Two ways to check: the usage planner counts trips on popular routes, and the location planner builds your route city by city with days in each.
Usage planner
Enter how many times you will take each trip (a round trip counts as two). The total is compared with the official Japan Rail Pass price.
Prices shown in US dollars (approximate, ECB rate). Change Exchange rates update every 7 days (Tuesdays). Last updated: 2026-10-23.
Trips
Route
One way
Tokyo to Kyoto Tokaido Shinkansen
¥14,170 (US$90)
Tokyo to Shin-Osaka Tokaido Shinkansen
¥14,720 (US$94)
Tokyo to Nagoya Tokaido Shinkansen
¥11,300 (US$72)
Tokyo to Hakata (Fukuoka) Tokaido-Sanyo Shinkansen
¥23,810 (US$152)
Tokyo to Sendai Tohoku Shinkansen
¥11,630 (US$74)
Tokyo to Shin-Aomori Tohoku Shinkansen
¥18,110 (US$115)
Tokyo to Kanazawa Hokuriku Shinkansen
¥14,600 (US$93)
Tokyo to Niigata Joetsu Shinkansen
¥10,980 (US$70)
Hakata (Fukuoka) to Kagoshima-Chuo Kyushu Shinkansen
¥11,950 (US$76)
Tokyo to Hiroshima Tokaido-Sanyo Shinkansen
¥19,760 (US$126)
Single tickets: ¥0 Pass:
Location planner
Build your route one stop at a time. Start where you land, tap each next city in order, and set how many days you spend in each. The total of single tickets is compared with the Japan Rail Pass that covers your travel days.
Only cities with a sourced direct fare from your current stop are shown, nearest (cheapest) first. To go further, add a connecting city first, for example Tokyo or Osaka. That is priced as separate tickets, which is how the tool totals every leg.
Single tickets: ¥47,960 (about US$306) Pass: ¥50,000 (about US$319)7 day pass
10 days in total; the pass needs to cover 7 (first train to last train).
Single tickets are cheaper by about ¥2,040
Pass saves about ¥90 (about US$1) including simulated local JR use of ¥2,130. Simulated estimate, not a quote; not in the headline figure.
Tickets ¥47,960Pass ¥50,000Tickets save ¥2,040. With simulated local JR: pass saves ¥90
How the location planner counts
Start cities are the ones with an international airport nearby: Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, Fukuoka, Sapporo, Sendai, Hiroshima, Okayama, Kumamoto, Kagoshima, Niigata. Okinawa has no JR trains, so it is not included.
Each leg uses the adult one-way fare for a reserved ordinary seat in the regular season, on the fastest train listed by the source (often Nozomi or Mizuho). Pass holders ride Hikari, Kodama and Sakura at no extra cost, or pay the special ticket shown below for Nozomi and Mizuho.
Days in your first and last city do not need pass cover. The pass runs from your first train to your last, so the tool counts the days at the stops in between plus one travel day.
Trips over 21 travel days use the cheapest set of passes back to back. That is a rough guide: in practice you might cover the busiest stretch only and buy tickets for the rest.
Every leg is a separate ticket. JR prices a long through journey slightly lower than two tickets added together, so a route that changes trains in a city you do not stop in can cost a little less than shown.
The headline compares long-distance fares only. Subways, buses and airport transfers are not included.
Local JR lines
The pass also covers local JR lines such as the Yamanote Line in Tokyo, the Osaka Loop Line, the JR Nara Line to Inari and Nara, and the Sagano Line to Arashiyama. If you use them, single tickets typically range from ¥140 to ¥720 per ride: from the shortest Kansai hop (¥140) or Tokyo hop (¥155 with an IC card) up to Kyoto to Nara (¥720).
The second line under the result adds a simulated estimate, not a quote, of local JR spend. It assumes these rides per day at each stop between your first and last city (days in your first and last city are left out, as the pass does not cover them):
Tokyo: 2 rides x ¥209 (JR East IC fare, 7 to 10 km, e.g. a Yamanote hop), about ¥418 a day
Osaka: 2 rides x ¥190 (JR West Kansai urban fare, 7 to 10 km), about ¥380 a day
Kyoto: 1 ride x ¥240 (Kyoto to Saga-Arashiyama) + 1 ride x ¥150 (Kyoto to Inari), about ¥390 a day
Kobe: 1 ride x ¥200 (JR West trunk line fare, 7 to 10 km), about ¥200 a day
Himeji: 1 ride x ¥200 (JR West trunk line fare, 7 to 10 km), about ¥200 a day
Okayama: 1 ride x ¥200 (JR West trunk line fare, 7 to 10 km), about ¥200 a day
Hiroshima: 1 ride x ¥200 (JR West trunk line fare, 7 to 10 km), about ¥200 a day
Sendai: 1 ride x ¥209 (JR East IC fare, 7 to 10 km), about ¥209 a day
Niigata: 1 ride x ¥209 (JR East IC fare, 7 to 10 km), about ¥209 a day
Nagano: 1 ride x ¥209 (JR East IC fare, 7 to 10 km), about ¥209 a day
Morioka: 1 ride x ¥209 (JR East IC fare, 7 to 10 km), about ¥209 a day
All other cities: 0, since visitors there mostly use subways, trams or buses rather than JR.
NAVITIME fares are based on JR fares effective 14 March 2026. The Sapporo legs come from an unofficial reference table of JR fares (fare plus reserved express charge with the Shinkansen transfer discount). Okayama to Takamatsu is the non-reserved Marine Liner fare. Last checked 2026-10-26.
Fares: one-way adult, reserved ordinary seat, regular season, from NAVITIME Travel's Shinkansen fare table (based on fares effective 14 March 2026). Peak and off-peak dates and train type change the price. Last checked 2026-10-26.
Pass prices: adult ordinary car, bought online (¥50,000 / ¥80,000 / ¥100,000). Bought overseas as an exchange order they are ¥53,000 / ¥84,000 / ¥105,000. Source: Japan Rail Pass official site, last checked 2026-10-26.
Nozomi catch: pass holders need a special "NOZOMI MIZUHO Ticket" for each Nozomi or Mizuho ride, for example ¥4,960 Tokyo to Kyoto or Shin-Osaka, ¥4,180 Tokyo to Nagoya, ¥8,140 Tokyo to Hakata and ¥5,150 Hakata to Kagoshima-Chuo. Tick the box above to add them. Hikari, Kodama and Sakura trains need no extra ticket. Source: Japan Rail Pass official site, last checked 2026-10-22.
This compares rail fares only. The pass also covers many local JR lines, which can tip the balance; this tool does not count them.
Frequently asked questions
How much is the Japan Rail Pass?
An adult ordinary-car pass bought on the official site costs ¥50,000 for 7 days, ¥80,000 for 14 days and ¥100,000 for 21 days (japanrailpass.net).
Can I ride Nozomi trains with the JR Pass?
Only with an extra NOZOMI MIZUHO Ticket for each ride, for example ¥4,960 from Tokyo to Kyoto (japanrailpass.net). Hikari and Kodama trains need no extra ticket.
Is the JR Pass worth it for Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka?
Usually not. A Tokyo and Kyoto round trip at the regular reserved fare is ¥28,340, well under the ¥50,000 7 day pass (NAVITIME, japanrailpass.net).