JR Kansai Wide Area Pass

The JR Kansai Wide Area Pass is a rail pass for use by foreign tourists, providing five consecutive days of unlimited travel on designated train and bus lines (including shinkansen and limited express trains) in the Kansai Region. A very similar pass, named JR Kansai Wide Area Excursion Pass, is available as a 3-day pass to foreign residents of Japan.

Purchase the JR Kansai Wide Area Pass (for tourists)

Purchase the JR Kansai Wide Area Excursion Pass (for residents)

Validity

1. Unlimited use of trains along the JR lines shown on the map above. The Sanyo Shinkansen is covered between Shin-Osaka and Okayama (including Nozomi and Mizuho trains). However, the Tokaido Shinkansen between Kyoto and Osaka is not covered.
2. Seat reservations can be made for free (see details below).
3. Unlimited use of the Kyoto Tango Railway, which provides access to Amanohashidate.
4. Unlimited use of the Chizukyu Express Line between Kamigori and Chizu, a non-JR line that provides the fastest train access to Tottori.
5. Unlimited use of the Wakayama Railway.
6. Unlimited use of local JR buses between Kyoto Station, Takao and Shuzan, and between Obama and Omi-Imazu.
7. Free use of rental bicycles at designated Ekirin Kun outlets within the covered area.
8. The pass is valid on consecutive calendar days (midnight to midnight).
9. Only foreign visitors to Japan (with temporary visitor status) can use the JR Kansai Wide Area Pass, while the JR Kansai Wide Area Excursion Pass can be used by foreign residents of Japan with a non-Japanese passport.
10. The pass can be used only by a single person. It cannot be transferred between multiple persons. The pass holder has to carry his/her passport at all times.

Points of sale

The JR Kansai Wide Area Pass can be purchased online through various websites, including the official JR West website, and at selected travel agents outside of Japan. The actual pass has to be picked up at a major station in the area covered before use. An advantage of purchasing the pass through the official website is that you can make seat reservations online, while others can make seat reservations only at ticket machines and ticket offices.

The JR Kansai Wide Area Excursion Pass (for residents) is sold at a few travel agencies in Japan, such as the JR Kyoto station foreign traveler's counter, the Travel Service Centers at Osaka and Shin-Osaka stations and the NTA TiS branches at Kyoto, Shin-Osaka and Sannomiya stations. The pass can be purchased also through a few travel websites, such as Rakuten, but the physical ticket needs to be picked up at one of the above-mentioned agencies before use.

Purchase the JR Kansai Wide Area Pass (for tourists)

Purchase the JR Kansai Wide Area Excursion Pass (for residents)

Seat reservations

Seat reservations can be made at no additional cost at ticket offices. The first six reservations can alternatively be made at ticket machines, but subsequent reservations can be made only at ticket offices. Furthermore, those who purchased their pass through the official JR West website can also use the JR West website to make seat reservations, but the website is not very easy to use (the pass for residents is not sold on the official JR West website).

Assessment

The JR Kansai Wide Area Pass can be a very good value for travelers who visit the Osaka/Kyoto/Nara/Kobe area in combination with at least one major side trip to a less centrally located destination in the pass' coverage area, such as Kinosaki Onsen, Okayama, Takamatsu or the Kumano Region. It will not pay off for urban, short-distance travel around Osaka, Kyoto, Nara and Kobe alone.

Read our page about passes for the Kansai Region for more information.