Foreigners are able to purchase a voucher for reduced high speed train travel. These are available in 7, 14, and 21 day versions. You also have a choice of regular pass or green pass. The green pass offers up reserved seating in superior seats. I bought the 7 day green pass which I will use to travel to Kyoto, Osaka, and Nara in Western Japan. My voucher cost 38,880 Yen. Due to a good exchange rate, I paid $319. The current price, as of today, is $321.
The vouchers for foreigners must be bought before you arrive in Japan. Once in Japan you will exchange the voucher for an actual ticket that you can use on the trains. There are only a few companies that are assigned to sell the vouchers. The list can be found on the JR Rail Pass website. I bought my voucher from JTB USA online. The transaction went without incident and it arrived by 3 day FedEx Express for free.
I will exchange my voucher at Tokyo's Narita Airport before I travel to my hotel. My previous train travel has been limited to South Korean subways and their KTX. The South Korean KTX high speed train ride between Seoul and Busan was really enjoyable. I was interesting to travel through the countryside and the see nature and the less developed areas of South Korea. I am excited to see what lies along the tracks of Japan's high speed trains!
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