Japanese National Railways, the government owned ex-national rail of Japan has been privatized and divided into 6 area specific companies plus one freight only operator long time ago.
Area Specific Passenger Services
- JR Hokkaido
- JR East
- JR Tokai
- JR West
- JR Shikoku
- JR Kyushu
Freight service company runs cargo trains on 6 area specific JR lines.
B to B Freight Services
- JR Freight
These ex-national rail companies are all called JR. The tourist only travelcard called Japan Rail Pass is valid only on JR lines.
In addition to JR, ex-national rail companies, we have many private owned and city owned rail services across Japan. These private rail services do not accept Japan Rail Pass, so please carefully plan when you travel with this ticket.