Seishun 18 Ticket Voyage Tips and guide

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See also: Rail travel in Japan

The Seishun 18 Ticket (青春１８きっぷ Seishun jūhachi kippu) is a discount rail ticket offered by Japan's JR network. When available (three times a year, on 136 days in total), it is an affordable way to get around Japan, costing ¥12,050 for five consecutive days of unlimited travel – but only on local and rapid trains (no limited express or Shinkansen lines). There is also a three-day variant available for ¥10,000. Despite its name meaning "Youth 18", anyone can purchase the ticket, regardless of age, student status, residence status, or nationality.

JR argues that "in general, the Japan Rail Pass offers a much better deal to almost all foreign travelers". However, the two are hardly comparable for a number of reasons. The Japan Rail Pass, which offers unlimited travel on almost all JR trains for a 7, 14, or 21-day period, caters to tourists who are planning to visit various points in Japan, and who want to save as much time as possible along the way. It costs much more than the Seishun 18 Ticket, but allows holders to use limited express and Shinkansen trains that can be considerably faster.

If you're planning on traveling in Hokkaido or Eastern Japan (Tohoku, Kanto and the eastern Koshin'etsu side of Chubu), also consider the very similar Hokkaido and East Japan Pass (covered below), which fills in a few gaps in the JR network and is valid for a longer period of time but adds some extra restrictions.

In early/mid-October, strongly consider using the Aki no Norihōdai Pass (秋の乗り放題パス) instead, which is a cheaper version of the three-day version of this ticket.

Beginning in Winter 2024/2025, the ticket works the same as regular Japanese train tickets or passes and can be inserted into automatic ticket gates. The ticket cannot be used on super express, limited express, or sleeper trains, or on any train part of the Shinkansen network. This is the main catch to the ticket, and the main reason why many travelers may prefer to use the Japan Rail Pass. When using the Seishun 18 Ticket, you are restricted to local (普通 futsū), rapid (快速 kaisoku) and super/special rapid (新快速 shin-kaisoku) trains, which are designed for regional trips, not cross-country travel. Traveling from Tokyo to Kyoto, for instance, takes as little as two and a half hours on the Tokaidō Shinkansen, but takes nine hours on rapid trains. The upshot to this is that you can stop in various towns along the way: taking a full day to travel from Tokyo to Kyoto, you would have enough time to visit Odawara, Nagoya, and other cities along the Tokaido Line.

There are a few exceptions to the above rule, which allow passengers to travel across two areas that have no local rail service:

• Shinkansen trains have now replaced regular trains through the Seikan Tunnel to and from Hokkaido, but Seishun 18 Ticket holders cannot use the Shinkansen. Thankfully, JR sells an option ticket (北海道新幹線オプション券 Hokkaidō Shinkansen opushon-ken) as an add-on to the Seishun 18 Ticket for ¥4,500 (previously ¥2,450). This special ticket will allow trips in any available standard class seat on Hokkaido Shinkansen trains between Aomori's shinkansen hub at Shin-Aomori (one stop from Aomori Station, previously Aomori's northernmost stop at Okutsugaru-Imabetsu) and Hokkaido's southernmost stop at Kikonai. It also covers travel on the private South Hokkaido Railway (Dōnan Isaribi) Line between Kikonai and Goryokaku, where the rest of the local JR network can be accessed. You must be in possession of a valid Seishun 18 Ticket to purchase and use the option ticket.
• Travel is permitted in non-reserved seating on Sekisho Line limited express trains between Shintoku (新得) and Shin-Yubari (新夕張), part of the route between Sapporo and Obihiro in Hokkaido.
• Travel is permitted on local and rapid trains of the Aoimori Railway in northern Tohoku. Ticket holders can only travel to and from Hachinohe, Noheji and Aomori with no intermediate stops. If you enter or exit the Aoimori Railway at another station, you will have to pay the applicable Aoimori Railway fares. The Ominato Line, which runs from Noheji, is operated by JR and can be used for Seishun 18 journeys. Note that the line from Morioka to Hachinohe, which is operated by Iwate Galaxy Railway and Aoimori Railway, is not covered and requires a regular ticket (¥3,110).
• Travel is permitted on local and rapid trains of the Ainokaze Toyama Railway between Toyama and Takaoka without getting off, since two JR lines – the Himi and Jōhana Lines – start in Takaoka.
• Travel is permitted on local and rapid trains of the IR Ishikawa Railway between Kanazawa and Tsubata without getting off, since the JR Nanao Line starts in Tsubata.
• Travel is permitted on local and rapid trains of Hapi-Line Fukui between Tsuruga and Echizen-Hanandō without getting off, since the JR Kuzuryū (Etsumi-Hoku) Line starts in Echizen-Hanandō.

Some other express trains in remote areas may also be ridden for the price of a seat reservation. Typically, this is around ¥250, and would be noted in the timetable books. Ordinary car seat reservations with the Seishun 18 Ticket on local, rapid or special rapid services can be made, if the required surcharges are paid (an example is the Marine Liner rapid service between Okayama and Takamatsu).

• Travel is permitted on Local and Semi-Express of Tokyo Metro Chiyoda Line between Kitasenju and Ayase without getting off, since the Chiyoda Line is regarded as JR Jōban Line.

The JR ferry between Hiroshima and Miyajima is covered by the ticket, but JR buses are not.

Seishun 18 Tickets are usable during Japan's three major school holiday periods, which are generally as follows (be sure to confirm specific dates, which can change year-to-year):

A ticket can be purchased from any JR Ticket Office (みどりの窓口 Midori no madoguchi), and customers buy as many as they wish. If using an automated machine (みどりの券売機 Midori no kenbaiki), tickets can only be purchased if the machine is set to Japanese; if the UI is set to English or another language, the option will not be available.

See the Alternative passes section below for other Seishun 18-like tickets with different sale times and validities.

The ticket can also be purchased from discount ticket (金券 kinken) shops at a small discount (typically ¥300–500). These shops often offer partially-stamped tickets, as well, for those who may not want or need the full 5 days, or who need only a couple of extra on top of the 5 provided by the standard ticket. Expect to pay a higher per-day price when buying a partially stamped ticket – it can go as high as ¥3,500 for a ticket with one day left. The price slowly goes down toward the end of the effective period, e.g. ¥2,000 three days before expiration. Additionally, these shops are all cash-only.

You may also sell partially stamped ticket to these shops – get several thousand yen back and help another budget traveler. The sooner the better, because of price erosion and possible rejection; shops stop buying tickets about one week before expiration. However, you will need the help of a Japanese citizen or resident as non-residents are not allowed to sell to ticket shops.

Most Japanese people using a Seishun 18 ticket consult a national railway timetable to determine which trains to take and which connections to make. For tourists who can't read Japanese, the best alternative is the Navitime website, which provides electronic railway, airline, and bus schedules for the entire country. (Be sure to uncheck all of the boxes before running your search, or else your itinerary will probably include trains that you can't take with the Seishun 18 Ticket.) The general rule is, you can take JR trains that don't require a separate limited express fare supplement. Liner trains can be taken if you purchase the Liner fare supplement.

The Tokaido Line is undoubtedly the easiest line to travel with a Seishun 18 Ticket, and probably one of the most convenient for tourists because it forms the shortest link between Tokyo and the Kansai region. Trains run every 15 minutes or so during the day, making it easy to take breaks en route without running over schedule. It takes about nine hours to get from Tokyo to Kyoto, not including rest or meal stops; this requires about 4-6 transfers along the way depending on when you travel. These transfers will most likely occur in cities such as Atami, Shizuoka, Hamamatsu, Toyohashi, Ogaki, and Maibara. From Maibara, you can go north to the Hokuriku Region or continue west. There are trains that run all the way from Maibara to Himeji and Banshu-Ako (Ako) on the Sanyo Line. Tokyo to Nagoya takes about 6 1/2 hours without stops.

The Sanyo Main Line is the westward extension of the Tokaido Main Line, connecting the Kansai region to Okayama, Hiroshima, and Kitakyushu. It is not quite as convenient as the Tokaido Line, but generally runs at least every half hour (with frequent service around Kobe, Hiroshima and Fukuoka). Shin-Kaisoku Trains can travel from Maibara (on the Tokaido Main Line) all the way to Himeji before a transfer is necessary. Osaka to Hiroshima is about 6 hours; Hiroshima to Fukuoka is another 6 hours.

Those wishing to visit Shikoku must transfer at Okayama to the Marine Liner. The Liner is covered by the pass, as long as you remain in the non-reserved section. The Yosan Line, Yodo Line, and Dosan Line travel in a circle from Kagawa to Ehime (Yosan), Ehime to Kochi (Yodo), and Kochi through western Tokushima and back to Kagawa (Dosan). The Uchiko Line in Ehime is the only additional line along the route and provides access to the historic town of Uchiko. Many Seishun travelers use this as their "Golden Route" around Shikoku to visit the most famous locations, such as Takamatsu, Matsuyama, Uwajima, Kochi, and the Iya Valley as a single Shikoku Seishun 18 trip.

Additionally, the Tokushima Line connects Awa-Ikeda Station (Miyoshi) to Tokushima, the Kotoku Line connects Takamatsu to Tokushima, and the Mugi Line gives access to southern Tokushima Prefecture from Tokushima City. The Kuroshio Railway lines in Kochi Prefecture are private railways not covered by the pass.

Trains in Shikoku are less frequent, so it's important to plan ahead and be aware of train times when traveling to multiple cities around the island. The Yodo Line between Ehime and Kochi is particularly sparse of options. Missing your connection could leave you stranded for hours waiting for the next train.

The Chuo Main Line is a Y-shaped line through the Japanese Alps, connecting Tokyo and Nagoya via Shiojiri. Although the Chuo Main Line can be used for travel between Tokyo and Nagoya, the Tokaido Main Line is faster. The corridor between Kofu and Nakatsugawa are very rural, so train connections are infrequent. Because of this, the Chuo Main Line is only recommended over the Tokaido Main Line for those who plan to stop at locations along the way or those wishing to travel travel further north to Matsumoto and Nagano, which can both be reached by transferring to the Shinonoi Line at Shiojiri. You can reach Nagano from either Tokyo or Nagoya in approximately 6 hours.

Since the opening of the Hokuriku Shinkansen in March 2015, and extension to Tsuruga in March 2024, local and rapid trains in the area are now almost entirely run by private railways. The Hokuriku Main Line now only runs from Maibara to Tsuruga; from Tsuruga all the way to Naoetsu, trains are run by various companies. The privatization of most of the area has left a few JR lines disconnected from any connections with a JR station. Deals were reached with these private railways to allow passengers to use their lines without charges only when exiting at stations where a JR transfer can be made (Echizen-Hanandō Station for the Kuzuryū Line a.k.a. Etsumi-Hoku Line, Tsubata Station for the JR Nanao Line, Takaoka Station for the Himi and Jōhana Lines, and Toyama Station for the Takayama Line). If you get off at any station that does not have a JR connection, you will be charged for the route traveled.

The Tohoku Line follows the Pacific coast north from Tokyo to Sendai and Aomori. It is about 7 hours from Tokyo to Sendai, and another 9 hours from there to Aomori. Outside of the Tokyo and Sendai metropolitan areas, services are relatively infrequent, running on an hourly or bihourly basis.

To travel to Hokkaido, you must purchase a ¥4,500 "option ticket" described earlier in this article which will grant you access to the Shinkansen for only the segment through the Seikan Tunnel.

Be warned that the train schedules in northern Japan, particularly in Hokkaido, are very limited. You'll want to use a timetable or sites like Navitime, Jorudan, or Yahoo! Transit to plan your itinerary. If traveling between Aomori and Sapporo, you can expect the trip to take two days.

Here are some of the basic routes to use from Sapporo down to Hakodate, Aomori and Niigata:

• From Sapporo to Hakodate, take the Chitose Line to Tomakomai (1.5 hours), then the Muroran Line to Oshamambe via Higashimuroran (just over 3 hours), then the Hakodate Line to Hakodate (about 4 hours).
• From Hakodate to Kikonai, take the private South Hokkaido Railway Isaribi Line, covered by the option ticket (1 hour).
• From Kikonai to Shin-Aomori, which is only served by the Shinkansen, the option ticket permits you to take any available standard class seat on the Hayabusa or Hayate Shinkansen service (40 minutes). There are seven daily round-trips that operate between the two stations at about 2–3 hour intervals.
• From Shin-Aomori to Aomori, take the Ou Line for one stop.
• From Aomori to Akita, take the Ou Line via Hirosaki, Odate, and Higashinoshiro (1 hour to Hirosaki, 2.5 hours to Akita). You may have an extended layover at Hirosaki depending on your schedule.
• From Akita to Niigata, take the Uetsu Line to Shibata via Sakata and Murakami (5 hours), then change to the Hakushin Line for Niigata (30 minutes).

Seishun 18 Ticket holders are entitled to some discounts on other railways, buses and hotels.

JR West Bus (West Japan JR Bus Company), the bus department of JR West, gives passengers who have Seishun 18 Tickets a discount on fares of three bus routes: the Meikin Line (名金線 Meikin-sen) between Kanazawa Station and Fukumitsu, the Enpuku Line (園福線 Enpuku-sen) between Fukuchiyama Station and Sonobe, and the Wakae Line (若江線 Wakae-sen) between Ōmi-Imazu Station and Obama Station. Through this campaign, passengers may ride on the above bus routes at a flat fare of ¥800 each.

Passengers must show the bus driver their Seishun 18 Ticket, are given a discount ticket at the end of their ride, and may only alight at the two terminal stops of each line. Alighting at any other stop results in no discount being applied.

On the Hisatsu Orange Railway, the Orange 18 Free Ticket (おれんじ18フリーきっぷ Orenji 18 furī kippu) is sold for ¥2,100 to passengers who have valid Seishun 18 Tickets in a valid period of time (a same-day seal is placed on the ticket). Free Pass in Hisatsu Orange Railway^{[dead link]} Passengers can ride on the entire line on the Hisatsu Orange Railway for one day. Tickets can be purchased from crews, station staffs, and stations tellers on the trains or stations.

On the Echigo Tokimeki Railway, the Tokitetsu 18 Ticket (トキ鉄18きっぷ Tokitetsu 18 kippu) is sold for ¥1,000 to passengers who have a valid Seishun 18 Ticket that has been used on the same day.

Kampu Ferry gives passengers who have Seishun 18 Tickets a discount on fares between Shimonoseki and Busan, South Korea. The company allows for a discount of 50% for second-class seats (¥4,500), 36% for first-class seats (¥8,000), and 25% for deluxe class seats (¥13,500). (Given prices are one-way, after discount.) Passengers must reserve a seat on the ferry and mention the 青春18きっぷ旅大応援割引 Seishun 18 kippu tabi daioen waribiki discount by telephone before boarding the ferry.

When making a reservation, passengers must provide their name, passport number, date of birth, and gender. A round-trip ferry ticket counts as two tickets, and the discount can be applied to both. There is no discount available when making a one-way trip from the Port of Busan to Shimonoseki.

Passengers must pay a non-discounted fuel surcharge fee and international tourist tax (¥1,000) along with the price of the ticket.

JR Hotel Group gives guests who have Seishun 18 Tickets a 10–20% discount off the regular rate. Guests must make a reservation at this hotel by the previous day. Guests must show hotel staff the Seishun 18 Ticket which is used on the same day as the hotel check-in. A list of discounts is available here.

There are two Seishun 18-like passes that may be viable alternatives.

The Hokkaido and East Japan Pass (北海道&東日本パス Hokkaido & higashi-nihon pasu) is a regional version of the Seishun 18 Ticket, priced slightly cheaper at ¥11,330 (children ¥5,660) for seven consecutive days of travel. The pass allows travel on all JR East and JR Hokkaido local and rapid commuter services, plus the Iwate Galaxy Railway (IGR, a.k.a. Iwate Ginga Tetsudo) and Aoimori Railway (Aoimori Tetsudo) lines between Morioka and Aomori, along with the Hokuetsu Express between Echigo-Yuzawa and Naoetsu. With the purchase of an additional special express ticket (特定特急券 tokutei tokkyuūken), trips are also permitted on Hokkaido Shinkansen trains between Shin-Aomori and Hakodate), sold as standing room (立席 tachiseki) tickets where riders may use any available seat in the specified car.

The ticket is available during the same days as the summer Seishun 18 Ticket, which in 2024 are:

Note that this pass covers seven consecutive days and can only be used by one person, as opposed to the Seishun 18 Ticket, which can be used on any five days within the period and can be shared between more travelers. The usable period of the Hokkaido and East Japan Pass also differs slightly.

The Aki no Norihōdai Pass (秋の乗り放題パス), the "Autumn All-You-Can-Ride Pass", can be used in precisely the same way on precisely the same lines as the Seishun 18 Ticket. However, it's available only once a year for a two-week period in early October (exact dates vary yearly), and tickets go on sale in mid-September. The cost is ¥7,850 for three days, making it cheaper per day than the three-day Seishun 18 – but, unlike the Seishun 18, a half-priced version for kids is available. The ticket is sold every year to commemorate Railroad Day (鉄道の日 Tetsudō no hi) which is celebrated on October 14. Like the above tickets, an "option ticket" may also be purchased to ride the Hokkaido Shinkansen for an extra fee of ¥2,490. This pass also gives JR hotel discounts as described above.

The Aki no Norihōdai Pass 2024 dates are as follows:

JR West has a special version of the pass, the "Railroad Day Commemorative JR West 1-Day All-You-Can-Ride Ticket" (鉄道の日記念 JR西日本一日乗り放題きっぷ Tetsudō-no-hi kinen JR nishi-nihon ichinichi norihōdai kippu), which costs ¥3,080 and is valid for one day only for all JR West lines. Sale and validity dates are similar.

Prior to the change in usage conditions announced on October 10, 2024, the Seishun 18 Ticket was able to be used for five non-consecutive days over each period. It was also usable by multiple passengers; for example, five passengers could use one entire ticket sheet for unlimited trips in one day, a group of two could use the ticket across two days (with one use remaining at the end), or one person could use it for travel across five days. The ticket was unable to be used in automatic ticket machines, and railway staff stamped the ticket at the beginning of each day of use. No three-day variant was available prior to 2024. Along with these changes, the Hokkaido Shinkansen "option ticket" was also raised in price from ¥2,490 to ¥4,500 and its usage section slightly expanded due to the current closure of part of the .