The JR EAST PASS is the collective name for two "free passes" you can use on East Japan Railway lines that link areas in eastern Japan. Two types are available for two of the core regions: one for the Tohoku area and one for the Nagano, Niigata area.

Both are available for use by expatriates, a very gratifying feature. It makes it that much easier to vacation with family or friends visiting Japan, or family and friends living in Japan—so long as they have a non-Japanese passport.

■Cost
・Adults (Ages 12 and up): 20,000 yen
・Children (Ages 6 to 11): 10,000 yen
・Free for children 5 and under

■Usage Period
Five consecutive days

■Usage Area

■Cost
・Adults (Ages 12 and up): 18,000 yen
・Children (Ages 6 to 11): 9,000 yen
・Free for children 5 and under

■Usage Period
Five consecutive days

■Usage Area

JR EAST PASS costs less for children (6 to 11), and is free for children five and under. The children's pass (6 to 11) can also be used to reserve seats.

You can still reserve a seat for a child five or under if you instead pay the reduced price for a child's (6 to 11) JR EAST PASS.

To figure out how much a JR EAST PASS can save you, let's compare a trip for a family of two adults and two children (6-11).

For this, we assumed reserved seats on ordinary Shinkansen cars during a regular period; note that reserved seating prices can change depending on the time of year. Confirm with a reservation site for details.
(*Non-pass prices are reference prices; all are subject to change.)

Using a JR EAST PASS (Tohoku area)
・ Using a pass, it costs a total of:
60,000 yen (40,000 for two adults and 20,000 for two children)

・ Without a pass, it costs a total of:
Example 1. Shinkansen round-trip from Tokyo to Sendai
~68,500 yen (~45,500 yen for two adults and ~23,000 for two children)

Example 2. Shinkansen round-trip from Tokyo to Sendai to Akita
~120,000 yen
・Tokyo to Sendai: ~34,500 yen (~23,000 for two adults, ~11,500 for two children)
・Sendai to Akita: ~31,500 yen (~21,000 for two adults, ~10,500 for two children)
・Akita to Tokyo: ~54,000 yen (~36,000 for two adults, ~18,000 for two children)

Using a JR EAST PASS (Nagano, Niigata area)
・ Using a pass, it costs a total of:
54,000 yen (36,000 for two adults, 18,000 for two children)

・ Without a pass, it costs a total of:
Example 1: Shinkansen round-trip from Tokyo to Niigata
~64,500 yen (~43,000 for two adults, ~21,500 for two children)

Example 2. Shinkansen round-trip from Tokyo to Nagano to Niigata
~97,000 yen
・Tokyo to Nagano: ~25,500 yen (~16,500 for two adults, ~8,500 for two children)
・Nagano to Niigata: ~39,500 yen (~26,500 for two adults, ~13,000 for two children)
・Niigata to Tokyo: ~32,500 yen (~21,500 for two adults, ~11,000 for two children)

Depending on how you use them, either pass can save you money even visiting one location. When you add one or more destinations, the savings pile up quickly: in the above example, around 40,000 yen with the Nagano / Niigata area pass and around 60,000 yen with the Tohoku area pass. And that’s not even including usage of local lines over those five days! With a rail pass this useful, giving you unlimited access to transportation over five days, there’s no not using it.

East Japan Railway Company’s international reservation website, JR-EAST Train Reservation, has been rebuilt and is now easier than ever to use.

The largest change is the new ability for people to purchase JR EAST PASS and other passes aimed at international travelers and expatriates over the internet.

The website also newly supports nine languages. In addition to continued support for English, Chinese (Simplified and Traditional), and Korean, it now supports Thai, Indonesian, French, German, and Spanish, so that more people can comfortably make purchases in their own languages.

Getting your JR EAST PASS has also become easier too. If you have a non-Japanese passport, you can scan it at a reserved seat ticket vending machine to pick up a JR EAST PASS you have purchased via the JR-EAST Train Reservation site—or buy one then and there.

Just bring your passport to a reserved seat ticket vending machine equipped with a passport reader, scan your passport, and follow directions to get your JR EAST PASS.

Reserved seat ticket vending machines with a passport reader can be found at Shinkansen stops like Tokyo Station and Ueno Station, and also major hubs like Shinjuku, Shibuya, and Ikebukuro. Check below for more information on where these reserved seat ticket vending machines are and how to use them.

Another new feature: JR EAST PASS is compatible with automatic ticket gates at stations. In the past, pass-holders had to check with station employees to enter or exit stations. Now, you can walk on through the automatic ticket gates to board or disembark, heading for your destination with no stress.

Trains are perhaps the best way to get around eastern Japan's spacious and mountainous prefectures. Just one JR EAST PASS, available to anyone with a non-Japan passport, can help you visit this incredible area with ease. Use it to spend an enjoyable five full days around eastern Japan with family or friends!