Drastic price increase announced for the Japan Rail Pass
On April 14, 2023, the JR Group announced that the cost of the Japan Rail Pass will be drastically increased sometime around October 2023. The exact date is to be announced.
| Type | Current cost | New cost |
|---|---|---|
| Regular 7 days | 29,650 yen | 50,000 yen |
| Regular 14 days | 47,250 yen | 80,000 yen |
| Regular 21 days | 60,450 yen | 100,000 yen |
| Green 7 days | 39,600 yen | 70,000 yen |
| Green 14 days | 64,120 yen | 111,000 yen |
| Green 21 days | 83,390 yen | 140,000 yen |
Despite the cost increase, the pass will still not cover Nozomi and Mizuho trains unless an additional ticket is purchased. Details about these additional tickets will be announced at a later point in time. On the other hand, pass holders will newly be able to profit from various discounts at selected sightseeing spots and the like.
Needless to say: it will become considerably more difficult for the pass to pay off after the price increase. Even a round trip between Tokyo and Fukuoka, which costs around 45,000 yen by regular tickets, will not be enough for a 7-day pass to pay off. The popularity of the pass can be expected to decrease considerably, although the pass will remain an attractive offer for those doing a lot of long-distance train travel over relatively short time periods.
Meanwhile, alternative passes and modes of transport are likely to gain in popularity. Regional rail passes like the Hokuriku Arch Pass and the JR West All Area Pass may step out of the shadow of the Japan Rail Pass, assuming they won't be subject to similar price increases. Furthermore, the competitiveness of domestic flights may further increase, especially for trips to Kyushu, Shikoku and Hokkaido, for which trains will lose their cost advantage.
