Is the Japan Rail Pass worth it?

How much is the JR Pass in 2026?

Ordinary: ¥50,000 for 7 days, ¥80,000 for 14 days, ¥100,000 for 21 days. Green Car (first class): ¥70,000 / ¥110,000 / ¥140,000 for the same windows. All via the official JR website. Some travel-agency resellers charge a little more and their prices vary, so we always use the official rate.

Is the JR Pass worth it for a Tokyo to Kyoto trip?

Usually no. A return Hikari between Tokyo and Kyoto is around ¥27,700, about ¥22,000 less than the 7-day pass. The maths flips once you add Hiroshima or a Kanazawa side-trip.

Does the pass cover Nozomi trains?

Only with a supplement (around ¥4,960 between Tokyo and Kyoto, ¥6,500 between Tokyo and Hiroshima). Without it, you ride the Hikari, which is roughly five minutes slower on the Tokyo to Kyoto run.

Who can buy the JR Pass?

Foreign tourists in Japan on a temporary visitor visa. You buy a voucher before arriving and exchange it at a JR ticket office.

What's the difference between Ordinary and Green Car?

Green Car is first class: wider seats, quieter cabins, more legroom. Ordinary is the standard most travellers use and comfortable for the journeys most trips involve.

How do you calculate this?

We add up the fares for every JR leg you've entered, using the pass-eligible service that the pass actually covers, and compare against the cost of the cheapest pass that covers your travel window. Figures are rounded (shown as ~¥) and based on published JR data; less-common routes use a distance-based figure in the same format. Children aged 6 to 11 are priced at half; under-6 ride free. Fares ignore peak/off-peak variation of around ¥400 either way, so always worth a quick check before you book.