JR Hokkaido Working Holiday Pass

Hi there,

This is a special pass from JR Hokkaido and it's new for me as well.
From looking at the requirements I don't think that a normal working visa would qualify for this pass, as it seems to be aimed at Working Holiday visitors that generally only have a 1 year visa.

The best thing may be to inquire directly at JR Hokkaido to confirm whether you could use it or not. You could also give the Tourst Information at Sapporo station a call, they work closely with JR Hokkaido and have an English phone service.

I hope this helps!
Daniel

Hi Daniel

Thanks for your help. I think I can only purchase the Hokkaido Round Tour Pass. But I will still try my luck and enquire at JR Hokkaido.

Next, can I check if I can purchase/redeem my reserved seat train tickets in advance with my Hokkaido Round Tour Pass once I am in Hokkaido (when I have received my Hokkaido Round Tour Pass)? I planned to visit places like Asahikawa/Abashiri/Kushiro. Since my schedule is rather tight, I am wondering if I can just get all my train tickets with reserved seats ready in advance in order to save time. Thanks!

Hi Wendy,

Good question, I've not used a Hokkaido Round Tour Pass myself so I can't give you a very good answer. With the JR Pass it is possible to reserve all your seats in advance - so it is a good guess that it may be possible for you as well. Again, asking JR Hokkaido is the best option. I have done some extensive traveling in Hokkaido and never seen a full train, so I think that you'll be fine even if you can't reserve all your tickets in one go.

Hope this helps!
Daniel