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Japan Rail Pass Planning Example
Japan Rail Pass is valid for on all the trains including Shinkansen and Limited Express except 'Nozomi'(the fastest express in Tokaido/Sanyo Shinkansen). Also good for local and highway bus services provided by JR companies. Supplement payable when using a sleeper car.
There are three types: 7 days for 28,300 yen, 14 days for 45,100 yen, 21 days for 57,700 yen.
7 Day Pass
Plan 1 Travel plan for travelers visiting Japan for the first time
You will visit at least Tokyo and Kyoto. Tokyo, the largest metropolitan area in the world with thirty millions population, is the symbol of modern industrialized Japan. It has interesting urban landscape, entertainment and culture. Kyoto, on the other hand, symbolizes traditional Japanese culture with old temples, shrines and extensive collection of cultural heritages.
Besides those two large cities, it will be interesting if visiting middle or small size cities or onsen (spa, traditionally loved by Japanese people) resort area where you can enjoy another aspect of Japanese culture.
Fare of only making a Tokyo - Kyoto (Osaka) return trip is silghtly under the cost of seven day Japan Rail Pass. The pass pays if adding short trips around Tokyo or Kyoto.
Heian Jingu Shrine and Kiyomizu Temple
Example:
Day 1, Day 2 Arrive at Narita Airport and stay in Tokyo
Day 3, 4 Make excursion trip to Hakone, Izu or Nikko.
Day 5 Go to Kyoto by Shinkansen train
Day 6, 7, 8 Stay in Kyoto. Make a trip to Nara for one day.
Day 9 Return to Tokyo and take an air going back to your country
(You use 7 days Japan Rail Pass from Day 3 to Day 9)
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Plan 2 Travel to Hokkaido Island enjoying nature
If you have already visited Tokyo and Kyoto, northern Hokkaido Island may be one of the interesting destinations. The best season of Hokkaido is summer, from June to August. Although you can enjoy skiing there with nice powder snow in winter, visiting Hokkaido is not very suitable for sightseeing purpose except summer due to its cold climate.
Main interest of Hokkaido is its beautiful nature. Notably east and north district of this island has untouched landscape scarce in Japan. Here I present one example of travelling around this island using seven-day pass.
Day 1 Leave Tokyo in the evening by overnight express 'Hokutosei'.
Day 2 Arrive at Sapporo in the morning. Take a brief look at this primate city of Hokkaido during the day. Stay Sapporo this night.
Day 3 Depart Sapporo early in the morning by Limited Express 'Ozora' and arrive at Kushiro before noon.
Day 4, 5 Visit Kushiro Wetland, Lake Mashu, Lake Akan and other places in this region.
Day 6 Go to Shiretoko Peninsula and enjoy mountain climbing or untouched coastal view from boat. Leave Abashiri at night by overnight 'Okhotsk' to Sapporo.
(East Hokkaido has quite poor public transport. Better to rent a car from Day 4 to Day 6.)
Day 7 Going back to Tokyo at night changing Limited Express 'Hokuto', 'Hatsukari' and Tohoku Shinkansen.
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It might be a little busy travel plan.
If you hate rushing and prefer longer stay, better to use 14 day pass adding several destinations to this plan such as northern Hokkaido region.
Also note that weather is critical factor in traveling around Hokkaido because of the journey around nature, though largely it is a matter of lack.
Plan 3 Japanese Historic Towns
This plan is also for travellers who have already finished the 'basics' of Japan. It is aimed at looking around middle and small sized cities who have historic interests, such as streets retaining the atmosphere of Edo era or historic buildings. This plan includes remote mountainous districts, but all journey can be covered by trains and buses, public transports.
Day 1, 2 Depart Shijuku station in Tokyo by Limited Express 'Azusa' in the morning, changing 'Shinano' at Shiojiri, then arrive at Kiso region in afternoon. Visit Narai, Tsumago and Magome, small towns along old Tokyo- Osaka route, Nakasen-do.
Day 3 Go to Takayama deep in mountain by Limited Express 'Hida' from Nagoya.
Day 4, 5 Visit Kanazawa, lively city center of Hokuriku region but have historic streets, having ruled by Maeda clan during Edo era.
Day 6 Take about two hours' bus trip from Kanazawa to Shirakawa Go and Gokayama. They are small villages in deep valley with unique 'Gassho' style traditional houses, designed to resist quite heavy snow during winter.
Day 7
Go back to Tokyo by Shinkansen.
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Other plan possible by seven days Japan Rail Pass is to have a brief look at one region of Japan, such as Kyushu, Tohoku, and Chugoku (Sanyo and Sanin).
Plan 4 Take as long railway lines as possible
I think of travel plan in which you take as many trains as possible for seven days. You spend all six nights in overnight trains so you do not have to spend extra money on accomodation. The following plan covers more than half of limited express trains in Japan in only seven days. If you are a kind of person who happily spend several days without getting out of trains and stations, just try it...
(Though such a enthusiast will surely try to pursue travel planning better than mine, because planning is often more important than travel itself to him. He will quickly understand 1,000 pages Japanese timetable, even if he does not read and speak Japanese at all.)
Day 1
Tokyo 06:31 (Hikari 141) 09:36 Shin Osaka 09:58 (Hikari 363, brandnew 'Rail Star' type) 12:23 Kokura 13:16 (Nichirin 9) 18:09 Miyazaki 18:20 (Kirishima 11) 20:32 Nishi Kagoshima 23:45 (Dream Tsubame) 05:18 Tosu
Day 2
Tosu 06:12 (local train) 07:15 Hizen Sanguchi 07:27 (local) 08:36 Sasebo 09:27 (Rapid) 11:12 Nagasaki 11:30 (Kamome 18) 13:18 Hakata 13:53 (Hikari 370) 14:34 Ogori 15:46 (Oki 6) 20:37 Yonago 22:56 (Daisen) 07:01 Osaka
Day 3
Osaka (4 minutes) Shin Osaka 07:10 (Hikari 355) 08:01 Okayama 09:21 (Nanpu 1) 11:50 Kochi 11:53 (Ashizuri 3) 12:54 Kubokawa 13:11 (local) 15:07 Uwajima 15:57 (Uwakai 18) 17:18 Matsuyama 17:24 (Shiokaze 28) 20:01 Okayama 20:32 (Hikari 178) 21:31 Shin Osaka (4 minutes) Osaka 23:26 (Kitaguni) 04:28 Toyama
Day 4
Toyama 06:03 (local) 08:14 Takayama 08:48 (Hida 4) 11:07 Nagoya 11:17 (Hikari 211) 12:17 Shin Osaka 13:03 (Ocean Arrow 17) 16:38 Shingu 17:23 (Nanki 10) 20:36 Nagoya 23:55 (Chikuma) 05:45 Nagano
Day 5
Nagano 06:00 (Asama 500) 06:48 Takasaki 06:59 (Asahi 301) 08:16 Niigata 09:02 (Inaho 1) 15:15 Aomori 15:20 (Rapid) 18:13 Hakodate 18:16 (Hokuto 19) 21:50 Sapporo 23:00 (Ozora 13) 05:50 Kushiro
Day 6
Kushiro 05:59 (local) 09:17 Abashiri 09:30 (Okhotsk 4) 13:09 Asahikawa 13:56 (Sarobetsu) 17:50 Wakkanai 22:00 (Rishiri) 06:00 Sapporo
Day 7
Sapporo 07:00 (Super Hokuto 2) 10:07 Goryokaku 10:09 (Hatsukari 14) 14:14 Morioka 14:40 (Komachi 13) 15:39 Omagari 15:46 (local) 17:29 Shinjo 17:43 (local) 18:47 Yamagata 18:53 (Tsubasa 102) 21:44 Tokyo
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