The Seishun 18 Kippu (Seishun Juhachi Kippu), which translates roughly to Youthful 18 Ticket, offers five days of unlimited nationwide travel on local and rapid Japan Rail (JR) trains.
The ticket is available for three periods annually and originated as a means for Japan’s youth to explore the country during their school holiday seasons.
Price
The Seishun 18 Kippu costs ¥12,050, which is only ¥2,410 per day.
Availability
As mentioned above, the Seishun 18 Kippu is eligible three times a year.
| Period | Timeframe | Tickets available |
| Spring | March 1–April 10 | February 20–March 31 |
|---|---|---|
| Summer | July 20–September 10 | July 1–August 31 |
| Winter | December 10–January 10 | December 1–December 31 |
Eligibility
The Seishun 18 Kippu is available for people of all ages, including foreign tourists and residents. However, please be aware that there is no child fare. All tickets cost ¥12,050 regardless of age.
How to use
You can use the Seishun 18 Kippu for five days, and the days do not need to be consecutive. For the ticket’s purposes, a day starts and ends at midnight. However, in Tokyo and Osaka, the ticket is valid until the last train.
The Seishun 18 Kippu is a non-personal and transferable ticket and can act as both an individual and group ticket. For instance, one person can use the same ticket for five days, or five people can use the same ticket for one day. Basically, each person counts as an additional day. As another example, if two people use the ticket for two days, then one day will be left for a single person. The combinations are numerous!
The Seishun 18 Kippu is not compatible with automatic ticket gates. At the start of the day, you must show the ticket to personnel at the staffed gates to receive a stamp with the day’s date. Thereafter, you must always walk through the staffed gates to show your ticket.
Available train lines
In general, the Seishun 18 Kippu is:
- valid on all local and rapid JR trains (non-reserved seats) and
- invalid on limited express trains, express trains, shinkansen, and private railways.
Other valid routes
- JR West Miyajima Ferry (a visit tax of ¥100 is required on site)
- JR Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) from Maeyachi to Yanaizu to Kesennuma to Sakari (Miyagi and Iwate)
- Limited express trains (non-reserved seats) between:
- Shintoku and Shin-Yubari (Hokkaido) (also applicable for vacant reserved seats; however, please give up your seat if a passenger with a reserved ticket boards)
- Higashi-Muroran and Muroran (Hokkaido) (also applicable for vacant reserved seats; however, please give up your seat if a passenger with a reserved ticket boards)
- Aomori and Shin-Aomori (Aomori)
- Miyazaki and Miyazaki Airport (Miyazaki)
- Sasebo and Haiki (Nagasaki)
- Private railways:
- Note: you cannot board or disembark at any other stations except the ones listed below along the following lines
- Aoimori Railway between Aomori, Noheji and Hachinohe Stations to access the JR Ominato Line to the Shimokita Peninsula and JR Hachinohe Line
- IR Ishikawa Railway between Kanazawa and Tsubata Stations to access the JR Nanao Line bound for the Noto Peninsula
- Ainokaze Toyama Railway between Toyama and Takaoka Stations to access the JR Himi Line and JR Johana Line
- Hapi Line Fukui between Tsuruga and Echizen-Hanando to access the JR Kuzuryu Line
Important exclusions
- You cannot ride JR buses
- You cannot ride the JR Kyushu Jet Ferry between Japan and South Korea
- For travel between Honshu and Hokkaido, you must purchase an additional ticket (Seishun 18 Kippu Hokkaido Shinkansen Ticket) for ¥2,490 per person. This ticket allows travel on the Hokkaido Shinkansen (non-reserved seat) between Okutsugaru-Imabetsu and Kikonai Stations and on the South Hokkaido Railway (Donan Isaribi Railway) between Kikonai and Goryokaku Stations (Hakodate).
- JR buses and private routes that connect directly to JR lines are not applicable. Separate fares and fees are required.
Where to buy
You can purchase the Seishun 18 Kippu at most staffed JR Stations at the ticket offices (Midori no Madoguchi) or green ticket machines (Midori no Kenbaiki) during the tickets’ corresponding sales periods. Please note that you cannot receive a ticket refund even if trains are canceled or delayed.
Should you buy it?
Overall, you will have to review your trip’s timing, goals, and plans to determine if the Seishun 18 Kippu is a good fit for you.
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