We have bad news for those with plans to travel to Japan after Oct 2023, as you may have to pay more for transport there.
The Japan Railway Pass has always been viewed as the most economical way for tourists to travel through the land of the rising sun by train and by bus.
Unfortunately, this fixed-priced option may no longer be so economical for visiting from Oct.
JR Group is significantly increasing the prices of the Japan Rail Passes. This may be anywhere between a 65% increase, and a 77% one.
In a press release, JR Group announced that all three ticket types, across two different train types will experience an increase in prices.
Tourists on short-term visits often purchase these tickets as they are a convenient way to travel around, especially between cities.
Source: Kanpai!
Currently S$294 (¥29,650) per ticket, a seven-day Normal Car pass’ price is set to rise to S$497 (¥50,000). This is an approximate S$203 increase, which translates to a large 67% jump in price.
Similarly, prices of 14-day and 21-day passes are each set to increase by 69% and 65% respectively.
Source: Loyalty Lobby
The 14-day pass sees the largest increase in percentage price for ordinary carriages and will cost S$795 (¥80,000) with effect from Oct. This is up from its original cost of S$469 (¥47,250).
21-day passes, on the other hand, will cost S$994 (¥100,000) after the increase, from the original S$600 (¥60,450) fare.
Similar price increases apply for the more superior Green Car passes. The increases for the Green Car passes range from a 68% increase for 21-day passes to a 77% increase for a 7-day pass.
Thankfully, the price increases are not applicable to region-specific rail passes.
JR Group also revealed in their press release that they have plans to offer a ‘discount service’ at a few sightseeing spots in future. They shared that JR Group will announce more information about these plans in the future.
Travellers can also purchase an “additional special ticket” to ride the Nozomi and Mizuho train lines. These trains are among the fastest bullet trains in Japan. They only stop at larger stations, making them an efficient way to travel around.
JR Group has not announced the price of the additional tickets.
According to The Straits Times, this is the first price increase to the pass since it was introduced in 1981, with an exception to adjustments made due to consumption tax changes.
Regardless, if you have plans to travel around Japan with a Japan Rail Pass from Oct, be prepared to pay more for transport.
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Featured image adapted from Kanpai! and JPRail.com. For illustration purposes only.
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