The number-one question for anyone planning a trip to Japan — this calculator adds up your separate Shinkansen fares, compares them with the 2026 JR Pass price, and tells you straight whether it is worth it or paying separately is cheaper.
Let's be honest, this is the question people planning a Japan trip ask the most — "should I buy a JR Pass, will it be worth it?" The real answer depends on where you're actually going to ride the train, not a single answer that works for everyone. Someone who lands in Tokyo and runs Hiroshima–Kyoto–Osaka all in one week usually comes out way ahead, but someone who bases themselves in Tokyo the whole time and pops over to Kyoto just once is far better off paying for tickets separately.
So the calculator below is built to be as simple as possible: tap the routes you actually plan to ride, choose whether it's one-way or round trip, and it adds up all the separate fares and compares them with the JR Pass price instantly, telling you how many yen you'd save. Every fare is a real 2026 price, and it's the Hikari/Sakura fare that the JR Pass already covers. Go ahead and tap away.
Pick the pass length, then scroll down and tap the routes you'll ride — the result updates instantly on the right (below it on mobile).
Ordinary (standard class) 2026 prices — the Green car costs more; this calculator uses the Ordinary price.
Tap + to add a trip, flip the "Round trip" switch to count it ×2 — fares are real 2026 prices, ordinary class, reserved seat (Hikari/Sakura covered by the pass).
Fare note: the figures are one-way tickets, ordinary class, reserved seat, on Hikari/Sakura/Hayabusa(Yamabiko)/Kodama trains covered by the JR Pass (not the faster Nozomi/Mizuho). Actual prices may shift ±400–800 yen depending on peak/off-peak periods, and there may be additional city-train connections. This calculator only counts the main route fares to give you a clear comparison — check the price on your travel dates again before buying.
1) Choose the pass length — most travellers going for 7–10 days use the 7-day pass; if you're travelling longer and crossing several regions, bump it up to 14 or 21 days. The price figure updates with your choice.
2) Tap the routes you'll actually ride — picture your own itinerary, e.g. land in Tokyo, go to Kyoto, on to Hiroshima, then loop back, and add each leg one at a time. Flip the "Round trip" switch if you'll ride the same route back (it doubles it for you).
3) Read the summary box — if it shows ✅ Worth it, the separate fares cost more than the pass, so buying the pass is cheaper. If it shows ❌ Not worth it, paying for tickets separately is cheaper and you don't need the pass.
There's an important point a lot of people miss — the JR Pass does not cover the Nozomi and Mizuho trains, the fastest Shinkansen on the Tokaido/Sanyo/Kyushu lines. If you hold a pass and accidentally board a Nozomi without paying extra, you'll be charged the full fare for the whole trip.
The good news is that the JR Pass covers a lot: JR trains nationwide, including the Shinkansen (except Nozomi/Mizuho), JR city lines like the Yamanote in Tokyo, the Narita Express into the city from Narita Airport, and the JR ferry to Miyajima Island. What it doesn't cover is each city's subway, private railways (such as the Tobu line to Nikko), and most buses — those you pay for separately.
• You're riding the Shinkansen between far-apart cities on several trips during the pass period, e.g. Tokyo ⇄ Hiroshima or Tokyo ⇄ Fukuoka (Hakata) — even one round trip on a single long route nearly pays for it.
• Your plan is the always-on-the-move kind — land in Tokyo, run Kyoto–Osaka–Hiroshima, then loop back all within one week.
• You use JR city trains + the Narita Express often, which racks up fares faster than you'd think.
• You're mostly based in one city, e.g. staying in Tokyo the whole trip and popping over to Kyoto or Osaka just once — paying for that one Shinkansen trip separately is cheaper.
• Your trip leans on city subways, which the pass doesn't cover anyway.
• It's a very short trip of 3–4 days and you don't leave the main city zone — the calculator will show you a clear ❌.