JR Pass Pickup, Exchange and Seat Reservations (2026): What to Bring, Where to Go, How to Book Seats
How you get your physical Japan Rail Pass depends on where you bought it. Bought on the official JAPAN RAIL PASS Reservation site, you pick it up with your passport at a ticket machine with a passport reader or at a JR ticket office. Bought from an agency abroad, you get an Exchange Order that has to be swapped at a staffed JR counter.
Seat reservations are free with the pass, and you can make them online, at machines or at a counter. If you haven't bought yet, the official site is the better deal: it's cheaper since October 2026, and it lets you reserve seats before you land. We checked the official JR Pass pages on Nov 6, 2026.
Some links on this page are affiliate links. We link the official site first, because it's cheaper.
Pickup or exchange: which one is yours?
Pickup
You bought on japanrailpass-reservation.net. You get a reservation number. Pick the pass up at a reserved-seat ticket machine with a passport reader (selected JR East and JR West stations) or at a ticket office. You can book seats online before you arrive.
Exchange
You bought from a travel agency (including online agencies). You get an Exchange Order. Take it with your passport to a JR exchange office within three months of issue. Only staffed counters can exchange it.
japanrailpass.net exchange page: "The Japan Rail Pass purchased online can only be picked up at reserved seat ticket vending machines with a passport reader." The location table marks machines as not available for exchanging an Exchange Order.
japanrailpass.net overseas purchase page: the Exchange Order must be turned in "within three months of the date the Order was issued", and can be exchanged from one month before the date of use. A lost Exchange Order can't be exchanged.
How to pick up a pass bought on the official site
- Find a reserved-seat ticket machine with a passport reader, or a JR ticket office. At Kansai Airport the ticket office and machines run 5:30–23:00. Narita and Haneda airports also have JR East Travel Service Centers.
- Scan your passport and enter the reservation number you got when you bought. Everyone in the booking needs their own passport.
- Collect the pass and any seat tickets you reserved online. They print at the same time.
- Check the dates on the pass. Once issued, the period of use can't be changed or extended. Before pickup, the official site lets you change the start date until 23:30 Japan time the day before it starts.
How to exchange an Exchange Order
- Go to a JR exchange office in a major station or airport (JR Travel Service Center or ticket office). The official site lists them with opening hours. Hours vary, and some close over New Year.
- Hand over the Exchange Order and your passport. Your passport details are registered to the pass, and it can't be passed to anyone else.
- Have your start date ready. You can exchange from one month before the date you want the pass to start.
- Reserve your first seats while you're there. Ticket offices and Travel Service Centers also take seat reservations, so you can book your first trains once the pass is issued.You'll want mobile data for timetables and station maps from the moment you land. A Japan eSIM is the easy fix.Compare Japan eSIMs on Klook ↗
How to reserve seats with the JR Pass
Seat reservations cost nothing extra. Reserved seats on JR trains go on sale one month before the travel date at 10:00 Japan time.
Machines and offices work at most from 4:00 to 23:30, but each station sets its own hours. Unstaffed stations can't make reservations.
One exception to know before you book: Nozomi and Mizuho trains need a separate paid ticket, even for non-reserved seats. Riding the Nozomi with a JR Pass →
What if the train you want is full?
The official site warns that a seat on a specific train can't be guaranteed in these periods: May 1–6, Sep 18–23, Aug 7–16 (Obon) and Dec 29–Jan 3.
- Book as close to 10:00 Japan time, one month ahead, as you can.
- Use non-reserved cars: the pass covers them on most trains, except Nozomi and Mizuho.
- Try a train an hour earlier or later, or the Hikari instead of the Nozomi.
- On the Tokaido, Sanyo and Kyushu Shinkansen, luggage of 161–250 cm total needs a reserved oversized-baggage seat. Oversized luggage rules →
Using the pass at the gates
Insert the pass into an automatic gate and take it back on the other side. A seat ticket on its own won't open the gate, so keep both together. Gates marked "IC only" don't accept the pass.
Carry your passport while using the pass: staff or conductors may ask to see it.
Lost passes, refunds and other problems
I lost my pass.
It can't be reissued. A lost Exchange Order can't be exchanged either. Keep a photo of both, but the photo doesn't replace them.
I want a refund.
Only before the start date. The fee is ¥560 per pass for official-site purchases; for an Exchange Order bought abroad, the exchange office charges 10% of the yen price. Cancel any issued seat tickets first.
My Exchange Order is about to pass three months.
It can't be exchanged after that. You can exchange it from one month before your start date, so pick a start date that lets you exchange before the three months run out.
Haven't bought yet? Official site or agency
Official JAPAN RAIL PASS Reservation site
The lower price is "for a limited time": JR will announce when it ends.
Exchange Order from an agency
Costs about 6% more since October 2026. Worth it only if you value the agency's payment methods, bundles or support.
Affiliate linksNot sure the pass pays off at all? Check your route in the JR Pass calculator →
Ready for your first train
Passport in hand, pass collected, first seats booked: that's the whole process. If your route includes Tokyo–Osaka, read about the Nozomi supplement before you reserve.
Affiliate link on the second button.