How to use the JR West Sanyo-San'in Area Pass

What does the Sanyo-San'in Area Pass cover?

The pass gives unlimited travel inside a valid area that JR West maps from Kansai and Fukuoka (Hakata) through Okayama, Hiroshima and Yamaguchi to Tottori and Matsue. [3]

On the rails it covers reserved seats on the Sanyo Shinkansen between Shin-Osaka and Hakata and reserved seats on limited express trains such as HARUKA, YAKUMO and KONOTORI. [3] It also covers special rapid, rapid and local trains on JR West conventional lines, the JR West Miyajima Ferry between Miyajimaguchi and Miyajima, and WEST JAPAN JR BUS route buses running within the valid area. [3] Expressway buses are excluded. [3] Two shinkansen lines are named as unusable: the Tokaido Shinkansen from Shin-Osaka to Tokyo and the Kyushu Shinkansen from Hakata to Kagoshima-Chuo. [3]

Adult and child prices are set by the traveller's age when the exchange order is issued or the pass is bought, and prices are subject to change. [3] A pass holder may bring up to two children aged 1-5 free, a third infant needs a child pass, and a child pass is also needed when an accompanied infant uses a reserved seat alone or travels alone. [3] Babies under one year old travel free. [3]

Neighbouring JR West passes stop short on the Sanyo Shinkansen: the Kansai-Hiroshima Area Pass, a 5-day pass at 17,000 yen for an adult, covers the line only to Hiroshima and excludes Hiroshima to Hakata, while the Kansai WIDE Area Pass, a 5-day pass at 12,000 yen for an adult, reaches only Okayama and excludes Okayama to Hakata. [4] [5]

How do you reserve seats with the Sanyo-San'in Area Pass?

Reserved seats on the covered shinkansen and limited express trains are part of the pass, but the seat has to be booked before boarding. [3] On trains made up entirely of reserved seats there is no non-reserved car to fall back on. [3]

Seats can be reserved at a ticket vending machine or a station ticket office, and online when the pass itself was bought through JR-WEST ONLINE TRAIN RESERVATION. [3] For passes with unlimited seat reservations, seats must be reserved at a JR ticket office from the seventh booking onwards. [3]

First Class (Green) cars and sleeper cars are not included: separate Green or sleeper tickets plus express tickets have to be bought at a JR West station before boarding. [3] First Class travel on local services also needs a separate Green ticket. [3] In the Kansai area the pass covers only the fare for assigned seating such as the A-Seat on local, rapid and special rapid trains, and separate charges apply for the Special Rapid "A Seat" paid seating service. [3]

Oversized baggage on the Sanyo Shinkansen has its own rule: from 20 May 2020, baggage whose three sides total more than 160 cm but less than 250 cm needs a seat with an oversized baggage area. [3] A traveller with a reserved-seating pass can use reserved seating together with a section ticket, or buy a separate Unlimited Ride Oversized Baggage Ticket when travelling on a non-reserved-seating pass. [3]

How do you buy and collect the pass?

Outside Japan, travellers buy an exchange order (an MCO or E-TICKET) and exchange it for the pass within three months of issue at a JR West exchange location, showing their passport and completing an application form. [3] An exchange order that is never exchanged can be refunded by the agency that sold it, subject to a handling fee. [3]

Buying through JR-WEST ONLINE TRAIN RESERVATION requires credit card payment, payment at a station is not accepted, and virtual or numberless credit cards cannot be used. [3] The pass is then collected at a station ticket vending machine or ticket office with the reservation number, a four-digit identification number chosen by the traveller, the same credit card and the passport. [3] A passport with an IC chip is required at a ticket vending machine, so travellers without one must collect at the ticket office. [3]

Online reservations open one month before boarding, from 10:00 am JST on the same day of the preceding month, and the price follows the purchase date rather than the exchange or travel date. [3] Passes bought from a travel agency in Japan can be purchased up to one month before the first day of use. [3]

What are the restrictions on the Sanyo-San'in Area Pass?

• Who may use it. The holder needs a passport issued by a foreign government and must enter Japan as a Temporary Visitor; Japanese nationals cannot use the pass, including those holding permanent residence abroad. [3]
• One pass per person. A customer cannot buy or exchange more than one of the same ticket for the same period of use, the pass is valid only for its holder, and lost or stolen passes are not reissued. [3]
• Clock and calendar. The pass works on consecutive days, from 0:00 on the start date to 24:00 on the last date, all times JST. [3] If validity ends while the traveller is on a train on the final day, the pass still covers the fare until the following day so long as the traveller does not exit the station, and covers ticket fees so long as the traveller does not leave the train. [3]
• No changes or extensions. After the exchange order has been exchanged, the start date, duration and pass type cannot be changed, and validity is not extended when trains are unavailable or delayed. [3]
• Refunds. An exchanged pass can be refunded only at the ticket counters of exchange locations in Japan, for the sale price minus a handling fee of 10% with a minimum of 220 yen per pass; nothing is refunded once the pass has started or expired, or because a service was unavailable or delayed. [3]
• Miyajima. A visitation tax of 100 yen must be paid on boarding the Miyajima ferry, as of October 2023. [3]

Frequently asked questions

Is the Sanyo-San'in Area Pass the same as the Japan Rail Pass?

No. The Japan Rail Pass is a ticket offered jointly by the six JR Group companies for travel throughout Japan, with advance reserved seats available only when it is bought on the official website, while the Sanyo-San'in Area Pass is a JR West product valid in its own area from Kansai and Fukuoka (Hakata) through Okayama, Hiroshima, Yamaguchi, Tottori and Matsue. [6] [3]

Can I use the pass between Tokyo and Kyoto?

No. The Tokaido Shinkansen between Shin-Osaka and Tokyo is excluded from the pass. [3]

Do I have to book seats before boarding?

Yes. Reserved seats must be booked before boarding, and on trains that are entirely reserved there is no non-reserved car. [3] Seats are booked at ticket machines or ticket offices, or online for passes bought through JR-WEST ONLINE TRAIN RESERVATION. [3]

Can I get a refund if my train is cancelled?

No. A pass is not refunded because a service was unavailable or delayed, and its validity period is not extended in those cases. [3]

Related pages

Compare the alternatives before buying with the JR regional pass comparison, the Japan Rail Pass guide and the JR West Kansai Area Pass guide. For the booking mechanics, see the JR pass seat reservation guide, and for the general concept see rail pass in the glossary.

Sources

Sources checked on 18 October 2026. It covers the Sanyo-San'in Area Pass only; the Kansai-Hiroshima Area Pass and Kansai WIDE Area Pass are cited for comparison and the national Japan Rail Pass is cited only to distinguish it, while other JR West and JR Group passes are not covered here.

1. JR West: Sanyo-San'in Area Pass information, checked 18 October 2026
2. JR West: Kansai-Hiroshima Area Pass information, checked 18 October 2026
3. JR West: Kansai WIDE Area Pass information, checked 18 October 2026
4. Japan Railways Group: Japan Rail Pass official site, checked 18 October 2026