JR East-South Hokkaido Rail Pass: price and what it covers

The JR East-South Hokkaido Rail Pass costs 40,000 yen for 6 days, Ordinary Car (JR-EAST Train Reservation, stations in Japan or overseas travel agents); children pay 20,000 yen. Six consecutive days from the day you choose. JR East lines (including BRT) and JR Hokkaido lines in the Hakodate, Sapporo and Otaru area, plus the Tokyo Monorail, Aoimori Railway, Iwate Galaxy Railway and Sendai Airport Transit lines.

Updated October 4, 2026

40,000 yenadult, 6 days, Ordinary Car (JR-EAST Train Reservation, stations in Japan or overseas travel agents)

20,000 yenchild

7of our City to City routes covered

ShinkansenVisitors from abroad

Price

Six consecutive days from the day you choose.

JR East-South Hokkaido Rail Pass: official prices for adults and children
Version	Where you buy it	Adult	Child
6 days, Ordinary Car	JR-EAST Train Reservation, stations in Japan or overseas travel agents	40,000 yen	20,000 yen

Children aged 6 to 11 on the purchase date pay the child price; children under 6 who do not need a reserved seat need no pass.

What the pass covers

JR East lines (including BRT) and JR Hokkaido lines in the Hakodate, Sapporo and Otaru area, plus the Tokyo Monorail, Aoimori Railway, Iwate Galaxy Railway and Sendai Airport Transit lines.
Ordinary car reserved and non-reserved seats on Shinkansen, limited express, express and local trains, within the area shown on the pass map.
The whole Joetsu Shinkansen and the whole Uetsu Line.
Through limited express trains between JR and Tobu (Nikko, Kinugawa, SPACIA Kinugawa) in ordinary reserved seats, and Tobu local trains from Shimo-imaichi to Tobu-nikko and Kinugawa-onsen.

Not covered

The Tokaido Shinkansen and JR buses.
The South Hokkaido Railway Line.
Tobu limited express trains that start or end at Tobu stations.
Lines outside the pass area need extra fares and fees.
Green Car and GranClass seats cost extra.

Does the JR East-South Hokkaido Rail Pass pay off?

Add the journeys you plan to see whether the pass pays off. Below the tool are the normal one-way and round-trip fares for every journey in our City to City data that this pass covers, from the same JR and railway searches.

Normal fares for the journeys the JR East-South Hokkaido Rail Pass covers, and their share of the pass price
Journey	One way	Round trip	Share of the pass price
Tokyo to SapporoHayabusa + Hokuto · inside the area on the official map	30,120 yen	60,240 yen	151%
Tokyo to HakodateHayabusa + Hakodate Liner	24,530 yen	49,060 yen	123%
Tokyo to AomoriHayabusa	18,110 yen	36,220 yen	91%
Tokyo to SendaiTohoku Shinkansen	11,630 yen	23,260 yen	58%
Tokyo to NikkoShinkansen + JR Nikko Line · inside the area on the official map	5,790 yen	11,580 yen	29%
Tokyo to KamakuraJR Yokosuka Line · inside the area on the official map	1,040 yen	2,080 yen	5%
Tokyo to YokohamaJR Tokaido Line · inside the area on the official map	530 yen	1,060 yen	3%

Fares are one adult, reserved seat where trains have them, from the City to City pages (searched for 14 October 2026). A round trip is twice the one-way fare. The share compares the round trip with 40,000 yen for 6 days, Ordinary Car (JR-EAST Train Reservation, stations in Japan or overseas travel agents).

Partly covered: 2 more journeys (not counted)

Tokyo to Karuizawa by Hakutaka: The official area map shows the Shinkansen from Tokyo to Takasaki inside the pass area and marks Karuizawa as outside; the section from Takasaki to Karuizawa needs its own fare and limited express charge.
Tokyo to Enoshima by JR Tokaido Line + Enoden: The official area map shows the JR line from Tokyo only as far as Ofuna; the JR section from Ofuna to Fujisawa and the Enoden are outside the pass area, so their fares are extra.

Where to buy it

On JR-EAST Train Reservation, at designated JR Hokkaido stations, and from travel agencies outside Japan.
At JR EAST Travel Service Centers in the pass area and some stations.
If you book online, pick the pass up in Japan with your passport at a ticket machine with a passport reader or a Travel Service Center.
From October 20, 2026, also at ticket machines with passport readers at Sapporo Station and New Chitose Airport Station.

Who can buy it: Visitors with a non-Japanese passport; you need the original passport to buy and receive it.

Seats and using the pass

Seats: You can reserve seats up to one month ahead online, at reserved seat ticket machines or at a station.

Use the automatic ticket gates with the pass; where there is none, ask the staff.
Keep your passport with you while using the pass and show it if staff ask.
If you bought it on JR-EAST Train Reservation, you can cancel free of charge until 11:50 p.m. (JST) the day before the start date.

Refunds

An unused pass can be refunded where it is sold, minus a 10% fee; no refund once you start using it.

Good to know

You can use only one of these passes at a time and cannot buy two for overlapping dates.
There is no youth or student price.
The pass cannot be reissued if it is lost or stolen.
Gala Yuzawa Station is open only in winter and spring.

What the official page says

Official wordingRailway companies and lines you can use JR EAST (including BRT*) JR Hokkaido Lines (Hakodate, Sapporo, Otaru area) Tokyo Monorail Line (Tokyo Panorama Line) Aoimori Railway Line Iwate Galaxy Railway (IGR) Line Sendai Airport Transit LineJR East

Frequently asked questions

How much is the JR East-South Hokkaido Rail Pass?

40,000 yen for 6 days, Ordinary Car (JR-EAST Train Reservation, stations in Japan or overseas travel agents). Children pay 20,000 yen (6 days, Ordinary Car).

What does the JR East-South Hokkaido Rail Pass cover?

JR East lines (including BRT) and JR Hokkaido lines in the Hakodate, Sapporo and Otaru area, plus the Tokyo Monorail, Aoimori Railway, Iwate Galaxy Railway and Sendai Airport Transit lines. Ordinary car reserved and non-reserved seats on Shinkansen, limited express, express and local trains, within the area shown on the pass map. The whole Joetsu Shinkansen and the whole Uetsu Line.

Can I get a refund on the JR East-South Hokkaido Rail Pass?

An unused pass can be refunded where it is sold, minus a 10% fee; no refund once you start using it.

Who can buy the JR East-South Hokkaido Rail Pass?

Visitors with a non-Japanese passport; you need the original passport to buy and receive it.

Is the JR East-South Hokkaido Rail Pass worth it for Tokyo to Sapporo and back?

A round trip on the Hayabusa and Limited Express Hokuto via Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto costs 60,240 yen, 151% of the pass price of 40,000 yen for 6 days, Ordinary Car (JR-EAST Train Reservation, stations in Japan or overseas travel agents).

Is the JR East-South Hokkaido Rail Pass worth it for Tokyo to Kamakura and back?

A round trip on the JR Yokosuka Line costs 2,080 yen, 5% of the pass price of 40,000 yen for 6 days, Ordinary Car (JR-EAST Train Reservation, stations in Japan or overseas travel agents).