Buying the JR Pass Online: How Pickup Works in 2026

Correction, 9 October 2026: an earlier version of this article said the JR Pass could be used as a QR code on your phone or linked to an IC card at the gates, and that Nozomi and Mizuho trains were excluded. Neither is right. You buy the pass online and then collect it as a paper ticket at a machine or counter, and pass holders can ride the Nozomi and Mizuho by buying a special ticket.

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Buying a Japan Rail Pass has become much easier. You no longer need to post a paper exchange order and queue at a counter: you can buy the pass online, collect it from a ticket machine in a few minutes, and reserve Shinkansen seats online too. What hasn't changed is that the pass itself is a paper ticket that you put through the automatic gates. It is not a QR code on your phone, and it can't be loaded onto Suica.

How buying online works

1. Buy the pass on the official JAPAN RAIL PASS reservation site (or through an authorized agent). Ordinary passes cost ¥53,000 for 7 days, ¥84,000 for 14 days and ¥105,000 for 21 days from 1 October 2026. You'll need the passport details of each traveler.
2. Get your QR code by email. This is a reservation code for collecting the pass, not a ticket.
3. Collect the pass in Japan. At a JR ticket machine with a passport reader, scan the QR code and your passport, and the machine prints the pass. From April 2026, JR East machines at Tokyo, Shinjuku, Shibuya, Shinagawa, Ueno, Ikebukuro and Hamamatsucho stations, Haneda Airport Terminal 3 and Narita Airport handle pickups. You can also collect the pass at staffed JR ticket offices at major stations and airports.
4. Use it at the gates. Put the paper pass through the automatic ticket gates like any other ticket. Keep it with your passport; staff can ask to see both.

You must be visiting Japan as a temporary visitor to use the pass, and the passport you show at pickup must match the booking.

Reserving seats

Once you have the pass, you can reserve seats at no extra cost online on the reservation site, at ticket machines or at ticket offices. Reserved-seat tickets are printed separately. Reserve early for weekends, holidays and the Tokyo–Kyoto–Osaka line.

Nozomi and Mizuho

The pass on its own doesn't cover the Nozomi and Mizuho, the fastest trains on the Tokaido, Sanyo and Kyushu Shinkansen. But since October 2023, pass holders can ride them by buying a special Nozomi/Mizuho ticket for each journey: ¥4,960 between Tokyo and Shin-Osaka, for example. It is sold from a month before travel at ticket machines and offices. Otherwise, take the Hikari, which is only slightly slower and fully covered.

Is the pass worth it?

At the October 2026 prices, a 7-day pass pays for itself mainly on long round trips, such as Tokyo to Hiroshima and back, or several long Shinkansen journeys in a week. For Tokyo–Kyoto–Osaka alone, individual tickets are often cheaper. See our JR Pass break-even guide and how to buy Shinkansen tickets.

What to have with you

• Your passport, to collect the pass and whenever you travel on it.
• The QR code from your confirmation email, saved as a screenshot.
• Mobile data, for checking reservations and platforms. A Japan eSIM installed before you fly covers this; Airalo and Saily both work.

FAQ

Is there a digital JR Pass I can show on my phone? No. You can buy it online and receive a QR code, but you exchange that code for a paper pass at a ticket machine or office. The paper pass goes through the gates.

Can I put the JR Pass on my Suica? No. The JR Pass is a separate paper ticket. Use Suica for subways, private railways and buses that the pass doesn't cover.

Where can I collect my pass? At JR ticket machines with passport readers at major Tokyo stations and at Narita and Haneda airports, or at staffed JR ticket offices.

Can I ride the Nozomi with a JR Pass? Yes, if you buy a special Nozomi/Mizuho ticket for each journey, for example ¥4,960 from Tokyo to Shin-Osaka.

How much is the JR Pass? From 1 October 2026, ordinary passes cost ¥53,000 (7 days), ¥84,000 (14 days) and ¥105,000 (21 days).