How much does the Japan Rail Pass cost in 2026?

See the yen prices for 7, 14 and 21 day Ordinary and Green passes, how child fares work, and why online and agent prices differ.

Published October 20, 2026 at 6:06 PM JST | By Tokyo Paul

Quick answer: On the official price page, adult Ordinary passes bought online are listed at 50,000 yen for 7 days, 80,000 yen for 14 days and 100,000 yen for 21 days. Green Car passes are listed at 70,000, 110,000 and 140,000 yen. Children aged 6 to 11 pay half. Overseas agents sell the same passes at somewhat higher yen prices. Prices can change, so check the official page.

The current price list at a glance

The Japan Rail Pass comes in two classes and three lengths. The Ordinary pass covers standard cars, and the Green pass covers Green Cars, the roomier first-class style cars on Shinkansen and limited express trains. Each class is sold for 7, 14 or 21 consecutive days. On the official price page, passes bought through the official online sales site are listed for adults at 50,000, 80,000 and 100,000 yen for Ordinary, and 70,000, 110,000 and 140,000 yen for Green.

Those figures reflect the last major revision, made in October 2023, and the official page notes that prices are subject to change. If a revision happens, the price shown on the day you buy online, or the day the exchange order is issued by an agent, is the one that applies. Because a title mentioning a year cannot promise the numbers stay fixed, treat any article, including this one, as a starting point and check the sales page before you pay.

Online price versus overseas agent price

There are two ways to buy, and the official page lists a separate price table for each. Buying from an overseas JR-designated agency, which issues an exchange order that you swap for the pass in Japan, is listed at slightly higher yen prices: for adults, 53,000, 84,000 and 105,000 yen for Ordinary, and 74,000, 116,000 and 147,000 yen for Green.

The difference between channels is roughly 3,000 to 7,000 yen per adult pass, depending on class and length. Agent prices are converted from yen to local currency at a bankers' selling rate on the day the exchange order is issued, so what you pay in dollars, pounds or euros may differ from a conversion you make later. Online payments, by contrast, are settled in Japanese yen, which means your card issuer may add its own foreign-exchange charge.

Child prices and age rules

Children are defined on the official page as those aged 6 to 11 at the time of use, and they pay half the adult price in each class and length. A 7-day Ordinary child pass, for example, is listed at 25,000 yen online. Elementary school students aged 12 or older are treated as adults, which matters for families whose child is near the cutoff.

There is a helpful detail for the birthday edge case. A child who is 11 on the payment date, when buying online, keeps the child price even if they turn 12 before the pass is used. For the agent route, the same protection applies on the date the exchange order is issued. If a child's twelfth birthday falls close to your travel dates, buying before the birthday can matter, so read the age rules on the official page.

Which length and class to pick

Length is the cost driver, and the passes are not priced per day in a simple way. The 14-day pass costs less than twice the 7-day pass, and the 21-day pass costs less than three times it, so the daily cost falls as the pass gets longer. That helps travelers who really do cover Japan from end to end, but it is wasted on a trip with long stretches in a single city, because the days are consecutive.

Class is a comfort question. Green Car seats are wider and quieter, and Green passes cost 20,000 to 40,000 yen more per adult than Ordinary passes in the same length. Many visitors travel comfortably in standard cars, and the pass includes free seat reservations, so Ordinary is the usual choice unless a particular comfort need or long daily rides tip the balance.

Extra costs that are not in the pass price

The pass price does not cover everything on a rail trip. The fastest Shinkansen trains on the main western route, Nozomi and Mizuho, are excluded, and holders can buy a special ticket for each ride, which the official site lists at 4,960 yen between Tokyo and Kyoto or Shin-Osaka. Most pass holders avoid this cost by riding Hikari trains (or Sakura trains on the Sanyo and Kyushu lines) instead.

City subways, private railways and many local buses also sit outside the pass. Budget for a prepaid IC card, which many visitors top up with a few thousand yen at a time, and for any airport rail link that is not run by a JR company. Seat reservations, by comparison, cost nothing extra with the pass.

Common mistakes with pricing

A common mistake is comparing a pass price with a single fare and forgetting that the pass runs on consecutive days. Another is buying the Green pass when the itinerary does not use the extra comfort enough to justify the difference. A third is assuming that a price quoted in an older article still applies: before October 2023, prices were much lower, and some websites still show those numbers.

Travelers also sometimes forget eligibility. The pass is for people entering Japan with Temporary Visitor status, and the passport must carry the stamp or sticker. If an eligibility check fails at the counter, the pass cannot be issued, even if it was already paid for. Check the eligibility page before buying.

Budget tips and next steps

Start with the official price page, choose the class and length, and then compare the total against your own list of fares, adding the special Nozomi ticket if you want it. Consider a regional pass if your trip stays in one part of the country, and remember that a prepaid IC card will still be needed for local transit.

If you buy online, you can purchase for yourself and up to six companions who meet the eligibility conditions in one transaction, according to the official page. This guide shares general information; rules change, so confirm details with the official agency or provider before you act. Check again close to your purchase date, because prices and sales channels can be revised.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Japan Rail Pass cheaper online or from an agent?

Based on the official price tables, the online site lists lower yen prices than overseas agents for every pass. The gap is about 3,000 to 7,000 yen per adult pass. Currency conversion, card fees and any agent service charges also affect what you actually pay, so compare the final amounts in your own currency.

Can you buy a Japan Rail Pass after arriving in Japan?

The official site describes two purchase routes: the official online site, or an overseas JR-designated agency that issues an exchange order. With both, the pass itself is collected at an exchange office in Japan, and the official pages do not describe buying a pass at a station without preparing in advance. Because sales channels have changed over time, check the official purchase pages for current options before you travel.

Do prices include tax and seat reservations?

Seat reservations on most Shinkansen and limited express trains are included at no extra charge, according to the official site. The price page itself does not state anything about tax, so look at the checkout screen or exchange order for the final amount. Excluded trains, such as Nozomi, still need a separate ticket.

Want to go deeper? Tokyo Paul's book Japanese for Your First Trip is available on Amazon.

Keep Exploring

More guides from Tokyo Paul: Is the Japan Rail Pass worth it for a typical trip?, Where can I buy a Japan Rail Pass and how do I collect it? and Numbers and Prices in Japanese: Understanding What Things Cost.