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Using JR pass on local stations in rural areas

pyf
pyf
3 months ago
2 answers

Hi, my itinerary includes taking several trips using the shinkansen.
But among them, there will be a couple of days which I will be travelling by their local JR lines
(For eg JR Tokai line's Sekigahara station, local JR lines within Miyagi's prefecture Sendai area)

Saw some reviews online that some stations in rural areas like Sekigahara station are unmanned without any train staffs.
How do I get through the gantry gates with the JR pass then?
As I also heard that not all kinds of gantry gates accept the JR pass.

Hope anyone can help. Thank you in advance.

Alexis
Alexis
978 posts
3 months ago
Expert

Hi there,

For all train travel, reservations must be made using the JR Pass, and a confirmation email will be sent to you. Unmanned stations have no gates at all, and are found out in the countryside where you will likely not encounter them. In the case you come to an unmanned station you can just enter and exit freely with a JR Pass as there are neither gates nor people to show your pass to. Make sure to make reservations though, just in case!

Kind regards,

Alexis

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pyf
pyf
2 posts
3 months ago

Hi, from what I know, local trains don't require reservations.
So i think it is either using the JR pass to "get through the gate", or buy a ticket itself.

Saw in youtube video that the Sekigahara station is unmanned, and the gantry gate are open by default, and there seem to be cctv.

"Freely" entering & exiting the gate is one option, but kind of feels wrong/illegal to just walk past freely, and there's no one to show my JR pass to.

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