Last verified: August 14, 2026, against the official JR Pass site.
If you are buying a Japan Rail Pass for a trip after October, buy it online. As the prices are published today, going through an overseas travel agency costs ¥3,000 to ¥7,000 more for exactly the same pass.
Here is what changed, and the two things you should know before acting on it.
What the official site says
The JR Pass site now lists two separate price tables. Until recently they matched. They no longer do.
Exchange orders bought at an overseas JR-designated agency, on or after October 1, 2026
| Duration | Ordinary (adult) | Green (adult) |
|---|---|---|
| 7-day | ¥53,000 | ¥74,000 |
| 14-day | ¥84,000 | ¥116,000 |
| 21-day | ¥105,000 | ¥147,000 |
Buying online — the price listed as of August 14, 2026
| Duration | Ordinary (adult) | Green (adult) |
|---|---|---|
| 7-day | ¥50,000 | ¥70,000 |
| 14-day | ¥80,000 | ¥110,000 |
| 21-day | ¥100,000 | ¥140,000 |
Agency purchases made by September 30, 2026 are still at the lower prices. The increase applies based on local time at the point of purchase, not on your travel dates.
What you actually save
| Pass | Agency, from Oct 1 | Online, as listed | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7-day Ordinary | ¥53,000 | ¥50,000 | ¥3,000 |
| 14-day Ordinary | ¥84,000 | ¥80,000 | ¥4,000 |
| 21-day Ordinary | ¥105,000 | ¥100,000 | ¥5,000 |
| 7-day Green | ¥74,000 | ¥70,000 | ¥4,000 |
| 14-day Green | ¥116,000 | ¥110,000 | ¥6,000 |
| 21-day Green | ¥147,000 | ¥140,000 | ¥7,000 |
Child fares move too: a 7-day ordinary child pass goes from ¥25,000 to ¥27,000 at agencies.
For a couple buying 21-day Green passes, that is a ¥14,000 difference for filling in a web form instead of walking into a travel agency.
Two caveats, because this is not a guarantee
The online price could change too. JR’s own note on the price page states that prices are subject to change, and that the price which applies is the one displayed when you purchase online or when your exchange order is issued. What I have written above is what is published today. It is not a promise about October. If you are reading this well after the verification date at the top, check the official page yourself before you decide.
Currency works differently in each channel. Online purchases are settled in Japanese yen. Agency purchases are converted from yen into local currency at the bank selling rate on the day your exchange order is issued, and that rate is printed on the order. Depending on your home currency and when you buy, this can widen or narrow the gap. The yen difference is fixed; what you pay at home is not.
Before you buy anything: the pass is often not worth it
This is the part most pages skip, so let me be direct about it. For a lot of itineraries, the JR Pass loses money.
The pass makes sense when you are covering long distances by Shinkansen — roughly a Tokyo–Kyoto return with meaningful travel on top. If your plan is Tokyo for a few days, Kyoto for a few days, and back, run the individual fares first. A single return trip rarely beats the pass price.
Two things that make the arithmetic harder than it looks:
- Reserved seat fares are seasonal. JR prices reserved seats differently in peak, regular and off-peak periods. This is why you will find different “Tokyo to Kyoto” fares quoted on different websites, all presented as the price. None of them are wrong all the time, and none are right all the time. Look up your actual dates rather than trusting a single figure.
- Nozomi and Mizuho need a supplement. The fastest trains on the Tokaido, Sanyo and Kyushu Shinkansen are not simply included; pass holders need a separate supplementary ticket. If your plan assumes you will just board a Nozomi, budget for that.
Price your route on the official fare finder, then compare. If the pass wins, buy it online.
Other 2026 changes that affect the same budget
While you are recalculating, two more items landed this year:
- The international tourist tax (departure tax) rose from ¥1,000 to ¥3,000 for departures on or after July 1, 2026. It is collected with your airfare, so you may not see it as a separate line.
- Kyoto’s lodging tax changed on March 1, 2026, with rates now running up to ¥10,000 per person per night at the top band. Importantly, if you booked before the change and stay on or after March 1, the city’s own FAQ states the difference is collected at the accommodation. That one catches people at check-in.
Still deciding on connectivity? I have a separate breakdown of what “unlimited” actually means on Japan eSIMs, and which provider is the only one that gives you a Japanese phone number.
Sources
- JR Pass types and prices (official): japanrailpass.net/en/purchase/price/
- Nozomi / Mizuho supplementary ticket (official): japanrailpass.net/en/use/special-ticket/
- Kyoto lodging tax FAQ (Kyoto City, Japanese): city.kyoto.lg.jp
I live in Kyoto and check these pages against the Japanese-language originals, which are usually updated before the English ones. If you find something here that has gone stale, tell me and I will correct it and note the date.