Nozomi / Mizuho
Not included by default.
JR Pass holders can use Nozomi or Mizuho only by buying a separate special ticket for the relevant section and train.
Rail · Decision guide
JR Pass: Is It Worth It?
The national JR Pass is no longer an automatic first-trip purchase. Start with your actual long-distance journeys, then compare the pass against separate tickets.
For a simple Tokyo–Kyoto–Osaka trip, the national pass often does not pay for itself. It becomes more interesting when you stack several expensive JR journeys into the same 7, 14 or 21-day window.
The basic test
Pass price versus your real itinerary.
Option A
JR PassOne fixed price for covered JR travel during the validity period.VS
Option B
Separate ticketsPay only for the trains you actually plan to take.Common scenarios
When it starts to make sense.
Tokyo + Kyoto + Osaka
Usually not enough by itself
A simple Golden Route often does not justify the national pass on price alone.
Tokyo + Kyoto + Hiroshima + back to Tokyo
Worth checking carefully
More long-distance travel makes the pass more competitive.
Mostly Tokyo + nearby day trips
Usually no
Local and regional tickets are often more appropriate.
Many long JR journeys in a short window
Possibly
The pass works best when expensive JR travel is concentrated inside its validity period.
Important rules
Convenience is part of the value.
Covered transport
It is not an all-Japan transit pass.
The pass covers eligible JR services, but some non-JR railways and other services require separate fares.
Planwise ruleIf you have to invent extra day trips to make the pass “worth it,” it probably is not the right purchase. The trip should justify the pass—not the other way around.
One timing note
Watch the October 2026 price change.
JR announced higher prices for purchases through overseas agencies from 1 October 2026, while the official online purchase prices were announced as unchanged in that notice. If you buy through an agency, check the current channel-specific price before comparing options.
Source trail
Last checked · 19 September 2026