Changes to recheck before buying#

24 October 2026 — Purchase and first-use review: clarified eligibility routes for Japanese nationals living overseas, the separate purchase and seat-sale times, Nozomi/Mizuho special-ticket sales, N’EX refund decisions and national-pass disruption conditions. Added clearly fictional Kansai cost worksheets and completion-check examples. Replaced an unavailable Nankai fare notice with current official train guidance; the unverified fare amount is no longer presented as confirmed.

23 October 2026 — Beginner guide supplement: added railway terms, document checks and practical first-use routes to the existing guides. Hokkaido machine update: the 20 October service is now available at Sapporo and New Chitose Airport. JR-EAST Train Reservation collection and eligible Nippon Travel Agency e-vouchers are supported; paper and JTRweb vouchers still need a designated counter. See the purchase-channel table and separate counter and machine hours. Official service notice.

13 October 2026 — English guide update: added direct answers on luggage, purchase and booking windows, IC-card boarding, cancellation, Yufuin travel and airport fares. Prices are examples under the conditions shown, not live quotes.

  • For the nationwide pass, distinguish official online prices from overseas-agent prices.
  • The Kansai Area Pass sales discontinuation notice applies from 2026-09-30. It does not mean every other Kansai pass has ended.
  • Check the current JR EAST PASS product name, duration and coverage.
  • Hokkaido passport-reader machines are now available under the purchase-channel conditions in the Hokkaido guide; do not treat every agency voucher as eligible.

For Narita Airport travel, see the N’EX and regional pass comparison. For QR travel in Kansai, see the Mini Pass procedures by ticket format.

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How to read information dates#

On 2026-10-11, we rechecked official sources covering nationwide pass prices, eligibility, purchasing, reservations and collection, plus major regional products. Each source’s check date appears below. A check date is not the date a product changed, and live seat availability, fares and timetables do not update automatically on this site.

A sales discontinuation notice applies to the exact named product. For example, the discontinued paper Fukuoka Wide and the current mobile Wide pass must be distinguished. See the Kyushu pass guide for current purchase methods and coverage.

Later corrections identify their own section-check dates. A page edit date does not mean every price, timetable or condition on that page was rechecked on that date. Before paying, verify the linked official product and purchase-channel conditions. A dated service-change notice must be read for the affected dates, trains and sections; it does not imply that every service or ticket sale has stopped.

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Official sources by product#