In fact, a general rule of thumb for a seven-day pass is that it essentially pays for itself after a Tokyo-Kyoto round trip. For motivated travelers, a pass can mean thousands of dollars in savings.
What is changing?
In April, the JR Group, which operates an extensive shinkansen network as well as local and regional lines, announced that prices for an ordinary class, seven-day rail pass would rise to 50,000 yen (about $342) from 29,650 yen (about $203). ), while the Green Car class seven-day pass will increase to 70,000 yen from 39,600 yen. 14- and 21-day passes will see similar increases in the 65 percent to 71 percent range.
In an email, a JR Group spokesperson noted that despite improvements to its services — including expanding shinkansen lines and increasing coverage area, updating reservation systems and adding automatic ticket gate — it hasn’t raised prices since the company was founded. “As a result, the actual benefits far exceed the price of the product,” he wrote. Now, he added, “we have decided to change the price to an appropriate level.”
The changes, however, are not all bad news for travelers.
A notable limitation of the rail pass is that it excludes Nozomi and Mizuho trains on the Tokaido and Sanyo shinkansen lines, which combine to offer service between Tokyo and Fukuoka; functionally identical to other shinkansen, these trains are more convenient with faster and more direct routes between major stations.
This coming October, for an additional fee, rail pass holders will now have access to a Nozomi-Mizuho add-on, which provides additional travel options for guests and eases the recent severe overcrowding on the famous Tokaido shinkansen that is most used by tourists between Tokyo and Osaka .