“All you can ride” Shinkansen offer is coming to Japan for a limited time

TOKYO – It’s been 150 years since the railways opened in Japan, and to celebrate, East Japan Rail (JR East) is launching a special offer called ” JR East Rail Pass Opening 150th Anniversary Commemoration .”

The new pass offers unlimited travel on various trains, including the Shinkansen bullet train , for a period of three days , which can be used between October 14 and 27, 2022.

The covered lines are:

• All JR East Lines
• Aoimori railway line
• IGR Iwate Galaxy Railway Line
• Sanriku railway line
• Hokuetsu Express Line
• Izukyu Line
• Fujikyu Line
• Echigo Tokimeki Railway Line

▼ JR East lines are marked with a solid green line below, while the other rail lines mentioned above are marked with a black dashed line.

The Shinkansen routes covered by the pass are marked with green and white lines on the map above, showing that you can take a train from Tokyo to Nagano and Niigata in the northwest, and to Akita and even Aomori in the upper end, which it allows you to stop at other stations along the way, including Fukushima, Morioka, and Sendai.

Unlimited travel offer is valid for unreserved seats on regular express, express and limited express train cars, including the Shinkansen on participating lines. However, you can use it to travel in reserved seats up to four times ; any reserved seat travel beyond that and you’ll have to pay for a separate non-discounted limited express ticket.

Tickets can be purchased online only, from one month before the start date of use and up to three days before the start date of use , and cost 22,150 yen for adults and 10,150 yen for children. Tickets must be purchased at least three days prior to use.

Ticket holders will also be able to enjoy a number of discounts on car rentals and at select restaurants and stores, such as the NewDays convenience store chain operated by JR East.

The pass is a fantastic offer, as the scope of travel is incredibly impressive: it allows you to explore a wide swath of northern Japan, while also including Tokyo and its surrounding regions, and travel as far south as the Izu Peninsula in Shizuoka and Lake Kawaguchiko, the second largest of the Five Fuji Lakes , in Yamaguchi Prefecture.

In Kawaguchiko, even the train station itself is worth the trip.