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JR Pass: exchange, pick-up and seat reservations

What to do between buying a Japan Rail Pass and boarding your first Shinkansen: turn the voucher into a pass, pick the start date, reserve seats for free, and buy the add-on ticket for Nozomi.

JR Pass logistics at a glance

Exchange Order deadline
3 months from issue; exchange up to 1 month before the first day of use
Bring
Your passport (Temporary Visitor status for online passes)
Seat reservations
Free: office, reserved-seat machine, or online for official-site passes
Nozomi / Mizuho
Not covered; buy a NOZOMI MIZUHO Ticket per ride (from 1 month before)

From japanrailpass.net and JR Central, read on 30 October 2026.

Two ways the pass reaches you

How you get the physical pass depends on where you bought it. The price differs too: a 7-day ordinary pass is ¥50,000 on the official website and ¥53,000 from overseas agents for purchases from 1 Oct 2026. Whether the pass pays off for your route is a separate question; the JR Pass calculator answers it.

Exchange Order vs online purchase
Bought from an overseas agent (Exchange Order)Bought on the official website
What you holdAn Exchange Order (cannot be used to ride)A reservation number from JAPAN RAIL PASS Reservation
WhereA JAPAN RAIL PASS exchange office (counter)A JR-designated ticket office counter, or a reserved-seat ticket machine with a passport reader (JR East and JR West areas only)
DeadlineWithin 3 months of the issue dateBefore the start date or during the valid period
Seats before arrivalNo; reserve after exchangeYes, on JAPAN RAIL PASS Reservation
  • An Exchange Order bought from an overseas JR-designated sales office or agent must be exchanged for the pass within three months of the date it was issued, at a JAPAN RAIL PASS exchange office in Japan, together with your passport. The Exchange Order itself cannot be used to ride.
  • You can exchange it up to one month before the first day of use. JR's own example: an Order issued on 15 April must be exchanged by 14 July; for a pass starting on 30 May, exchange can start on 30 April.
  • A pass bought on the official website is picked up at a JR-designated ticket office counter or at specific reserved-seat ticket machines with a passport reader (JR East and JR West areas only). Bring the passport with the 'Temporary Visitor' stamp or sticker and the number issued at purchase. It must be picked up before the start date or during the valid period.
  • Machines with a passport reader can issue passes bought online but cannot exchange an Exchange Order. If a machine cannot issue your pass, go to the nearest counter that offers pick-up.
  • The pass is valid only within its period of use, which cannot be extended once travel starts. Refunds are in principle only before the start date; for Exchange Orders bought outside Japan a 10% handling fee applies.
  • Carry your passport at all times while using the pass and show it if station staff or a conductor ask.

Exchange offices at major stations

These are the offices printed on the official list for the stations most visitors pass through. Opening hours vary by office and some close over New Year; check the official list for hours and for every other station.

JAPAN RAIL PASS exchange offices at major stations
StationOffices on the official list
Narita Airport (Terminal 1, Terminal 2-3 stations)JR EAST Travel Service Center; Ticket Office
Haneda Airport Terminal 3 stationJR EAST Travel Service Center
TokyoJR EAST Travel Service Center; JR-CENTRAL Ticket Office (Yaesu Central); JR-CENTRAL Ticket Office (Yaesu North); JAPAN RAIL CAFE
ShinjukuJR EAST Travel Service Center
ShinagawaJR-CENTRAL Ticket Office
NagoyaTicket Office; JR Information Center
KyotoTicket Office (JR-WEST Central); Ticket Office (JR-CENTRAL Hachijo Shinkansen)
Shin-OsakaTravel Service Center SHIN-OSAKA; Ticket Office (JR-WEST East); Ticket Office (JR-CENTRAL Central)
OsakaTicket Office (Central)
Kansai AirportTicket Office
HiroshimaTicket Office
HakataJR-KYUSHU Ticket Office
SapporoJR Information Desk
New Chitose AirportJR Information Desk

Arriving at the airport?

Narita and Haneda (Terminal 3), Kansai Airport and New Chitose Airport all have offices on the list, so you can exchange on arrival. Airport transfers that the pass covers are in our guides to Narita, Haneda and Kansai Airport.

  • Source: JAPAN RAIL PASS exchange and sales offices (JR Group (japanrailpass.net)) · Verified on · The page itself says locations and hours may change or close without notice; check it before you go.

Choosing the start date

The pass comes in 7, 14 and 21-day versions. The official pages set three limits that decide when to start it:

  1. An Exchange Order can be exchanged from one month before the first day of use (and must be used within three months of issue).
  2. A pass bought online must be picked up before its start date or during its valid period.
  3. Once travel starts the period cannot be extended, and refunds are in principle only before the start date.

Because the days run from the start date, starting the pass on the day of your first long Shinkansen ride, rather than on arrival, keeps city days at the start of the trip from using up pass days. Put your legs into the calculator to see which 7 days cover the most expensive rides.

Reserving seats

  • Reserve at a ticket office (Midori-no-madoguchi), a Travel Service Center or a JR-associated travel agency office by showing the pass; at a reserved-seat ticket machine by scanning the pass's QR code (or entering its reservation number) and your passport number; or online on JAPAN RAIL PASS Reservation if you bought the pass on the official website.
  • There is no additional charge for seat reservations. You may not hold reserved seats you cannot actually use, such as seats at the same time on different trains. To change or cancel after the ticket is issued, go to a station ticket window.
  • The JAPAN RAIL PASS site warns that you may not get a seat on the train you want from 1 to 6 May, 7 to 16 August, 18 to 23 September and 29 December to 3 January.
  • Non-reserved seats on Shinkansen other than Nozomi and Mizuho can be used with the pass alone. On Nozomi and Mizuho no seat of any kind (reserved, Green or non-reserved) can be used with the pass alone.
  • Shinkansen TRAIN DESK cars, cars for passengers travelling with children and S Work cars are not covered by the pass.

At a reserved-seat ticket machine

  1. Scan the QR code on your pass, or enter the reservation number printed on it, then enter your passport number.
  2. Enter the section, date and time, then choose the train and seat (or pick an itinerary you already booked online).
  3. Check the details and issue the ticket.

With a large suitcase

  • The JAPAN RAIL PASS site states that on the Tokaido, Sanyo, Kyushu and Nishi Kyushu Shinkansen, passengers with oversized baggage (this site: 161-250 cm in total) must reserve both their seat and the baggage area in advance.
  • At a JR ticket office, a JR Pass holder tells the staff about the oversized baggage when reserving; online, the seat can be booked on JAPAN RAIL PASS Reservation (available since 1 June 2020).
  • Seat reservations with the JR Pass carry no additional charge, so a seat with an oversized baggage area costs a pass holder nothing extra on trains the pass covers.

Size limits: Shinkansen oversized baggage.

Nozomi and Mizuho: the add-on ticket

  • A pass holder can ride Nozomi or Mizuho by buying an [ONLY WITH JAPAN RAIL PASS] NOZOMI MIZUHO Ticket for each ride, from one month before the travel day up to the travel day, at JR reserved-seat ticket machines, JR ticket offices, Travel Service Centers and some JR-designated travel agencies. The official page does not list online sales.
  • One price per section covers a Green Car seat, an ordinary reserved seat or a non-reserved seat; Green Car seats are sold only to Green Car pass holders.
  • The ticket is valid for one day, only for the section printed on it and only together with a valid pass. Reserved and Green tickets can be changed once before departure; refunds before travel cost 340 yen (Green and reserved) or 220 yen (non-reserved), and nothing is refunded after travel starts.
NOZOMI MIZUHO Ticket prices compared with a regular Nozomi or Mizuho ticket, one adult, one way
SectionNOZOMI MIZUHO Ticket (pass holders)Regular reserved ticket on the same train
Tokyo – Nagoya¥4,180¥11,300
Tokyo – Kyoto¥4,960¥14,170
Tokyo – Shin-Osaka¥4,960¥14,720
Tokyo – Hiroshima¥6,500¥19,760
Tokyo – Hakata (Fukuoka)¥8,140¥23,810
Nagoya – Kyoto¥2,530¥5,910
Nagoya – Shin-Osaka¥2,530¥6,680
Kyoto – Hiroshima¥4,170¥11,940
Kyoto – Hakata (Fukuoka)¥5,390¥16,780
Shin-Osaka – Hiroshima¥4,170¥10,950
Shin-Osaka – Hakata (Fukuoka)¥4,960¥16,020
Hiroshima – Hakata (Fukuoka)¥3,400¥9,630
Tokyo – Shin-Kobe (Kobe)¥4,960¥15,490
Tokyo – Okayama¥5,930¥17,770
Nagoya – Hiroshima¥4,960¥14,810
Nagoya – Hakata (Fukuoka)¥6,500¥19,310
Kyoto – Okayama¥3,400¥8,100
Shin-Osaka – Okayama¥2,530¥6,460
Okayama – Hiroshima¥2,530¥6,460
Okayama – Hakata (Fukuoka)¥4,620¥13,370
Shin-Osaka – Kumamoto¥7,850¥20,230
Shin-Osaka – Kagoshima-Chuo¥10,110¥24,360
Hakata (Fukuoka) – Kumamoto¥2,890¥5,840
Hakata (Fukuoka) – Kagoshima-Chuo¥5,150¥11,950

Regular reserved ticket = basic fare + Nozomi/Mizuho reserved-seat charge, normal season. The alternative for pass holders is to take Hikari, Sakura or Kodama at no extra cost.

FAQ

Where can I exchange my JR Pass Exchange Order?

At a JAPAN RAIL PASS exchange office in a major JR station, for example at Narita and Haneda airports, Tokyo, Shinjuku, Shinagawa, Nagoya, Kyoto, Shin-Osaka, Osaka, Kansai Airport, Hiroshima, Hakata, Sapporo and New Chitose Airport. Bring your passport. The full list with hours is on japanrailpass.net/en/exchange/, which says locations and hours can change without notice.

How long is a JR Pass Exchange Order valid?

3 months from the date it was issued. You can exchange it up to one month before the first day you want to use the pass.

Can I choose the start date of my JR Pass?

JR's example shows exchange can start one month before the first day of use, and a pass bought online must be picked up before its start date or during the valid period. Once travel starts the period cannot be extended, and refunds are in principle only before the start date.

Do JR Pass seat reservations cost extra?

No. There is no additional charge for seat reservations on trains the pass covers, including seats with an oversized baggage area on the Tokaido, Sanyo and Kyushu Shinkansen.

Can I reserve JR Pass seats online before I arrive?

Only if you bought the pass on the official website (JAPAN RAIL PASS Reservation). The seat ticket is then issued at a reserved-seat ticket machine after you pick up the pass. Passes bought through an overseas agent are reserved in Japan, at an office or a machine.

How do I ride Nozomi with a JR Pass?

Buy a NOZOMI MIZUHO Ticket for each ride, from one month before up to the day of travel, at a JR ticket machine, ticket office or Travel Service Center. Tokyo – Kyoto costs ¥4,960 one way. One price covers a reserved, non-reserved or (for Green pass holders) Green Car seat.

Shinkansen practical guides

All sources for this page

Plan the rest of your trip

The same checklist on every page: tours, insurance, mobile data and the JR Pass.

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