Press Releases(Archive)
FY2012 - FY2003

Visit the Scenic 'Northern Tohoku' Region Using the Limited-Offer Discount Ticket 'JR EAST PASS SPECIAL' Sales Begin Sunday, 1 July 2007

East Japan Railway Company

May 15, 2007

The Tohoku ('Northeast') region is the large area encompassing the northern end of the main island of Honshu; part of this region is the Northern Tohoku consisting of the three prefectures of Akita, Aomori and Iwate. These three locales offer a wide range of tourist attractions: castles and samurai towns, festivals in all seasons, soothing hot springs, deep clear lakes and refreshing hikes in the mountains. And all within a few hours ride by Shinkansen 'bullet trains' from Tokyo. From July through September this year, this area is promoting itself in a 'Northern Tohoku Destination Campaign' and in conjunction with this event East Japan Railway is offering foreign visitors a very economical limited-time discount ticket, the 'JR EAST PASS SPECIAL,' that will go on sale Sunday, 1 July 2007. During this promotional period we wish to encourage travelers to enjoy the charms of the Northern Tohoku area. But the pass will also cover all JR East service including the metropolitan Tokyo area and many other locations in the Tohoku region and central Japan such as Matsumoto, Nagano, Nikko and Sendai. Please take advantage of this special offer to explore the Northern Tohoku using JR East's comfortable, speedy and safe rail system.

AN OUTLINE OF THE 'JR EAST PASS SPECIAL'

  • Product: 'JR EAST PASS SPECIAL'
  • Sales period: Sunday, 1 July 2007 through Monday, 1 October 2007. This is approximately the duration of the Northern Tohoku Destination Campaign.
  • Places selling the Exchange Order for the pass: Travel agencies using the following GDS systems for issuing airline tickets. There are about 150,000 locations worldwide.
    Amadeus, Apollo, Galileo, Sabre, WorldSpan
  • Exchange points in Japan:
    Station Office Office Hours Days Closed
    Aomori Travel Service Center 10:00-18:00 None
    Hachinohe Travel Service Center 10:00-17:30 None
    Akita Travel Service Center 10:00-18:00 None
    Sendai Travel Service Center 10:00-19:00 None
    Yamagata Travel Service Center 10:00-18:00 None
    Fukushima Travel Service Center 10:30-19:00 None
    Niigata Travel Service Center 10:00-19:00 None
    Narita Airport
    (Terminal 1)
    Travel Service Center 11:30-19:00 None
    Ticket Office 6:30-11:30 None
    19:00-21:45 None
    Airport Terminal 2 Travel Service Center 11:30-19:00 None
    Ticket Office 6:30-11:30 None
    19:00-21:45 None
    Tokyo Travel Service Center (Marunouchi North) 10:00-19:00 Sundays and Holidays
    Travel Service Center (Yaesu Central) 10:30-19:30 None
    Ticket Office 5:30-22:45 None
    Shinagawa Travel Service Center 9:30-20:00 None
    Ueno Travel Service Center 10:30-20:00 None
    Shinjuku Travel Service Center (East) 11:00-19:00 None
    Shibuya Exchange: Information Center 10:00-18:30 None
    Sales: Travel Service Center 11:00-20:00 None
    Ikebukuro Exchange: Information Center 9:30-18:00 None
    Sales: Travel Service Center (west) 11:00-20:00 None
    Yokohama Travel Service Center 11:00-20:00 None

    (These are basically the same locations that handle the standard JR EAST PASS)

  • Period of use: The pass can be used from Sunday, 1 July 2007 through Wednesday, 31 October 2007.
  • Description of the pass: A flexible 3-day pass for Ordinary (coach) cars.
    The pass can be used on any 3 days that you wish within a one-month period. It is valid on any JR East trains (excluding private compartments, sleeping cars, liners and home liners).
    NB: There is no Green (first class) version of this pass.
  • Prices: Adult: 10,000 yen / Child (ages 6-11): 5,000 yen. When buying the exchange order overseas the price will be in local currency based on the exchanger rate at the time of the sale.
    NB: There is no special youth rate: children age 12 and above pay the adult price.
  • Restrictions: The pass can only be used by customers with foreign nationality using a foreign passport and entering Japan under temporary visitor status (90 days or less). To verify this you will be asked to show your passport when converting your exchange order in Japan.

OMIYAGE

On presenting your JR EAST PASS SPECIAL or JR EAST PASS at designated tourist information locations in the Northern Tohoku Destination Campaign area, you can receive a free "omiyage" (souvenir): a set of chopsticks especially made in the region.
For a list of places giving away these omiyage please see the list on the attached document.

PROMOTION

To provide promotional information to foreign visitors before they depart for Japan, we are planning an advertising campaign. In addition we plan to include information on our web site in English, Korean and Chinese beginning 18 May.

English http://www.jreast.co.jp/e/eastpass/index.html
Korean http://www.jreast.co.jp/kr/eastpass/index.html
Chinese http://www.jreast.co.jp/tc/eastpass/index.html

REFERENCE

Northern Tohoku Destination Campaign

What are Destination Campaigns?

  • Nationwide promotional campaigns coordinated by local governments and the six JR passenger companies.
  • This year's July to September 'Northern Tohoku Destination Campaign' includes Akita, Aomori and Iwate Prefectures.

GDS = Global Distribution System

The world's most common distribution system in the travel industry for booking tickets and confirming reservations, in particular airline seat reservations.

JR EAST PASS

The JR EAST PASS is for foreign tourists visiting Japan and is valid for all JR East lines including Shinkansen, Limited Express and Express trains. Travelers can choose among three types of passes that vary in length and validity period as shown in the chart below:

  Ordinary Green
Adult
(age 26 and over)
Youth
(age 12-25)
Child
(age 6-11)
Adult
(age 12 and over)
Child
(age 6-11)
5-day 20,000 yen 16,000 yen 10,000 yen 28,000 yen 14,000 yen
10-day 32,000 yen 25,000 yen 16,000 yen 44,800 yen 22,400 yen
Flexible 4-day 20,000 yen 16,000 yen 10,000 yen 28,000 yen 14,000 yen

REFERENCE

  Ordinary
Adult
(age 12 and over)
Child
(age 6-11)
JR EAST PASS SPECIAL
(Flexible 3-day)
10,000 yen 5,000 yen
No. Area Places giving away
1 Iwate Prefecture Morioka-City Travel and Cultural Exchange Center (Plaza Odette)
2 Iwate Prefecture Kita-Tohoku Travel Center
3 Iwate Prefecture Hanamaki Travel Center
4 Iwate Prefecture Oshu-City Travel Service Office (inside Mizusawa-Esashi Station)
5 Iwate Prefecture Mizusawa Travel Service Office (inside Mizusawa Station)
6 Iwate Prefecture Esashi Travel Commerce Center
7 Iwate Prefecture Isawa Information Center
8 Iwate Prefecture Ichinoseki Travel Association Station Office
9 Iwate Prefecture Ofunato-City Tourism Commerce Association Travel Service Office
10 Iwate Prefecture Rikuzen-Takada City Travel Association
11 Iwate Prefecture Kamaishi General Travel Service Office
12 Iwate Prefecture Miyako Station Travel Service Office
13 Iwate Prefecture Ninohe-City Travel Service Office (Nanyaato)
14 Iwate Prefecture Iwate Area Exchange Center "Plaza Ai" Regional Travel Service Office
15 Iwate Prefecture Shizukuishi Town Travel Service Center
16 Iwate Prefecture Kuji Tourist Guide
17 Iwate Prefecture Roadside Birch Village Yamagata
18 Iwate Prefecture Tono-City Travel Service Office (Tono City Travel Association)
19 Aomori
Prefecture
Aomori Travel General Service Office
20 Aomori
Prefecture
Aomori-City Travel Service Office
21 Aomori
Prefecture
Hirosaki-City Travel Service Office
22 Aomori
Prefecture
Hirosaki-City Travel Building
23 Aomori
Prefecture
Hachinohe General Travel Plaza
24 Aomori
Prefecture
Towada Lake Travel General Service Office
25 Aomori
Prefecture
Mutsu Kasamai Building
26 Akita
Prefecture
Akita-City Travel Service Center
27 Akita
Prefecture
Tazawa Lake Travel Information Center "Folake"
28 Akita
Prefecture
Towada-Hachimantai Travel Commerce Association Travel Service Office
29 Akita
Prefecture
Kakunodate Travel Information Center "Ekimae-gura"
30 Akita
Prefecture
Daisen-City Travel Information Center "Granpaul"
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