The six JR Group companies have finalized details regarding the discontinuation of “round-trip tickets” and “continuous tickets,” which were announced in December 2024. The end of sales will be March 13 (Fri), 2026.
Round-trip fares per over 601 km from a 10% discount to no discount
A round-trip ticket is, as the name suggests, a ticket for travel between stations A and B on the same route. A continuous ticket is a ticket for a non-one-way or round-trip route, such as traveling from station A to B and then turning around at station B to C. For example, you could purchase a ticket from Omiya Station on the Tohoku Main Line to Nikko Station on the Nikko Line via Utsunomiya Station, then turning around at Nikko Station and traveling to Nasushiobara Station on the Tohoku Main Line via Utsunomiya Station. Both changes are due to a decrease in ticket availability. After March 14 (Sat), 2026, if you plan to travel round-trip or continuous trips, you will need to purchase two one-way tickets.
With the end of round-trip ticket sales, the “Round-trip Discount,” which offers a 10% discount on both outbound and return fares for trips with a one-way operating distance of 601 kilometers or more, will also be discontinued. The “Transfer Discount,” which offered a discount on express fares when transferring between Shinkansen and conventional express trains, was abolished in March 2024, resulting in increased burdens for passengers. JR companies are scaling back the nationwide discount system inherited from the Japan National Railways (JNR) and shifting to discounted products offered through their own online reservations services, such as “EX Service” and “Ekinet.”
Discount conditions for “Zipangu Club” also changed
Starting March 14 (Sat), 2026, discount tickets such as “Student Discount” and “Zipangu Club” will be subject to changes, allowing up to two one-way discounted regular tickets to be purchased simultaneously per discount voucher, allowing for round-trip and consecutive trips. Currently, the Zipangu Club discount requires a one-way, round-trip, or continuous trip of 201 kilometers or more. This will be revised to a one-way trip of 101 kilometers or more. Furthermore, round-trip and continuous tickets valid from March 14 (Sat) onward can be purchased until March 13 (Fri), 2026. Discount tickets, including student discounts, can be purchased with round-trip and continuous tickets, and travel dates and routes can be changed once before use.
Meanwhile, following the government’s approval of JR East’s application to revise passenger fare caps, the company will implement its first fare increase since its founding, excluding those due to the consumption tax hike, on March 14 (Sat), 2026. The rate of increase for the entire area will be 7.1%, with the cheaper fare category for “within-Yamanote Line & electric train sections” being abolished and integrated into the “main line” fare, and the Tokaido Shinkansen and conventional lines (Tokaido Main Line) will be treated as separate lines for fare calculations between Tokyo Station and Atami Station. Due to the fare difference arising between JR Central and JR West, which previously had the same fare, a “cumulative surcharge system” will be introduced when using travel across JR East and other JR companies, where an additional fare will be added for the kilometers in the East Japan section to the base fare for the entire section.
