Unlock Japan: Why The JR Sanyo San’in Northern Kyushu Pass Is The Best Travel Hack
How awesome would it be to visit Osaka, Kyoto, Nara, Fukuoka, and an onsen town in Japan? The JR Sanyo San’in Northern Kyushu Pass lets you and more.
It used to be that travellers got the nationwide Japan Rail (JR) Pass. After a hefty price hike in 2023, that pass is no longer the best value for most visitors.
The Japan Rail San’in Northern Kyushu Pass was introduced as a regional pass along with dozens of other regional passes. Regional Japan Rail passes offer unlimited rides for a short time period, usually 3 – 7 days in one area of Japan only.
For our trip to Japan, I extensively researched which pass would be the best value. I wanted to be able to explore the main cities on Honshu, plus add an onsen town to our trip. We have tattoos, though small, so I was looking for an onsen town that was tattoo-friendly.
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2 Things make the JR Sanyo San in Northern Kyushu pass stand out and be of exceptional value.
- It covers 8 cities in Japan: Kyoto, Osaka, Kobe, Hiroshima, Fukuoka, Nagasaki, Kumamoto, and Beppu.
- It allows you to ride the high-speed Shinkansen (bullet train) between Osaka and Fukuoka, and between Fukuoka and Kumamoto. This includes the Nozomi and Mizuho lines. These are the fastest trains and are not covered by the country-wide Japan Rail pass.
JR Sanyo Sani’n Northern Kyushu Pass coverage
The JR Pass Sanyo San in Northern Kyushu Pass is a combo pass that covers half of two Japanese islands. It combines the best of the JR West Honshu route with the Northern Kyushu route.
Coverage on the Western half of Honshu Island
The JR Sanyo San’in Northern Kyushu Pass covers Kyoto to Osaka, but doesn’t include the Shinkansen for that leg. Don’t worry, though, the regular train routes between these cities are only a few minutes longer and covered by the pass. You can also use the pass to visit Nara to feed the famous deer.
In Osaka, the pass covers the Osaka Loop Line, making it extra valuable for getting around the city. The loop line passes through downtown Osaka and can be used to access major attractions like Dotonbori, Osaka Castle, and Tennoji. The Haruka Limited Express train from Kansai International Airport to Osaka and Kyoto is covered by the pass.
From Osaka, you can ride all the way west through Kobe and Hiroshima on the train. You can also use the Shinkansen from Osaka to Fukuoka, and there’s a chance you might get to ride on the Hello Kitty Shinkansen!
The JR Sanyo San’in Northern Kyushu Pass also covers the JR West Japan bus route and the Mitajima ferry that takes you to Itsukushima Shrine Otorii, which has the famous floating torii gate.
The Limited Express Yakumo is included and travels to the Northern coast of West Honshu, allowing you to reach the Izumo and Matsue areas of the island.
The Limited Express Kounotori is included and goes to Kinosaki Onsen, which is one of Japan’s tattoo-friendly onsen towns.
Coverage for the Northern half of Kyushu Island.
The JR Sanyo San’in Northern Kyushu Pass covers the Hakata Shinkansen that travels from Fukuoka to Kumamoto. As well as the JR Kyushu Northern lines heading to Nagasaki, Mt. Also, Beppu and all major towns in between.
You can ride the Limited Express Yufuin No Mori train, which gets you to the onsen town of Yufuin.
Reserving seats with the JR Sanyo San’in Northern Kyushu Pass
JR Sanyo San’in Northern Kyushu Pass holders can reserve seats through the seat reservation vending machine or by visiting a ticket office employee. For short trips, it was easier to reserve them myself. For trips with multiple transfers, I went to the ticket counter.
Leave plenty of time between transfers in case you get lost. The JR stations are massive and often busy. It can be difficult to find the right route or escalator to take.
Where to purchase the JR Sanyo San’in Northern Kyushu Pass
The best place to purchase your JR Sanyo San’in Northern Kyushu pass is on Klook.
Klook is a trusted partner of JR Rail in Japan and can send the voucher to you in your home country.
If you purchase with the pass with a wrong spelling of your name, you can contact Klook for a refund. Other refunds through Klook are at 90 percent of the purchase price and have to be made before activation
How to purchase the JR Sanyo San’in Northern Kyushu pass on Klook and how to use it.
Using the Klook app or website, search and purchase the JR Sanyo San’in Northern Kyushu. The best time to do this is 90 days to 14 days before your trip.
Klook has a 4-day global delivery service for rail passes, but the unexpected can happen. We had a postal strike while I was awaiting delivery in Canada. Klook used a different delivery service, but our order was delayed, and it was nerve-racking.
After purchasing on Klook, you will receive an exchange order in the mail. This exchange order can be redeemed at a JR office in the airport or at major train stations within the coverage area of your train pass. Bring your passport as identification.
The exchange order must be in your name and must be redeemed within 90 days.
When you redeem your exchange order, you must pick an activation date for the pass. The activation date must be within the next 30 days.
Once the pass is active, you have 7 days to use it.
Quick summary of the purchasing process for JR Rail Passes
- Purchase Timeline
- Receiving Your Pass
- You’ll get an exchange order in the mail (not the actual pass).
- Redeeming the Exchange Order
- Redeem at a JR office (airports or major stations in the coverage area).
- Must bring your passport for identification.
- The exchange order must be in your name.
- Must redeem within 90 days of purchase.
- Activation
- Choose an activation date at redemption.
- Activation date must be within the next 30 days.
- Usage
- Once activated, the pass is valid for 7 consecutive days.
Important information about the JR Sanyo San’in Northern Kyushu Pass
The pass can only be used by foreigners visiting Japan. Unfortunately, it’s not available for Japanese locals, which is really unfair!
You must order the pass and get the voucher delivered to you before your trip to Japan. You cannot purchase the pass on arrival in Japan.
The pass is only valid for 7 days, starting from when you activate it at a train station covered by the route.
You must carry your passport with you to use the pass. Also, visitors must always carry their passports in Japan. It’s Japanese law. Though my personal experience only involved showing it at train stations.
Tokyo is not included in the pass. I purchased separate Shinkansen tickets for our journey between Tokyo and Osaka.
The voucher for your pass is only valid for 90 days. If you order more than 90 days before your trip date, Klook will not send it until within 90 days to keep your pass valid.
Is the JR Sanyo San’in Northern Kyushu Pass worth it?
If you want to visit multiple main cities on Honshu Island, Japan’s main island, or Kyushu, then the JR Sanyo San’in Northern Kyushu Pass is of excellent value. Even if you only want to visit a few major destinations such as Kyoto, Osaka, Fukuoka, Nagasaki, and Mt Aso, you would save money.
Riding Japan’s bullet trains is an awesome experience, which adds to the value and fun of the experience.
Out of all the regional train passes, the JR Sanyo San’in Northern Kyushu Pass is the best value. I just wish it included Tokyo as well!
This guide is to help you understand the coverage area and figure out whether the JR Sanyo Sani’n Northern Kyushu Pass is worth it for your trip. I found it to be of exceptional value.
Have a great time in Japan and Live Self Happy!
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Japan is one of my favorite destinations, but, there’s so much more of the beautiful country that I need to see. This is so helpful!
I feel the same way. Can’t wait to explore even more.
This pass is ideal for visitors since it’s only a 7 day pass. It covers a lot of area, but I love how it can get you anywhere around Osaka.
It’s a great value pass for getting around Honshu and Kyushu and the Osaka loop is handy too.
I plan to visit Japan this time next year so to know this beforehand is super helpful, thanks so much! Will definitely be returning to it closer to the trip.
Awesome I hope you have an amazing trip.
This guide is a fantastic resource for exploring Northern Kyushu! The JR Sanyo San’in Northern Kyushu Pass seems like an excellent value for travelers. I’m not the best with transport in Japan so this is great. Thank you for sharing such a detailed and helpful overview!
I’m so happy you found it helpful. This pass is so useful for getting around Japan but the coverage area can be tricky to figure out.
This definitely sounds like a great train pass to explore this part of Japan. I’ll keep it in mind when I visit next.
This seems like a great pass to get to get the most bang for your buck! I’m not great with public transport (I usually make it my brother’s problem when we travel lol), but you put a lot of great info in here.
Thanks, it really is confusing until you do some research.