Ride And Save - How To Buy And Use Seishun 18 Kippu Tickets

What Are Seishun 18 Kippu Tickets?

Seishun 18 Kippu is a rail pass which permits free travel on the JR train network throughout the country. JR is the largest railway company of Japan and their railway network runs from Hokkaido all the way down to Kyushu so the Seishun 18 Kippu lets you travel pretty much anywhere you want. Please note that it is valid only for travel on non-reserved local and rapid train services so it is not recommended if you are in a hurry.

By the way, although "Seishun"(youth) and "18" are included in the name of the pass, don't worry. Travelers of any age, gender and nationality are eligible to use them!

Price

The price is 11,850 yen for both adults and children.
It is valid for 5 days within the ticket validity period specified so that means it costs just 2370 yen per day for unlimited travel!

How to Purchase Seishun 18 Kippu

The Seishun 18 Kippu is available at Midori no Madoguchi (ticket office) at JR East stations and selected major stations in other areas. It's best to pick them up at a major JR station such as Shibuya, Shinjuku, Tokyo, Kyoto or Shin-Osaka because it is often hard to find Midori no Madoguchi at smaller stations, and service in other languages may not be available.

Before you buy a Seishun 18 Kippu pass though, make sure to check the ticket sales and validity period.

Spring:
Sold from: February 20th-March 31st, 2018
Valid from: March 31st-April 10th, 2018

Summer:
Sold from: July 1st-August 31st, 2018
Valid from: July 20th-September 10th, 2018

Winter:
Sold from: December 1st-31st, 2018
Valid from: December 10th, 2018-January 10th, 2019

How to Use Your Seishun 18 Kippu

You could:
- Use it all for yourself and travel for 5 days across Japan
- Gather 4 friends and do a one-day trip
- Do a one-day trip by yourself. Then, go on a two-day trip with a friend
and more!

These are plenty of options to choose from, and it is all up to you, but if you share a pass with your travel companions, all of you must travel together on the same itinerary. You can use your pass whenever you want during the validity period and your travel days do not have to be consecutive.

Try the Local Trains!

While local trains are much slower than shinkansen (bullet trains) and not so convenient for travelers, traveling by local train, on the other hand, gives you a plenty of time to see Japan as it really is. Houses, oceans and country landscapes which you are likely to miss when you are traveling by shinkansen. This is the best part and the reason I believe that it is worth traveling by local train.

And the Seishun 18 Kippu allows you to hop on and off the train whenever you want. If you like this style of traveling, then the Seishun 18 Kippu is a perfect fit for you. Why not get one and see Japan in your own way?