Get your Kyun Pass while you can.

Ever since Japan Railways Group, a.k.a. JR, raised the price for its nationwide rail pass, a lot of the luster has been lost for what used to be widely considered Japan’s best tourism transit deal. But even if the nationwide pass has priced itself out of consideration for many travelers, there are still great bargains available for those looking for a more geographically focused trip in Japan, thanks to some great regional rail pass bargains, with the pass we’re looking at today one that you’ll want to act fast on.

East Japan Railway Company/JR East is currently offering a one or two-day unlimited train ride pass called the Kyun Pass. The pass can be used on all JR East lines, which stretch from Tokyo all the way up to the tip of the northeastern Tohoku region and also to parts of the Chubu region that include Niigata, and yes, it can be used on the Shinkansen too. In addition, the Kyun Pass gets you unlimited rides on five affiliated lines, the Aomori Railway Line, Iwate Galaxy Railway Line, Sanriku Railway Line, Hokuetsu Express Line, and Echigo Tokimeki Railway Line, and even BRT buses on the Kesennuma and Ofunato Lines.

▼ The area covered by the pass

Despite covering such a wide area, the price for the Kyun Pass is just 10,000 yen (US$65) for a one-day pass or 18,000 yen for the two-day version. Considering that a normal one-way Shinkansen ride from Tokyo to Aomori (in northern Tohoku) by itself is roughly 17,500 yen, it should be very easy to get your money’s worth out of the Kyun Pass.

▼ The stunning snowscapes of Aomori’s Hakkoda Mountains, Nagano’s beautiful Zenkoji Temple, and other great destinations in Miyagi and Akita Prefectures are all accessible with the pass.

▼ The Kyun Pass logo (for more on the meaning of kyun, please refer to our recent examination of the logic behind the naming of Japan’s new “Cunte” contact lenses)

But there’s a catch, right? Sort of, although, depending on your perspective, it could actually make the deal even sweeter. The Kyun Pass is valid on weekdays only, but by planning your trip so that you’re avoiding the weekends, you’ll also be missing the biggest crowds, making your trip that much more enjoyable.

As mentioned earlier, though, you’ll need to jump on this deal right away, as the last day that the Kyun Pass can be used is March 12, and so the single-day pass is only available for purchase until February 26, and the two-day pass until February 25. The pass is available through the JR East website here.

Source: JR East, JR View, PR Times (1, 2)
Top image: PR Times
Insert images: PR Times, JR East
● Want to hear about SoraNews24’s latest articles as soon as they’re published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!
[ Read in Japanese ]