Setouchi Area Pass
Sanyo Shinkansen from Shin-Osaka to Hakata, Nozomi included, plus JR lines, ferries, trams and buses around the Seto Inland Sea
JR West
Adults from¥22,000Price checked 2026/09/26
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Fares
| Ticket | Adult | Child |
|---|---|---|
| 7 days | ¥22,000¥3,143 a day | ¥11,000¥1,571 a day |
Child fares are for ages 6 to 11. From age 12, the adult fare applies. Each pass holder can bring up to two children aged 1 to 5 for free; a third needs a child pass. Babies under 1 ride free. Age is counted on the date the exchange order is issued or the pass is bought.
Is the Setouchi Area Pass worth it?
- You make a loop: Osaka to Hiroshima by shinkansen, the ferry to Matsuyama, then the Shiokaze to Okayama and back to Osaka. In single tickets that adds up to ¥30,760, against ¥22,000 for the pass.
- You also start or end at Kansai Airport: the Haruka from Kansai Airport to Kyoto is ¥3,590 each way, and the pass covers it.
- Your plan is just Osaka to Hiroshima and back: ¥21,900 in single tickets, about the same as the pass, so it only pays once you add ferries or Shikoku.
- You go on to Tokyo or Kagoshima: the Tokaido Shinkansen and the Kyushu Shinkansen are not covered.
The ferry fare is the cruise ferry; the faster Linear Jet costs ¥9,000.
What's covered
- Sanyo Shinkansen between Shin-Osaka and Hakata, including the Nozomi and Mizuho, reserved and non-reserved ordinary seats
- JR limited express, special rapid, rapid and local trains in the area, including the Haruka to Kansai Airport and the Shiokaze and Nampu on Shikoku
- JR lines around Kansai, including Kyoto, Saga-Arashiyama, Nara, Universal City and Kansai Airport
- JR lines on Shikoku between Takamatsu, Kotohira, Matsuyama and Iyo-Ozu
- Ferries: Shodoshima Ferry and Ryobi Ferry to Shodoshima from Takamatsu and Shin-Okayama Port, Ishizaki Kisen and Setonaikai Kisen between Hiroshima, Kure and Matsuyama, and the JR West Miyajima Ferry
- Okayama Electric Tramway and Okaden Bus in Okayama
- In Hiroshima, the Meipuru-pu sightseeing bus (JR Bus Chugoku) and the Hiroshima Minato New Route (Hiroshima Bus)
- The Tokaido Shinkansen (Shin-Osaka to Tokyo) and the Kyushu Shinkansen (Hakata to Kagoshima-Chuo)
- Green Cars and sleeper berths, which need separate tickets
- Paid seats such as the Special Rapid A-Seat
- Shodoshima Ferry high-speed boats
- The Miyajima visitor tax (¥100), paid when you board the Miyajima Ferry
How to use it
The pass runs for 7 consecutive days, from 0:00 on the first day to 24:00 on the last (Japan time). If it expires while you're on a train on the last day, you can finish that journey as long as you stay on the train and don't leave the station.
Reserved seats in ordinary cars are included, as many as you like. Book them at a ticket machine or a JR ticket office before boarding; from the seventh booking onward, only at a JR ticket office. If you bought the pass on JR-WEST ONLINE TRAIN RESERVATION, you can also book seats online. Trains with only reserved seats have no non-reserved option, so book before you ride.
The Nozomi and Mizuho, the fastest trains on the Sanyo Shinkansen, are included. With a suitcase measuring 160 to 250 cm in total, reserve a seat with an oversized baggage area before boarding the Sanyo Shinkansen.
Before you buy
Requires a passport issued by a foreign government and entry to Japan as a Temporary Visitor. Japanese nationals are not eligible, even with permanent residence abroad. You can hold only one pass for the same dates.
There are three ways to buy it: an exchange order from a travel agency outside Japan (exchange it within 3 months of issue), JR-WEST ONLINE TRAIN RESERVATION from one month before travel (credit card only, no virtual cards), or a travel agency in Japan up to one month ahead. Collect the pass with your passport. Ticket machines need a passport with an IC chip; without one, use a ticket office.
Once you exchange the order, the start date can't be changed. An unused pass can be refunded at an exchange location in Japan for a 10% fee (at least ¥220), but not after the first day of use, and not for delays or cancellations. A lost pass is not reissued.
Questions
Does the Setouchi Area Pass cover the Nozomi?
Yes. The Nozomi and Mizuho are included on the Sanyo Shinkansen between Shin-Osaka and Hakata. The Tokaido Shinkansen towards Kyoto and Tokyo is not.
Can I use it to get to Shodoshima?
Yes. It covers the Shodoshima Ferry and Ryobi Ferry from Takamatsu and Shin-Okayama Port to Tonosho, but not the Shodoshima Ferry high-speed boats.
Does it cover the ferry to Miyajima?
Yes. The JR West Miyajima Ferry is included. The ¥100 Miyajima visitor tax is paid separately when you board.
Can I take the ferry from Hiroshima to Matsuyama?
Yes. Ishizaki Kisen and Setonaikai Kisen ferries between Hiroshima Port, Kure and Matsuyama Sightseeing Port are included.
Can I start the pass in Tokyo?
No. The Tokaido Shinkansen from Tokyo isn't covered. The pass area starts at Shin-Osaka and Kyoto.
Is the Haruka from Kansai Airport included?
Yes. The Haruka limited express and other JR trains to Kansai Airport are covered, with free seat reservations.
Do children need their own pass?
Children aged 6 to 11 need a child pass (¥11,000); 12 and over pay the adult fare. Each pass holder can bring up to two children aged 1 to 5 for free, as long as they don't take a reserved seat of their own. Babies under 1 ride free.
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