Explore as much of Japan as possible with the JR Pass! Credits: @amandanhammond on Instagram
Japan is famous for its highly advanced, efficient, and clean railway networks. Plus, you can rely on Japanese trains to be punctual, so know you’ll get anywhere on time!
Another great perk is the Japan Rail Pass, or JR Pass, which provides travellers unlimited access to trains and other modes of transportation run by the Japan Railways Group. With this, you can skip the queues when buying multiple train tickets for each trip and use just one pass!
🚨Important Klook Tip🚨: Prices for the Whole Japan JR Pass will increase this October 2023. Beat the price hike by booking your JR Pass with Klook by 30 Sep! Perfect for those planning to travel to Japan by 28 Dec ✈️
You can also pick passes that are valid for 7, 14, or 21 days to suit our travel needs whether you’re staying in Japan for a week or three!
Want to learn more about how the JR pass works? Check out our ultimate guide:
You can also learn more about the various perks of using the JR pass:
Now that we’ve got the JR pass basics covered, it’s important to know how to activate the JR Pass. You need to activate the pass once you’ve booked on Klook so you can use it in Japan. Don’t worry; despite the steps, it’s actually easy peasy.
Keep scrolling to learn how to activate the JR Pass:
What's the difference between a digital voucher, exchange order, and JR Pass?
Marvel at Japan’s picturesque scenery during your train rides! Credits: @1_sarah_520 on Instagram
When you book on a JR Pass on Klook or anywhere, please note that it won’t be the actual JR Pass that you’ll get right away. You’ll get an Exchange Order, which will be delivered to you before your intended travel date to Japan—so make sure to book your pass in advance so you can receive your Exchange Order in time!
You might be wondering, what is the Exchange Order for? An exchange order is a document that you’ll need along with your passport to redeem your JR Pass. The JR Pass itself is what you’ll use to board trains and other modes of transportation in Japan.
Where can I pick up my JR pass in Japan?
One of the places you can pick up your JR Pass is Narita Airport. Credits: @nozomi_n0316
You can redeem your JR pass at any JR Pass office in Japan, which can be found in major airports and cities in the country. Many tourists, however, find that claiming their passes right at the airport is the most convenient option so they can use it right away to go to their next destination. After all, many airports are linked to JR-operated trains.
Exchange locations include:
- Sapporo
- Narita Airport
- Tokyo
- Shinjuku
- Shinagawa
- Haneda Airport
- Nagoya
- Kyoto
- Shin-Osaka
- Osaka
What do you need to bring to exchange your voucher for your JR Pass?
In order to get your JR Pass, you need your Exchange Order and passport.
How do I activate my JR pass?
The perks of travelling in Japan via rail? Views like this! Credit: @mukiseki7 on Instagram
You can activate your passes at any JR office. After claiming your JR Pass, your personal details will be verified. Afterwards you’ll be able to select the activation date of your pass, which can start up to 30 days from when you’ve made your exchange for the pass.
During the activation date, you can start using your pass on all JR-operated trains, buses, and ferries.
Do I need to activate my JR Pass on the day I exchange my voucher?
No, you don’t have to activate your JR Pass right away, unless you want to use it right away. Once you exchange the voucher, you can set the start date of the pass to be whenever you want, as long as it’s within one month or 30 days.
If, for example, you’ve arrived in Japan on a Saturday but don’t need to use trains until Wednesday, you can exchange your pass between Saturday and Wednesday and set the pass’s start date to Wednesday.
How do I physically use a JR Pass at Japan train stations?
You can spot the automated JR gates at the station, and the rest is easy as pie! Credit: @anji_in_travel on Instagram
Now that you know how to activate your JR Pass, it’s also important to know how to use it when you’re already at train stations in Japan. When in the station, all you have to do is search for the automated gates of JR stations. If the station doesn’t have one, just go to the ticket booth and present your pass.
After either process, you can already proceed to your platform and experience easy train travel in Japan
Now that you know how to activate the JR pass, the ultimate secret of train travel in the country, here’s how you can explore Japan with the pass:
Written by: Rohana Monzon
