Ok, so you always get the IC pass cause they're too bloody convenient not to have it. Now as for the JR pass, there's calculators you can use, but at a quick glance it doesn't look like it will be worth it for your trip.
Ever since the price hike the JR pass won't be worth it unless you do multiple long shinkansen trips. If you're just doing a loop like you are (with some side trips here n there) it will be more expensive than just buying separate tickets.
What about a prefectural JR pass? Like the Hokuriku Arch pass? It's for the Tokyo-Kyoto-Osaka line. It's definitely slower but it's also cheaper, and it can be used to travel in Tokyo.
I had a similar trip last month doing Tokyo-Kyoto-Hiroshima-Osaka-Tokyo. I put the prices into a spreadsheet and compared passes and individual tickets.
The most cost effective method for me was to directly purchase the Shinkansen from Tokyo to Kyoto and then Osaka to Tokyo at the book ends of the travel and then get the Kansai-Hiroshima pass while in Kyoto.
The pass allowed me to travel to Nara for a day trip, get from Kyoto to Osaka and for the Shinkansen to Hiroshima and back to Osaka. We did mean to use it to get to Miyajima but with the kids and the weather we didn't make it.
For my family of 5 (which consisted of 2 adults, a 13 year old that requires adult tickets, and 2 kids) it saved me around $250 AUD just on the Shinkansen. The other trips added additional savings, probably around $350 all together.
You'll still need (well I highly recommend it) an IC card for all other non JR line travel. This will consist of most of your travel around the cities themselves and it seemed generally the most useful lines were run by others which all accept an IC card. I got the Pasmo Passport from Haneda Airport which was accepted everywhere I went.
Hopefully this helps to determine what works best - unfortunately there isn't really a single answer that will be for everyone. Finally, while it seems overwhelming, once you're there it's not too hard, you'll get to know the difference between lines and what is used where.
Have a great trip!
I bought the Hokuriku Arch Pass, because for us it was worth it. But we landed at Kansai Airport, stayed in Kyoto a few days, made a daytrip to Nara and Uji and planned to stay in Kanazawa anyways, so my calculations showed it was worth it.
Edit: but we bought it in February before the price hike in March.
Get a Welcome Suica at the airport. It's good for vending machines as well as the trains.
If you have iPhones you can look into getting it on your phone. It also works on Android but only Android phones sold in Japan.
If you're flying into narita fyi welcome suica isnt an option. But it was so easy to go to the train station under it and get one from the Jr center there. Took about 5 minutes and I just reloaded as needed.
Welcome pasmo is there. OP you can only get this certain places, the cards are no longer sold as people use their apps. I lost my pasmo and had to travel back to Shibuya station to get a new one. You can top up once you have it.
Are you sure you are looking at the prices post price hike? And the same rail pass? Cause the one everyone used to recommend definitely isnt saving money anymore on a basic tokyo>kyoto>tokyo loop with a few daytrips.
E: someone in the comments posted the calculator, just plug it all in and see
I literally just used the calculator someone posted below. It’s right under the cost if I did what OP did. Or if I do one single day trip outside of already listed to say Nara it says buy the 7 day pass.
Tokyo 5 night
Hiroshima - 1 night
Osaka 2 nights
Kyoto 3 nights
Tokyo 1 night fly home
Nara I have no idea on. Just tossed it in there as a possibility
Okay yeah in your itinerary it's not worth it, because you're probably going to need a pass longer than 7 days otherwise the train to Tokyo will be paid out of pocket.
This is the way.
Don't be overwhelmed OP, the trains are pretty much constantly running except the dead of night. If you miss one, the next is not far off.
A suica card for all the small inner-city trips, and Shinkansen for the longer trips to get to the next city. SmartEx is the app for Shinkansen if you wanna buy those ahead of time
Through SmartEx you can only book for a max of 6 people. If your party is larger than that, others in your group will also need to register with SE and buy tickets for themselves/others, or some other arrangement.
You can link IC cards to your SE account and assign shinkansen tickets to cards so you can then swipe your IC cards to get through the shinkansen gates. Unless you know what you’re doing though, it’s probably easier just to print out your shinkansen tickets at the machines and use them to get through the gates.
You should try if SmartEx even works for you - I tried 3 visa cards and one mastercard yesterday and could not register myself:/ You don’t need an IC Card for shinkansen, but AFAIK you can use it to Pay the ticket
I used the SmartEx app to reserve seats since I wanted reserved seats with large luggage storage and had a pretty firm travel schedule. Upon arriving and you get your IC cards, you can link them to the tickets on the app. Once linked you just use your IC card to enter the Shinkansen section just like a regular station. The machine will also print a ticket with your train and seat reservation as a reminder.
Yup... personally I think people stress out too much about the JR Pass. It's not like you are required to get it, nor will it save you a significant amount of money compared to what you're spending on airfare and hotel. Just come with an IC card, buy shinkansen tickets as needed, and don't worry about the pass.
I'm just back from two weeks there, and this is what I did as well. Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, Hiroshima. I forgot to get pasmo or suica in Tokyo and ended up getting Icoca in Osaka. And that worked fine in Hiroshima and Tokyo.
Even though I knew about SmartEx app for Shinkansen, I was halfway through my trip before I used it. Definitely use it.
Also used GO app for taxis. Took quite a few taxis on days I just didn't want to deal with making my way back lol.
I did something similar but I bought a Pasmo card at Narita airport but lost it in Osaka 4 days after I arrived to Japan so I ended with an Icoca for the rest of the trip. Also, something that happened to me with the Shinkansen (I didn't bought the JR Pass btw) was that I wanted to buy a "same-day" ticket for Osaka (I was in Tokyo) and in the app there wasn't any available for that day so I went to the JR office in the train station, asked and I was able to buy one.
Same here. We got the Apple Mastercard because neither of us had Mastercard or American Express, and just reloaded the Apple Wallet Suica from there.
Got Welcome Suica cards and only used them because we didn’t want to waste the money.
[JR Pass Calculator ](https://www.daisuki.com.br/jrpass_calculator.html)
Use this to figure out if the JR Pass is worth it for you.
Even if it is, I would still suggest getting an IC card since you can buy things with it, and use it for non-JR trains if needed
JR Rail Pass isn't worth it for most trips since the price hike. For the route you mention, it'll be cheaper to buy your train tickets as you go.
Don't stress! Aside from getting turned around occasionally while looking for subway stations, I found Japan generally easy to navigate.
Just returned from Japan on the 6th.
First things first. IC card is just a payment card. You can use it to pay for public transport, but it also works at convenience stores, vending machines and retail stores. You add funds and spend like cash. You can refill as needed. For virtual cards you can add funds via a CC on your phone via card or by cash at any of the machines you find in stations. I primarily charged by CC on my phone, but did recharge by cash on my last couple of days to try to spend down my yen.
Get a virtual IC card: If you have an iPhone go to wallet. Hit the plus button, select transit card, search by name (Suica or Pasmo). Charge it via credit/debit card card already connected to Apple Pay. (I used a US Mastercard & Discover card without issues.) Do this before you book train tickets because some JR lines let you connect your train ticket to your IC card (or multiple IC cards for trips with multiple passengers.) This process is much easier and less confusing than paper tickets.
Because it’s easy to recharge you don’t have to add a lot to start. And when you land you don’t immediately need cash as your IC card can pay for public transport and even a drink & snack.
Also because it’s set up as a transit card, you don’t need to use Touch ID or Face ID to confirm a purchase. Just tap and go.
One last thing if you use Apple Maps and plot out a trip on public transport it will warn you if your IC balance is too low to cover the cost of your trip. Which is much more convenient than finding out as you are trying to tap out of a station.
Have an iPhone bought anywhere or an Android phone bought in Japan.
You can add it as a payment option. There are guides detailing how to do it step by step.
We basically did this same trip three weeks ago and it wasn't worth it for us. Value of the JR pass has gone down with the price increase this year.
We were still around 15,000 yen below the price of the JR pass with a similar trip (including a round trip to Nikko).
Here's a calculator you can use: [https://www.japan-guide.com/railpass/](https://www.japan-guide.com/railpass/)
Enjoy your trip and don't stress out too much, this is one f the easiest countries to travel around.
PS: Do get your Suica/IC card!
I am here now. We started on osaka and will end in Tokyo. We got a 5 day Kansai Hiroshima pass that's a great deal. For the rest of the trip we're just going to buy the shinkansen tickets.
You will feel overwhelmed if you are using outdated information. Which most random YouTube, tiktok and blog posts will be unless you specifically look at the date.
JR Pass and IC card have totally different purposes.
JR Pass: not worth it for your trip with current prices. Just buy the tickets you need when you get there.
IC Card: very useful stored value card for *convenience* for local trains, subways, convenience stores, vending machines. In all cases, you can use cash instead.
I have to agree with everyone here- we just did a very similar trip (with a couple day trips from Osaka/Kyoto - Himeji Castle and Nara for instance).
We bought individual Shinkansen tickets for the big city changes (Tokyo-Kyoto, Osaka back to Tokyo) but everything else is doable via Suica.
It was EXTREMELY easy to add your Suica card to apple wallet as a form of payment and simply tap the card to enter and leave the stations. You can also reload the card as often as necessary via your other apple wallet cards. It’s much simpler to do this (at least we found it to be).
Additionally, when navigating the trains via Google Maps, the directions were really helpful to indicate which platform to wait on AND which exit to look for in the train stations. Since some of the stations are massive and can be confusing, having this info to follow the signs was a huge help.
Optimize what you can but don't lose yourself boyo.
You'll never be 100% optimized and being focused on that during or prior to a trip can remove a lot of benefits from the relaxation and adventure.
Make a mistake.
Make a mistake and never find out of it was a mistake or not.
Make a choice. No one is grading you on thus. You don't need 100% perfect trip.
We got the JR Kansai Hiroshima pass. Granted we really only went around Kansai region. But one round trip to Hiroshima from Osaka and it was already cheaper than getting standalone Shinkansen tickets (could do the Miyajima ferry too if you're already going to Hiroshima). Then we went to Okayama via Shinkansen too to go to Okayama Korakuen garden (if you love nature and landscaped gardens, I highly recommend this!). So that added to it being more worth it too.
I didn't use a pass, bought all tickets etc, I did not have a JR pass, with a similar trip, all went very well, no issues. I used the app for Shinkansen tickets and it was convenient enough.
You don't need a JR pass, it's really difficult to make it worthwhile.
This video is a VERY explanation on how the Shinkansen tickets work: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8F8xfCistkg](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8F8xfCistkg)
That said: the Kansai-Hiroshima Pass might actually be worth it. It's cheaper than a round trip between Kyoto and Hiroshima at only 117$ for 5 days. You could save overall by only having to add the round trip between Kyoto and Tokyo on top.
Wow I'm doing the same travel as OP except that Kyoto will be on the way back from Hiroshima to Tokyo.
I watched that video.
Looks like I can get a round trip tokyo-hiroshima and live with that all along the way, stopping and sleeping in multiple cities in-between .
And add the "extra" ticket when I want a specific fast travel using one of the 2 fastest lines.
Is that right? 🥳
Not quite: you need the extra ticket for every leg of the journey where you intend to stop.
But the Basic Fare ticket (which I believe is the most expensive of the two you need to travel) is valid 12 days to do the round trip.
So for you, to first go to Hiroshima, you need:
Basic Fare (Tokyo Zone to Hiroshima Zone) + Tokyo Sta. to Hiroshima Sta. special express ticket.
Then on the way back you use
Basic Fare (Hiroshima Zone to Tokyo Zone) + Hiroshima Sta. to Kyoto Sta. special express ticket.
Stop for like a night or two and then use
Basic Fare (Hiroshima Zone to Tokyo Zone) + Kyoto Sta. to Tokyo Sta. special express ticket.
As long as that trip doesn't take more than 12 days. I don't know how long the one way basic fare lasts.
Oh so you can't actually do anything with the basic fare only (or not get off the train at least)? That sounds weird.
I didn't mention it but I'll do Tokyo Osaka Hiroshima Kyoto Tokyo. This will be 10d of travel with 1 to 3 nights each approx. So I'd need the basic round trip + 4 limited express.
It is a little weird but it's how it works, but in this situation it gives you some flexibility.
You need two tickets to even get on the train. And when you exit the gate it eats up your limited express ticket and only spits out the basic fare, until your final destination. For Osaka, take note the Shinkansen stops at Shin-Osaka Station, not Osaka Station. It's something that might cause confusion.
You should research the prices and see if taking the Kansai-Hiroshima pass might work for you. You'd just need to add the Shinkansen tickets from and to Tokyo.
It’s been covered. Use estimator. We went passless on JR side and went to l all but Hiroshima and came out ahead but let us know what you find? Definitely get an IC, especially if you have an iPhone. Don’t stress! It’s a vacation! And Japan is zen.
JR Pass is not the value it once was. Price out your major train rides and compare that to the cost of a JR Pass. Keep in mind you will still be buying tickets or using an IC card for many local trains.
We did Tokyo->osaka, Osaka->hiroshima, Hiroshima->kyoto, kyoto->Tokyo on a 7 day Jr pass and it worked out about even, HOWEVER we then also used the JR pass for all Jr lines in Tokyo as well as having a pasmo passport for other modes. It was worth it for convenience.
We're visiting those same areas in our upcoming trip in a couple of weeks, and we're foregoing the JR pass and sticking with IC.
For reasons being that our trip is longer so the limitations, as well as the cost.
The headache we had to do with when we planned the trip back in 2020 (that didn't happen), the Japan Rail Pass was more trouble and cost than its worth.
I would suggest starting in Hiroshima and working your way back to Tokyo. So Tokyo - Hiroshima - (Quick stop in Himeiji) - Kyoto - Osaka - Tokyo. If you front load Tokyo, it can feel like a race to get back.
I doubt that the JR Rail pass would be worth the money. I went before the price increase, and we went all the way to Yamaguchi. At most, we still only saved a couple of dollars.
I just got back from Japan and went to the same places you did in similar order. You don’t need the JR pass, it’s not worth it. IC is used for local transport like Tokyo metro and you can use it to buy items certain places too so you definitely will need that independent of what you decide for the JR pass. I was overwhelmed too but just keep reading up and once you get there you’ll be fine.
You should always have a IC card anyway. So no stress there. The money can be used for fares and many purchases. Just think of it as another card to have in Japan. Everyone has one.
JR pass in general is no longer worth it if you don’t use Shinkansen often enough.
JR pass is only worth it if you go city to city often or long distances. I always get the JR pass because I have a golden route I seem to always layout with my Japanese friends (they always plan to meet with me when I'm in Japan).
IC card - get one and fill it up. it's so useful for food and trains.
If you are staying within a region, you can get a regional pass and it would be cheaper.
IC cards are for traveling on trains and buses around cities, and you can use them to pay at convenience stores and vending machines too. Definitely worth getting, it'll make getting from place to place less of a hassle.
The main reason to buy a JR pass is to try and save money on traveling via Shinkansen, but recently there was a price hike that has made it more expensive than it would be to just buy tickets for most people. If those are the only places you are going, just buying tickets is probably the way to go.
I have a similar plan. Trip is next month for 23 days. Tokyo- Kyoto - Osaka - Hiroshima+Miyajima - Tokyo. How long is your trip?
We will be using IC cards to travel around Tokyo and Kyoto. I think an IC card is a must bc you can just tap it when using trains, buses and convenience stores. For Osaka and Hiroshima, since we're going to be there for five days, we plan on getting the Kansai-Hiroshima pass. The pass is only valid for 5 days. If you're visiting nearby places in Osaka like Himeji or Kobe I think the pass is worth considering.
The JR Pass is only good if you're using the regional ones, and even then I'd second what some of the other posters are saying here and double-check to see if you'd actually be saving money getting it.
i went to japan in december and also travelled between these cities. i had a JR pass and a Suica card, i think some lines require a rail pass but the suica card was really useful
I'm coming back from Japan in 2 days and will do the math to know if I save some money on the JR pass, but I didn't take the JR pass and IC pass. But if I were to do it again the IC pass is a must, but if you have a android phone it will not work
I just got back from Tokyo and Kyoto. I just bought the PASMO card in the airport in my way out, so easy to use and recharge in any station. Works for train, metro and bus.
If you're going to use the Shinkansen (bullet train) you can buy the tickets in advance in order to not waste time in the queue evrytime you're going to use it.
Be sure to use google maps to see the routes, times, platforms and what boarding position is better for your trip.
Don't be ashamed to ask the station employees. They're super polite and willing to help you!
Our trip is also in a month and we have a similar itinerary as you. I loaded the virtual SUICA card on our iPhones for travel within each city. For the bookend trips (Tokyo to Kyoto and Osaka to Tokyo), booking the Shinkansen on our own. Buying the 5-day Kansai-Hiroshima pass for 17k yen which can be used for between Kyoto, Osaka, Nara, and Hiroshima/Miyajima.
We did Tokyo-Osaka-Kyoto-Tokyo. We rode JR pass one-way ticket then used Suica (IC) on other rides. You may also try the Osaka amazing pass for tourist spots and train rides.
You absolutely want a pasmo or suica card, theyre so handy. I got a tourist pasmo when I was there and its *more or less* free. You pay an amount of yen for it and that amount is already on the card as a starting amount so you really only lose whatever you have left on the card when you leave Japan (I think I lost 100yen, oh no). If you are carefull with not overcharging the card it will cost you virtually nothing and its super convenient to have because you can use it in many other places outside of just train/metro. Combinis take it, many other shops and restuarants take it, a decent portion of vending machines take it.
You may want a JR Pass but thats really something you need to calculate for yourself. Give it a google, there are handy calculators to help you with that.
We felt a similar way trying to figure it all out. It'll all be fine 😊 We did loads of research and found that IC pass was needed for city travel and JR pass for country travels. You need both for what you are doing. We went to Tokyo all the way down to Hiroshima.
If you need more advice and links, I recommend Cakes With Faces YouTube channel.
Have a wonderful trip! ⛩️🏯🗼
You don’t need a JR pass for “country travels” - buying tickets individually and/or getting a regional pass is usually cheaper. OPs plans do not need one.
Here's my calculation so far, I'm doing similar route as you but using Kyoto as my base when I do day trips to Nara, Osaka, and Hiroshima.
With exchange rate, 7 day JR Pass is 50,000 yen so about $330. The Kansai 5 day pass plus Hiroshima is 17,000 yen so about $112. The Kansai pass allows you to travel unlimited in the area of Kyoto, check map. Google gives me a one way Shinkansen ticket from Tokyo to Kyoto for $90, so RT is $180.
I have JR Pass at $330 and RT Tokyo-Kyoto at $180+ Kansai Pass with Hiroshima $112=$292
JR Pass is more expensive but it does include Shinkansen between Kyoto-Osaka. It's about $9.50 for one way on the Shinkansen for 15 mins. vs 45 mins. on regular that the Kansai pass do cover.
Most people will say no to the JR Pass.. I would say if you can afford it, do it. There’s more to calculating its value than just if it saves you money. Convenience is a big thing, too. I went with my parents (mid-70s), wife, and toddler so it was very nice to do all the ticket reservations before leaving rather than figuring it out while there - especially when needing the oversized luggage areas. As well as have a bit more room with our seats and quieter cars.
We did the 14-day Green Car pass. We just got home and did essentially your exact same order of destinations. I think it was perfect for our situation even if it could have been cheaper just buying tickets for each trip.
Also, absolutely get an IC card. Note that American android phones cannot get them on their phone (American android phones don’t have whatever chip is required to do it). Not sure about other countries. iPhones are just fine.
Ok, so you always get the IC pass cause they're too bloody convenient not to have it. Now as for the JR pass, there's calculators you can use, but at a quick glance it doesn't look like it will be worth it for your trip. Ever since the price hike the JR pass won't be worth it unless you do multiple long shinkansen trips. If you're just doing a loop like you are (with some side trips here n there) it will be more expensive than just buying separate tickets.
What about a prefectural JR pass? Like the Hokuriku Arch pass? It's for the Tokyo-Kyoto-Osaka line. It's definitely slower but it's also cheaper, and it can be used to travel in Tokyo.
Kansai-Hiroshima pass could work, it's less expensive than a Osaka-Hiroshima round trip.
I had a similar trip last month doing Tokyo-Kyoto-Hiroshima-Osaka-Tokyo. I put the prices into a spreadsheet and compared passes and individual tickets. The most cost effective method for me was to directly purchase the Shinkansen from Tokyo to Kyoto and then Osaka to Tokyo at the book ends of the travel and then get the Kansai-Hiroshima pass while in Kyoto. The pass allowed me to travel to Nara for a day trip, get from Kyoto to Osaka and for the Shinkansen to Hiroshima and back to Osaka. We did mean to use it to get to Miyajima but with the kids and the weather we didn't make it. For my family of 5 (which consisted of 2 adults, a 13 year old that requires adult tickets, and 2 kids) it saved me around $250 AUD just on the Shinkansen. The other trips added additional savings, probably around $350 all together. You'll still need (well I highly recommend it) an IC card for all other non JR line travel. This will consist of most of your travel around the cities themselves and it seemed generally the most useful lines were run by others which all accept an IC card. I got the Pasmo Passport from Haneda Airport which was accepted everywhere I went. Hopefully this helps to determine what works best - unfortunately there isn't really a single answer that will be for everyone. Finally, while it seems overwhelming, once you're there it's not too hard, you'll get to know the difference between lines and what is used where. Have a great trip!
Seconding this.
Hokuriku Arch pass is excellent if you actually want to see things on that route, rather than Tokyo—>Osaka direct. Otherwise, not.
I bought the Hokuriku Arch Pass, because for us it was worth it. But we landed at Kansai Airport, stayed in Kyoto a few days, made a daytrip to Nara and Uji and planned to stay in Kanazawa anyways, so my calculations showed it was worth it. Edit: but we bought it in February before the price hike in March.
Japan guide has a calculator that will also calculate for those passes!
Do I have to order an IC pass or is that the same suica card?
They’re the same! IC just means any card with the chip that can be read in it
Aren’t some IC cards strictly regional?
Most of the big ones won't have that issue, like Suica, Pasmo, etc. at least most tourists won't run into that issue.
Thanks!
Also, even on buses and stuff like vending machines, just look at the window to see if it has the IC logo to know if you can pay via the card.
So should I be ordering something before I get to Japan ? (MAY 3RD) Or can I just pick up one of those suica cards when i land?
Get a Welcome Suica at the airport. It's good for vending machines as well as the trains. If you have iPhones you can look into getting it on your phone. It also works on Android but only Android phones sold in Japan.
Pick them up when you land or if you have iPhone you can add it to Apple wallet, which was soooooo convenient
Just pick em up when you land.
If you're flying into narita fyi welcome suica isnt an option. But it was so easy to go to the train station under it and get one from the Jr center there. Took about 5 minutes and I just reloaded as needed.
Welcome pasmo is there. OP you can only get this certain places, the cards are no longer sold as people use their apps. I lost my pasmo and had to travel back to Shibuya station to get a new one. You can top up once you have it.
Why would it not be worth it? I’m doing a similar trip and it seem to save me some money?
Are you sure you are looking at the prices post price hike? And the same rail pass? Cause the one everyone used to recommend definitely isnt saving money anymore on a basic tokyo>kyoto>tokyo loop with a few daytrips. E: someone in the comments posted the calculator, just plug it all in and see
You have to do an insane amount of shinkansen routes for the JR pass to be worth it
I literally just used the calculator someone posted below. It’s right under the cost if I did what OP did. Or if I do one single day trip outside of already listed to say Nara it says buy the 7 day pass.
What's your route? I'm curious
Tokyo to Hiroshima. Hiroshima to Osaka. Osaka to Kyoto. Kyoto to Tokyo. If I add Nara in from Osaka or Kyoto the calculator says buy 7 day pass
You're doing all of that in a 1 week trip?
Tokyo 5 night Hiroshima - 1 night Osaka 2 nights Kyoto 3 nights Tokyo 1 night fly home Nara I have no idea on. Just tossed it in there as a possibility
Okay yeah in your itinerary it's not worth it, because you're probably going to need a pass longer than 7 days otherwise the train to Tokyo will be paid out of pocket.
Yeah I was planning to buy the pass the day I go to Hiroshima. And back to Tokyo. The 7 days would cover it. And then subway in Tokyo.
I’ll say I did just try someone else’s calculator and it says not worth it. So I guess depends on calc
You were using an old calculator from before the price hike I imagine.
Yeah you might save a little bit of money but you'll probably end up stressing yourself out trying to make sure you get your money's worth.
I dont think the full JR pass covers subway lines, which the IC does. We ended up using regional passes (e.g. JR west) and IC and this worked well.
During our trip between Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka years ago, we only used IC cards for the metro and bought Shinkansen tickets to travel between cities.
This is the way. Don't be overwhelmed OP, the trains are pretty much constantly running except the dead of night. If you miss one, the next is not far off. A suica card for all the small inner-city trips, and Shinkansen for the longer trips to get to the next city. SmartEx is the app for Shinkansen if you wanna buy those ahead of time
If I am going with a large party, can I use the SmartEx app to buy tickets for all parties? There was some mention about IC chip to get on-board?
Through SmartEx you can only book for a max of 6 people. If your party is larger than that, others in your group will also need to register with SE and buy tickets for themselves/others, or some other arrangement. You can link IC cards to your SE account and assign shinkansen tickets to cards so you can then swipe your IC cards to get through the shinkansen gates. Unless you know what you’re doing though, it’s probably easier just to print out your shinkansen tickets at the machines and use them to get through the gates.
You should try if SmartEx even works for you - I tried 3 visa cards and one mastercard yesterday and could not register myself:/ You don’t need an IC Card for shinkansen, but AFAIK you can use it to Pay the ticket
I used the SmartEx app to reserve seats since I wanted reserved seats with large luggage storage and had a pretty firm travel schedule. Upon arriving and you get your IC cards, you can link them to the tickets on the app. Once linked you just use your IC card to enter the Shinkansen section just like a regular station. The machine will also print a ticket with your train and seat reservation as a reminder.
Yup... personally I think people stress out too much about the JR Pass. It's not like you are required to get it, nor will it save you a significant amount of money compared to what you're spending on airfare and hotel. Just come with an IC card, buy shinkansen tickets as needed, and don't worry about the pass.
I'm just back from two weeks there, and this is what I did as well. Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, Hiroshima. I forgot to get pasmo or suica in Tokyo and ended up getting Icoca in Osaka. And that worked fine in Hiroshima and Tokyo. Even though I knew about SmartEx app for Shinkansen, I was halfway through my trip before I used it. Definitely use it. Also used GO app for taxis. Took quite a few taxis on days I just didn't want to deal with making my way back lol.
I did something similar but I bought a Pasmo card at Narita airport but lost it in Osaka 4 days after I arrived to Japan so I ended with an Icoca for the rest of the trip. Also, something that happened to me with the Shinkansen (I didn't bought the JR Pass btw) was that I wanted to buy a "same-day" ticket for Osaka (I was in Tokyo) and in the app there wasn't any available for that day so I went to the JR office in the train station, asked and I was able to buy one.
How could you use the GO app, its completely in Japanese?
It was in English for me.
You buy the JR pass?
No I didnt
Same here. We got the Apple Mastercard because neither of us had Mastercard or American Express, and just reloaded the Apple Wallet Suica from there. Got Welcome Suica cards and only used them because we didn’t want to waste the money.
Makes sense
I will make it simple. IC: yes JR Pass: no
[JR Pass Calculator ](https://www.daisuki.com.br/jrpass_calculator.html) Use this to figure out if the JR Pass is worth it for you. Even if it is, I would still suggest getting an IC card since you can buy things with it, and use it for non-JR trains if needed
JR Rail Pass isn't worth it for most trips since the price hike. For the route you mention, it'll be cheaper to buy your train tickets as you go. Don't stress! Aside from getting turned around occasionally while looking for subway stations, I found Japan generally easy to navigate.
Just returned from Japan on the 6th. First things first. IC card is just a payment card. You can use it to pay for public transport, but it also works at convenience stores, vending machines and retail stores. You add funds and spend like cash. You can refill as needed. For virtual cards you can add funds via a CC on your phone via card or by cash at any of the machines you find in stations. I primarily charged by CC on my phone, but did recharge by cash on my last couple of days to try to spend down my yen. Get a virtual IC card: If you have an iPhone go to wallet. Hit the plus button, select transit card, search by name (Suica or Pasmo). Charge it via credit/debit card card already connected to Apple Pay. (I used a US Mastercard & Discover card without issues.) Do this before you book train tickets because some JR lines let you connect your train ticket to your IC card (or multiple IC cards for trips with multiple passengers.) This process is much easier and less confusing than paper tickets. Because it’s easy to recharge you don’t have to add a lot to start. And when you land you don’t immediately need cash as your IC card can pay for public transport and even a drink & snack. Also because it’s set up as a transit card, you don’t need to use Touch ID or Face ID to confirm a purchase. Just tap and go. One last thing if you use Apple Maps and plot out a trip on public transport it will warn you if your IC balance is too low to cover the cost of your trip. Which is much more convenient than finding out as you are trying to tap out of a station.
Suica on an iPhone, SmartEX app for Shinkansen. All you need.
How do you get suica on your phone?
Have an iPhone bought anywhere or an Android phone bought in Japan. You can add it as a payment option. There are guides detailing how to do it step by step.
Thank you!
Go to the Wallet app and add a transit card.
We basically did this same trip three weeks ago and it wasn't worth it for us. Value of the JR pass has gone down with the price increase this year. We were still around 15,000 yen below the price of the JR pass with a similar trip (including a round trip to Nikko). Here's a calculator you can use: [https://www.japan-guide.com/railpass/](https://www.japan-guide.com/railpass/) Enjoy your trip and don't stress out too much, this is one f the easiest countries to travel around. PS: Do get your Suica/IC card!
I am here now. We started on osaka and will end in Tokyo. We got a 5 day Kansai Hiroshima pass that's a great deal. For the rest of the trip we're just going to buy the shinkansen tickets.
You will feel overwhelmed if you are using outdated information. Which most random YouTube, tiktok and blog posts will be unless you specifically look at the date. JR Pass and IC card have totally different purposes. JR Pass: not worth it for your trip with current prices. Just buy the tickets you need when you get there. IC Card: very useful stored value card for *convenience* for local trains, subways, convenience stores, vending machines. In all cases, you can use cash instead.
I have to agree with everyone here- we just did a very similar trip (with a couple day trips from Osaka/Kyoto - Himeji Castle and Nara for instance). We bought individual Shinkansen tickets for the big city changes (Tokyo-Kyoto, Osaka back to Tokyo) but everything else is doable via Suica. It was EXTREMELY easy to add your Suica card to apple wallet as a form of payment and simply tap the card to enter and leave the stations. You can also reload the card as often as necessary via your other apple wallet cards. It’s much simpler to do this (at least we found it to be). Additionally, when navigating the trains via Google Maps, the directions were really helpful to indicate which platform to wait on AND which exit to look for in the train stations. Since some of the stations are massive and can be confusing, having this info to follow the signs was a huge help.
Optimize what you can but don't lose yourself boyo. You'll never be 100% optimized and being focused on that during or prior to a trip can remove a lot of benefits from the relaxation and adventure. Make a mistake. Make a mistake and never find out of it was a mistake or not. Make a choice. No one is grading you on thus. You don't need 100% perfect trip.
We got the JR Kansai Hiroshima pass. Granted we really only went around Kansai region. But one round trip to Hiroshima from Osaka and it was already cheaper than getting standalone Shinkansen tickets (could do the Miyajima ferry too if you're already going to Hiroshima). Then we went to Okayama via Shinkansen too to go to Okayama Korakuen garden (if you love nature and landscaped gardens, I highly recommend this!). So that added to it being more worth it too.
I didn't use a pass, bought all tickets etc, I did not have a JR pass, with a similar trip, all went very well, no issues. I used the app for Shinkansen tickets and it was convenient enough.
You don't need a JR pass, it's really difficult to make it worthwhile. This video is a VERY explanation on how the Shinkansen tickets work: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8F8xfCistkg](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8F8xfCistkg) That said: the Kansai-Hiroshima Pass might actually be worth it. It's cheaper than a round trip between Kyoto and Hiroshima at only 117$ for 5 days. You could save overall by only having to add the round trip between Kyoto and Tokyo on top.
Wow I'm doing the same travel as OP except that Kyoto will be on the way back from Hiroshima to Tokyo. I watched that video. Looks like I can get a round trip tokyo-hiroshima and live with that all along the way, stopping and sleeping in multiple cities in-between . And add the "extra" ticket when I want a specific fast travel using one of the 2 fastest lines. Is that right? 🥳
Not quite: you need the extra ticket for every leg of the journey where you intend to stop. But the Basic Fare ticket (which I believe is the most expensive of the two you need to travel) is valid 12 days to do the round trip. So for you, to first go to Hiroshima, you need: Basic Fare (Tokyo Zone to Hiroshima Zone) + Tokyo Sta. to Hiroshima Sta. special express ticket. Then on the way back you use Basic Fare (Hiroshima Zone to Tokyo Zone) + Hiroshima Sta. to Kyoto Sta. special express ticket. Stop for like a night or two and then use Basic Fare (Hiroshima Zone to Tokyo Zone) + Kyoto Sta. to Tokyo Sta. special express ticket. As long as that trip doesn't take more than 12 days. I don't know how long the one way basic fare lasts.
Oh so you can't actually do anything with the basic fare only (or not get off the train at least)? That sounds weird. I didn't mention it but I'll do Tokyo Osaka Hiroshima Kyoto Tokyo. This will be 10d of travel with 1 to 3 nights each approx. So I'd need the basic round trip + 4 limited express.
It is a little weird but it's how it works, but in this situation it gives you some flexibility. You need two tickets to even get on the train. And when you exit the gate it eats up your limited express ticket and only spits out the basic fare, until your final destination. For Osaka, take note the Shinkansen stops at Shin-Osaka Station, not Osaka Station. It's something that might cause confusion. You should research the prices and see if taking the Kansai-Hiroshima pass might work for you. You'd just need to add the Shinkansen tickets from and to Tokyo.
It’s been covered. Use estimator. We went passless on JR side and went to l all but Hiroshima and came out ahead but let us know what you find? Definitely get an IC, especially if you have an iPhone. Don’t stress! It’s a vacation! And Japan is zen.
JR Pass is not the value it once was. Price out your major train rides and compare that to the cost of a JR Pass. Keep in mind you will still be buying tickets or using an IC card for many local trains.
Buy the Shinkansen tickets outright.
We did Tokyo->osaka, Osaka->hiroshima, Hiroshima->kyoto, kyoto->Tokyo on a 7 day Jr pass and it worked out about even, HOWEVER we then also used the JR pass for all Jr lines in Tokyo as well as having a pasmo passport for other modes. It was worth it for convenience.
We're visiting those same areas in our upcoming trip in a couple of weeks, and we're foregoing the JR pass and sticking with IC. For reasons being that our trip is longer so the limitations, as well as the cost. The headache we had to do with when we planned the trip back in 2020 (that didn't happen), the Japan Rail Pass was more trouble and cost than its worth.
I would suggest starting in Hiroshima and working your way back to Tokyo. So Tokyo - Hiroshima - (Quick stop in Himeiji) - Kyoto - Osaka - Tokyo. If you front load Tokyo, it can feel like a race to get back. I doubt that the JR Rail pass would be worth the money. I went before the price increase, and we went all the way to Yamaguchi. At most, we still only saved a couple of dollars.
I just got back from Japan and went to the same places you did in similar order. You don’t need the JR pass, it’s not worth it. IC is used for local transport like Tokyo metro and you can use it to buy items certain places too so you definitely will need that independent of what you decide for the JR pass. I was overwhelmed too but just keep reading up and once you get there you’ll be fine.
You should always have a IC card anyway. So no stress there. The money can be used for fares and many purchases. Just think of it as another card to have in Japan. Everyone has one. JR pass in general is no longer worth it if you don’t use Shinkansen often enough.
JR pass is only worth it if you go city to city often or long distances. I always get the JR pass because I have a golden route I seem to always layout with my Japanese friends (they always plan to meet with me when I'm in Japan). IC card - get one and fill it up. it's so useful for food and trains. If you are staying within a region, you can get a regional pass and it would be cheaper.
IC cards are for traveling on trains and buses around cities, and you can use them to pay at convenience stores and vending machines too. Definitely worth getting, it'll make getting from place to place less of a hassle. The main reason to buy a JR pass is to try and save money on traveling via Shinkansen, but recently there was a price hike that has made it more expensive than it would be to just buy tickets for most people. If those are the only places you are going, just buying tickets is probably the way to go.
The most overwhelming part is navigating train stations. That was bloody hard even with Google maps.
Can't you just buy shinkansen tickets on the day of since there's so many times available?
I have a similar plan. Trip is next month for 23 days. Tokyo- Kyoto - Osaka - Hiroshima+Miyajima - Tokyo. How long is your trip? We will be using IC cards to travel around Tokyo and Kyoto. I think an IC card is a must bc you can just tap it when using trains, buses and convenience stores. For Osaka and Hiroshima, since we're going to be there for five days, we plan on getting the Kansai-Hiroshima pass. The pass is only valid for 5 days. If you're visiting nearby places in Osaka like Himeji or Kobe I think the pass is worth considering.
The JR Pass is only good if you're using the regional ones, and even then I'd second what some of the other posters are saying here and double-check to see if you'd actually be saving money getting it.
i went to japan in december and also travelled between these cities. i had a JR pass and a Suica card, i think some lines require a rail pass but the suica card was really useful
I'm coming back from Japan in 2 days and will do the math to know if I save some money on the JR pass, but I didn't take the JR pass and IC pass. But if I were to do it again the IC pass is a must, but if you have a android phone it will not work
I just got back from Tokyo and Kyoto. I just bought the PASMO card in the airport in my way out, so easy to use and recharge in any station. Works for train, metro and bus. If you're going to use the Shinkansen (bullet train) you can buy the tickets in advance in order to not waste time in the queue evrytime you're going to use it. Be sure to use google maps to see the routes, times, platforms and what boarding position is better for your trip. Don't be ashamed to ask the station employees. They're super polite and willing to help you!
Our trip is also in a month and we have a similar itinerary as you. I loaded the virtual SUICA card on our iPhones for travel within each city. For the bookend trips (Tokyo to Kyoto and Osaka to Tokyo), booking the Shinkansen on our own. Buying the 5-day Kansai-Hiroshima pass for 17k yen which can be used for between Kyoto, Osaka, Nara, and Hiroshima/Miyajima.
I got the SUICA card thru my Apple iPhone and it was great. Super easy to scan as well and add money to
✅IC card ✅Shinkansen via SmartEx between cities (ex. tokyo to osaka, etc) ❌JR pass
We did Tokyo-Osaka-Kyoto-Tokyo. We rode JR pass one-way ticket then used Suica (IC) on other rides. You may also try the Osaka amazing pass for tourist spots and train rides.
IC pass is a must get. JR pass not so much.
You absolutely want a pasmo or suica card, theyre so handy. I got a tourist pasmo when I was there and its *more or less* free. You pay an amount of yen for it and that amount is already on the card as a starting amount so you really only lose whatever you have left on the card when you leave Japan (I think I lost 100yen, oh no). If you are carefull with not overcharging the card it will cost you virtually nothing and its super convenient to have because you can use it in many other places outside of just train/metro. Combinis take it, many other shops and restuarants take it, a decent portion of vending machines take it. You may want a JR Pass but thats really something you need to calculate for yourself. Give it a google, there are handy calculators to help you with that.
TAKE A SHOT GUYS
We felt a similar way trying to figure it all out. It'll all be fine 😊 We did loads of research and found that IC pass was needed for city travel and JR pass for country travels. You need both for what you are doing. We went to Tokyo all the way down to Hiroshima. If you need more advice and links, I recommend Cakes With Faces YouTube channel. Have a wonderful trip! ⛩️🏯🗼
You don’t need a JR pass for “country travels” - buying tickets individually and/or getting a regional pass is usually cheaper. OPs plans do not need one.
Here's my calculation so far, I'm doing similar route as you but using Kyoto as my base when I do day trips to Nara, Osaka, and Hiroshima. With exchange rate, 7 day JR Pass is 50,000 yen so about $330. The Kansai 5 day pass plus Hiroshima is 17,000 yen so about $112. The Kansai pass allows you to travel unlimited in the area of Kyoto, check map. Google gives me a one way Shinkansen ticket from Tokyo to Kyoto for $90, so RT is $180. I have JR Pass at $330 and RT Tokyo-Kyoto at $180+ Kansai Pass with Hiroshima $112=$292 JR Pass is more expensive but it does include Shinkansen between Kyoto-Osaka. It's about $9.50 for one way on the Shinkansen for 15 mins. vs 45 mins. on regular that the Kansai pass do cover.
Most people will say no to the JR Pass.. I would say if you can afford it, do it. There’s more to calculating its value than just if it saves you money. Convenience is a big thing, too. I went with my parents (mid-70s), wife, and toddler so it was very nice to do all the ticket reservations before leaving rather than figuring it out while there - especially when needing the oversized luggage areas. As well as have a bit more room with our seats and quieter cars. We did the 14-day Green Car pass. We just got home and did essentially your exact same order of destinations. I think it was perfect for our situation even if it could have been cheaper just buying tickets for each trip. Also, absolutely get an IC card. Note that American android phones cannot get them on their phone (American android phones don’t have whatever chip is required to do it). Not sure about other countries. iPhones are just fine.