Should I Get the Japan Rail (JR) Pass?

Short Answer:

Are you staying in just one or two places? No

Are you going to travel all across Japan? Yes

*** Note: I last travelled to Japan in October of 2017, prices have probably varied by now and all currency is in USD***

I used both the JR pass and the suica card (a card you can tap on and off for the subway). The JR pass is only worth it if you are going to be taking the shinkansen (bullet train) to go across Japan (it won’t pay off if you’re only staying in one place). Here’s a good website to see if it pays off for you to get the JR pass:  https://www.jrpass.com/farecalculator/

This was my itinerary for 2 weeks (Tokyo, Kyoto, Hiroshima, Osaka, Himeji, Ichinoseki, Aomori, Tokyo). I got the 14 day JR pass (Approximately $460 USD). The cost for all the tickets total would have been ~$610 (a $150 savings). A roundtrip ticket from Tokyo to Kyoto is $280 dollars, while a 7-day JR pass is $300, so… not worth it.

There are some other uses for the JR pass besides just the Shinkasen. Many major tourist spots have JR bus lines loop tours that take you to all the popular site seeing places. Additionally, Hiroshima has the JR ferry to take you to Miyajima island. Go to the tourist info centers, and they will have maps and English guides to help you get around.