Exchanging Japan Rail Passes at Sapporo New Chitose Airport Station
Sapporo New Chitose Airport is served by JR trains conveniently at the basement, at New Chitose Airport Station (新千歳空港駅). A JR Information Desk is available at New Chitose Airport Station for exchanging Japan Rail Passes conveniently, allowing you to start your train journey immediately after arriving in Japan. I had purchased a Sapporo-Furano Area Pass from Klook for my flash Hokkaido holiday, so I headed to exchange it the moment I had arrived in order to catch the train to Sapporo.
New Chitose Airport Station (新千歳空港駅)
New Chitose Airport Station (新千歳空港駅) is located at the basement of Sapporo New Chitose Airport domestic terminal. From the international terminal, a series of travellators connect you with the domestic terminal directly.
The gate line at New Chitose Airport Station. Don’t just go in yet, find the JR Information Desk to exchange your Exchange Order for your rail pass first.
The first ticket counters you see are for the Midori no Madoguchi or JR Ticket Office. This is not the place to exchange rail passes at New Chitose Airport Station, but to book a reserved seat if you are eligible.
JR Information Desk
Instead, go on to the next counter area for the JR Information Desk.
A chalk board also advertises JR Hokkaido’s Sapporo-Noboribetsu Area Pass and Sapporo-Furano Area Pass.
I had booked my Sapporo-Furano Area Pass in advance outside of Japan through Klook. My Sapporo-Furano Area Pass Exchange Order was delivered instantly digitally by email and in the Klook app.
I was given this form to fill out my Sapporo-Furano Area Pass usage details, including and very importantly when I want to start using it. You are allowed to choose a different starting date from the date of exchange, but the Sapporo-Furano Area Pass must be used on 4 consecutive days.
Sapporo-Furano Area Pass
There was also a Free Gift Campaign going on for the Sapporo-Furano Area Pass, with the staff asking me to share the above picture on my social media to be issued my free gifts.
Aside from my actual Sapporo-Furano Area Pass, I was given a postcard, a JR Hokkaido keychain, JR Tower Observatory T38 admission ticket, and a voucher for a cake and drink set to be redeemed up at JR Tower Observatory T38. The made the Sapporo-Furano Area Pass an amazingly great deal with the Free Gift Campaign.
My Sapporo-Furano Area Pass for my 4 days of Hokkaido rail travel. JR’s rail passes have mostly been upgraded to be used in automated ticket gates, which makes it more convenient to go through gate lines instead of having to visit the side manned counter in the past.
How to Use Sapporo-Furano Area Pass
With my Sapporo-Furano Area Pass in hand, I headed to the ticket gates to start my train journey, first by actually going to Sapporo, getting some lunch, and checking in to my hotel.
No more manually flashing your rail pass to a staff at the gate, insert the Sapporo-Furano Area Pass directly in to the ticket gate.
The ticket gate will punch the Sapporo-Furano Area Pass on first validation, officially starting the use of it.
The Sapporo-Furano Area Pass includes unlimited rides in the designated area printed on the pass between New Chitose Airport, Sapporo, Otaru, Furano, Biei, and Asahikawa in a non-reserved seat on limited express, rapid, and local trains in the valid area. For 4 days of joyrides, I thought this offered great value for me since a return ticket to Asahikawa would already cost more than the Sapporo-Furano Area Pass.
Do note that only foreign visitors who hold a non-Japanese passport and enter Japan under the entry status of the “Temporary Visitor” can purchase the Sapporo-Furano Area Pass Exchange Order outside Japan at the discounted rate of 9,000 yen. Do also note that going through the automated immigration gates, if eligible, will not get you the immigration sticker reflecting your visitor status, as your data is only electronically recorded by immigration without any human officer to affix the immigration sticker on your passport. The best way to avoid any confusion with JR is to use a manual immigration counter to get your immigration sticker the “traditional” way.
One comment