Why you need to buy the JR Pass before October 1st 2023

For those who have always wanted to travel around Japan from now until the rest of the year (2023) is a great time.

Here are three reasons why you should:

1. The Japanese Yen is extremely weak, especially compared to the dollar (basically things are cheaper than normal)

2. Japan was closed for so long, now you should go!

And the most important reason...

3. This is the last year you can use the Japan Rail (JR) Pass before the price increases

_{^{Two Shinkansen tickets}}

First, what exactly is the JR Pass?

The JR pass is similar to other rail passes where it allows for unlimited rides on trains operated by Japan Railways Group (JR). The JR railway is quite extensive and covers most of Japan's major sight seeing areas. But the most important part is that it covers the Shinkansen, Japan's famous bullet train.

Well, how bad is the price increasing?

Pretty bad to say the least. Here are the price hikes for the basic pass by length duration:

7-day pass: 29,640 yen → 50,000 yen (69% increase)

14-day pass: 47,250 yen → 80,000 yen (69% increase)

21-day pass: 60,450 yen → 100,000 yen (65%increase)

The price increase will go into effect starting October 1st 2023. "Well I am not traveling until later this year" you may say. The good news is that the JR Pass is valid for use 3 months after purchase. So if you have travel in 2023 or considering traveling around Japan, this year is a great time if you want to use the JR Pass!

_{^{Signs pointing to JR station and mountains}}

Yikes...

Without going into too much detail, at the new price the JR pass is no longer a good deal, unless you travel vast distances every day.

On the bright side, you can purchase the JR pass at the current price (before the price increase) until early October. The pass is valid for 3 months after purchase, meaning, you have until the end of this year to travel around Japan for a good deal!

If you can make it, please let me know!

Here is the link to the website: https://japanrailpass.net/en/