The JR Pass for families: Enjoy traveling around Japan together!
Shibuya, Tokyo
@Pixabay/ sofi5st
The JR Pass is a great option for many travelers to Japan, but it offers some great perks that are especially beneficial to families visiting the country!
Japan tops the list of go-to destinations for many people throughout the world, and it’s no surprise why. Everyone from history buffs to pop culture fanatics will find something to get excited about when visiting the island nation, and it’s this diverse set of attractions along with many other factors that make Japan a great place to visit for families!
The whole family is sure to have a unique and memorable experience with standout cities and modest countryside towns ready to explore. A trip through the anime and manga haven of Akihabara to the impressive snow sculptures in Sapporo in winter to the roaming snow monkeys in Nagano and the one-of-a-kind amusement parks like Universal Studios and Tokyo DisneySea.
- More information about traveling around Japan with the family can be found here.
Traveling with the Japan Rail Pass
To get around the country, many travelers of all kinds opt to get the Japan Rail Pass (often shortened to JR Pass), a specialized transportation pass that allows for unlimited access to JR-operated transportation, including the Shinkansen bullet train, buses, and even some ferries!
The pass covers travel throughout the country for a designated period of 7 days, 14 days, or 21 days at one fixed price that covers all transit used with it, meaning that the tickets for individual journeys do not have to be purchased one at a time, and there are cost savings to be had with the right itinerary! Additionally, seat reservations are complementary and easy to do for Japan Rail Pass holders, but simultaneously, non-reserved cars can be fully boarded, meaning that often reservations aren’t needed!
The sheer scale of coverage, ease of use, flexibility, and convenience of the pass make it great for basically all travelers, but these benefits and a few more make it an especially appealing option for families visiting Japan!
The voucher for the Japan Rail Pass
@Japan Experience
- Affordable travel, especially with children’s discounts
- Discounts and perks at a number of different attractions
- Easy to organize with no need to buy many tickets at one time
- Great flexibility for quick changes in plans or itinerary
- Stress-free travel with complementary seat reservations
The Japan Rail Pass for families
Aside from potential cost savings, peace of mind and flexibility are invaluable things to consider that the Japan Rail Pass offers. Take a more in-depth look at how the Japan Rail Pass will benefit you and your family during your next trip to Japan!
Cost-savings and discounts
The current Japan Rail Pass pricing is displayed on the table below:
| Pass Type | 7-Day Price | 14-Day Price | 21-Day Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| (Adult) Ordinary National | 50,000 yen | 80,000 yen | 100,000 yen |
| (Adult) Green National | 70,000 yen | 110,000 yen | 140,000 yen |
| (Children) Ordinary National | 25,000 yen | 40,000 yen | 50,000 yen |
| (Children) Green National | 35,000 yen | 55,000 yen | 70,000 yen |
As you can see, for adults, the pass starts at 50,000 yen for adults with the ordinary pass and then 70,000 yen for the green car pass (first class). However, for children aged 6-11 years old, a discounted version of the pass is available! For children in this age group, the price starts at half the cost of the adult version, at 25,000 yen! Furthermore, for families with young children 5 years old and younger, riding public transportation in Japan is totally free when accompanied with an adult, though this is only possible for up to 2 children and for non-reserved seats. (Anyone sitting a non-reserved seat will need to pay fare or need a Japan Rail Pass). But even if this is the case, children will always benefit from cheaper fares! Note that every passenger 6 years old and above will need their own tickets or JR Passes to board trains, but the option for discounted rates is a great thing to take advantage of!
Additionally, Japan Rail Pass holders are able to benefit from discounts or other perks. For example, at the famous Himeji Castle in Hyogo Prefecture, admission is 20% off when you present the Japan Rail Pass. There are also discounts available at a number of museums, parks, and other attractions throughout the country, with a comprehensive list divided by region on the official website here.
Ease of use and convenience
While the potential cost savings with the Japan Rail Pass are the main appeal for a lot of people, the stress-free, streamlined experience it offers is often underlooked, and this is a benefit that is especially great for families!
With the Japan Rail Pass, JR-operated transportation can be boarded without limits with just the one ticket. No need to buy individual tickets for each member of the family, which saves a lot of time and hassle, especially if there are lines to worry about. However, if you want to have reserved seats when traveling, this is complementary with the Japan Rail Pass. These reservations assure a place to sit during peak travel seasons and can be made at JR offices at train stations! However, they aren’t required for a lot of trains, and if you want to simply board a Shinkansen with non-reserved seat cars, you just need to have your family scan their JR Passes, head to the platform, and board without any hassle!
The Shinkansen bullet train going past Mount Fuji
@Pixabay/ phgvu307
Flexibility
Hand-in-hand with the Japan Rail Pass’s ease of use is the flexibility it allows for travel plans and itineraries! As mentioned above, the Japan Rail Pass grants unlimited access to JR-operated transportation, the Shinkansen bullet train included. This means, unlike with individual train tickets that are for designated departure times, if you miss a train or your plans change, another train can be ridden later on with no penalty!
Even if you have a reservation set with your Japan Rail Pass, another reservation can be made for another train at a different time or day. This type of flexibility is great for families; as any parent will know, it can be difficult to expect every aspect of the journey, so being able to have an adaptable itinerary is a great benefit to have! Spontaneous day trips are made simple by the freedom to board and disembark from trains, guaranteeing a comfortable and enjoyable journey for the entire family.
Even just in terms of getting around, the Japan Rail Pass is handy. With traveling with the family, there’s naturally a lot of luggage to be carried around.
Traveling with children in Japan
@flickr/ U.S. Army Garrison Japan
For oversized luggage (160 cm and above in total dimensions), a reserved seat and access to the oversized luggage area are required on the Tokaido-Sanyo Shinkansen line that goes out from Tokyo to Kyoto and Osaka and beyond. These reservations are included with the pass and can be changed at will, making dealing with bringing around luggage easier to deal with while also keeping track of the family as you travel around!
- More information about oversized luggage can be found here.
Other options to look into for traveling in Japan with the family
While the Japan Rail Pass is a great option offering wide coverage, flexibility, and ease of use that are great advantages to have when traveling with the family, for some itineraries, it may not be the best choice!
If you’re traveling with your family between just two or three cities or for a shorter period of time, individual train tickets or regional passes may be more worthwhile! With train tickets, it’s important to try and reserve these ahead of time to assure availability and to also avoid waiting in lines at the station. Reserving tickets online will definitely be helpful when planning a trip with the family!
Regional passes work much like the Japan Rail Pass but cover a more specific area and last for a shorter amount of time. As a trade-off, they come in at a more affordable price! If you and your family have an itinerary that is covered by a specific regional pass or a specific regional pass complemented by some individual train tickets, this can also be great to look into to assure you have a great time exploring Japan!
