TOKYO, April 10 — Japan Railways Group (JR Group) yesterday announced that it will raise prices for its Japan Rail Pass, a ticket popular among foreign tourists that allows unlimited travel on trains across Japan, including most shinkansen bullet train services, Kyodo News reported.
Prices for the pass will increase by around 5 per cent to 6 per cent under the first revision in three years, which will come into effect from October 1.
The price of a pass depends on its validity period. An adult seven-day pass will increase by ¥3,000 (RM75) to ¥53,000 for travel in standard train carriages and by ¥4,000 to ¥74,000 for premium Green Car carriages.
Other price changes for adult passes include an increase of ¥4,000 to ¥84,000 for a 14-day pass (standard carriage) and ¥5,000 to ¥105,000 for a 21-day pass (standard carriage).
The JR Group last revised prices for its Japan Rail Pass in October 2023, when they were hiked by around 70 per cent. The group said the latest revision reflects fare adjustments made by some of its member companies since then.
In March, East Japan Railway Co. (JR East) raised fares on its trains by an average of 7.1 per cent in what was the first full-scale hike for the group company since its creation in 1987. Under the hike, the base fare of ¥150 for local trains increased to ¥160.
The Japan Rail Pass covers travel on trains and shinkansen operated by all six JR Group passenger railway operators.
Services covered include limited express, express, rapid, and local trains, as well as some buses and ferries. Exceptions include the super-express Nozomi and Mizuho shinkansen on the Tokaido, Sanyo, and Kyushu lines, for which passholders need to pay a supplementary fare.
The pass is available to foreign tourists visiting Japan under the entry status of “temporary visitor”.
Travellers can buy passes before arriving in Japan at designated sales offices and through official agents overseas, as well as via the official online platform, Japan Rail Pass Reservation.
To encourage use of the online platform, JR Group said prices for passes purchased this way will remain unchanged for a limited time. — Bernama-Kyodo
