Japan Rail Passes are have increased in price steeply as of 1 October 2023.
The answer to “Is getting a Japan Rail Pass worth it?” used to be a very obvious yes. The pass practically paid for itself with a round trip bullet train journey to Osaka from Tokyo. With the new price increase, even a return trip to Hiroshima, costing 19,780JPY one way still won’t cover the cost of the pass. Prior, a return trip from Tokyo to Hiroshima would more than pay for itself with the 7 day option. With the recent price increases however, this is not the case.
Below is the new cost of Japan Rail Passes from October 2023;
| Pass Length | Old cost | New cost |
| 7 days | 29,650 JPY | 50,000 JPY |
| 14 days | 47,250 JPY | 80,000 JPY |
| 21 days | 60,450 JPY | 100,000 JPY |
For the green class Japan Rail Pass the prices have also increased;
| Pass Length | Old cost | New cost |
| Green 7 days | 39,600 JPY | 70,000 JPY |
| Green 14 days | 64,120 JPY | 111,000 JPY |
| Green 21 days | 83,390 JPY | 140,000 JPY |
While the price increases are significant, it is still possible still to get your full money’s worth, and be able to benefit from the pass. This certainly may be harder for most travellers, but for those planning on hitting all the key cities across a week, the pass can certainly be beneficial to have.
If the new prices are un-palatable for the amount of travel you are planning on doing, there are regional rail passes, which offer a similar experience, but in a limited area (say, all around Osaka, Kyoto and Hiroshima). These regional passes are cheaper than the whole country, and may be of some benefit for those looking to save on their trip to Japan.
Start planning your trip to Japan, book your accommodation now!
Page updated: 11/10/2023
English