Have you ever been recommended to buy Japan Rail Pass before you visit to Japan? This special fare pass is available only for temporary visitors to Japan.

The Japan Rail Pass is valid on JR group railways, buses and ferries all over Japan. You can go around Japan, from Hokkaido to Kyushu, with the pass during the validity period.

Japan Rail Pass


However, do you really need this pass if you stay only in Tokyo area? — I think not!

The reason is because we have subways and metro accessing easily, but the pass is valid only on JR group railways. You can see its accessibility of subways if you see this route map of Tokyo metro.



It goes to everywhere around Tokyo.

I take both JR and Tokyo metro every day to move around Tokyo area. I think it is not that convenient if the pass is valid only on JR, since I always want to take easiest and fastest train to reach my destination without choosing JR or metro. But if you go out of Tokyo during your trip, it may be cheaper and convenient if you have JR rail pass.