JR Companies Introduce ‘Seishun 18 Ticket’ for Summer, Winter Season Still Undecided

JR Group companies announced on June 18th the setting of the ‘Seishun 18 Ticket’ for the summer season. Typically, announcements for the spring, summer, and winter seasons are made around February, but this year only the spring season was announced. The sale of the ticket for the winter season remains undecided.

The usage period is from July 20 to September 10, with the sale period from July 10 to August 31. The price is 12,050 yen. Sold at major JR stations, travel centers, and travel agencies nationwide.

The ‘Seishun 18 Ticket’ allows unlimited rides on JR’s ordinary and rapid trains’ non-reserved seats, BRT (Bus Rapid Transit system), and JR West Japan’s Miyajima Ferry. A single ticket permits one person to use it five times or five people to use it once. It cannot be used for Shinkansen, limited express, or express trains, but as a special exception, the Sekisho Line between Shintoku and Shin-Yubari stations, the Muroran Line between Higashi-Muroran and Muroran stations, the Ou Main Line between Aomori and Shin-Aomori stations, the Sasebo Line between Saikai and Sasebo stations, and the Miyazaki Airport Line between Miyazaki Airport and Miyazaki station allow the use of non-reserved ordinary car seats.

For use of Green Car non-reserved seats or ordinary car reserved seats on ordinary and rapid trains, and for the ‘Home Liner’ and other liner trains, a Green Car ticket or a reserved seat ticket and a liner ticket or boarding ticket must be purchased separately. Shinkansen, limited express, express trains, and reserved seats on rapid ‘Marine Liner’ trains cannot be used with this ticket.

However, mutual departures and arrivals between Shin-Aomori and Aomori stations permit the use of non-reserved ordinary car seats on designated ordinary and rapid trains. The use of the Hokkaido Shinkansen between Okutsugaru-Imabetsu and Kikonai stations and the Dosan isaribi Railway is possible by purchasing a separate ‘Seishun 18 Ticket Hokkaido Shinkansen Option Ticket’ (2,490 yen) set for the same period as the Seishun 18 Ticket.

The use of private railways and third sector railways that operate directly through JR lines, and JR buses, is not permitted. However, passage through the Aoimori Railway between Aomori and Hachinohe stations, Ainokaze Toyama Railway between Toyama and Kurikara stations, IR Ishikawa Railway between Kurikara and Tsubata stations, and Happy Line Fukui between Echizen-Hanando and Tsuruga stations is possible.