JR Pass or JR Seishun 18 Kippu, When You Travel in Japan
Japan, one of the top countries in convenience, offers comfortable ways to travel around the country. The comfy modes of transportation – such as the train system – will bring you a new experience. Unfortunately, some travelers insist on the expensive price of the famous Shinkansen (bullet train) by using JR Pass. If you dare to try another way to travel throughout Japan, you have to try the local train using an unusual ticket. It’s the cheapest way to travel Japan that you’ve ever found!
What Is The Seishun 18?
The ticket: the Seishun 18 (Seishun Ju-Hachi-Kippu – meaning Youthful 18 ticket) is a kind of five-day ticket for people of all ages. It’s issued by JR or Japan Rail Pass and can be used on their lines from the north to south of Japan, but only for its local train (meaning no Shinkansen or express train).
When Can We Get The Seishun 18?
Furthermore, the Seishun 18 is only available three times a year! The spring season sale is from February 20th to March 31st and can be used from March 1st to April 10th to enjoy cherry blossom throughout Japan; the summer sale is from July 1st to August 31st and can be used between July 20th and September 10th to have a nice summer holiday along the beautiful coastline of Japan. The winter season sale is between December 1st and 31st and can be used from December 10th to January 10th so you can enjoy a trip to the north for seeing more snow and skiing.
The Senshun 18 Kippu, The Terms Of Use
Travel with the Seishun 18 is the best way to spend your long weekend – especially with friends and family. Don’t worry about the ticket. Even though it is written in only Japanese, the system is very easy to learn and use. The Seishun 18 consists of five tickets (written on 1 piece of hard paper); the ticket can be used by one person during five non-consecutive days (during the given season), or for 5 people (together) in 1 day; the total price is 11.850 yen or 2.370 yen per ticket; and it can be used non-stop from 0:01 until 23:59! I can’t believe it! Besides providing the most comfy and fastest way of transportation in the Shinkansen, Japan also offers their tourist with an affordable – no, the cheapest – price of ticket.
JR Ticket Office (Midori No Madoguchi)
How Do We Buy The Seishun 18?
Well, you just need to go to JR ticket office inside a station, or Midori no Madoguchi (green entrance), and buy the ticket by cash or credit card. They will give you five pieces of hard paper ticket. One ticket is the main ticket and you can show the number 1 – 5 that will be stamped by the staff when they are used. When you use the ticket, do not put the ticket into the machine! Make sure to show it to the staff in the office, and they will stamp your ticket.
The Easiest Example Timetables of How to Use The Ticket from Tokyo to Osaka
Tokyo (Start at 05.46) – Atami (07.44) – Numazu (08.08) – Hamamatsu (10.20) – Toyohashi (11.03) – Ogaki (12.42) – Maibara (13.20) – Kyoto (14.15) – Osaka (Arrived at 14.43)
Besides travelling in Honshu area, this Seishun 18 can bring you to travel between Honshu to Hokkaido! Even though it’s a two-day trip from Tokyo, it’s fun and amazing. Using the website “Hyperdia,” you can easily plan your routes and timetables from wherever you are.
The Trip from Honshu to Hokkaido, Is It Possible?
Since March 2016, the new Hokkaido Shinkansen (the bullet train) is now in operation. If you have the Seishun 18 ticket, you can purchase Seishun 18 Kippu Hokkaido Shinkansen ticket at 2,300 yen per person. With this ticket, you can take the Shinkansen between Okutsugaru-Imabetsu and Kikonai (the first JR station on Hokkaido) and the Donan Isaribi Railway between Kikonai and Hakodate. However, please keep in mind that you can purchase this ticket only once. A bit complicated!
Before you decide to travel using the Seishun 18, you must consider some important points such as time management, food stock, and your attention to avoid stopping at the wrong station and preventing a missed train. Moreover, if you take a quite long journey (such as from Tokyo to Sapporo for 2 days), you need to prepare both your physical condition and enough entertainment, because two days in a train will be boring for those who are not accustomed to long trips. One more thing: in case you are late catching the next train, but there is no place you reserved for a stay, you must note that every station is closed after 12 am. Just go to the nearest Kombini (24 hours convenience store) or the nearest police station and ask for some help; they will kindly help you.
For the traveller who has more time: enjoy every single scene; hectically and hurriedly transit from one station to another; meet new people and share your experiences with others on your own trip while using the cheapest way to travel throughout Japan, the Seishun 18 Kippu.
