Japan Railways Group - Refunding Tickets

Railway tickets in Japan have a relatively short validity period. The Base Fare part of the ticket is valid for several days depending on the distance covered. When the validity period expires, the ticket has no refund value. Likewise, reserved seat tickets can only be fully refunded if presented two days prior to the reservation date. If presented later but prior to the reservation time you receive a 70% refund. After that they are valid only for unreserved seats on trains departing that day.

There are detailed rules governing refunding and handling charges. But the first basic principal is: refund as soon as possible, don't wait until it's too late! The second is: never hesitate to ask about the refund policy.

JR tickets purchased for cash can be refunded at any JR station throughout the country. It is probably better to use larger stations having many ticket windows. If you use credit card for payment you are supposed to refund at the exact station where you bought the ticket. If this is impossible you can have the ticket stamped 'Refundable' anywhere in the country and then return it by mail to the appropriate station to have them process a credit card refund. Please note that JR stations do not handle refunds for non-JR train tickets.

Japan Railways, and all other rail companies in Japan, do not maintain any ticketing offices overseas. So if you wish to refund an individual rail ticket be sure to do this while you are in Japan. If you bring an unused ticket home, and try to return it to friends in Japan to have them refund it, it will most likely be too late. If you have a ticket clearly stamped 'Refundable' (see above) our office may be able to assist you in locating the appropriate address in Japan for returning the ticket.

If you have an unused Japan Rail Pass Exchange Voucher, you can get a refund from the agency where you purchased it outside Japan. There is usually a one-year period and 10% handling charge. If you exchange the Voucher and receive the Rail Pass you cannot obtain a refund after the effective date stamped on the pass. If the effective date is later than the day of exchange and you decide you want a refund you can take the pass to an official exchange point in Japan and receive a refund in yen minus a 10% handling charge. For the rules regarding the Regional Passes, please go to the local sites or ask at time of purchase.

>See details (Japan Rail Pass page)

If the Ticket Is Unused and Still Valid

Ticket refunds are subject to a refund fee as shown in the following chart.

Ticket Type		Conditions for Refund	Refund Fee
Railway Ticket Express Ticket Non-Reserved Seat Limited ExpressTicket Special Limited Express Ticket Non-Reserved Seat "Green" Ticket		The ticket must be unused and still valid.	¥210
Reserved-Seat Tickets	Standing Limited Express Ticket	The ticket can be refunded up to the train departure time.	¥210
	Reserved-Seat Limited Express Ticket Reserved-Seat "Green" Ticket Reserved-Seat Ticket	The ticket can be refunded up to two days prior to the date of departure.	¥320
		The ticket can be refunded anytime from the day prior to departure until the train departure time.	30%, with a minimum of ¥320
Discount Tickets		Refund conditions depend on the type of ticket. Please consult a station agent.

If a reserved-seat ticket that has already been changed once is submitted for refund on the day of train departure or the preceding day, a refund fee of 30% will be charged.

For combination tickets issued together as one ticket, for example, a limited express ticket and "Green" ticket, a limited express ticket and sleeper car ticket, or an express ticket and reserved-seat ticket, the fee for refunding the reserved-seat ticket applies only to the "Green", sleeper car or reserved-seat portion of the ticket.

If the Passenger Has Already Boarded a Train Using the Ticket

Railway Tickets

After the passenger has boarded the train, a refund can only be made if the ticket is still valid and the unused portion of the ticket exceeds 100 operating kilometers, one way. The amount refunded is the price of the ticket minus the standard fare for the distance already traveled and a refund fee of ¥210.

Other Tickets

For discount tickets, refunds are handled differently depending on the specific ticket. Please consult a station attendant about discount ticket refunds (refunds cannot be made for some types of discount tickets after the passenger has used the ticket to board a train).