The JR Pass for families: Enjoy traveling around Japan together!
Travelling in Japan with the family is a fruitful experience!
@Shutterstock
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. It's this diverse set of attractions that make Japan a great place to visit for families!
More information about traveling around Japan with the family can be found here.
The whole family is sure to have a unique and memorable experience with standout cities and modest countryside towns ready to explore. Some key destinations that families may enjoy include the following:
Akihabara in Tokyo for anime and manga lovers
Sapporo in Hokkaido for the annual snow festival
Nagano Prefecture to see snow monkeys bathe in hot springs
Amusement parks like Universal Studios in Osaka and DisneySea in Chiba
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. This means 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!
The sheer scale of coverage, ease of use, flexibility, and convenience of the pass make it great for basically all travelers. However, these benefits and a few more make it an especially appealing option for families visiting Japan!
Japan Rail Pass by the ticket gates
@Japan Experience
Here are some great benefits of the JR Pass that families ought to consider:
- 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 can be found here.
For adults, the pass currently 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 50% of the cost of the adult version, at 25,000 yen! Access and rates for passengers divided by age are as below:
Age 5 years and under can ride for free*
Age 6-11 years are eligible for a discounted Japan Rail Pass
Age 12 years and older must purchase the standard Japan Rail Pass
*Only applicable for up to two children at a time and accompanied by an adult. Young children will sit on the lap of the accompanying adult. Reserved seats require a Japan Rail Pass or ticket regardless of age.
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!
Additionally, a fully organized family tour may also be a great way of exploring the country! Tours with Japan Experience have all transportation costs set up and included in the price! This tour sees some of the best of Japan with an emphasis on enjoyment for visitors of all ages and completely self guided, meaning you can enjoy at your leisure!
