How much is the Sanyo-San'in Area Pass?

It costs ¥23,000 for adults and ¥11,500 for children aged 6 to 11, for 7 consecutive days. Up to two children aged 1 to 5 ride free with each pass holder if they share a seat.

Does the Sanyo-San'in Area Pass cover the Nozomi?

Yes. All Sanyo Shinkansen trains between Shin-Osaka and Hakata are covered, including Nozomi and Mizuho, in ordinary-car seats.

Does it cover the ferry to Miyajima?

Yes, the JR West Miyajima Ferry is included. The ¥100 Miyajima visitor tax is charged separately when you board.

Can I get to Izumo Taisha with the pass?

The pass takes you to Izumoshi Station on JR. The last short stretch to the shrine is by Ichibata train or bus, which is not covered.

Does the Sanyo-San'in Area Pass cover Tokyo to Osaka?

No. The Tokaido Shinkansen is run by JR Central and is not included. Buy Tokyo to Shin-Osaka separately, or compare with the national Japan Rail Pass.

Is the Kansai-San'in Area Pass cheaper?

Yes, ¥18,000 for 7 days, but its Shinkansen stops at Okayama, so it does not reach Hiroshima, Miyajima or Fukuoka.

Sanyo-San'in Area Pass: Price, Map and a 7-Day Route

11/24/202510/10/2026

The giant straw rope hanging over the hall at Izumo Taisha shrine

Quick answer

The Sanyo-San'in Area Pass costs ¥23,000 for adults and ¥11,500 for children aged 6 to 11, for 7 consecutive days.
It covers the Sanyo Shinkansen from Shin-Osaka to Hakata, the San'in coast (Matsue, Izumo, Tottori, Hagi) and the JR ferry to Miyajima.
Osaka to Hakata and back via Hiroshima already costs more in single tickets, so it suits a week-long loop.

Contents

What Is the Sanyo-San'in Area Pass?

The Sanyo-San'in Area Pass is JR West's 7-day pass for foreign visitors covering the whole of western Honshu. It includes the Sanyo Shinkansen from Shin-Osaka all the way to Hakata in Fukuoka, the Inland Sea side (Okayama, Hiroshima, Miyajima) and the Sea of Japan side, called San'in (Tottori, Matsue, Izumo, Hagi).

It is the pass for a week-long loop, not for day trips from one hotel. The usual shape is Osaka, west along the Shinkansen to Hiroshima or Fukuoka, north to the San'in coast, and back to Kansai through the mountains on a limited express.

If your trip is shorter, the other JR West passes do one part of this for less, such as the Kansai-Hiroshima Area Pass for Osaka to Miyajima in 5 days, the Kansai Wide Area Pass for day trips from Kansai, and the Kansai Area Pass for city days. Our regional rail passes guide compares passes across all of Japan.

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Price and Validity in 2026

The pass costs ¥23,000 for adults and ¥11,500 for children aged 6 to 11, valid for 7 consecutive days. These are the prices on JR West's page in October 2026, unchanged since August 2024, and JR West lists the same price for every sales channel.

Passenger	Price	Validity
Adult (12 and over)	¥23,000	7 consecutive days
Child (6 to 11)	¥11,500	7 consecutive days
Children aged 1 to 5	Free, up to 2 per pass holder	Sharing a seat
Babies under 1	Free	Sharing a seat

A child under 6 needs a child pass if they use a reserved seat of their own. On the long YAKUMO or Shinkansen rides of this route, many families buy one for a 4- or 5-year-old so everyone has a seat.

Each day counts from 0:00 to 24:00 Japan time. Seven days in a row means the clock does not stop for a rest day in Hiroshima, so plan the long rides to fall inside the 7 days and the slow days at either end.

The Map and What the Pass Covers

The pass covers JR West's network from Kansai Airport to Hakata and Shimonoseki, plus a few non-JR lines, buses and the Miyajima ferry. Its eastern limit is Kansai, so it does not reach Tokyo or Nagoya.

JR West map of the Sanyo-San'in Area Pass from Hakata and Hagi to Kyoto and Tsuruga — The Sanyo-San'in Area Pass area, from JR West's official map

The pass covers these.

Sanyo Shinkansen, Shin-Osaka to Hakata, ordinary-car reserved and non-reserved seats, including Nozomi and Mizuho
Limited expresses across the area, such as HARUKA, YAKUMO (Okayama to Matsue and Izumo) and KONOTORI
JR West local and rapid trains, plus the JR line to Takamatsu
JR West Miyajima Ferry (the ¥100 Miyajima visitor tax is paid separately)
Chizu Express and the Kyoto Tango Railway
JR Bus Chugoku (the Hiroshima Meipuru-pu loop bus, local buses and the Super Hagi express bus to Hagi) and West JR Bus local routes

It does not cover these.

The Tokaido Shinkansen (Shin-Osaka to Kyoto, Nagoya and Tokyo) and the Kyushu Shinkansen beyond Hakata
JR Kyushu local lines, subways, private railways and city trams
The Ichibata line and other non-JR buses to Izumo Taisha and around Matsue
Expressway buses, Green Car seats and the paid A-Seat

Is the Sanyo-San'in Area Pass Worth It?

Yes, if your week goes from Kansai to Fukuoka or round the San'in coast. On a simple loop from Osaka to Hakata, back to Hiroshima and back to Osaka, the Shinkansen alone costs above the price of the pass, even at JR West's discounted fares for visitors.

Trip (adult)	Discounted single ticket	With the pass
Osaka to Hakata	¥10,900	Covered
Hakata to Hiroshima	¥6,300	Covered
Hiroshima to Osaka	¥7,900	Covered
Total	¥25,100	¥23,000 pass

Those fares are JR West's SANYO-SHINKANSEN One-way Ticket, sold to visitors by overseas agents. Normal station fares are higher. The pass then adds the San'in coast, the Miyajima ferry and the airport trains on top.

When it is too much. If you never go west of Hiroshima and skip San'in, the Kansai-Hiroshima Area Pass does the same job for ¥17,000 in 5 days.

If you want San'in but not Hiroshima, the Kansai-San'in Area Pass below is cheaper.

A 7-Day Family Route Around Western Japan

This loop uses two long Shinkansen days and one long limited express day, with lighter days between. You sleep in four places (Osaka or Kyoto, Hiroshima, Matsue, and Kansai again at the end).

The canal and white-walled buildings of the Kurashiki Bikan Historical Quarter — Kurashiki, one stop from Okayama on the JR line

Day 1. Osaka to Okayama and Kurashiki. The Shinkansen to Okayama takes under an hour. See Korakuen Garden in the morning and the Kurashiki canal in the afternoon.
Day 2. On to Hiroshima. Visit the Peace Memorial Park and the Atomic Bomb Dome. Use the Meipuru-pu loop bus, which the pass covers.
Day 3. Miyajima. Take the JR line to Miyajimaguchi and the JR ferry. Check the tide table if you want to see the torii standing in water.
Day 4. Day trip to Fukuoka, or a rest day. Hakata is about an hour from Hiroshima by Nozomi. With small children, many families use this day to rest instead.
Day 5. Hiroshima to Matsue. Go back to Okayama on the Shinkansen, then take the YAKUMO limited express north over the mountains to Matsue, a long ride of around 2.5 hours.
Day 6. Izumo Taisha and Matsue Castle. The JR line takes you to Izumoshi. From there, Izumo Taisha is a short ride by non-JR train or bus at extra cost.
Day 7. Back to Kansai. Take the YAKUMO back to Okayama and the Shinkansen to Osaka, or the HARUKA straight to Kansai Airport.

The torii of Itsukushima Shrine at sunset — Miyajima at sunset, reached by the JR ferry that the pass includes

ONO

I recommend the San'in region, such as Matsue and Izumo, to families.

Reserve every long ride when you collect the pass. With children, a reserved seat on the YAKUMO and on the Shinkansen keeps the family together.

If you carry a suitcase over 160 cm in total dimensions on the Sanyo Shinkansen, reserve a seat with an oversized baggage area as well.

Sanyo-San'in vs Kansai-San'in vs All Area Pass

Choose the cheapest pass whose map covers your farthest points. JR West sells three week-long passes for western Japan, and the Sanyo-San'in pass sits in the middle.

Pass (7 days)	Adult / child	Shinkansen covered	Pick it if
Kansai-San'in Area Pass	¥18,000 / ¥9,000	Shin-Osaka to Okayama	You want Kansai and San'in, not Hiroshima
Sanyo-San'in Area Pass	¥23,000 / ¥11,500	Shin-Osaka to Hakata	You want Hiroshima, Fukuoka and San'in
JR-WEST All Area Pass	¥26,000 / ¥13,000	Shin-Osaka to Hakata, plus Hokuriku	You also want Kanazawa

The JR-WEST All Area Pass adds the Hokuriku Shinkansen between Tsuruga and Joetsu-Myoko, which takes in Kanazawa, for ¥3,000 more. If Kanazawa is anywhere on your list, it is the better buy.

Coming from Tokyo, This Pass or the Japan Rail Pass?

Most families flying into Tokyo should compare this pass with the national Japan Rail Pass before buying. The Sanyo-San'in pass does not cover the Tokaido Shinkansen from Tokyo, so the trip from Tokyo to Osaka and back is extra.

A standard reserved Nozomi seat from Tokyo to Shin-Osaka costs ¥14,520 for an adult on smartEX. Going there and back adds ¥29,040 to the ¥23,000 pass, making ¥52,040 in all.

A 7-day Japan Rail Pass costs ¥50,000 online and covers the Tokyo legs too, but only if the whole loop, Tokyo to Tokyo, fits inside the same 7 days, and only on the Hikari unless you buy an extra Nozomi ticket. Our Japan Rail Pass guide has the details.

The Sanyo-San'in pass suits families who spend several days in Tokyo first, then go west for a full week. The Tokyo days are where we help.

Our Tokyo private tour with kids plans the city around naps, strollers and allergies.

How to Buy and Collect the Pass

You can buy from JR West online, from an overseas agent, or from a travel agency in Japan.

JR-WEST ONLINE TRAIN RESERVATION opens one month before your first day of travel at 10:00 Japan time. Pay by credit card, then collect the pass at a JR West ticket machine (passport with an IC chip needed) or ticket office.
An overseas agent issues an exchange order, which must be exchanged in Japan within 3 months.
A travel agency in Japan sells it up to one month before the first day.

If you fly into Yonago Airport with an exchange order, JR West asks you to go to Yonago or Sakaiminato Station to exchange it. Reserved seats are unlimited.

From the 7th booking, make them at a staffed ticket office. Our JR ticket office guide explains the counters.

Who Can Use It, Changes and Refunds

The pass is only for holders of a foreign passport entering Japan as Temporary Visitor. Japanese nationals and foreign residents of Japan cannot use it.

Keep your passport with you, because staff may ask for it on the train or at the gate.

The start date and pass type cannot be changed after the exchange order is exchanged.
Before first use, a refund costs 10% of the price (minimum ¥220). No refund is given after the first day begins.
Delays and cancellations do not extend the pass, and a lost pass is not reissued.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much is the Sanyo-San'in Area Pass?: It costs ¥23,000 for adults and ¥11,500 for children aged 6 to 11, for 7 consecutive days. Up to two children aged 1 to 5 ride free with each pass holder if they share a seat.
Does the Sanyo-San'in Area Pass cover the Nozomi?: Yes. All Sanyo Shinkansen trains between Shin-Osaka and Hakata are covered, including Nozomi and Mizuho, in ordinary-car seats.
Does it cover the ferry to Miyajima?: Yes, the JR West Miyajima Ferry is included. The ¥100 Miyajima visitor tax is charged separately when you board.
Can I get to Izumo Taisha with the pass?: The pass takes you to Izumoshi Station on JR. The last short stretch to the shrine is by Ichibata train or bus, which is not covered.
Does the Sanyo-San'in Area Pass cover Tokyo to Osaka?: No. The Tokaido Shinkansen is run by JR Central and is not included. Buy Tokyo to Shin-Osaka separately, or compare with the national Japan Rail Pass.
Is the Kansai-San'in Area Pass cheaper?: Yes, ¥18,000 for 7 days, but its Shinkansen stops at Okayama, so it does not reach Hiroshima, Miyajima or Fukuoka.

Plan a Private Day with a Local

Every tour is private, for your group only, and planned with you before you arrive. From US$550 per group for a day on foot in Tokyo or Yokohama, or from US$890 for a day trip by train to Kamakura, Hakone or Mt. Fuji. Travelling with children? See our Tokyo private tour with kids.

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