Taking Japan Railway(JR) is one of the most efficient and easy ways to travel around Japan. There are various passes covering different parts of Japan. JR passes are designed for overseas tourists to help them travel around easily. The cost of a long ride over 2 hours can be very high.
【Where to Buy】
Depending on where you live, you may purchase from travel agencies overseas or order online. The costs of buying in overseas are usually cheaper, say around ¥500 (HK$40).
【Cheaper to buy onboard】
It is a pleasant surprise to see a better deal on my flight to Shikoku! The 7-day All Shikoku Pass costs ¥12,000 for purchase overseas. In my last trip, the exchange rate was 0.075. So it would cost around HK$900. It was only HK$831 on board!
【Beware of the Redemption Procedure】
When you make a purchase onboard using a credit card, you get a flimsy receipt with the airline’s stamp on the back for redemption. I thought: really? I went to the JR ticketing office in Takamatsu then they said I must redeem at the Travel Agency’s office. So I went to the Travel Agency, waited for 45 minutes and got my pass. Then I rushed for a long ride to Matsuyama and realized that the Travel Agency took my credit card receipt and didn’t give me the Apanman stamp collection booklet!
【Where and When to Redeem Pass】
The business hours of Warp Travel Agency are usually from around 10:00 to 17:30/18:00 depending on the location and the day of the week. If you redeem the pass outside the office hour of Warp, you may go to JR ticketing office. A bit complicated.
So I didn’t have any record of my credit card payment nor the booklet. When I complained to the flight attendance on my return flight, he simply said “Oh, some customers would ask for a second receipt for record… For the gift, you have to go back to the travel agency….” It was a disappointment for sure. So please make sure you got what you need and entitled if you make a purchase onboard.
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