Kansai Thru Pass
If you want to travel throughout the Kansai region without sticking with JR trains, the Kansai Thru Pass is your best bet. Valid for any two or three days you choose, you can use the pass on any non-JR bus, regional trains, and subways. Best of all, buying a voucher before your visit is unnecessary! Simply go to any ticket office at a major station in Kansai to buy one.
Let’s examine the Kansai Thru Pass in detail to see if this is the pass for you.
Eligibility
Foreign passport holders with temporary visitor visas can purchase a Kansai Thru Pass. Japanese citizens with permanent residency abroad can also buy the pass if they provide proof. Lastly, anyone acting as a guide for tourists can also purchase one, as long as they buy it at the same time as the visitors.
Price
Two types of Kansai Thru Pass are available: 2 and 3 days. Kids aged 6-11 are eligible for a discounted pass.
One person can buy up to three of the same pass type at a time. However, you can combine different kinds of passes and buy more than three; for example, you can buy two 2-day and two 3-day passes together.
Those who wish to purchase a pass must present their passport and fill out an application. You can buy the pass from an overseas travel agent for a slight discount.
Here are the prices:
| Sales Type | 2-day Pass | 3-day Pass | ||
| Adult | Child | Adult | Child | |
| Outside Japan (Travel Agent) | A$46* (4,380 yen) | A$23* (2,190 yen) | A$57* (5,400 yen) | A$29* (2,700 yen) |
| Inside Japan | A$47* (4,480 yen) | A$24* (2,240 yen) | A$59* (5,600 yen) | A$30* (2,800 yen) |
And here’s where you can buy the pass in Japan:
- Kansai International Airport – Tourist Information Center
- Nankai Namba Station – Tourist Information
- Nankai Railway Kansai Airport Station – Ticket Office
- Hankyu Umeda Station – Tourist Center
- BicCamera Namba Store
- Kyoto Station – Bus Information Center
- JR Osaka Station – Tourist Information
- Kansai Tourist Information Center Kyoto
- Shin-Osaka Station – Tourist Information
- BicCamera Abeno Q’s MALL Store
- BicCamera Ario Yao Store
- Osaka Metro Information Counter
- Izumisano Machidokoro – Tourist Information Center
- Rinku Machidokoro – Tourist Information Center
These hotels also sell the pass if you’re a guest staying with them overnight:
- Osaka
- Sheraton Miyako Hotel Osaka
- Fraser Residence Nankai Osaka
- Hotel The Flag
- Kobe
- Kobe Portopia Hotel
How to Use the Pass
You can use your Kansai Thru Pass on any train, subway, or bus anywhere in Osaka, Hyogo, Kyoto, Nara, Wakayama, Shiga, and any Kansai town.
When using your pass for the train, go through any ticket gate and insert your pass in the direction the arrow is pointing. Remember to take the pass with you as you pass through the gate.
Some train lines and bus operators may require you to present the pass to an attendant or the driver before boarding. Write the current date on the back of the pass before showing it to them.
If the magnetic strip of your pass stops working for any reason, go to the ticket office of any major station in the region, and they will reissue a replacement. However, be sure not to place your pass near other magnetic sources to keep its magnetic strip working.
Your pass also entitles you to discounts and coupons at various tourist attractions throughout Kansai. Some establishments may require you to present the coupon and a valid pass together to take advantage of the discount.
Validity and Exclusions
The Kansai Thru Pass is valid for two or three non-consecutive days. A full-day validity is determined by the time of the first and last train departures for the day, which is usually around midnight.
Although the Kansai Thru Pass covers a large portion of transport services in the region, you cannot use the pass on the following:
- Any JR Lines/Buses
- Airport Limousine Bus
- Hankyu Kanko Bus
- NC Bus
- Shinki Bus
- Shinki Zone Bus
- Wing Shinki
- Okayama Electric Tramway
- Shimotsui Dentetsu
- Ryobi Bus
- Chutetsu Bus
- Shizuoka Railway
- Shizutetsu Justline
- Mie Kotsu Bus
- Sanko Ise-Shima Kotsu Bus
- Mie Kyuko Bus
- Happu Bus
- Honshi Kaikyo Bus
- Awaji Kotsu Bus
- Meihankintetsu Bus
Additionally, you must purchase a separate limited express ticket, special carriage ticket, or reserved seating ticket if you use limited express trains operated by Nankai, Kintetsu, Semboku Rapid, or Keihan.
The pass is non-refundable once used, even in the case of service cancellations. Lost tickets cannot be reissued or refunded. Unused passes with unused coupons can be refunded where you bought them from, but a handling fee may apply. Passes acquired with a QR code voucher are non-refundable.
