Is the 14 day Japan Rail Pass worth it?
By: Ashley Herr
Tags: Jr Pass, Japan, Travel Tips, Travel Itinerary, Japan Travel

yes, but you will need to plan ahead. here is how i planned my itinerary.

For those that aren’t familiar with the JR Pass — it’s essentially an unlimited travel pass for tourists on JR Group owned transportation throughout Japan. JR Passes sell at a seemingly high upfront cost — but if you plan your trip well, you can easily get a bang for your buck. See more eligibility requirements for the JR Pass here.

To save a few extra bucks, be sure to get your JR Pass before you step foot in Japan. I got my 14-day JR Pass at a local travel agency in San Francisco — but you can also buy it online. Find other internationally verified vendor locations here.

Note: I am not affiliated with the JR Group, just a fellow travel lover with a blog. Check it out!

Before I get into my itinerary, I think it’s helpful to frame the travel style I had for this trip. I traveled solo during the new year holiday season, i am partial to “local” exploration and tend to avoid most popular attractions, and lastly, i have a huge penchant for modern/contemporary art. These influenced the ‘when’ and ‘where’ of my JR pass itinerary.

Day 1: Osaka to Yoro (day trip)

The Site of Reversible Destiny (photo from TripAdvisor)

Destination: The Site of Reversible Destiny

Travel time: 6 hrs

Total Cost: ¥15,520 (includes ¥420 for a local, non-JR Group owned train)

From their site, “Arakawa and Gins’ Site of Reversible Destiny — Yoro, is a carefully considered construction of undulating planes, shifting colors, and disorienting spaces that the artists/architects presented to visitors a place of purposeful experimentation.” If you are a lover of design, architecture, and play, the Site of Reversible Destiny is a really sweet place for you. Yoro is a bit out of the way to get to, although the journey adds to the adventure. Plus, the small town surrounding it is extremely charming. Would recommend.

Day 2: Osaka to Naoshima

The most beautiful museum I’ve ever been to — the Chichu Museum (photo from Benesse)

Destination: Chichu Art Museum

Travel time: 3 hrs

Total Cost: ¥7,840 (includes 570 boat ticket cost from a separate company)

Naoshima is an island known for its contemporary and modern art. There are four main attractions on the island along with several art pieces scattered around the island: Benesse House, The Lee Ufan Museum, the Chichu Art Museum, and the Art Houses.

Long story short, the Chichu Art Museum changed my life. It is a must see for contemporary and modern architecture lovers. The building is designed by Tadao Ando, and the museum includes incredible installations by Claude Monet, James Turrell, and Walter De Maria. You will need to book your tickets in advance.

Day 3: Teshima to Kobe

Teshima Art Museum (photo by Iwan Baan)

Destination: Yokoo Art House & Teshima Art Museum

Travel time: 3 hrs

Total Cost: ¥6,160 (includes boat ticket cost from a separate company)

Teshima is a sister art island to Naoshima. On the island, there are more Art Houses as well as the Teshima Art Museum. I’d recommend renting an assisted bike to get around on the island. The Teshima Art Museum is a collaboration with artist Rei Naito and architect Ryue Nishizawa. It’s a beautiful spot to observe and meditate. If you love contemporary design, architecture, and minimalism, this is a must-see for you.

Day 4: Kobe to Kyoto

Hyogo Prefectural Art Museum staircase (Photo by Patipat Janthong)

Destination: Hyogo Prefectural Art Museum

Travel time: 2 hrs

Total Cost: ¥1,450

Kobe is most well known for their Kobe beef restaurants — however, if you’re into architecture and modern Japanese/western art, do check out the Hyogo Prefectural Art Museum. They It’s located just a few JR stops away, in Nada, Japan.

Day 5: Kyoto

Nishiki Market (photo from jrailpass)

A well known attraction, Nishiki Market, is a narrow shopping street in Kyoto. Often referred to as “Kyoto’s Kitchen”, this fresh food market is five blocks long and lined with over one hundred restaurants and shops.

Day 6: Kyoto

Kurama Onsen (photo from Oyster)

Located 30 minutes away from Kyoto, Kurama Onsen is a nice city getaway, featuring a Roten-buro (outdoor hot spring bath). I was surprised by how easy it was to get into the mountains — there are several bus paths from Kyoto city center. There are some great hiking trails up in Kurama to check out as well!

Day 7: Kyoto to Kanazawa

Pool installation by Leandro Erlich at the 21st Century Museum (photo from Cool Material)

Destination: 21st Century Museum

Travel time: 3 hrs

Total Cost: ¥7,240

I remember seeing a photo of this pool installation on my Tumblr feed back in the day, and have always wanted to see it IRL. The art piece is a permanent installation within the 21st Century Museum in Kanazawa! I didn’t get to see it due to museum renovation closures, however, there are some fun public installations surrounding the uniquely shaped building.

Day 8: Kanazawa

Kenroku-en Gardens (photo from japan-guide)

Kanazawa also has one of Japans most beautiful and greatest gardens, known as a garden which combines six characteristics— the six aspects considered important in the notion of an ideal garden: spaciousness, serenity, venerability, scenic views, subtle design, and coolness.

Day 9: Kanazawa to Iiyama

Destination: Nozawa Skiing / Snow Monkeys

Travel time: 1 hr

Total cost: ¥7,240

I had never skied before, and thought it would be fun to try since I would be passing through the area. Would highly recommend the skiing here — heard praises from many other seasoned skiers on the quality and quantity of the snow. Plus, the small town surrounding the resort is very cute and quaint.

Day 10: Iiyama to Ikebukuro

Jigokudani Monkey Park in Nagano (Image by Matthew Kane)

Destination: Jigokudani Monkey Park

Travel Time: 2.5 hrs

Total cost: ¥8,570

Another sentimental stop for me, (I had seen these monkeys in my school textbooks, and have always wondered what it would be like to see these monkeys IRL) the Jigokudani Monkey Park is a popular attraction in the area. My tip is to go early! It does get crowded, and there will be lots of tourists surrounding a small hot spring, all with cameras pointing at the monkeys. But there are also a lot of monkeys and they’re all very cute.

Day 11: Tokyo

inside 21_21 Design Sight (photo from matcha-jp)

I didn’t do much intercity travel on this day as I was very exhausted from the past 10 days. I had a lovely day 11 of my JR Pass at the 21_21 Design Sight museum.

Day 12: Ikebukuro to Sendai (day trip)

downtown Sendai (photo from japan-guide)

Destination: Shopping!

Travel Time: 4 hrs

Total cost: ¥22,400

There are a lot of great outdoor and cultural attractions in/near Sendai, however, I only really wanted to do some shopping on this day. Sendai has some great second hand shops.

Day 13: Ikebukuro to Osaka (day trip)

Super Tamade supermarket (photo by OnlyForward)

Destination: Super Tamade! & Dotonburi

Travel Time: 6hrs

Total cost: ¥29,440

I had a lot of decision fatigue this day (as well as travel fatigue), and decided to go back to Osaka one last time. Super Tamade is a cute grocery chain concentrated in the Osaka area. I would highly recommend popping into a Super Tamade shop — the neon signs, cheeky store design, and cheap prices are sure to tickle your senses. Dotonburi is a well known shopping strip in Osaka that I would also recommend for a stroll.

Day 14: Tokyo

I was content to stay in Tokyo on Day 14, as I was exhausted from the travel already done and I had already gotten good value from the pass.