JR All Shikoku Rail Pass

JR electronic tickets are convenient, eliminating the need to exchange physical tickets. There's a wide selection of days, allowing you to customize your itinerary to create a journey that suits your preferences. Since the fastest train in Shikoku is the Limited Express, you can bring luggage larger than 20 inches without additional procedures. Even during peak travel season, I didn't need to reserve tickets, and there were always enough empty seats, including on the Kotoden (Takamatsu-Kotohira Electric Railroad) and the ferry to Shodoshima. Be sure to take full advantage of it. I bought a 7-day pass and a 3-day pass, playing for a total of 12 days, which was enough for me to roughly travel around Shikoku for a week, going from Takamatsu to Tokushima, Tokushima to Kochi, Kochi to Matsuyama. From Matsuyama, I conveniently visited Dogo Onsen and Ozu, then returned to Takamatsu to visit Naoshima, Shodoshima, and the Kotoden area. Make sure to find time to visit Aeon to buy souvenirs; Aeon is harder to find than Ritsurin Garden. The tax refund service counter closes at 7 PM; their pace is slow, so remember to set aside time to buy souvenirs. Tax-free shops are not common in Shikoku, and I didn't encounter any drugstores that offered it. In Takamatsu and Tokushima, stores close a bit early; many close at 8 PM, except for one or two ramen shops or izakayas. It's worth mentioning that the trains in Shikoku feature different cartoon characters; if you encounter them, remember to take photos and compare them, as each is unique. Overall, 12 days was too short. I wasn't able to take a boat in Naruto to see the whirlpools (which requires a high tide), and I haven't set foot in Oboke and Koboke. There are many remote islands I haven't visited, and I couldn't find the time to go to Imabari. Most importantly, the Awa Odori Festival is not to be missed. I will definitely visit Shikoku again; its tranquility and slow pace are very appealing.

The physical version needs to be printed out, and the lower part of the paper will be torn off when you exchange it. If you buy it for a friend, there is a chance that the exchange ticket does not have a name printed on it. Don't worry, you can exchange it for a JR pass as usual. Note that JR trains are very sparse, with only one train every hour. Although JR pass can be used to ride limited express/express/rapid trains for free, it is only limited to non-reserved seats. It is recommended to go to the station early to check the train time and non-reserved seat location. The JR Anpanman train has reserved seats throughout the train, and you need to pay extra to buy a reserved seat ticket to use the JP pass. In Takamatsu, it can be used to ride the Kotohira Electric Railway, and you can ride the Pokémon Slowpoke theme train for free. In Kochi Prefecture, it can also be used to ride the Tosa Electric Railway, and you have a chance to ride the Anpanman train for free.

This time we used it for a tour centered on Matsuyama City, Ehime Prefecture. After purchase, you will receive a voucher in the APP or in your mailbox. After receiving the voucher, you can go to a cooperating travel agency or the green window of a JR station (みどりの窓口, which will have a clear green mark, basically it is for various station business processing) to exchange the ticket. The green window of Songshan Station is located in the station hall. It is very easy to find whether you enter the hall from the old front station or the new back station entrance. After entering the green window, please queue up according to the instructions on the ground. Please show your passport when exchanging tickets. After verifying that it is correct, the station staff will ask you to fill out a simple form. After that, the station staff will check the date of use again and provide a set of instructions in multiple languages (including Chinese). The exchange process is very simple, so don't worry if you are not good at communicating in English or Japanese. This ticket can be used on most JR railways in Shikoku, and can also be used on the trams in Matsuyama City. When taking the JR, please show your ticket to the station staff when entering the station, or you can use the ticket machine. When you are on the train and encounter a ticket check, just show it directly. If you meet a foreigner, the conductor may ask which station you want to get off at, mainly because he is worried that foreign tourists will take the wrong line. When taking the tram, please show it to the driver when you get off the bus. The driver will confirm the payment method of each passenger when arriving at the station. If you take the limited express train most of the time, it is worth the fare. It should be noted that the limited express has free seats and reserved seats. This ticket can only be used in the free seat car. You can find the car number and entrance number notice in the station before boarding. Please queue up at the entrance of the free seat car and wait for boarding. If you need to take a reserved seat, please go to the green window and pay an additional fee. Other stops on this trip include Imabari Station, Iyo-Ozu Station, and Uwajima Station. Even during rush hour on weekdays, there are free seats available at Matsuyama Station to and from these stations, but it is recommended to queue up at the station early to be safer. There is a chance to ride the Anpanman train at no extra charge. In addition, each JR station has a station stamp. Those who are interested can look for it inside the station and stamp it themselves as a souvenir. The way to take the tram is the same as that of the bus. Please press the bell before getting off. It should be noted that each tram line passes through different stations and not all routes are circular. Please note that this ticket cannot be used for regular city buses. Shikoku's tourist attractions are relatively scattered. If you cannot drive yourself and must frequently take long-distance public transportation, it is highly recommended to use this ticket. It is also cheaper to buy this ticket on most platforms than on the official Japanese website.

this is sooooo convenient. although we can only used the non-reserved seat, but in Shikoku, there are 1-2 trains for the non-reserved seat. and you can just go directly. and the pass also included the bus in 小豆島, although not the fast ferry. the pass is 20,000 yen but I spent at least 40,000 yen if I didn’t purchase the pass. And the 兒島 is also included. so I would recommend this!!

Shikoku 7-day pass, Kochi is in the shopping street near the Nana Bridge, and the shopping street after going to the Nina Market is Kochi Castle. In half a day, we slowly strolled from Obiyamachi to Kochi Castle, and had dinner at the Kochi Market to end our trip to Kochi City. Afternoon tea at Pacific View Cafe in Nishi Branch Station. Ehime Prefecture - Take the Iyo-Nada Sightseeing Train along the Seto Inland Sea and take a short break at Shimotanada Station, the most beautiful station in Japan. The final destination is Osu Station to visit Osu Castle and Wolong Villa on the cliff. In the evening, there are various specialty products and specialties to enjoy in the main streets of Matsuyama City and Dogo Onsen. Visit Tokushima Prefecture and visit the Naruto Bridge connecting Kobe, Honshu and Shikoku to admire the Seto Inland Sea and the Pacific Ocean from the observation deck. You can watch whirlpools while walking on the Whirlpool Road🌀. On the 7th day, when you return to Takamatsu, you can visit Ritsurin Park, a Michelin-starred three-star attraction, and then visit the longest shopping street in Japan. You won’t be able to finish the shopping street without eating all the delicious food.

Considered getting the pass for quite some time and I managed to do so before the price hike! 🥳 I got a 4 days pass and it was very worth it because of my travels for my day trip to Matsuyama from Niihama, and Niihama to Kochi. You can use them to board local trams too. Do note that they are consecutive, so plan your trip wisely!

I only made a reservation at klook two days before departure. I printed the physical receipt to handle it. There are not many tourists at Takamatsu Station. I waited for one person to arrive at me. When redeeming, the lower half of the physical receipt would be torn off, and then the upper half would be bigger than the other. Return to me, and ask me to fill in a simple personal information, and paste it on the pass after filling it out. The process is completed in about 5 minutes, which is very simple and convenient. The 7-day JR pass in Shikoku is super easy to use, except for JR, Takamatsu, Matsuyama, You can use all the trams in Kochi. I didn’t spend a single ride in the 7 days. I used the pass for all of them. It’s super convenient. The route of the 7-day major station is Takamatsu-Matsuyama-Uwajima-Kochi-Takamatsu. These places are used as stops. Then go to other places such as Shimonada, Uchiko, Oboke, Nabanari, and Kotoping. It’s really super convenient. I took the Anpanman train a few times, and the ceiling of the car is so beautiful. , to add a childlike fun to the whole journey. I have probably calculated that the ride is ¥34000, and the pass is ¥20000. I earned it 🤣

worth more than worth From Wakaya, take a ferry across to Tokushima and exchange the pass at JR Toshima. The pass will be affixed to the travel sheet again for the inspectors to use to board the limited train without seat reservation. Take a ferry to Shodo Island. The bus in the island is free. 5 days is worth it.

Super convenient! Worth buying! It was my first time visiting Shikoku, and I bought the 5-day pass. I traveled from Takamatsu to Matsuyama Dogo Onsen and enjoyed Uwajima sea bream rice. At Kochi's Hirome Market, I savored seared bonito. I also visited Tokushima to see the Naruto whirlpools, the Angel Road on Shodoshima, Ritsurin Garden, and Kotohira's Kotohiragu Shrine (besides JR, you can also take the Kotoden to Kotohira, which is super convenient and passes by Ritsurin Garden). This pass pretty much covered all my transportation costs this time (except for the bus from Naruto Station to Uzunomichi). I could ride JR local trains, limited express trains, and Matsuyama Kochi streetcars as much as I wanted. This 5-day pass covered about 31,000 yen worth of travel, definitely worth the money and saved me some!

This Shikoku JR pass is different from other JR passes. You cannot reserve reserved seats. You can only choose unreserved seats on a first-come, first-served basis. Fortunately, there are many unreserved seat carriages, and reserved seats generally only have one card! You should buy this ticket if you travel long distances. Because the Shodoshima Ferry Bus and the municipal electricity in various cities are free, if you take the Matsuyama Loop Line in the wrong direction, you can get off and get on again if you have a pass. This seven-day Takamatsu trip to Azuki, Imabari, Matsuyama, Osu, Yawatahama, Marugame, Kochi and other places is worth the money...