Return air ticket needed for JR Pass?

I've read the JR-East website, and it says, ''A passport and return air ticket or the like must be presented at the time of purchase, otherwise it will not be available.''

Now this is obviously talking about AFTER you enter into Japan to exchange your ''exchange voucher'' for the actual JR Passes. However, what I would like to know is whether they are actually requiring that you show them a return air ticket.

I'm flying via American Airlines, and I believe that all my ticketing is done electronically as in e-ticketing.

Does anyone have information on whether they are firm about showing them the return ticket? Is there something else I can use? They did say, ''...return air ticket or the like...''

I'd be greatly appreciative to hear what people lately have had to show beyond their exchange voucher and passport.

Any advice from those with experience dealing with the same issue is welcomed!

They probably won't ask. If they do, even though everything is electronic now with the airlines, you should have a printout of your itinerary etc. I know all airlines provide this information.

I've changed vouchers for the JR Pass and helped groups get theirs, and never has anyone asked for airline tickets, only a passport. If customs stamps a 90-day visa in your passport when you have a 1-way ticket, you can validate your JR Pass.

There is a difference in buying the JR Rail Pass and the JR East Pass. The JR Rail Pass can only be bought outside Japan as an Exchange Order which will be changed in Japan after arrival and after checking the temporary visitor status in passport to a JR Rail Pass. While you can buy a JR East Pass the same way, only for the JR East Pass is a second possibility to buy. After you have arrived in Japan you can prove your tourist status by showing the passport with temporary visitor status and proof of return flight ( or return ferry ) to a non-Japanese country. So direct purchase of JR East Pass is possible within Japan. In case of e-ticket it is the printout of the itinerary with the booking code, similar to what is necessary for non-US to enter USA.

As always, the japan-guide.com forums never seem to run out of helpful folks with insightful answers.

I was not aware that I could purchase the JR East pass (the one I specifically need) inside Japan without first getting an exchange order before arriving. The JR East website sure doesn't make this clear. Perhaps it was lost in translation.

Thank you everyone for your answers. I will move cautiously, and make the effort to get my exchange order before leaving for Japan. I will also go ahead and print out some physical travel itineraries from my airline carrier.

On a different note, I'm pretty sure that you can only purchase one JR pass per type per a person. Is that right? That is to say, that I can't buy two JR East passes for the same person.

However, what about passes for different regions? I know that it might not make economical sense in many cases, but if I wanted to buy two different JR passes for the same person, could I do that? For example, a JR East pass + JR Hokkaido... or a JR Pass (National) + JR East... I think this is more a question out of curiosity, but I'd still like to know if anyone has any knowledge on the subject.

Thanks again, everyone!

Of course you can combine several Rail Passes. For example you arrive Kansai airport take JR West Rail Pass Kansai Area one day to come to Kyoto. You stay several days in Kyoto. Now you use the Koyasan Free Sabic to go to Koya san and back to Osaka. Validate now your JR Rail Pass for all long distance travel to Himeji, Hiroshima, Nagasaki, Tokyo, Matsushima a. s. o. As your JR Pass days have passed you now take a Hakone Free Pass to visit Hakone area and a World Heritage Pass to visit Nikko. After several days in Tokyo you validate your second JR Rail Pass for all your travel to any other part with ending at Kansai airport for your flight home.