The Best Train Passes Available for Residents

Jan 29, 2025

The Best Train Passes Available for Residents

While its popularity is slightly waning compared to years past, most people still know about the amazing deal that is the Japan Rail Pass. With this pass, a tourist is able to the use the JR rail system for a set amount of time without having to pay for individual tickets. It is the original all-you-can-ride pass and it is pretty great for seeing as much of the country as possible in a limited amount of time. There is a downside though – Only tourists (not residents) are able to purchase it. 

This doesn’t necessarily mean that us residents are out of luck. There are actually a several great options available that residents can still purchase. They may not have the reach of the Japan Rail Pass and Western Japan has very few options,  but they can still get you to some pretty far off places for a bargain. These tickets are all outlined here for today. I just wanted to outline a few of my favorite options. 

Seishun Juhachi Kippu

Most notable is the Seishun Juhachi Kippu, which is seasonally available and offers five days of “norihodai travel” (as much as you want), limited only to non-reserved seating travel on local and rapid trains belonging to Japan Railways.

JR Tokyo Wide Pass – Kanto

Don’t let the name deceive you. With this pass you can go from Gala Yuzawa all the way to Nikko if you wanted. If you are traveling in the Kanto area for a few days, the Tokyo Wide Pass is among the better rail passes available in Japan. One of its advantages is covering the Shinkansen and many non-JR train lines. It is an excellent option if you plan a long weekend with friends from out of town and plan to visit multiple major sights in Kanto, such as Kamakura and Nikko, during that time. Since it includes some of the areas with ski resorts, it is a great winter option as well.

JR East Pass – Kanto, Tohoku, Hokuriku

There are actually two options on the JR East Pass. The first option will give you free rein to explore Tohoku all the way up to Akita and Aomori. There are some real hidden gems up there worth seeing such as Hirosaki Castle and some amazing history. Plus, it is gorgeous in winter. The other option gives you access to Nagano and Niigata. Perfect for exploring places such as Karuizawa and Niigata. 

JR Aozora Free Pass – Chubu

JR Tokai offers the Aozora Free Pass, and it allows the holder one day of unlimited use of local trains in the Chubu area. The pass is only available on weekends and national holidays, but at (roughly) 2500 yen per ticket it can be a great deal if you are going “day trip distance” from the city, for example, to visit Ise Jingu or go hiking in Gifu’s mountains.

For a flawless description of riding the train in Japan and many more discount ticket options, please see japan-guide.com’s page.

For detailed timetable information, including JR and other trains and flight information, please see the Hyperdia or Jorudan Route Finder websites. This not only tells you the fastest and most convenient ways to travel, but it also gives detailed fare information and different travel options.

Syuzo Tsushima, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons