JR EAST Welcome Rail Pass 2020 for Foreign Residents in Japan

October 16, 2020 - February 28, 2021

October 16, 2020 - February 26, 2021

12,000 yen (6,000 yen for children)
Children under the age of 6 do not require a pass, however, if a family want to purchase a reserved seats, then a pass is required.
※There is no student discount and youth fares are not applicable when purchaisng this ticket.

The JR East Welcome Rail Pass 2020 is only available to non-Japanese passport holders. Japanese nationals are not permitted to purchase a pass.

This pass will allow holders three consecutive days of unlimited travel on the Tohoku, Yamagata, Akita, Joetsu and Hokuriku shinkansen (bullet trains), along with JR East train lines and a number of local railways. For one flat fee, visitors can explore from the northernmost reaches of Aomori Prefecture to the hot spring resorts of Shizuoka Prefecture, just south of Tokyo.
The railway companies that are covered by this pass are as followings.
1)JR East including Bus Rapid Transit
2)Aoimori Railway
3)Iwate Galaxy Railway (IGR)
4)Sanriku Railway
5)Echigo Tokimeki Railway (from Myoko Kogen to Naoetsu)
6)Shinano Railway
This pass cannot be used on Tokyo Monorail or Tokaido Shinkansen

Tickets can be purchased at any JR East Travel Service Center or online.
Upon purchasing the tickets, make sure to present the original copy of your passport and indicate the start date for pass usage (must be within one month of purchase). If you purchase online, bring your passport and QR code to issue the ticket at WAmazing vending machine placed at Ueno Station.

The "JR EAST Welcome Rail Pass 2020" includes a price for a reserved seats, however, for green cars (first class cars) and GranClass seats, extra fee must be paid to aboard the train.
To reserve a seat, tickets can be purchased using the pass at either the Reserved Seat Ticket Vending Machine at major stations or any JR EAST Travel Service Center, or a JR Ticket Office (Midori-no-Madoguchi) or Travel Service Center (View Plaza). A note of caution, up to 6 times, seats can be reserved using the vending machine. However, making a reservation for the 7th time or even more, it can only be done at JR Ticket Office (Midori-no-Madoguchi).

Reserved Seat Ticket Vending Machine

JR East Travel Service Center

JR Ticket Offices (Midori no Madoguchi)

JR East Shinagawa Station JR Ticket Office (Midori-no-madoguchi)

Tokyo Minato-ku Takanawa 3-26

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The roundtrip tickets for JR East rail pass for the Tohoku area is normally around 20,360yen for adults, whereas the standard pass for Nagano and Niigata areas are 18,330yen. Consider that for just a roundtrip, this JR EAST Welcome Rail Pass 2020 is 12,000yen for adults for 3 days which is a considerable discount when compared.

With so many destinations covered under the pass, the list of possible autumn and winter activities are boundless. Here are some of the experiences that could be available at your fingertips