Transportation services
• The JAPAN RAIL PASS is valid for the railways, buses, and ferry boats shown below
  

  Railways: all JR Group Railways -- Shinkansen "bullet trains" (except any reserved or nonreserved seat on "NOZOMI" trains), limited express trains, express trains, and rapid or local trains (With some exceptions)

  Buses: JR Bus Companies: Local lines of JR Hokkaido Bus, JR Bus Tohoku, JR Bus Kanto, JR Tokai Bus, West Japan JR Bus, Chugoku JR Bus, JR Shikoku Bus Company, and JR Kyushu Bus. JR Highway Bus Lines: Sapporo - Otaru / Morioka - Hirosaki / Aomori; Tokyo - Nagoya / Kyoto / Osaka / Tsukuba Center; Nagoya - Kyoto / Osaka; Osaka - Tsuyama / Kasai Flower Center (Not accepted on some lines)

  Ferry: Only the JR Miyajima ferry is covered. The JR Hakata-Pusan (Korea) ferry is not covered.

  Important notes: the JAPAN RAIL PASS is not valid for any seats, reserved or nonreserved, on "NOZOMI" trains on the Tokaido and San'yo Shinkansen lines. If you use a "NOZOMI," you must pay the basic fare and the limited express charge, and for a Green Car the Green Car surcharge. Note also that passengers using JR trains on non-JR lines must pay additional fares and charges for sections traveled on such lines.

Accommodations
• Most JR trains have Ordinary Cars (coach class) while many long-distance trains also offer Green Cars (superior class). With a Green-type JAPAN RAIL PASS you can use either class, while with an Ordinary-type JAPAN RAIL PASS you can use only Ordinary Cars without paying an additional charge.

Validity period
• The validity period of a JAPAN RAIL PASS is the consecutive 7, 14, or 21 days beginning on the date the PASS is first used.
• Within three months from the date Exchange Order was issued, you must turn in your Exchange ORder to obtain you JAPAN RAIL PASS. At that time, you have to specify the date that you want to start using the PASS. It can be any date within one month from the date the PASS is received.
• Once the PASS has a starting date written on it, the date cannot be changed.

• Shinkansen* and most limited express and ordinary express trains have both reserved and nonreserved Ordinary Car seats, and reserved Green car seats.
  * There are no Green Cars on most HIKARI and KODAMA trains on the San'yo Shinkansen line "Shin-Osaka-Hakata), or on TSUBAME trains on the Kyushu Shinkansen line (Shin-Yatsushiro-Kagoshima-Chuo)
• A monreserved seat can be used simply by showing your JAPAN RAIL PASS.
• Seat reservations can be made without additional payment. To make a reservation. go to any Travel Service Center or a Reservation Office (Midori-no-madoguchi) at a JR station, or to the sales office of a JR-associated travel agency. There, show your PASS, and obtain your reserved-seat ticket before boarding.
• The sign for a Reservation Office (Midori-no-madoguchi)
• Caution:
  Please note that during crowded periods you cannot be guaranteed a seat on a specific train. The periods when seat reservations are particularly difficult to secure are as follows.
  - December 28 to January 6
  The New Year holiday period is the most popular travel time fro Japanese people, for vacations and returns to hometown areas.
  - April 27 to May 6
  Due to consecutive holidays in a comfortable travel season, there is large - scale travel throughout Japan for leisure and recreation.
  - August 11 to 20
  Another time for traditional travel to hometown areas, called the Obon season.

1. Use a JAPAN RAIL PASS is strictly limited to the person who signs the pass (hereafter "you").

2. You should carry your passport during travel, and be prepared to show it if requested.

3. Refund of Exchange Order or JAPAN RAIL PASS

• An Exchange Order that has not been turned in for a JAPAN RAIL PASS can be returned to the office where it was purchased for a refund, within one year of the date of issue. In such case a handling fee and communication fee will be subtracted from the refund.
• After an Exchange Order is turned in for a JAPAN RAIL PASS, the PASS can be turned in at any JAPAN RAIL PASS exchange office for a refund if this is done before the starting date for the use of the PASS. (Ten percent of the yen price of the PASS will be charged as a handling fee.)
• No refund can be made for any r3eason on or after the stamped First Date
• Also no refund or extension of the validity period can be made in the event of train non-operation, delay, or the like.

4. Neither an Exchange Order nor a JAPAN RAIL PASS can be reissued if lost or stolen.

5. These and other usage conditions follow the Japan Railways Group Passenger transportation regulations and Japanese laws. The validity of an Exchange Order, however, shall follow the stipulations and regulations of the company that issued the Exchange Order.