You cannot Board JR Limited Express or Shinkansen directly just with JR Rail Pass !!! Any Time you want to take Limited Express or Shinkansen must go JR Ticket Office first. Show the JR Rail Pass to Staff & tell staff which train & which seat (Reserved or Unreserved) you want. It will Print out The Seat Ticket (Reserved or Unreserved also got Ticket with that Particular Train no.)
So before you pass that Manual Gate, you need to show 2 Ticket (JR Rail Pass + Seat Ticket).
Without 2 ticket, you can't even pass Manual gate of Shinkansen, staff will ask you go get seat ticket.

Local / Rapid train such as JR Yamanote Line / Chuo Line etc etc.....This kind of train, you can direct pass manual gate by showing JR Rail Pass. This part really interesting, Because Limited Express sharing same platfrom as Local train.
Staff will let you pass because he think you just wanted to take Local train. If you board Limited Express without Seat Ticket, Ticket Conductor will FXXX you HARD & Give you long long lectured
I see this incident many many many times

About the Stamp on JR Rail Pass only stamp once per day. After 24 hours, next passing manual gate, staff only stamp 2nd chop.

This post has been edited by RegentCid: Jan 6 2023, 10:54 PM

Instead of buying sim, you should also check the cost of your local telco provider for the data roaming. Doubt you need the call service.

I have limited knowledge on japan rail but... i only can see you reaching osaka from takayama via nagoya. The stretch from nagoya to osaka is best by shinkansen lo. But actually i am sure got non shinkansen to take but save time ma. If take shinkansen, then jr pass... only can take those certain trains (which i recall was less frequent).

Actually google map is already very good for japan trip planning. You can compare the price for each single ticket by using the public transport option. Iirc, the price seems abit cheaper when i bought on the spot compared than the price on google map, i suspect because of reserved pricing on google map (i bought unreserved) but the difference was only few hundred yen.

From kanazawa to takayama via shirakawago, you will be on the bus, so you should calculate properly before buying the jr pass to make sure worth your money.

Don’t ask… next time I’m going to plan for my family only, this round got relatives joining at different cities mid way, this is the best I can come out with because I’m staying the longest, below is the itinerary:
4 nights Tokyo
1 night Nagano - snow monkey
2 nights Toyama - tateyama
4 nights Takayama - Shirakawago and Kamikochi (2 different days)
5 nights Osaka - 2 days Osaka, 2 days Kyoto, half day trip to Himeji castle
4 nights Tokyo - lake kawaguchiko, Disneyland

The Takayama one cannot shift because the hotel very expensive now, I booked 4 nights 2 month ago, now 3 nights costs more than 4 nights

Oh there is a special train to snow monkey park? I interesting, I thought only got bus
I’ll have a look and check back with you later, seems to take slightly longer, worth it? thanks bro

Where can I get information for train disruption for hokkaido
Thanks

Ok la. Chill at takayama. Eat more hida beef and other stuff and drink their hida milk (can get from convenience store). Really loved it. I enjoyed the food i managed to try at takayama, but night time abit dead though.

Actually you can decide later you want to go to hida folk village (at takayama itself) or shirakawago or go to both. I went to shirakawago, but from pictures, hida folk village macam similar.

Can go to hida-furukawa for a quick walk and some sort of insta-worthy picture, but when i was there, feels like a very quiet town. Lol. When i got off the train, only 6 ppl including 2 of us, who were "tourist"

Alert News!
Hokkaido Rail Update:

From Sapporo Station Heading Asahikawa Station are all suspended.
From Chitose Station Heading Hakodate Station & Obihiro Station / Kushiro Station are all suspended.
From Sapporo Station Heading South maximum until Chitose & New Chitose Airport Station.
From Shin-Hokodate Station only got train service to Hakodate Station only.

Service Reopen on 26 Feb 2023

Road to Lake Shikotsu Fully Closed until further notice.

This post has been edited by RegentCid: Jan 7 2023, 10:40 PM

Hi, would you be able to share your itinerary?

I dont have any itinerary honestly. I was only there for 1 full day exclude arrival and departure.

We wing it.

Just makan, and went to hida furukawa for 1 hour exclude the journey time (but like i say, semi dead but still ok to jalan). Went to try the famous route (20% of it then gave up, cause cold tired and hungry). It's less touristy when i was there but when makan bbq, then see all tourist.

Got 2 makan place i like to recommend

Makan soba
https://maps.app.goo.gl/nzR56LZRzaAsQYZF9

Makan beef but different way of eating
https://maps.app.goo.gl/3iRj3d5JXqtrntAd7

So the bbq place somewhere in town. Mostly serve tourist. But still good. Downside is self cook, lack the finesse of jp cooking style but the A5 hida beef is good. Google hidagyu maruaki.

This post has been edited by adele123: Jan 8 2023, 10:56 AM

Thanks. Been occupied with other stuffs this few days, will start doing homework for the trip

My nagoya ite in 2018. Rented car. I actually enjoyed it better than osaka

Really.does look straight out from painting right?





This post has been edited by kucingfight: Jan 8 2023, 09:09 PM

Haha, thanks for the detailed explanation. At least now I know how the pass should work.

But what happens if the JR Ticket Office closes past the office hour? Can you reserve a seat at those normal ticketing machines?

And the stamp I'm referring to is the immigration stamp for tourist "temporary visitor". Without these one can't exchange the get JR rail pass right?

This post has been edited by hjh87: Jan 8 2023, 10:07 PM

This doesn't sound right. Can please share the source ? No way they would close all train service from sapporo to ashikawa for more than a month.

You had to buy JR Rail Pass from Malaysia first. It will be Exchange Order. Once you reach Japan, you can exchange JR Rail Pass with Exchange Order at JR Ticket Office.
If you JR Rail Pass Holder, you can't reserved Seat thru Machine / Online. Only JR Ticket Office.

What is the typical price to pay for an overnight in a ryokan with dinner? Is it too early to book one for October now? I notice that not many options are availabe at Agoda. Because they are not open for reservation yet, or already sold out, or booking is via their own website?

This post has been edited by Human Nature: Jan 9 2023, 12:56 AM

price est Rm1300 - 2000 Per night for 2 pax with Onsen access. (Full naked)

This post has been edited by RegentCid: Jan 9 2023, 09:12 AM

I think alot people Complaint. JR Hokkaido do alot adjustment again.

Latest news I got was
Hokkaido Rail Update: 09 Jan 2023

From Sapporo Station Heading Otaru will be Suspended every Sat & Sun until 27 Feb 2023
From Sapporo Station Heading Chitose Station + New Chitose Airport Station will be Suspended every Sat & Sun until 27 Feb 2023
From Asahikawa heading Wakkanai will be Suspended 1 day due to Tree fall
From Asahikawa heading Furano will be Suspended 1 day for Snow Clearing

Road to Lake Shikotsu Fully Closed until 01 March 2023


From Airport heading Sapporo city alternative was Public Bus.

This post has been edited by RegentCid: Jan 9 2023, 09:51 AM

That's the point

Male and female are separate.

Maybe he's gay??

Haha i find la those with private onsen