Seishun 18 Kippu

The Seishun Juhachi Kippu (青春１８きっぷ, meaning something like "Youthful 18 Ticket") is a seasonally available railway ticket, which gives you three or five days of unlimited, nationwide travel on local and rapid JR (Japan Railways) trains. It lost a lot of its value when it underwent a renewal in late 2024, but it can still be an interesting discount ticket.

3 consecutive days	10,000 yen
5 consecutive days	12,050 yen

When can it be used?

The Seishun 18 Kippu can be used only three times a year during school holiday seasons, as shown in the table below:

• Spring: March 1 to April 10
• Summer: July 20 to September 10
• Winter: December 10 to January 10

Eligibility

Despite its name, the Seishun 18 Kippu can be used by people of all ages. It is available to foreign tourists as well as Japanese and foreign residents of Japan. But there is no child fare.

Use

Where is it sold?

The Seishun 18 Kippu can be bought at most JR stations across Japan. The sale of the ticket starts several days before the start of the usage periods listed above. And it ends two days before the end of the usage periods for the 3-day ticket and four days before the end of the usage periods for the 5-day ticket.

Can it be shared?

Before the ticket's 2024 renewal, it used to be possible for up to five people to use a single Seishun 18 Kippu at the same time, but it can now be used only by a single person at a time.

How to use it?

The Seishun 18 Kippu can now be inserted into the automatic ticket gates. It used to be necessary to pass through the manned gates.

When is it valid?

The ticket is valid on three or five consecutive calendar days. The starting date is specified at the time of purchase. A day is defined to last until the last train of the day, even if the last train runs after midnight.

Which trains can be used?

The ticket is valid only on local trains (futsudensha/kakuekiteisha) and rapid trains (kaisoku), operated by Japan Railways (JR). Furthermore, it is valid on the JR ferry to Miyajima and the JR buses along the Sanriku Coast (Maeyachi - Kesennuma - Sakari). The Seishun 18 Kippu is not valid on limited express trains (tokkyu) and the shinkansen.

There are a few exceptions:

• There are a small number of JR trains which partially use the tracks of a different railway company. An additional fee has to be paid on such trains.
• The ticket can generally not be used on limited express trains. However, there are some exceptional sections where ticket holders are allowed to use them:
  • Unreserved seats between Aomori and Shin-Aomori
  • Unreserved seats between Sasebo and Haiki
  • Unreserved seats between Miyazaki and Miyazaki Airport
  • Unreserved seats between Higashi-Muroran and Muroran
  • Vacant reserved seats between Shintoku and Shin-Yubari
• The ticket can generally not be used on non-JR trains. However, there is a small number of exceptions to enable ticket holders to access isolated JR lines:
  • Aoimori Railway between Aomori, Noheji and Hachinohe to access the JR Ominato Line to the Shimokita Peninsula and the JR Hachinohe Line. Getting on or off is not allowed at any other stations.
  • IR Ishikawa Railway between Kanazawa and Tsubata to access the JR Nanao Line to the Noto Peninsula. Getting on or off is not allowed at any other stations.
  • Ainokaze Toyama Railway between Toyama and Takaoka to access the JR Himi Line and JR Johana Line. Getting on or off is not allowed at any other stations.
  • Hapi Line Fukui between Tsuruga and Echizen-Hanando to access the JR Kuzuryu Line. Getting on or off is not allowed at any other stations.

Is it possible to use the ticket on trains between Honshu and Hokkaido?

Ticket holders will need to purchase a "Seishun 18 Kippu Hokkaido Shinkansen Ticket" for 4500 yen per person in order to use a vacant seat on the Hokkaido Shinkansen between Shin-Aomori and Kikonai (the first station on Hokkaido) and the Donan Isaribi Railway (aka South Hokkaido Railway) between Kikonai and Hakodate for a one way journey.

Is it practical to travel long distances by local trains?

Travel by local trains is naturally much slower than by shinkansen or limited express. From Tokyo, for example, it takes roughly nine hours and multiple transfers of trains to reach Kyoto. On major lines, such as the Tokaido Line and the Sanyo Line, local train service is frequent enough to travel without preparing a prior itinerary, but on most other lines, local service is infrequent and connections inconvenient. Therefore, it is highly recommended to create an itinerary in advance by studying the timetables. Low fares by overnight buses and discount airlines have created comfortable alternatives to the Seishun 18 Kippu in recent decades.