JR train ticket looks like this.

I have received many inquiries about Tokyo to Kyoto or Osaka one way trip. I always recommend to use a regular ticket for this one way long distance train ride, such as from Tokyo to Kyoto, from Osaka to Tokyo. Because this one way trip is not enough to get the worth of JR Pass 7-day. I have written the post about the fare calculation before.

But I think this post was not enough to explain the fare rule. JR single ticket rule is very complicated for the tourists from oversea. But you do not need to know everything. If you understand some basic rules, single ticket is more useful and it gives you a trip at more affordable rate.

In this post, I will show you some basic rules of the regular ticket for the long distance train ride and how to use and purchase it.

How to purchase it

Simply you can purchase it at the station. If you make a short distance trip in the city or city to just outside city, you can purchase a ticket at the vending machine.

e.g.
Ueno to Tokyo (inside city)
Tokyo to Yokohama (city to just outside place)
Osaka to Universal City (inside city)
Osaka to Kyoto (city to outside place)

If you make a long distance trip, you still can buy a ticket at the vending machine. But the ticket window may be easier to purchase a long distance ticket for the foreign travelers. Especially if you intend to make a stopover on the way, you have to buy a ticket at the ticket window. Because you have to explain your trip plan.

If you want to take a limited express train, you have to purchase a limited express surcharge ticket too. Even if you want to take a non reserved seat on a limited express train, you have to purchase it. You can purchase both a reserved and a non reserved ticket for a limited express (the Shinkansen as well) at “Midori no Madoguchi”. Midori no Madoguchi is the name of JR reservation ticket window. You can purchase a base fare ticket at Midori no Madoguchi too. Please get the detail about reservation at the post below.

In the case of purchasing both base fare ticket and limited express surcharge ticket, you can purchase it in advance. An express surcharge ticket is on sale one month prior to a departure date.

e.g.
Tokyo to Kyoto travel on Dec 1
You can purchase the tickets after Nov 1.

You also can purchase the tickets at any JR stations if you buy both base fare and limited express surcharge at same time. For example, if you start to travel from Tokyo station, you can purchase it at Narita airport station on the day of arrival.

Base fare ticket can be purchased at any JR stations where station staff is on duty. There are many station without station staffs in remote area. In major cities and major stations, there are station staff. Even if you take a train at the station without station staff, you can purchase it from the conductor in the train.

How to get a fare

You can use Hyperdia to get the fare quite easily.

Click to enlarge.
Click to enlarge.

As you see above capture image of Hyperdia, you can get base fare and seat fare (includes surcharge). In this image, total fare is the following:

Base fare – 9560 yen
Shinkansen Nozomi (Tokyo – Shin-Osaka) – 5740 yen (reserved seat)
Ltd Exp Haruka (Shin-Osaka – Kansai airport) – 820 yen (reserved seat)
Total – 16120 yen

*The above image was captured in 2013. The fare was raised in April l, 2014 because of consumer tax was increased to 8% from 5%. The actual fare is different from the fare in the image above.

The price of Japan Rail Pass 7 days ordinary is 28300 yen. (New price is 29110 yen.) Total single fare is more than 10000 yen cheaper than 7 days pass price. This is the reason why I recommend to use single fare for Tokyo – Osaka one way transfer.

Validity

Please see the above capture image of Hyperdia again. You also can find a distance at Hyperdia. This is a key to use single ticket. Actually long distance ticket can be used in multiple days.

DistanceValid days
101 – 200 km2 days
201 – 400 km3 days
401 – 600 km4 days
601 – 800 km5 days
801 – 1000 km6 days
  • From 1001 km and up, add 1 day every 200 km.
  • If you travel more than 101 km but it is in Tokyo or Osaka zone only, ticket valid in one day only.

So in above capture image, distance is 613.4km. This ticket valid in 5 days.

Stopover

You can stopover as many as you want. Of course you cannot go back. Once you start to travel, you have to go forward. You have to care only one thing. When you depart/arrive to travel at the following areas, you cannot stopover in same areas.

  • Sapporo
  • Sendai
  • Tokyo 23 wards
  • Tokyo Yamanote line
  • Yokohana
  • Nagoya
  • Kyoto
  • Osaka
  • Kobe
  • Hiroshima
  • Kitakyushu
  • Fukuoka

These areas are same as city limit. I show you some examples.

1. Above ticket (Tokyo – Kansai Airport)
You can NOT – Stopover at anywhere in Tokyo 23 wards. For example, after you start to travel from Tokyo, you cannot stopover at Shinagawa.
You can – Stopover at Kyoto, Osaka and anywhere outside of Tokyo 23 wards.
By the way, you can start to travel from anywhere in Tokyo 23 wards.

2. Ticket from Narita airport to Osaka
You can NOT – Stopover at anywhere in Osaka city. For example, you cannot stopover at Shin-Osaka. Once you exit at any stations in Osaka city, your ticket will be expired right away.
You can – Stopover at Tokyo, Kyoto, Nagoya and anywhere outside of Osaka city.
By the way, when you travel through Tokyo downtown core, ticket will be calculated by the shortest route. For example, most typical route from Narita to Osaka via Tokyo, via Tokyo station and Shinagawa station. But if you want to go to Osaka via Akihabara and Shinjuku, you can take this route and stopover.

But in case of using limited express, you have to purchase limited express surcharge ticket for each segments.
ex) Tokyo – Osaka trip, stopover at Nagoya.
You have to purchase two Shinkansen tickets, Tokyo – Nagoya Shinkansen surcharge ticket and Ngoya – Shin-Osaka surcharge ticket.

Sample ideas

Please see above capture image of Hyperdia again. If you use this ticket, you can do the following itinerary.

Day 1 Tokyo – Kyoto (Stopover at Kyoto)
Day 2 Kyoto (no use single ticket)
Day 3 Kyoto – Osaka (Stopover at Osaka)
Day 4 One day trip to Kobe (purchase another single ticket.)
Day 5 Osaka – Kansai airport

When you arrive in Tokyo, you can use other deals, such as Suica & N’ex. And you have 5 days after you finish to see Tokyo. If you add Suica & N’ex one way ticket, total amount is 19620 yen. It is about 9000 yen cheaper than JR Pass 7 days.

I believe this is the perfect solution for Tokyo – Osaka one way travellers.

Comments

  1. k says:

    Hi Takeshi,

    Your site is so useful! I am going to Japan in November. I was about to buy 7 day JR pass when I found your site. We have a week in Tokyo (with a round trip to Okutama) then in the second week we are planning to go from Tokyo – via Hakone to Kyoto and then on to Osaka airport.

    I think we can use your Tokyo – Osaka itinerary but wanted to double check!

    30th Oct – 2nd Nov – Haneda to Tokyo (30th). Stay in Tokyo.
    3rd- 5th Nov – Okutama round trip and back to Tokyo
    6th Nov – Tokyo
    7th Nov – Tokyo – Hakone
    8th Nov – Hakone – Kyoto
    12th Nov – Kyoto – Osaka Airport.

    So I think we buy a single base fare from Shinjuku to Odawara, and a Hakone free pass for travel around Hakone.

    Then we buy a Shinkansen reserved seat surcharge (Odawara-Kyoto).
    And we also need a base fare ticket (Odwara-Kansai airport)?
    Do we need to buy both of these in advance?

    Am I correct that with the above two tickets we can stay in Kyoto for a few days (our stopover) and use the same ticket to get to Kansai airport at the end of our trip?

    Would we need to reserve seats on a particular train for our final trip from Kyoto – Kansai or can we get any train?

    Thanks so much! K

  2. Danissa says:

    dear Takeshi,

    i’m planning my visit in the next 8 months (end of June 2017 – still a long way to go, i know), but i’d like to get familiar with how things work there first. So here’s my current itinerary:
    Day 1: Arrive at Haneda (morning) – straight to Disney Resort
    Day 2: Disney Resort
    Day 3: Disney Resort – travel to Tokyo
    Day 4: Shinjuku – Shibuya – Ginza
    Day 5: Day trip to Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route (if possible)
    Day 6: Gotemba
    Day 7: Travel form Tokyo to Osaka
    Day 8: Explore downtown Osaka
    day 9: Day trip to Kyoto
    Day 10: Kansai Airport (KIX)

    So initially, i was planning to get JR Tokyo Wide Pass for Day 1 -Day 6 (exclude Day 5 since i plan to go to Tateyama Alpine Route). Do you think it is the most efficient pass? Or should i get the Tokyo Tokunai Pass?

    And i am still considering about the trip to Tateyama, as i still don’t know how is the easiest way to get there, because i’m traveling with children and infant too, i’m afraid that it would be difficult to transfer from one to another as required in the journey to Tateyama.

    And last, traveling from Tokyo-Osaka-Kyoto-Kansai Airport, i am getting the one way pass from Tokyo – Kansai Airport (using Nozomi), and as i read from your writings above, since the travel distance would be above 600km, it will be valid for 5 days, correct? So i assume i can use it traveling from Tokyo-Osaka (Day 7), Osaka-Kyoto (Day 9), and Osaka-Kansai Airport (Day 10). Am i getting it right?

    Oh one more thing, should i get another single ticket to explore Osaka (Day 8)? Or is it better for me to get the ICOCA card/JR Kansai Area Pass?

    So sorry for troubling you with so many questions.

    Regards 🙂

    • Hi Danissa,

      You need to have JR pass 7 days if you are sure to visit Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route.
      https://jprail.com/travel-informations/other-rail-passes/rail-pass-for-visitors/japan-rail-pass-user-guide-how-to-use-jr-pass-to-its-maximum.html

      You may start using it on day 4 and it will cover to the end of your trip.

      Tokyo Wide Pass is a wrong choice. Actually you don’t need any passes for the first 3 days. You can take a bus to get Disney from Haneda. And you will stay there. You can use single ticket on day 4 and you will start using JR pass.

      It’s hard to say that Alpine route is family friendly place or not. In summer season, it’s very crowded. I don’t think you can use baby stroller. But this place is amazing and worth visiting. That’s all I can say. So the choice is yours.

      But if you don’t go there, JR pass is not a right choice. As you think, you will need single ticket from Tokyo to Kansai airport. But JR pass is much easier to handle. And also you cannot use same ticket for Osaka to Kyoto. You cannot go back on same route. You can use same ticket from Tokyo to Osaka to Kansai airport. But you need to purchase another ticket to get Kyoto. But if you have JR Pass, you can get Kyoto by the pass.

      So please think about visiting Alpine route or not. This is the key before choosing the right deal.

      Cheers,

      Takeshi / JPRail.com

      • Danissa says:

        Dearest Takeshi,

        Thank you for such a quick reply. Well, my family really wants to go to Tateyama, so i guess we’ll have to buy the JR Pass from day 4. But as i read in your other post, the JR Pass also does not cover if i go to Tsukiji Marjet and Ghilbi Museum, am i right? So i will have to buy another single ticket to go there.

        As for the rest, i will also take your advise, like buying single ticket to Kyoto. If i’m going to Fushini Inari and Nishiki Market, i assume i also have to buy a single return ticket for the metro/subway, because i read that not all route cover by the JR pass.

        Once again, thank you so much for for your useful info, Takeshi!

        Regards,
        -danissa

          • Danissa says:

            Hi again Takeshi,

            I have read all your suggestions in those links, and it is very helpful indeed. So i have settled my itinerary even more detail now. Unfortunately, i forgot to squeezed visiting Fujiko F. Fujio Muesum in my schedule. Do you have any suggestion where should i squeezed it in? Which direction is that museum is? I read that i should take the Odawara Ltd. Express hakone/Odakyu Odawara Exp to Mukogaoka-Yuen, but i can’t find where Mukogaoka-Yuen is in the map.
            As reference, here is my more detail itinerary now:
            Day 1: Arrive at Haneda (morning) – straight to Disney Resort – Gotemba
            Day 2: Disney Resort – play
            Day 3: Disney Resort – play half day– travel to Tokyo (shinjuku/shibuya/ginza)
            Day 4: Ueno Zoo – Ghibli museum?? (if still possible after zoo) or Fujiko F. Fujio Museum??
            Day 5: Day trip to Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route (if possible) OR Ghibli Museum OR Fujiko F. Fujio Museum
            Day 6: Tsukiji Market & Shiodome (Shinbashi)
            Day 7: Travel from Tokyo to Osaka – Osaka Castle or explore Namba/Dotonburi/Shinshaibashi
            Day 8: USJ – Kaiyukan (shuttle cruise service)
            day 9: Day trip to Kyoto (Fushimi Inari, Nishiki market, Malebranche Café)
            Day 10: Kansai Airport (KIX)

            Is there any chance i can squeeze the Fujiko F. Fujio museum in one of those day in Tokyo? Or maybe you have better suggestion which one to replace by the Fujiko museum?

            If in the worst case, i dont go to Tateyama, which pass do you think i should get from my Day 4-6? As i will get the Nozomi ticket from Tokyo-Kansai airport and separate return ticket to Kyoto (or kyoto day pass).

            Thank you so much, i promise you i won’t be questioning more after this :))

            Regards,
            Danissa

            • Hi Danissa,

              I have several things to mention to you.

              1. Arrival day
              It takes at least 1.5 hour to get Gotemba from Tokyo station. Tokyo station is the nearest place to catch the bus to Gotemba. It takes about 30 minutes from Maiham station by JR train to catch this bus at Tokyo station. Maihama station is nearest station to Disneyland. And also you have to get there from Haneda. It takes about one hour to get Disney from Haneda. And you will spend to clear custom and immigration at Haneda, check in the hotel at Disney. So you will spend 3 to 4 hours very quickly before taking the bus to get Gotemba. Are you okay with it?
              http://www.premiumoutlets.co.jp/en/gotemba/access/bus/detail22.html
              http://www.premiumoutlets.co.jp/en/gotemba/access/bus/detail3.html

              2. Ueno Zoo and Ghibli
              Admission ticket to Ghibli museum is sold by the time. When you purchase it, entering time is shown on the ticket. So if you have to find the time of entering to the museum first. As you probably know, the ticket is not sold at the museum. So you may have to go to museum first.
              http://www.ghibli-museum.jp/en/ticket-information/

              In my opinion, kids want to stay in zoo full day. It’s very easy to stay in Ueno zoo for one full day. Ghibli and Ueno zoo for one day is not impossible but not recommended in my opinion. It’s same thing if you visit zoo and Fujiko Fujio museum. 2 places for one day is tough.

              3. Mukogaoka-yuen
              Please see the map below:
              http://www.odakyu.jp/english/traffic/railmap/pdf/odakyu-line-route-map.pdf

              4. Disney + Tokyo
              I think this day is very tight too. You can visit one place only on this day. You may visit other places in day 6. For the deal in Tokyo, Tokyo Subway Ticket is the best option. But you can use JR Tokunai ticket too.
              https://jprail.com/destinations/kanto-area/tokyo-kanto-area/guide-to-take-trains-in-tokyo-how-to-choose-the-best-deal-and-the-best-route-by-train-to-get-the-major-spots.html

              5. USJ + Kaiyukan
              I think this is very tight too. Half day for Kaiyukan is okay but half day for USJ is not enough. You cannot see even half of the park in half day. Half day is too short to visit USJ. In my opinion, one full day is minimum. I recommend you to visit Kaiyukan on day 7 and spend one full day at USJ on day 8.

              Cheers,

              Takeshi / JPRail.com

              • Danissa says:

                Dear Takeshi,

                Thank you so so much for all your explanation. SO now i have set my final itinerary. Yes, after sending my previous reply, i read your writings about Kaiyukan and USJ. So i have split the schedule too for those destinations on my last two days in Japan.
                And i give up Ghibli Museum for Ueno zoo, and considering giving up Tateyama also for Fujiko F. Fujio Museum (as i noticed it take some times too to get there, plus i’m going with children, i guess it will be more child friendly there).
                And i also change Day 6 destination to Gotemba, after finishing, i might still stroll around Shiodome/shinbashi or Tsukiji Market (if still open in the afternoon).
                With this itinerary, i will have to give up Kyoto as well, very sad, but there always next time (hopefully). And so, i guess the wisest choice for me to travel around Osaka is to get the Enjoy Eco Card or Prepaid Rainbow Card, am i getting it right?
                And as for my pass in Tokyo, i think i’m getting the Tokyo Metro and Toei Line One day open ticket, would it be wise?

                Thank you so much for helping me out to arrange my itinerary, Takeshi! :))

                Regards,
                Danissa

                • Hi Danissa,

                  I think your itinerary is much easier and more comfortable for you and your family, especially children. Subway pass and eco card are the right choice.

                  You can visit some places in Tokyo on arrival day instead of Gotemba. You intend to visit there on arrival day but you changed it to day 6. Now you have half day on arrival day. It’s easy to access to Tokyo from Disney Resort. I think you can get Shiodome or/and Ginza on arrival day if you want. Gotemba is too much for arrival day but sightseeing in Tokyo is not a bad idea for arrival day.

                  This is one of the idea. You can stay in Disney Resort if you want, of course. Enjoy your trip.

                  Cheers,

                  Takeshi / JPRail.com

                  • danissa says:

                    Dear Takeshi,

                    Yes i will be staying at Disney resort for 2 nights so the children can play and swim as they wish 🙂
                    Oh anyway, is there any water-park in Tokyo? I read that ueno has its own theme park, but i have not read about water-park inside the city.

                    Oh and again, after i reconsider, since i will be just exploring around Tokyo (ginza, shinjuku-shibuya, Ueno, Fujiko F. Fujio Museum, Gotemba – via shuttle bus)from June 30th-July 2nd, i think the most economical and efficient way is to get Tokyo Metro Pass rather than the JR Tokyo Wide pass. Or are there any other best options?

                    Once again, thank you for all your answers. It’s been very helpful for me and family 🙂

                    Many Regards,
                    Danissa

                    • Hi Danissa,

                      Sorry but I don’t have any info about water park in Tokyo.

                      Subway pass is the best choice for exploring in Tokyo. There is no better deals available.

                      Cheers,

                      Takeshi / JPRail.com

  3. Kasey says:

    Dear Takeshi –

    We will be traveling in Japan in mid-March. Our itinerary is fixed, so we need the best combination of tickets/passes that will work for us. Particularly concerned about the first end of the trip.

    Day 1: San Diego to NRT, arrive at 17h. We are hoping to be able to clear customs/immigration and travel to Kyoto the same evening. Looks like our only option may be the Nozomi, which is fine.
    Days 2-5: Kyoto. We may make day trips to Kobe/Osaka.
    Days 6-8: Nara
    Days 9-10: Tokyo
    Day 11: Back to Narita and home.

    I think that we may need to buy the Nozomi + JR Express on Day 1, then buy the JR 7 day pass for the rest of the trip, provided that we don’t consider any day trips from Kyoto until the very end of our time there.
    I’m also interested if the Suiza is a more useful option, since it gives the flexibility to travel on other railway systems besides JR as well. Appreciate your thoughts!

    thank you,

    Kasey

  4. EL says:

    Hi there,

    I am traveling to Japan mid November. I arrive at Narita airport and going to Tokyo from there. Apparently from the airport I can just hop on the Keisei line (only 20 mins longer than skyliner) which drops me at Asakusa station for 1100 yen. It appears that there are no JR trains at Asakusa.

    I am making a round trip: Tokyo – Osaka – Kyoto – Tokyo. is a JR pass worth it for me? Also, I noticed I can only catch a Nozomi train which isn’t even covered through the JR pass. Where can I hop on a JR train straight to Osaka? I have been playing around with google map but cant figure it out.

    I am also planning on taking day trips to Kanawaga, Hakone and Nikki.

  5. Tania says:

    Hi Takeshi,

    I’m still so confused with how the transportation works and what is the best choice for the pass. So can you kindly help me decide which one I should get?
    Here is my plan for Japan Trip

    D1 : Arrived at Kansai
    D2 : Osaka – USJ
    D3 : Osaka
    D4 : Osaka – Kyoto
    D5: Kyoto
    D6: Kyoto – Tokyo
    D7 : Tokyo
    D8 : Tokyo
    D9 : Tokyo
    D10 : Depart from Haneda

    As I arrive and depart from different airport, therefore I will only need one shinkansen trip which will cost arounf 14,500 yen then is it better not to purchase the JR pass?
    And I’m planning to use Kansai Thru Pass during my several days trip in Osaka – Kyoto. And for the remaining days which I don’t have special pass like KTP or JRP, I will just buy a one day pass at that city. Will it be worth it?

    Thank you so much 🙂

  6. Hoss says:

    Dear Takeshi,

    I am confused as hell of how to travel around in Japan, your help would be greatly appropriated my Itinerary as follows

    OCT 15 arrive at Narita
    OCT 15-17 Tokyo
    OCT 17-19 Kyoto
    OCT 19-20 OSAKA
    OCT 20-21 NARA
    OCT 21-22 Tokto
    OCT 22 travel back from Narita

  7. Lori says:

    Dear Takeshi,

    Thank you for this post. I am in the midst of trying to figure out buying a JR pass or only single tickets and it is extremely complex given the options. Would you be able to help me understand what is the best deal? Our itinerary is the following:

    1) Narita to Tokyo one way (October 16)
    2) Day trip to Hakone (Tokyo to Hakone roundtrip). I read your post on using the Odakyu line. (October 19)
    3) Toyko to Kyoto one way(October 20)
    4) Day trip to Nara (Kyoto to Nara roundtrip). I see the JR has a 2 day Kansai Pass that takes you from Kyoto/ Nara/ Osaka. https://www.japan-rail-pass.com/pass-regional/kansai/jr-kansai-area-pass/order (October 22)
    5) Kyoto to Osaka oneway. Assuming it makes sense, it may be easier to use the 2 day regional pass vs JR 7 day pass. (October 23).

    Please let me know your thoughts.

    Arigato!

  8. Raffy says:

    Hi Takeshi!

    Please correct me if im wrong, so basically, if we are going to Kyoto from Osaka, we have to leave from Osaka Stn. Can we purchase JR tickets on the station? Also, which one do you recommend the JR limited or the JR Special rapid? considering we have our luggages with us? Thanks so much!

    -Ralph

    • Hi Ralph,

      You can take Special Rapid. It’s fast and runs every 15 minutes. This train is actually always busy. But there is no other choices. It’s not a good idea to pay seat fee or express charge to take only 30 minutes ride. If you take Special rapid, you need to have base ticket only. You can purchase it at the vending machine just before you enter the station.

      Cheers,

      Takeshi / JPRail.com

  9. Rizalyn says:

    Dear Takeshi,

    I’d like to ask where can I buy a one way ticket (Osaka to Hiroshima) that can deliver in the Philippines?

    Thank you and hoping for your immediate response.

    Cheers!

    Rizalyn

  10. Yoyo says:

    Dear Takeshi,

    I’m wandering on internet to seek for JP rail and luckily, I have seen your post.

    I still couldn’t imagine how to purchase JP pass. As my trip last 14 days from 28Sep – 11Oct16:
    D1: Singapore – Tokyo
    D2- D5 : Tokyo
    D6-D8 : Kyoto
    D9-D10: Osaka
    D11-D12: Nara
    D13: Hiroshima
    D14: Hiroshima – domestic flight- Tokyo – Singapore

    As I understand from your article that in need to buy 2 Shinkansen tickets: Tokyo-Kyoto & Osaka – Hiroshima. How about local city transit ? How can I purchase unlimited local pass to travel around each prepecture ?

    Looking to hearing from you soon.

    Regards,
    YY.

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