Tokyo Wide Pass user guide. Perfect choice for trip to Nikko, Fuji, Gala Yuzawa and Odaiba

Tokyo springRail pass for visitors
The view of Rainbow Bridge from Odaiba (C) Mike Luk / JNTO
The view of Rainbow Bridge from Odaiba (C) Mike Luk / JNTO

Tokyo Wide Pass is currently sold as Kanto Area Pass. This pass will be remodeled and will be sold as Tokyo Wide Pass on December 1, 2015. It covers Tokyo and surrounding area, such as Mt. Fuji, Izu peninsula, or Nikko. Echigo-Yuzawa will be covered by Tokyo Wide Pass but it is not by Kanto Area Pass.

Tokyo Wide Pass will be sold at the higher price on December 1st, 2015 but the coverage ares will be bigger. I would like to show you about this pass and also I talk about the difference between Tokyo Wide Pass and Kanto Area Pass.

Prices and valid period

Validity periodAdult
12 years and older
Child
6 to 11 years old
3 consecutive
days
10,180 yen5,090 yen

*Child who is 5 years old and younger is free but you have to share the seat with child. If you want to have a seat for child too, you have to purchase child pass for even younger than 5 years old.
*This pass will be available from December 1st, 2015. But you can order this pass online in advance at JR East official site.

Tokyo Wide Pass is sold at 10,000 yen. Previous version of this pass, Kanto Area Pass is sold at 8,300 yen. The validity period is 3 consecutive days that is same as Kanto Area Pass. So the price higher than Kanto Area Pass but the coverage area is a bit bigger and more trains are covered by Tokyo Wide Pass.

Coverage Area

Toshogu is the highlight in Nikko. (C) Yasufumi Nishi /  JNTO
Toshogu is the highlight in Nikko. (C) Yasufumi Nishi / JNTO

This pass covers all JR lines in Kanto area, such as Tokyo, Kanagawa, Saitama, Chiba, Yamanashi, Gumma, Ibaragi and Tochigi. And the pass also cover some places in Shizuoka and Nagano prefectures, such as Izu peninsula and Karuizawa. Please check this map to see the details.

Mostly the coverage area is not much different from Kanto Area Pass coverage area. This pass covers the following major spots in the area.

  • Nikko
  • Kawaguchiko (Lake Kawaguchi), Fuji-Q Land
  • Odawara (Gate station to Hakone)
  • Izu peninsula (Atami, Ito, Shimoda)
  • Katsuta (Gate station to Hitachi Seaside Park)
  • Karuizawa
  • Naganohara-Kusatsuguchi (Gate station to Kusatsu)
  • Kamakura
  • Kawagoe
  • Yokohama

And also two more great addition in the coverage of Tokyo Wide Pass.

  • Echigo-Yuzawa, Gala Yuzawa
  • Odaiba, Tokyo Waterfront Area

JR East official site – Tokyo Wide Pass

I will tell you the coverage railways at next chapter.

Valid trains and lines

JR deals covers basically JR trains only. Non JR railway’s train and subway are not covered. But Tokyo Wide Pass covers many “NON JR” railway trains. The following railways are NON JR companies but those are covered by Tokyo Wide Pass.

  • Tokyo Monorail (Haneda-Airport – Hamamatsucho)
  • Izu Kyuko Line (Ito – Izukyu-Shimoda)
  • Fuji Kyuko Railway (Otsuki – Kawaguchiko)
  • Joshin Dentetsu Line (Takasaki – Shimonita)
  • Saitama New Urban Transit Line (Omiya – the Railway Museum)
  • Tokyo Waterfront Area Rapid Transit Rinkai Line (Osaki – Shin-Kiba)
  • Limited Express Nikko, Spacia Nikko, Kinugawa, and Spacia Kinugawa (Shinjuku – Tobu-Nikko / Kinugawa-Onsen)
  • Tobu Railway local trains and rapid trains (Shimo-imaichi – Tobu-Nikko/Kinugawa-Onsen)

Those covered trains are huge benefit of this deal. Japan Rail Pass (a.k.a. JR Pass) covers only Tokyo Monorail. JR East Pass covers many railways on this list but JR East Pass does not cover Fujikyu Railway, Joshin Dentetsu Line and Saitama New Urban Transite Line. Especially Fujikyu Railway is a big benefit. You can get Lake Kawaguchi without any extra by this pass.

Fuji Kyuko Railway

Joshin Dentesu is not very well known. But it gives you access to one of World Heritaga Site, Tomioka Silk Mill from Takasaki.
How to access to the newest World Heritage Tomioka Silk Mill

When you go to Nikko, Tokyo Wide Pass covers limited express train to Nikko from Shinjuku directly. JR East Pass covers this train trip but Japan Rail Pass does not. This is one of the benefits of this rail pass too.
How to access to Nikko from Tokyo. There are three ways from Tokyo, Shinjuku and Asakusa.

Most of trains on this list has been covered by Kanto Area Pass. But at this time, Tokyo Waterfront Area Rapid Transit Rinkai Line is added on Tokyo Wide Pass. This line is not JR company but trains run through JR Saikyo line. It connects Kawagoe, Omiya, Ikebukuro, Shinjuku, Shibuya, Tokyo-Teleport (Odaiba) and Shin-Kiba. You can access to Odaiba from Ikebukuro, Shinjuku and Shibuya directly. Shin-Kiba is only two stations away from Maihama that is the gateway station of Tokyo Disney Resort. Please find more information about Tokyo Waterfront Area Rapid Transit Rinkai Line at the official site.

Tokyo Waterfront Area Rapid Transit Rinkai Line

Both Tokyo Wide Pass does not cover Tokaido Shinkansen. Even if you want to use this Shinkansen in JR East area, like Tokyo to Atami or Odawara, this pass does not cover at all because Tokaido Shinkansen is not operated by JR East but JR Central. When you want to get Odawara (Hakone) or Atami, your choice is rapid train or Limited Express Odoriko. These trains are covered by Tokyo Wide Pass.
No express surcharge! Fast, economical and convenient! Rapid service network in Greater Tokyo
Access to Izu and Atami from Tokyo/Yokohama. Limited Express Odoriko / Super View Odoriko

Compare single fare and Tokyo Wide Pass

When you think about purchasing this deal, you need to know this is paid off in your trip or not. I show you some sample.
*All rates are based on base fare and reserved seat limited express supplement in regular season.

Trip to Nikko or Kinugawa-Onsen from Shinjuku or Ikebukuro by direct limited express train, Nikko or Kinugawa

Total fare is 4,000 yen for one way to either Nikko or Kinugawa-Onsen. You have to use the pass more to get the worth of this deal.

Trip to Nikko from Tokyo by Shinkansen and local train

If you stay at east side of Tokyo, like Shinagawa, Tokyo, Ueno, this route may be faster than direct express from Shinjuku.
Total fare is 5,580 yen for one way. Tokyo Wide Pass is cheaper than only this round trip cost.

Trip to Lake Kawaguchi from Tokyo or Shinjuku by Limited Epxress to Otsuki and Fuji Kyuko railway

Total fares are 4,080 yen from Tokyo and 3,910 yen from Shinjuku for one way. It is not enough to get the worth by only this round trip.

Trip to Gala Yuzawa from Tokyo by Shinkansen

Total fare is 6,870 yen for one way. You can get the worth of this deal easily by only this trip.

Trip to Odawara, Atami or Izukyu-Shimoda from Tokyo by limited express train, Odoriko or Super View Odoriko

Total fare is 2,940 yen to Odawara for one way by Odoriko and 3,190 yen for one way by Super View Odoriko.
Total fare is 3,800 yen to Atami for one way by Odoriko and 4,180 yen for one way by Super View Odoriko.
Total fare is 6,260 yen to Izukyu-Shimoda for one way by Odoriko and 6,640 yen for one way by Super View Odoriko.
If you visit Shimoda, this pass is cheaper.

Trip to Karuizawa from Tokyo by Shinkansen

Total fare is 5,910 yen for one way. You can get the worth of this deal easily by only this trip.

Trip between Narita Airport and Tokyo, Shinagawa, Shinjuku or Yokohama

Total fares are 3,020 yen for Tokyo, 3,190 yen for Shinagawa or Shinjuku, and 4,290 yen for Yokohama.

Trip between Haneda Airport and Hamamatsucho by Tokyo Monorail

Single fare is 490 yen for one way.

Trip to Tokyo-Teleport (Odaiba) from Shinjuku

Single fare is 500 yen for one way.

Fares in downtown Tokyo

You can take any local trains, like Yamanote line, Chuo line, Keiyo line by this pass. But the fares in downtown Tokyo is quite reasonable. If you take a local train from Tokyo to Shinjuku, the fare is 200 yen. When you calculate the fares and compare this pass and single fare, you can ignore the fares in downtown Tokyo. It does not help to get worth very much.

Assessment

This deal will be sold at 10,000 yen that is 1,700 yen higher than previous version, Kanto Area Pass. But it can take you Gala Yuzawa and Odaiba. In my opinion, it is a great addition. It gives you a great deal. I still recommend you this deal. You can use this pass for access to/from airport and visit two places, you can get more than 10,000 yen value easily.

Comments

  1. Nisrin says:

    Hi Takeshi-san…

    I am visiting japan next week from indonesia. I already buy JR pass at my country. I will be use it from trip tokyo osaka (return) and tokyo-gala yuzawa. But i am not sure can i use my JR pasa to go to gala yuzawa from tokyo?

  2. Esther says:

    Hi Takeshi san,

    We will be arriving Tokyo Haneda from Sapporo on 5th May afternoon. We are planning to buy a JRTokyo Wide Pass and will be making the following side trips:-

    6th May Ashikaga Flower Park for wisteria
    7th & 8th May Nikko (1 nite in Nikko)

    If possible, we would also wish to go for Fuji Shibazakura festival too but not sure how to fit it in.

    Is Tokyo Wide Pass the most economical or we should just buy single tickets for these trips. For Nikko, is it better to use the Nikko City Pass (have to pay extra for Limited Xpress Spacia?)

    By the way, we depart Tokyo on 10th May evening.

    Look forward to hearing from you.

    Regards
    Esther

    • Hi Esther san,

      Tokyo Wide Pass is the best choice to cover Nikko and Ashikaga flower park. But if you want to include Shibazakura in this 3 days period, you have to leave Nikko in early morning on 8th. If you are okay with that, you can do it.

      Cheers,

      Takeshi / JPRail.com

      • Esther says:

        Takeshi san,

        Thanks for your prompt reply.

        I am actually choosing between Ashikaga Park or Shibazakura. Where else in Tokyo can I see wisteria?

        Cheers,
        Esther

  3. J says:

    Hi Takeshi,

    I will be traveling to Tokyo in April.

    We plan to go to Tokyo (1 day) -Nikko (2 days) -Yokohama (3 days)-Hakone & Lake Kawaguchi (3 days) – Tokyo(return)

    Do you suggest that I get 2 consecutive Tokyo Wide Pass and Fuji Hakone pass for this trip? Or is there any better alternative?

  4. Deni says:

    Hi Takeshi-san!

    From Narita airport, we would like to go directly to Utsunomiya (to explore Ashikaga flower park, Nikko natl park and Edo wonderland, Tobu world). We would also like to also visit Hitachi Seaside park and the Fuji Shibazakura Festival. Would the Tokyo wide pass be a good option? Also, what route/ itinerary do you suggest?

    Thank you so much for all your assistance. =)

  5. Mai says:

    Hi Takeshi,

    I am planning to buy the tokyo wide pass but I’m quite confused about the Fuji Kyuko Line. Is the surcharge fee for express train only and the local train is covered by the pass? May I know the difference?

    Thank you!

    • Hi Mai,

      If you take local train on Fuji Kyuko line, it’s covered by the pass fully. If you take express trains, you need to pay surcharge on top of the pass. You can find the info about Express trains in the link below.
      http://e.fujikyu-railway.jp/train/

      Express surcharge is varied by the train and the seat. It’s about a few hundred yen.

      Cheers,

      Takeshi / JPRail.com

  6. Geraldine says:

    Hi Takeshi-san,

    We are getting the Tokyo Wide Pass for a day trip to Gala Yuzawa, and an overnight trip to Fuji-Q and Kawaguchiko. Would like to check:

    1. As the Tokyo wide pass can only be bought in Japan and not overseas, is it still possible for us to reserve seats in advance?

    2. Can I confirm that the Tokyo wide pass will cover the train ride from Shinjuku to Otsuki, as well as from Otsuki to Fuji-Q?

    3. Are reservations needed for the ride from Otsuki to Fuji-Q on Fujikyu Railway? We are traveling with kids and an elderly, so I would like to reserve seats if possible.

    Thanks in advance for your help!

    Regards,
    Geraldine

  7. May Kwan says:

    Hi Takeshi-san

    I am thinking of purchasing the JR Tokyo Wide Pass to travel from Yokohama to Katsuta station. This is to go to Hitachi Seaside Park for the flowers 🙂

    Using hyperdia, it recommended one route where I can take a train called EXP. HARUNO HITACHI KAIHIN KOEN from Yokohama direct to Katsuta station.

    Is this train covered by the JR Tokyo Wide Pass?

    • Hi May san,

      This is a seasonal train and it’s covered by Tokyo Wide Pass. But all seats are reserved seat. You must book a seat to take this train. You cannot take this train without booking. Please keep it in your mind.

      Cheers,

      Takeshi / JPRail.com

      • May Kwan says:

        Hi Takeshi-san

        Thanks for your speedy reply! Great to hear that it is covered by the pass. But how come I don’t see this train being listed in the JR East website under ‘routes & maps’?
        Also, can I reserve the seats a few days before? Can I do online booking or do I need to go to the midori no guchi area to reserve the seat?

        • Hi May san,

          Route and map does not show all trains. There are too many trains to be listed. And this train is a seasonal train and run in peak period only.
          It’s hard to say that you can book this train or not because it runs in peak period only. You cannot book online and try to book it after you arrive in Japan only.

          Cheers,

          Takeshi / JPRail.com

  8. SHERILYN says:

    Hi,

    I’m planning to go to Matsumoto Castle with direct access from Shinjuki Station via chuo line limited expres Azusa. Does Tokyo Wide Pass covers this line/train? If not, could you provide a guide as to which area or station where tokyo wide pass is covered if going to Matsumoto Castle in Nagano. Thank you so much

  9. Ana Chua says:

    Hi, we are planning to get the tokyo wide pass. Just wondering if we still need to pay for the additional fee for “reserved seat” that i see in hyperdia, even if we have the pass already. We’re a little confused. Thanks!

  10. Lorna Jandoc says:

    Dear Takeshi

    We will arrive at Narita airport at @10am. Is it wise to buy Tokyo Wide Pass that we can use to go to ueno or Shinjuku? We will go to Mt Fuji the next day. Can we use the pass for a Shinkansen to and from Kawaguchiko? Where do we board from Shinjuku to the Shinkansen station? Thank you.

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