JR Hokkaido’s Hokkaido Rail Pass (7-Day), Hokkaido Rail Pass (5-Day), JR East-South Hokkaido Rail Pass, and JR Tohoku-South Hokkaido Rail Pass for overseas tourists visiting Japan were updated in 2021.

Here's how these four rail passes became even more convenient.

Automated ticket gates save time!
Previously, you had to show your rail pass to a station staff member at the staffed ticket gate to enter, but with the updated tickets, you will be able to use automated ticket gates.

Now you can make seat reservations at reserved seat ticket vending machines
Previously seat reservations could only be made at JR Travel Service Centers, but now reservations can also be made at a “reserved seat ticket vending machine.”

The following stations have reserved seat ticket vending machines:
*Sapporo Station, *Soen Station, Kotoni Station, *Teine Station, *Otaru Station, *Naebo Station, *Shiroishi Station, *Shin-Sapporo Station, *Kita-Hiroshima Station, *Shimamatsu Station, *Chitose Station, *Minami-Chitose Station, *New Chitose Airport Station, *Iwamizawa Station, *Tomakomai Station, Shiraoi Station, *Higashi-Muroran Station, *Datemombetsu Station, *Toya Station, *Noboribetsu Station, *Shinkawa Station, *Hachiken Station, *Ainosato-Kyoikudai Station, Asahikawa Station, Nayoro Station, Wakkanai Station, Engaru Station, Kitami Station, Abashiri Station, Shintoku Station, Obihiro Station, Kushiro Station, Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto Station, Hakodate Station, Goryokaku Station, Kikonai Station, Okutsugaru-Imabetsu Station
(*Stations featuring “speaking ticket vending machines” where you can talk with an operator and make ticket reservations.)

Pricing and validity periods were changed
Various points have changed, like a lower price for the Hokkaido Rail Pass (5-Day) and an extended validity period for the JR East-South Hokkaido Rail Pass and JR Tohoku-South Hokkaido Rail Pass.

Enjoy exploring Hokkaido's major cities with the Hokkaido Rail Pass, which allows unlimited rides on all JR Hokkaido Lines (except the Hokkaido Shinkansen). This is the best rail pass to purchase if you intend to spend the majority of your trip in Hokkaido.

7-Day Hokkaido Rail Pass (7-Day)
・Price: 25,000 yen (purchased overseas), 26,000 yen (purchased in Japan)
*Half price for children
*Some trains require an additional charge

5-Day Hokkaido Rail Pass (5-Day)
・Price: 19,000 yen (overseas), 20,000 yen (in Japan)
*Half price for children
*Some trains require an additional charge

Access unlimited travel around eastern Honshu and southern Hokkaido. With the JR East-South Hokkaido Rail Pass, you can travel from the Tokyo area to the greater Sapporo area, making it a great deal.

The JR East-South Hokkaido Rail Pass price is the same for purchases overseas and in Japan.

・Price: 27,000 yen (same price for overseas and domestic purchases)
*Half price for children

Access unlimited travel around northeastern Honshu and southern Hokkaido. The JR Tohoku-South Hokkaido Rail Pass helps you save when you intend to explore around Sendai, Morioka, and Aomori before heading up to Hakodate and Sapporo or Otaru.

・Price: 24,000 yen (same price for overseas and domestic purchases)
*Half price for children

From April 1, 2021, two new types of rail passes became available, allowing four days of unlimited transit on regular and limited express trains from Sapporo's suburbs to the Noboribetsu and Furano areas.

Both can be purchased overseas from a designated travel agency or in Japan at JR Hokkaido purchase locations.

Convenient for visiting popular sightseeing spots like Noboribetsu Onsen hot springs resort area and Upopoy (National Ainu Museum and Park), which opened in 2020.

Asahikawa and Biei are also included within the service area, so you can visit popular sightseeing spots like the Asahiyama Zoo and Shirogane Blue Pond.

Since these Hokkaido rail passes include major stations like New Chitose Airport, Sapporo Station, and Otaru, a popular tourist destination close to Sapporo, they’re useful for visiting many tourist destinations.

The Hokkaido Rail Pass, JR East-South Hokkaido Rail Pass, JR Tohoku-South Hokkaido Rail Pass, Sapporo-Noboribetsu Area Pass, and Sapporo-Furano Area Pass are available only to those who have a non-Japanese passport and/or a non-immigration, short-stay Japanese visa.

Please note that these passes are not available to residents of Japan or those who have entered the country without a tourist visa.

For the Hokkaido Rail Pass, Sapporo-Noboribetsu Area Pass, and Sapporo-Furano Area Pass, E-ticket exchange certificates (QR codes) are now available online. If you get a QR code before traveling, you can easily present it at an exchange office designated by JR Hokkaido to receive your rail pass.

Text by: Minna no Kotobasha
*Information accurate as of December 2022. Please check official websites for the latest information.