In Japan, travelling with someone you love only gets better with age.
On September 1, the JR Group announced special passes for older married couples available for a limited time. The Full Moon Couple Green Pass gets you and your loved an all-you-can-ride pass to use the Green cars on the JR lines (with some exceptions) for five, seven, or ten consecutive days.
If you’re not familiar, Green cars are considered premium train cars with slightly more perks than your average seating, and so they come with a higher price tag. Not all Green cars are the same, though. While a Shinkansen Green car has perks like fewer seats for a more spacious and peaceful riding experience, other express trains simply guarantee you an assigned seat in a train that may not otherwise have assigned seating. Either way, though, in the end they’re supposed to offer you a more comfortable riding experience.
To be eligible for the Full Moon Couple Green Pass, you must be a married couple with a combined total of at least 88 years of age. You can even get a slightly sweeter deal if at least one of you is over 70 years old!
Each pass if usable by two people, with the five-day pass costing 84,330 yen (US$770), the seven-day pass 104,650 yen, and the 10-day pass 130,320. If you qualify for the Silver Pass (at least one of you is over 70 years old), they’ll cost you 79,330 yen, 99,650 yen, and 125,320 yen, respectively.
▼ This is what a Green car will be labeled like.
That may seem like a lot upfront, but let’s put it into perspective: a round-trip for two Green car tickets from Shinagawa Station in Tokyo to Sendai Station in Miyagi Prefecture will cost you 30,140 yen, per person. That means a round-trip for two would be 60,280, which means you’d get more than your money’s worth with just a pair of two-person round-trip journeys on the Full Moon pass!
It is important to note that the Nozomi and Mizuho Shinkansen routes aren’t applicable, so you’ll still have to pay full price if you want to ride in the Green car to places like Osaka or Hakata in Fukuoka.
If you’re looking for a special deal to celebrate your love in your “full moon” phase of life, consider getting the pass! You can purchase tickets at JR train stations or travel centers until May 31, 2022, and you’ll be able to use it between October 1, 2021 and June 30, 2022.
Sources: Net Lab, JR Group
Featured image: Pakutaso
Insert images: Pakutaso (1, 2)
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