New San'in–Okayama Area Pass offers overseas visitors even more value January 20, 2015 West Japan Railway Company Chugoku District Transport Bureau Tottori Prefecture Shimane Prefecture Okayama Prefecture Chizu Express Co., Ltd. JR-West offers JR-WEST RAIL PASS, a popular series of special tickets for overseas visitors to Japan that provide unlimited travel in different JR-West areas. The company is pleased to announce plans to extend the validity period and expand the service area of the limited-time San'in–Okayama Area Pass, which will allow ticket-holders access to the Chizu Express line. To enable more overseas visitors to enjoy West Japan, in the future the Chugoku District Transport Bureau, local government bodies, tourism groups, the Chizu Railway, and other related organizations from West Japan will work together to boost promotional activities and efforts to increase demand through initiatives such as the creation of inter-regional tourist routes. Products and Features . The San'in–Okayama Area Pass will be upgraded from April 1, 2015. • Unlimited travel on limited express trains, rapid services, and local services in the San'in and Okayama areas. • Extended validity period. Tickets purchased or used on or after April 1, 2015, valid for 4 days. Expanded service area. Ticket-holders can now use the Chizu Express line. • Offers superb convenience and value for travelers also visiting the Kansai area when used in conjunction with a Kansai WIDE Area Pass. • Price when purchased abroad: 4,500 yen. Price when purchased in Japan: 5,000 yen. *Current San'in–Okayama Area Passes will be available until March 31, 2015. Sakaiminato Masuda Gotsu Yonago Tottori Hamasaka Chizu Miyoshi Bingo-Ochiai Niimi Tsuyama Conventional lines Kurashiki Okayama Chizu Express Line Kamigori *Red text indicates service area from April 1, 2015. Save by purchasing outside Japan (available from overseas travel agencies or online). *See reference material for pass details and other information. [Inquiry] JR West Marketing Department (Strategic promotion for inbound tourists) Tel: 06-6376-6166 (Reference Material) Overview of JR-WEST RAIL PASS 1. Service area, dates of availability and validity, and pricing *Children's passes (for six- to eleven-year-olds) are half price • San'in-Okayama Area Pass • Allows unlimited travel in non-reserved seating on limited express trains, rapid services, and local services in the San'in and Okayama areas, and use of the Chizu Express Line. • Offers superb convenience and value for travelers also visiting the Kansai area when used in conjunction with a Kansai WIDE Area Pass. • Available/valid from: Wednesday, April 1, 2015 *Current passes will be available until Tuesday, March 31, 2015. • Price: 4-day passes are 4,500 if purchased overseas and 5,000 yen if purchased in Japan (prices from Wednesday, April 01, 2015) Sakaiminato Masuda Gotsu Yonago Tottori Hamasaka Chizu Miyoshi Bingo-Ochiai Niimi Tsuyama Conventional lines Kurashiki Okayama Chizu Express Line Kamigori *Red text indicates service area from April 1, 2015. 2. Eligibility To purchase and use a pass, visitors must have a passport issued by an issuing authority other than the government of Japan, and must also have a "short-term stay" status of residence. 3. How to purchase (1) Passes purchased overseas are available at a special early bird price. ① Purchasing passes from a travel agent overseas ○ Purchase an exchange order from a travel agent overseas, and exchange it for the pass itself at a specified JR-West station after entering Japan. *Visitors must present their passport when exchanging their exchange order. ② Purchasing passes online ○ Applications can be made from 28 to 2 days prior from the dedicated website (English, Korean, Traditional Chinese, and Simplified Chinese). (Reservation form content can only be entered in English.) • English - http://www.westjr.co.jp/global/en/ • Korean - http://www.westjr.co.jp/global/kr/ • Traditional Chinese - http://www.westjr.co.jp/global/tc/ • Simplified Chinese - http://www.westjr.co.jp/global/sc/ ○ Payment must be made at the station where the pass will be picked up after arrival in Japan. *When making an online reservation, in addition to their passport, visitors must have ready a printed copy of the email indicating that application for reservation has been completed successfully (or a note of the reservation number) and their embarkation/disembarkation card (ED card). *When making an online reservation, visitors may only purchase one pass per person per stay. *The pass will be canceled automatically if it is not collected before the start date (or 30 minutes before the departure of the first train on which a seat has been reserved in the case that seating has been reserved for the start date). (2) Purchasing passes in Japan ○ Passes can be purchased from major stations and travel agents within JR-WEST RAIL PASS areas. *When purchasing a pass in Japan, visitors must present their embarkation/disembarkation card (ED card) in addition to their passport. *When purchasing a pass in Japan, visitors may only purchase one pass per person per stay. New pass offers great value for overseas visitors using the Hokuriku Shinkansen (Bullet Train) January 20, 2015 West Japan Railway Company Kinki District Transport Bureau Hokuriku–Shinetsu District Transport Bureau Chubu District Transport Bureau Toyama Prefecture Ishikawa Prefecture Fukui Prefecture Noto Tetsudo Corporation IR Ishikawa Railway Co., Ltd. Ainokaze Toyama Railway JR-West offers JR-WEST RAIL PASS, a popular series of special tickets for overseas visitors to Japan that provide unlimited travel in different JR-West areas. To celebrate the opening of the Hokuriku Shinkansen (Bullet Train) service on Saturday, March 14, 2015, JR-West is offering the Kansai–Hokuriku Area Pass, a special set consisting of rail passes for the Hokuriku area, including the Hokuriku Shinkansen (Bullet Train), and the Kansai area, to overseas visitors to Japan. In addition, the limited-time Hokuriku Area Pass now also allows pass-holders to use the Hokuriku Shinkansen (Bullet Train). To enable more overseas visitors to enjoy West Japan, in the future the Kinki District Transport Bureau, Hokuriku– Shinetsu District Transport Bureau, Chubu District Transport Bureau, local government bodies, tourism groups, and other related organizations from West Japan will work together to boost promotional activities and efforts to increase demand through initiatives such as the creation of inter-regional tourist routes. Products and Features . To celebrate the opening of the Hokuriku Shinkansen (Bullet Train), JR-West is offering the Kansai– Hokuriku Area Pass, a special set consisting of rail passes for the Hokuriku and Kansai areas. What's more, the limited-time Hokuriku Area Pass has been upgraded and can now also be used for travel on the Hokuriku Shinkansen (Bullet Train). ○ NEW! Kansai–Hokuriku Area Pass • Seven days of unlimited travel on the Hokuriku Shinkansen (Bullet Train) between Kanazawa and Joetsu-Myoko plus non-reserved seating in limited express trains and local services in the Hokuriku and Kansai areas. • Price when purchased abroad: 15,000 yen. Price when purchased in Japan: 16,000 yen ○ Hokuriku Area Pass • Four days of unlimited travel on the Hokuriku Shinkansen (Bullet Train) between Kanazawa and Kurobe-Unazukionsen plus non-reserved seating in limited express trains and local services in the Hokuriku areas. • Price when purchased overseas: 5,000 yen, Price when purchased in Japan: 5,500 yen *Current Hokuriku Area Passes will be available until February 28, 2015. Save by purchasing outside Japan (available online or from overseas travel agencies) *See reference material for pass details and other information. [Inquiry] JR West Marketing Department (Strategic promotion for inbound tourists) Tel: 06-6376-6166 (Reference Material) Overview of JR-WEST RAIL PASS 1. Service area, dates of availability and validity, and pricing *Children's passes (for six- to eleven-year-olds) are half price (1) NEW! Kansai–Hokuriku Area Pass • Allows unlimited travel on limited express trains, rapid services, and local services from Kansai International Airport and within the Kansai and Hokuriku areas. Pass-holders can also use the Hokuriku Bullet Train (Shinkansen) between Kanazawa and Joetsu-Myoko. *Not valid for Tokaido Shinkansen services. (Not valid for Shinkansen services between Shin-Osaka and Kyoto.) *Not valid on KAGAYAKI services on the Hokuriku Shinkansen as these services only have reserved seating. • Not valid for the IR Ishikawa Railway or the Ainokaze Toyama Railway. *As a special exception, the pass can be used for the Himi, Johana, or Nanao lines only if the pass-holder does not alight from the IR Ishikawa Railway (between Kanazawa and Tsubata) or the Ainokaze Toyama Railway (between Takaoka and Toyama). Limited express trains can be used on the IR Ishikawa Railway between Kanazawa and Tsubata. If using the Ainokaze Liner rapid service on the Ainokaze Toyama Railway, a separate "liner fare" is required.) • On sale/valid from: Saturday, March 14, 2015 • Price: 7-day passes are 15,000 if purchased overseas and 16,000 yen if purchased in Japan Hamasaka Kasumi Kinosakionsen ● Wakuraonsen Toyook Himi ● ● Kurobe-Unazukionsen Fukuchiyama Kanazawa ● Takaoka Fukui ● ● ● ● Toyama ● Itoigawa Soja Tsuyama Tanikawa Ayabe Tsuruga ● Tsubata ● Shin-Takaoka ● ● ● ● Minami-Otari Shin-Osaka Shin-Kobe Kyoto Kusatsu Kuzuryuko Johana Inotani ● Okayama Aioi Osaka Joetsu-Myok Yamashina Koka Kurashiki Kakogawa Kobe Amagasaki Himeji Tsuge Chayamachi Higashi-Okayama Kizu Iga-Ueno Uno Universal City Nara Sanyo Shinkansen Kojima Tennoji Hokuriku Shinkansen Takada Kansai-airport Sakurai Conventional lines Hineno IR Ishikawa Railway Ainokaze Toyama Railway Wakayama Noto Railway Shingu Shirahama (2) Hokuriku Area Pass • Use of the Hokuriku Shinkansen (Bullet Train) between Kanazawa and Kurobe-Unazukionsen and unlimited travel in non-reserved seating on limited express trains, rapid services, and local services within the Hokuriku area. *Not valid on Kagayaki services on the Hokuriku Shinkansen as these services only have reserved seating. • Not valid for the IR Ishikawa Railway or the Ainokaze Toyama Railway.