2 days ago
New unlimited-ride JR Japan rail pass is perfect for a laid-back trip in east and northeast Japan
Taking your time in Kanto, Tohoku, and Chubu? This might be just the pass for you.
Following a huge price increase for the nationwide, Shinkansen-inclusive Japan Rail Pass and new restrictions regarding the use of the all-across-Japan Seishun 18 Ticket, many travelers are saying the bloom is off the rose for what used to be Japan's two best-loved train passes. But as good gardeners and flora fans know, flowers are seasonal things, and even as one or two types wither there's usually another beautiful unfolding ready to take place, which is something that's happening in the rail pass world as well.
As of June 18, East Japan Railway Company (JR East) is offering a new East Japan Nonbiri Tabi Pass, or East Japan Laid-back Journey Pass. This three-day pass allows for unlimited rides through JR East's rail network that covers Japan's eastern Kanto and northeastern Tohoku regions, as well as parts of the Chubu region in Nagano, Shizuoka, Niigata, and Yamanashi Prefectures.
▼ A map of the usable area for the East Japan Nonbiri Tabi Pass
As for the Nonbiri/Laid-back part of the name, that's because JR is billing this as a pass for people looking for an 'unhurried' style of travel, as the pass can be used for regular and rapid-class trains, but not special express or Shinkansen rides. But since this is a regional pass you won't be using it to travel all the way from one end of Japan to the other, and so with a little planning, it could save you a nice chunk of cash.
The East Japan Nonbiri Tabi Pass is priced at just 9,000 yen (US$62). To put that in perspective, the one-way standard/rapid-train fare from Tokyo Station to Nikko is already 2,600 yen. It's 5,000 yen one-way to Nagano, so even if all you did was ride from Tokyo to there and back, the pass would pay for itself, and the same goes for a trip between Tokyo and Sendai (6,400 yen one-way).
In its announcement for the pass, JR East put together two model itineraries, one using Tokyo as a starting point for a day trip to Ito in Shizuoka Prefecture on Day 1, then heading from Tokyo to the beautiful mountain temple town of Nikko for an overnight stay on Day 2 (via Utsunomiya, with a stopover to enjoy the town's famous gyoza, no doubt) before heading back to Tokyo on Day 3. Another option would be a longer round-trip route, going from Tokyo to Niigata on the Sea of Japan coast, spending the night there before going over to Akita in Tohoku for your second night, and then returning to Tokyo on the final day.
▼ Akita's hydrangea temple Unshoji seems like an especially great stop to make on a laid-back journey.
The East Japan Nonbiri Tabi Pass is available exclusively through JR East's Ekinet online ticketing service, and can be purchased up to one month before your desired activation date. The pass can be used for any three consecutive days between July 1 and December 26, with the exception of the Obon summer holiday period between August 10 and 19.
Related: Ekinet, East Japan Nonbiri Tabi Pass webpage
Source: PR Times, JR East via Tokyo Shimbun
Top image: Pakutaso
Insert images: JR East, PR Times
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