The Japan Rail Pass is indeed a must for any tourist hoping to cover as much of Japan as they can while in Japan. It is only sold via agents abroad and cannot be purchased in Japan. You'll need to be a foreign tourist visiting Japan and have a Temporary Visitor stamp in your passport.
A Japan Rail Pass Exchange Order voucher is sold via agents abroad, i.e. Toptours, Kintetsu, Nippon Express, JTB, etc. Once you arrive in Japan you can redeem the voucher for the actual pass (photo shown above) at a JR Counter - look for the green sign that has (みどりの窓口). The name in your passport must match the name on the voucher and you'll need to present your passport with the voucher to receive your rail pass.
Rail passes are issued for 7, 14 and 21 days allowing the user to travel all over Japan and are sold in two categories - Green (グリーン車) and Ordinary (普通車). Green is similar to business class seating with 2 seats on either side of the aisle; whereas Ordinary is more like economy with 3 seats on either side of the aisle.
The pass can be used on all JR trains including the Narita Express, JR buses, ferries as well as the shinkansen (新幹線); however, the pass cannot be used on the NOZOMI (のぞみ) train so make sure that you do not get on this train otherwise you'll be asked to pay for the cost of that train ride. Japan Rail Pass also qualifies the user for additional hotel discounts at selected properties affording you additional savings.
The Exchange Order voucher can be redeemed at several JR offices located throughout Japan, including JR offices located in each of the terminals at Tokyo's Narita International Airport (成田国際空港). When you redeem the Japan Rail Pass Exchange Order voucher, the staff can assist you with reservations for a reserved seat on the day you wish to travel. There is no fee charged for this service - however, if you wish to take a night train and book a couchette or private cabin then you'll need to pay for that feature.
One word of advice, the Japan Rail Pass Exchange Order voucher is only valid for 3 months from the date it is issued, so keep that in mind when planning for your trip. Also, if for some reason you go to Japan and do not redeem your Exchange Order voucher then you can return it for a refund minus a 10% handling fee.
In closing, Travel & Leisure Magazine (April 2008) had an article 26 Travel Secrets and mentioned the Japan Rail Pass as item #12. "The Japan Rail Pass - good for intercity travel - also works on the handy Yamanote Line, an above-ground train that encircles Central Tokyo."
Just another seal of approval for this cost savings travel product. So what are you waiting for starting thinking about booking that trip to Japan.
All the best...Mark
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