Is JR PASS a good deal? Announcing the results of the questionnaire survey *FAST TRAIN JAPAN LLC*
Press release: August 5, 2024
**
Is JR PASS a good deal? Announcing the results of the questionnaire survey Photo by Alex Ziminski
One of the services that attracts attention from foreign tourists traveling to Japan is the Japan Rail Pass (commonly known as JR Pass). The advantageous service of unlimited use of JR trains and buses from Hokkaido to Kyushu was extremely popular among foreign tourists.
However, due to the price revision on October 1, 2023, the JR Pass price will increase, causing controversy among foreign tourists.
Therefore, we will provide Tokyo (Japan) Cheapo users with JR after the price increase.
We conducted a survey to find out whether people feel the Pass is a good value. We will announce the results. We also analyze the reasons for these results, so please take a look.
Questionnaire survey results and changes in JR Pass sales numbers Results of a questionnaire survey conducted among users regarding JR Pass and JR at Tokyo (Japan) Cheapo
We would like to tell you how the number of Pass sales was affected by the price increase.
– User survey results
– Change in the number of JR Pass sold after price increase User survey results
We conducted a survey among users asking the question, “Do you think the JR Pass is a good deal?” The graph below shows the results. The results were * 40% “Yes” and 60% “No”*. In other words, more than half of the users (60%) feel that it is not a good deal.
The reason for this is presumed to be that people no longer feel that the JR Pass is a good deal compared to regular Shinkansen fares. Changes in the number of JR Pass sold after the price increase Our company has partnered with the JR Group for over 10 years to promote sales of JR Pass.
The Pass was highly rated by foreign tourists and sales were strong.
However, due to the price revision in October 2023, JR at Tokyo (Japan) Cheapo The number of Pass sales decreased by more than 90% when comparing April 2023 with April 2024 after the price revision.
Overview and history of JR Pass
Next, we will explain in detail what kind of service JR Pass is, how the purchasing method has changed, and how much the price has increased.
– What is JR Pass?
– Who can use JR Pass?
– How to purchase JR Pass?
– How much did the price go up?
What is JR Pass?
J.R.
The Pass is a pass jointly provided by six JR Group companies (Hokkaido, East Japan, Tokai, West Japan, Shikoku, and Kyushu), allowing foreign tourists to freely use the trains and route buses of each JR company from Hokkaido to Kyushu. This is a special ticket that allows you to travel with
There are two types of JR Pass options: green car and regular car. Additionally, there are passes for three usage periods: 7 days, 14 days, and 21 days.
Who can use JR Pass?
The only people eligible to use the JR Pass are short-term tourists visiting from overseas for sightseeing purposes.
By the way, it can be used not only by foreigners visiting Japan on vacation, but also by Japanese people who have lived overseas for more than 10 consecutive years.
How to purchase JR Pass?
Currently, JR Pass can be purchased directly online from JR’s official website, but direct sales from the official website actually started on June 1, 2020.
Until March 7, 2017, it could not be purchased in Japan, and was basically sold only at JR designated stores and agents outside of Japan.
It was possible to purchase it in Japan from March 8, 2017 to March 31, 2021, but the price at that time was set higher than when purchasing overseas.
For this reason, it was common for many foreigners to purchase a redemption ticket at an overseas agent before arriving in Japan, and then exchange it for an actual pass at an exchange office in Japan. How much did the price go up?
Let’s take a closer look at how much the JR Pass price has actually increased. Below is the JR Pass price list by period before and after the revision. Source: Fast Train based on “About expansion of product content and price revisions of the Japan Rail Pass | East Japan Railway Company | 2023.4.14″
Table created by Media |
For example, a 7-day pass for regular cars was 29,650 yen before the revision, but it will be raised to 50,000 yen from October 1, 2023. Which one is better? JR Pass VS. Shinkansen regular fare
Photo by Alex Ziminski
Currently, a 7-day pass after the price revision is 50,000 yen, but let’s compare it with the regular Shinkansen fare when traveling to Tokyo, Kyoto, and Hiroshima, which are common destinations for foreign tourists.
1. Tokyo⇆Kyoto (round trip)
2. Tokyo⇆Hiroshima (round trip)
3. Tokyo → Kyoto → Hiroshima → Tokyo (round trip from Tokyo to Kyoto to Hiroshima)
1. Regular regular fares are cheaper for Tokyo⇆Kyoto (round trip) * From Tokyo to Kyoto, the official fare for a regular Shinkansen (Nozomi) reserved seat is 14,170 yen one-way and 28,340 yen
round-trip*.
If you are traveling from Tokyo to Kyoto and only use the Shinkansen, it is far cheaper to buy a regular pass than to buy a 50,000 yen pass.
By the way, before the price revision, the JR Pass fare and the regular Shinkansen round-trip fare were almost the same.
2. Regular regular fares are cheaper for Tokyo⇆Hiroshima (round trip) The regular fare for a regular Shinkansen reserved seat from Tokyo to Hiroshima is 19,760 yen one way, but if you purchase a round trip ticket from Tokyo to Hiroshima, a round trip discount will be applied.
Round-trip discount is a system that gives you a 10% discount on the fare when you use JR lines round-trip for a distance of 601km or more one-way. Round-trip discounts apply only to fares, and do not apply to Shinkansen express fares.
When using the round-trip discount*, the one-way fare for a reserved seat between Tokyo and Hiroshima is 18,570 yen, and the round-trip fare is 37,140 yen*.
If you are traveling from Tokyo to Hiroshima in 7 days without making any stopovers, it would be 12,860 yen cheaper to buy a reserved seat in an ordinary car at the regular price.
3. Normal regular fares are cheaper for Tokyo → Kyoto → Hiroshima → Tokyo as well.
– Outbound: Tokyo → Kyoto → Hiroshima (26,110 yen) *Tokyo-Kyoto 14,170 yen + Kyoto-Hiroshima 11,940 yen = 26,110 yen
– Return trip: Hiroshima → Tokyo (19,760 yen)
– Total: 45,879 yen
If you get off at Kyoto, *
The regular fare for a regular Shinkansen (Nozomi) reserved seat from Tokyo to Kyoto is 14,170 yen one way, and from Kyoto to Hiroshima it’s 11,940 yen, so the total for the one-way outbound trip is 26,110 yen. *
* If you take the return trip between Hiroshima and Tokyo without getting off, it will cost 19,769 yen. The total round-trip fare is 45,879 yen*.
In other words, even if you get off in Kyoto and go sightseeing, the regular regular fare will be cheaper if you only ride the Shinkansen.
If you travel in 7 days with stops at multiple locations, it may be a good deal in terms of cost. However, it will be a hectic trip. Summary of survey results
Traveling by Shinkansen is not only about the price, but also because there are reasons such as wanting to enjoy Mt. Fuji and the scenery of Japan from the Shinkansen, and wanting to experience Japan’s unique Shinkansen, which operates at one of the fastest speeds in the world. Its charm remains popular. On the other hand, J.R.
Due to the price revision of the Pass, the regular price is cheaper for foreign tourists who want to enjoy their travels with a
comfortable itinerary.
It is thought that 60% of respondents said that they no longer felt that the Pass was a good deal.
About Fast Train Media
Inbound customer attraction web media “Tokyo Cheapo” and “Japan” Cheapo” and distributes useful information in English to foreigners visiting Japan. The current audience size is over 2.5 million page views per month on average and over 1 million unique users. A multinational team creates content from the perspective of native English speakers,
We are a globally expanding company that also operates overseas media such as “Cheapo” (London) and “Hong Kong Cheapo” (Hong Kong).
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【Company Profile】
Company name:: FAST TRAIN JAPAN LLC (Japanese corporation)
Address: 9-2-13, ninetytwo13, Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo 107-0052 CEO: Gregory Lane
Established: June 2008
Business content: Web content development, regional revitalization marketing, consulting services related to attracting inbound and foreign tourists, general advertising agency, etc.
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