JR Pass for senior travellers in Japan

• Unlimited shinkansen rides, no need to queue for tickets each day.
• Free reserved seats so no standing.
• Most stations have lifts, escalators and accessible toilets.
• Staff at JR ticket offices speak English at major hubs.

The green car JR Pass adds wider 2 plus 2 seating, more legroom and quieter carriages. The extra 20,000 yen on a 7 day pass is often worth it for older travellers on long shinkansen days.

• Days 1 to 4: Tokyo with day trips to Nikko and Kamakura.
• Day 5: Hakone for hot springs.
• Days 6 to 9: Kyoto with day trips to Nara and Osaka.
• Days 10 to 11: Hiroshima and Miyajima.
• Days 12 to 14: Kanazawa and back to Tokyo via the Hokuriku shinkansen.

• Reserve seats at the end of cars for easy luggage access.
• Ask for help at the JR Travel Service Centre, staff can arrange ramps onto trains.
• Use luggage forwarding (takkyubin) to avoid lifting heavy bags between hotels.
• Travel mid morning to avoid Tokyo and Osaka rush hours.