I will be in Japan from September 30 to October 19, 2025 and I would like to know if I should buy a Japan Rail Pass for the travel I plan to do. I know that I will make trips from Tokyo to Hiroshima and either Osaka or Nagoya. I will also make a trip from Tokyo to Aomori City. I know that both of those trips involve taking shinkansen trains from Tokyo and back to Tokyo. I also know that the trip to Aomori prefecture involves taking a local train from the Aomori shinkansen station to Aomori City. Will I be able to use the Japan Rail Pass for those shinkansen train routes and also for the local train to Aomori City? Going to Aomori prefecture, I will travel with a friend who will not have a Japan Rail Pass. Can we coordinate our reservations in some way so we can sit together if I am traveling on a Japan Rail Pass but she is not traveling on that pass?
Questions about use of JRPass on shinkansen trains to different destinations
Hi there,
It will depend on your timing, but you do have a lot Shinkansen travel planned and this is exactly where the JR Pass is your friend! The JR Pass includes all Shinkansen routes, so you can do both Aomori and Hiroshima. That also includes the JR line from Shin-Aomori to Aomori station downtown.
Seat reservations can be made together but I would recommend doing that at a manned JR ticket office, as they can do it at the same time, but this is not directly possible on a ticket machine.
Hope that helps!
Daniel
Many thanks, Daniel-san! I think you've told me all I need to know, at least for now. I appreciate your prompt and informative answer.
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