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Fancy travelling across Japan this autumn without spending a fortune on train tickets? JR’s ‘Aki no Norihodai’ (Autumn Unlimited) Pass is returning this year, offering three consecutive days of unlimited travel on local and rapid JR trains nationwide for a measly ¥7,850 (children ¥3,920).
The pass goes on sale from September 18, with the travel period running from October 3 to October 18. You’re free to choose your preferred start date when purchasing the ticket, with each pass valid for three consecutive days, starting from that date. What’s particularly convenient about this pass is that you can freely hop in and out of stations as you please – perfect for grabbing some food at local eateries and taking in the local air.
Note that the pass only covers travel on local trains and slightly faster kaisoku (rapid) trains – ordinary commuter-style JR trains that do not offer reserved seating. Also, certain sections of non-JR lines can be used when travelling between JR lines, including parts of the Aoimori Railway, Ainokaze Toyama Railway, IR Ishikawa Railway and Hapi-Line Fukui.
In other words, this pass is best suited to travellers willing to embrace slower-paced travel and take advantage of non-Shinkansen routes that let you see a slice of rural Japan life you’d otherwise miss out on. Although the pass does not cover limited express, express or Shinkansen bullet trains, you can of course purchase tickets separately for those to experience the best of both worlds, stringing together multiple destinations and seeing more of the country.
For those looking to venture as far north as Hokkaido, an additional ‘Hokkaido Shinkansen Option Ticket’ is also available for ¥4,650 (¥2,320 for children). Used together with the Autumn Unlimited Pass, it allows for one one-way journey on the Hokkaido Shinkansen between Shin-Aomori and Kikonai, followed by the Donan Isaribi Railway between Kikonai and Goryokaku. This effectively bridges the gap between the islands of Honshu and Hokkaido, which normally can’t be crossed without taking the bullet train.
The Autumn Unlimited Pass goes on sale from September 18 at all major JR train stations (including reserved ticket vending machines), JR travel kiosks and affiliated travel agencies.
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