Hokkaido Rail Pass
All JR Hokkaido trains for 5, 7 or 10 days, plus some JR Hokkaido buses; not the Hokkaido Shinkansen
Adults from¥22,000Price checked 2026/09/27
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Fares
| Ticket | Adult | Child |
|---|---|---|
| 5 days, pre-purchase | ¥22,000¥4,400 a day | ¥11,000¥2,200 a day |
| 5 days, bought at a station | ¥23,000¥4,600 a day | ¥11,500¥2,300 a day |
| 7 days, pre-purchase | ¥28,000¥4,000 a day | ¥14,000¥2,000 a day |
| 7 days, bought at a station | ¥29,000¥4,143 a day | ¥14,500¥2,071 a day |
| 10 days, pre-purchase | ¥37,000¥3,700 a day | ¥18,500¥1,850 a day |
| 10 days, bought at a station | ¥38,000¥3,800 a day | ¥19,000¥1,900 a day |
Child fares are for ages 6 to 11. From age 12, the adult fare applies.
Pre-purchase means an exchange order from a travel agent outside Japan or a booking on JR-EAST Train Reservation; buying at a JR Hokkaido station costs more.
Is the Hokkaido Rail Pass worth it?
- You go far east: Sapporo to Kushiro and back is ¥20,640 in reserved seats, and with the airport train both ways (¥2,460) you pass the 5-day price of ¥22,000 bought ahead.
- Abashiri is similar: Sapporo to Abashiri and back is ¥20,120 before any other ride.
- You make two long trips in a week: Sapporo to Hakodate and back plus Sapporo to Asahikawa and back cost ¥30,420, against ¥28,000 for the 7-day pass.
- You stay around Sapporo, Otaru and New Chitose Airport: the airport train to Sapporo is ¥1,230 and Sapporo to Otaru ¥800.
- You make one side trip, to Furano or Noboribetsu: the Sapporo-Furano Area Pass (¥11,000) or Sapporo-Noboribetsu Area Pass (¥10,000) costs less.
- You arrive from Tokyo by train: the Hokkaido Shinkansen isn't covered.
Fares are regular-season reserved-seat fares; buying at a station adds ¥1,000.
What's covered
- All JR Hokkaido lines: limited express, rapid and local trains, in ordinary cars
- Reserved seats in ordinary cars, free of charge
- Places such as Hakodate, Otaru, Asahikawa, Wakkanai, Abashiri and Kushiro
- Some JR Hokkaido buses, including the JR Hokkaido Bus express between Sapporo and Otaru
- The Hokkaido Shinkansen
- The South Hokkaido Railway
- Sapporo's subway and streetcar, and other companies' buses
- JR Hokkaido intercity and temporary buses
- Green Cars, which need the limited express and Green Car charges
- The SL Fuyu-no-Shitsugen steam train, which needs an extra reserved seat charge
How to use it
The pass runs for 5, 7 or 10 consecutive days from the start date you choose. Put it through the automatic ticket gate and take it back; reserved seat tickets don't open the gates. The pass is magnetic, so keep it away from your phone and don't bend it.
Every JR Hokkaido limited express is reserved-only, so get a free reserved seat ticket before you board: at a JR Information Desk, ticket counter or reserved seat ticket machine, or online on JR-EAST Train Reservation. If a train is full, you can stand on the Hokuto, Suzuran, Kamui, Lilac, Soya, Sarobetsu, Okhotsk, Ozora, Tokachi or Furano Lavender Express, except in the Green Car, with the pass alone.
On a JR Hokkaido bus, take a numbered ticket when you get on, and hand it in with the pass showing when you get off. Carry your passport; staff may ask to see it.
Before you buy
Anyone with a non-Japanese passport can use the pass, and you show that passport when you buy or exchange it; a residence card or a copy is not accepted. You can't hold two of the same pass for overlapping dates.
Buying ahead is ¥1,000 cheaper for adults. Book on JR-EAST Train Reservation, or buy an exchange order from a travel agent outside Japan; exchange orders are valid for 3 months, or 90 days as e-tickets. You then collect the pass at a designated JR Hokkaido counter, not at a seat ticket machine. You can also buy it at those counters in Hokkaido, with cash in yen or a credit card. From 20 October 2026, passport-reading ticket machines at Sapporo Station and New Chitose Airport Station also sell and exchange passes.
Refunds: before the first day, or if unused, a pass can be refunded at the designated counters for 10% of the price (¥560 if booked on JR-EAST Train Reservation). No refund or extension is given after the pass starts, even for cancelled trains, and a lost pass is not replaced.
Questions
Does the Hokkaido Rail Pass cover the Hokkaido Shinkansen?
No. It covers all other JR Hokkaido lines, but not the Hokkaido Shinkansen.
Can I use it on the Sapporo subway?
No. The subway and streetcar in Sapporo, and other companies' buses, are not covered.
Do I need seat reservations?
On limited expresses, yes: they are all reserved-only. Seat reservations are free with the pass.
Can foreign residents of Japan use it?
Yes. Anyone with a non-Japanese passport can use it. Japanese passport holders cannot.
Is it cheaper to buy in advance?
Yes. The 5-day pass is ¥22,000 bought ahead, against ¥23,000 at a station.
Does it cover buses?
Some JR Hokkaido buses, including the JR Hokkaido Bus express between Sapporo and Otaru, but not intercity or temporary buses.
Do children need their own pass?
Children aged 6 to 11 need a child pass, half the adult price: ¥11,000 for 5 days bought ahead.
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