Seishun 18 Ticket

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 easily the cheapest way to get around Japan, costing only ¥12,050 for five days of unlimited travel — but only on local and rapid trains (no limited express or Shinkansen lines).

A local train on the Tokaido Line in central Japan.

See also: Rail travel in Japan

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.

The Seishun 18 Ticket, on the other hand, caters to budget-conscious travelers who are willing to sacrifice speed for the ability to get just about anywhere in the country for under ¥5,000. In fact, its name means "Youth 18", and its main target audience is college students. However, anyone can purchase the ticket, regardless of age, student status, residence status, or nationality.

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.

Using the ticket

A used Seishun 18 Ticket.

The ticket is actually five one-day passes condensed onto a single piece of ticket stock. When using the ticket for the first time, the passenger presents it at the manned ticket gate, and the employee on hand stamps the ticket, making it valid on every non-express JR train until midnight. After midnight, the ticket becomes invalid unless it is stamped again. The ticket has spaces for five stamps, after which it is invalid.

More than one person can travel on the same ticket: each of the five spaces on the ticket allows one person to ride for one day. For instance, if two passengers were using the ticket, the ticket would be stamped twice; at the end of the day, both passengers could use the ticket for another day and have one stamp space left over, or one of the passengers could use the ticket for three days. Likewise, a group of five could travel for one day on a single ticket: the cost would be only ¥2,410 per person, which, for example, is more than 70% off of a regular one-way fare between Tokyo and Osaka.

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 ¥2,490. This special ticket will allow trips in any available standard class seat on Hokkaido Shinkansen trains between Okutsugaru-Imabetsu (the last Shinkansen stop on Honshu) and Kikonai (the first such stop on Hokkaido). 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 IGR/Aoimori, 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 Johana and Himi 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 rapid trains of Hapi-Line Fukui between Tsuruga and Echizen-Hanandō without getting off, since the JR Kuzuryū (Etsumi-Hoku) Line starts in Echizen-Hanadō.

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 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.

Availability

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):

Sale period	Usable period
Feb. 20 – Mar. 31	Spring break (Mar. 1 – Apr. 10)
July 10 – Aug. 31	Summer break (Jul. 20 – Sep. 10)
Dec. 1 – Dec. 31	Winter break (Dec. 10 – Jan. 10)

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.

Discount Ticket Shops

The ticket can also be purchased from discount ticket shops at a small discount (¥300–500). These shops often offer partially-stamped tickets, as well, for those who may not want or need the full 5 days, or need just a couple extra on top of the 5 that the standard ticket comes with. 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 – say, ¥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-resident foreigners are not allowed to sell to ticket shops.

Usage

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.

Tokaido Line

A train on the Tokaido Line.

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.

Sanyo Main Line

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.

Shikoku

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.

Chuo Main Line

An E233 series train running on the Chuo Main Line.

The Chuo Main Line is a Y-shaped line through the Japan 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 be reached by transferring to the Shinonoi Line at Shiojiri. You can reach Nagano from either Tokyo or Nagoya in approximately 6 hours.

Hokuriku Region

Since the opening and extension of the Hokuriku Shinkansen, the Hokuriku Region is 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, the trains are private railways. The privatization of most of the railways have left a few JR lines disconnected from any connections with a JR station. Deals were reached with the private railways to allow passengers to use the private railways without charges only if they get off at stations where a JR transfer can be made (Echizen-Hanando Station for the Kuzuryu Line, Tsubata Station for the JR Nanao Line, Takaoka Station for the Himi Line and Johanna Line, 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. Because of this, it is generally not recommended to visit the region with the Seishun 18 ticket.

Tohoku Line

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.

Travelling to Hokkaido

To travel to Hokkaido, you must purchase a ¥2,490 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 site like Navitime 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 Okutsugaru-Imabetsu, 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 Okutsugaru-Imabetsu, walk a short distance to the nearby Tsugaru-Futamata station and take the JR Tsugaru Line to Aomori (1.5–2 hours; change of trains may be necessary).
  • Note: Service has been suspended at this station since August 2022 due to damage caused by heavy rainfall, and there are no plans to restore service. Hourly bus service runs from Tsugaru-Futamata to Kanita station, the northernmost stop on the Tsugaru Line which is still operating.
• 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).

Other benefits

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

JR West Bus

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.

Hisatsu Orange Railway

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 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.

Echigo Tokimeki Railway

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

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

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.

Alternative passes

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

Hokkaido and East Japan Pass

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, aka 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 Hokkaido Shinkansen trains between Shin-Aomori and Hakodate, in available seats (空いている席 Aiteiru seki) or standing room (立席 Tachiseki) in ordinary cars only.

The ticket is available during the same days as the summer Seishun 18 Ticket:

Sale period	Usable period
Jun. 20 – Sep. 24	Jul. 1 – Sep. 30

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.

Aki no Norihōdai Pasu

The Aki no Norihōdai Pasu (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 slightly more expensive per day than the Seishun 18, but unlike the Seishun 18, a half-priced version for kids is available. The main catch is that it must be used on consecutive days and cannot be split up between people. The ticket is sold every year to commemorate Railroad Day (鉄道の日 Tetsudō n -hi), which is celebrated on October 14.

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.