JAPAN RAIL PASS Price Hike Starts Today Nationwide Increases
# JAPAN RAIL PASS Price Hike Starts Today — Nationwide Increases
## Overview
On October 1, 2023 — a date John Daub has been anticipating with dread since April — Japan Rail officially raised the price of the nationwide JR Pass by approximately 68%, marking the most significant change to Japan's premier tourist rail product in decades. In this candid, wide-ranging livestream, John addresses the shock and panic among would-be travelers head-on, while offering a clear-eyed perspective grounded in his 30+ years living in Japan and making yen.
The livestream opens with John pulling up live exchange rates (USD/JPY at 149.3), showing the dramatic currency context: the yen is at its weakest level since 1998, meaning Americans in particular are still getting an extraordinary deal despite the price hike. John walks through the specific price increases — the 14-day pass jumps from ¥47,250 to ¥80,000 — while simultaneously contextualizing the pain being felt by Japanese consumers, who are experiencing the country's most significant inflation wave in decades across 4,500+ food and drink items. He addresses the wider October 1 price tsunami including Tokyo Disneyland tickets, Japan Post rates, and food truck costs.
Beyond lamenting the price hike, John pivots to solutions, highlighting regional passes that *didn't* increase — most notably the **Hokuriku Arch Pass** at ¥24,500 for seven days, which takes travelers via Kanazawa and the scenic countryside to Kyoto and Osaka for half the price of the JR Pass. He closes with passionate advocacy for JR as an organization, comparisons to Spirit Airlines and Amtrak, and encouragement for travelers to do the math and visit Japan while the yen remains historically weak.
## Highlights
- [00:00:01](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQoEG2Ywo8Q) John opens on October 1, 2023 — the day the JR Rail Pass price increase officially takes effect — acknowledging the panic among viewers and noting some third-party resellers still have the old prices available.
- [00:02:30](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQoEG2Ywo8Q&t=150s) John displays the live USD/JPY exchange rate of 149.3 — the weakest yen seen since 1998 — explaining how Japan's currency manipulation attempts have kept it from crossing 150, but the trend is grim.
- [00:04:31](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQoEG2Ywo8Q&t=271s) John shares a Japan Times article detailing the nationwide October 1 price hikes: 4,500+ food and beverage items have gone up, plus a new liquor tax, and Tokyo Disneyland one-day high-season tickets rose from ¥9,400 to ¥10,900 per adult.
- [00:07:58](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQoEG2Ywo8Q&t=478s) John gives his frank opinion: if you're only coming to Japan because of the JR Rail Pass price, you're coming for the wrong reasons. The airfare went up too — and yet tourist numbers are at record highs.
- [00:09:38](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQoEG2Ywo8Q&t=578s) John shifts to the domestic impact, discussing Japan's deflation-to-inflation pivot, stagnant wages, the elderly population sitting on trillions in savings, and how the government is being squeezed as prices rise across the board.
- [00:16:55](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQoEG2Ywo8Q&t=1015s) John addresses the constant emails asking if the JR Pass is "worth it," insisting viewers pull out a calculator, do the math themselves, and consider their own itinerary — he can't make the decision for them.
- [00:20:38](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQoEG2Ywo8Q&t=1238s) John reveals that one round-trip to Hakodate on the Shinkansen alone costs approximately ¥50,000 — more than half the price of a 14-day pass — making the case that for long-distance travelers, the pass still pays for itself.
- [00:22:55](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQoEG2Ywo8Q&t=1374s) John showcases the **Hokuriku Arch Pass** on camera — ¥24,500 for seven days of consecutive unlimited travel — and reveals the critical insider tip that this pass price has *not* increased, making it an exceptional deal.
- [00:30:53](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQoEG2Ywo8Q&t=1853s) John draws a direct price comparison: the seven-day JR Pass (Tokyo-Kyoto round trip on Tokaido Shinkansen) costs ¥50,000, while the Hokuriku Arch Pass at ¥24,500 covers the same route via Kanazawa — essentially the same journey for half the price.
- [00:34:08](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQoEG2Ywo8Q&t=2048s) John delivers his most passionate argument: despite the price hike, Japan with a 149 yen-to-dollar exchange rate has never been cheaper in his 25 years living there, and tourists are still getting a massive bargain.
- [00:36:07](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQoEG2Ywo8Q&t=2167s) John pivots to promote a previous video — an interview with a 92-year-old atomic bomb survivor who returned to work on a bombed train 72 hours after Hiroshima — calling it the most significant story he's ever produced and expressing frustration that YouTube isn't recommending it.
- [00:44:33](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQoEG2Ywo8Q&t=2673s) John makes a spirited defense of JR as an organization, comparing it favorably to Spirit Airlines, Amtrak, and European rail networks — highlighting JR's on-time record, staff courtesy, cleanliness, and the fact they kept workers employed during the pandemic despite being in the red.
- [00:53:19](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQoEG2Ywo8Q&t=3199s) John delivers the most practical advice of the stream: if you're coming in the next 1–3 months and bought your JR Pass from a third-party reseller, you're grandfathered at the old price for up to 90 days. Even JTB USA still had old prices showing when he checked.
- [00:57:07](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQoEG2Ywo8Q&t=3427s) John hammers home the Hokuriku Arch Pass recommendation as his biggest takeaway, repeatedly emphasizing the price did not increase and that going via Kanazawa is a win-win-win: cheaper, more scenic, and a richer cultural experience.
## Timeline / Chapters
**00:00 — Opening: The Day Has Arrived**
John opens on October 1, 2023, the official date of the JR Rail Pass price increase. He notes some third-party sites (JTB USA, Klook) still show the old prices and advises buying now if arriving within the validation window. He shows the price comparison screen: the 14-day pass rising from ¥47,250 to ¥80,000.
**00:03 — The Exchange Rate Context**
John pulls up the live USD/JPY rate on screen: 149.3 yen to the dollar — the highest since 1998. He explains that Japan has been manipulating the currency to prevent it crossing 150, but the trend is concerning for yen earners. He describes his personal pain as a yen-based income earner shopping at Japanese supermarkets.
**00:04 — Nationwide Inflation Hits Home**
John reads from a Japan Times article about October 1 price increases: 4,500+ food and drink items have gone up, a new liquor tax has taken effect, and Tokyo Disneyland one-day high-season tickets jumped from ¥9,400 to ¥10,900 per adult. John is momentarily shocked by the Disneyland figure until he realizes the misread.
**00:06 — Price Hike Scope: Not Just JR Rail**
John expands beyond the JR Pass, noting that Japan Post shipping rates also rose October 1, small businesses and food trucks are raising prices, and Japanese households are being "hammered" by the first real inflation wave in decades. He reads comments from viewers sharing their own struggles.
**00:09 — Japan Post and the Postcard Club**
John promotes his Japan Post Postcard Club, noting the Hiroshima atomic bomb postcard series (featuring the repaired bomb train and Genbaku Dome) is in its final hours. He mentions reduced shipping rates but longer delivery times (7–10 days instead of 3–5).
**00:11 — The Japanese Savings Picture**
John discusses Japan's unique economic situation: elderly citizens holding trillions of dollars in low-interest bank accounts, interest rates at 0.01% while inflation runs higher, meaning savers are losing purchasing power. He says if seniors spent just 1% more, the Japanese economy would boom. Younger generations are increasingly taking on debt like Americans.
**00:14 — Impact on Small Business and John's Team**
John admits his own small business is affected — he needs to give his assistant a raise due to rising cost of living. He talks about government stimulus packages and the bureaucratic difficulty of accessing relief funds.
**00:17 — Reader Emails: Is the JR Pass Worth It?**
John responds to the flood of emails and comments asking if the JR Pass is worth it. He refuses to answer individually, insisting viewers calculate their own itinerary costs. He plugs the Postcard Club for those who need personalized trip planning help.
**00:19 — Packing Philosophy**
John goes on a tangent about traveler packing habits, urging viewers to leave massive suitcases at home — recommending only a phone, camera, battery charger, toothbrush, and change of socks. You can buy everything in Japan cheaply and do laundry.
**00:20 — When the Shinkansen Pays for Itself**
John calculates: a round-trip Shinkansen ticket to Hakodate alone costs approximately ¥50,000, which is more than half the price of the 14-day JR Pass. For long-distance travelers using the Shinkansen multiple times, it still pays for itself. He notes JR hadn't raised prices in a very long time, compounding the shock.
**00:21 — Kanazawa Recommendations**
John responds to a viewer's question about Kanazawa, recommending: Omicho Market (near the station), Higashi Chaya District, Kenroku-en garden, and the overall walkable nature of Kanazawa. He also mentions the Hokuriku Arch Pass which covers Kanazawa.
**00:22 — Introducing the Hokuriku Arch Pass**
John turns the camera to show the physical Hokuriku Arch Pass, explaining its route: Tokyo → Nagano/Karuizawa (via Joetsu Shinkansen) → Kanazawa → Kyoto/Osaka/Nara via the Thunderbird Express limited express train. He reveals the price: ¥24,500 for seven consecutive days, and states the price has *not* been increased.
**00:23 — Hokuriku Region Highlights**
John enthusiastically describes the Hokuriku region: Toyama's beauty, Nagano's mountains and the Kurobe Alpine Route, the Fukui Dinosaur Museum (calling it the best museum in the world), and the Thunderbird Express train as a comfortable alternative to the Shinkansen.
**00:25 — JR East Pass Price Changes**
John walks through JR East pass price increases on screen, noting the East Pass goes up ¥10,000 but is still "a bargain." He mentions the JR Wide Pass, the Narita Express (advising viewers to take the bus instead for ¥1,000–1,300), and the JR East-South Hokkaido Pass.
**00:28 — JR West and the Nozomi Reservation Requirement**
John attempts to pull up JR West price information. He mentions a new change: Nozomi Shinkansen trains will require seat reservations during peak periods, which he dislikes — he prefers non-reserved cars when boarding from Tokyo as his origin.
**00:29 — Japan Guide and Pass Comparisons**
John uses Japan Guide to show pass price increases. He identifies that the Hokuriku Pass (run by JR West) did *not* increase. He compares the seven-day JR Pass at ¥50,000 to the Hokuriku Arch Pass at ¥24,500 — the same Tokyo-to-Kyoto journey at half the price.
**00:32 — The Hokuriku Pass Recommendation**
John gives his clearest travel advice: "Forget the JR Rail Pass if you're just going to Kyoto and Osaka. Get the Hokuriku Arch Pass." He notes the price will eventually go up when the Hokuriku Shinkansen extension to Tsuruga is complete, but for now it remains unchanged.
**00:33 — John Manjiro Festival Announcement**
John announces he'll be at the John Manjiro Festival in Fairhaven, Massachusetts (October 6–8, 2023) — the hometown of the first Japanese person to live in the United States. He'll film at the Whaling Museum and interview Kochi Prefecture students and the Manjiro Friendship Club CEO for a main channel episode.
**00:40 — Final Advice on the Price Increase**
John addresses viewers saying the price increase is a deal-breaker: "Come on, it hasn't done that." He reminds viewers that domestic travelers also face higher costs — gas, highway tolls, bus fares — and that JR passes remain an excellent deal for foreign tourists who can access them at all.
**00:44 — A Defense of Japan Rail**
John delivers a passionate defense of JR as an organization: they kept workers employed during the pandemic despite being in the red, their on-time record is exceptional (even one minute late earns an apology), their trains are immaculate, and they maintain a reputation that means everything to them. He compares JR favorably to Spirit Airlines, Amtrak, and European rail.
**00:46 — The 68% Increase in Context**
John reframes the 68% increase: the JR Pass was undervalued for years. Tourists were getting too much of a bargain, and this is a correction. He estimates the real effective increase is closer to 25% when accounting for years of underpricing. He shows Shinkansen footage and reiterates the value.
**00:51 — Gratitude and Super Chat**
John thanks Chris Stradler for a Super Sticker and Michael Sasano for a super chat, joking that if prices in Japan are going up, so should his super chat contributions. He reads viewer comments affirming the value.
**00:53 — Grandfathering and Third-Party Resellers**
John delivers the most practical tip: if you bought from a third-party reseller, you're grandfathered at the old price for up to 90 days. Those who bought directly from JR are grandfathered for 30 days. JTB USA was still showing old prices when he checked, potentially saving travelers hundreds of dollars if arriving by December.
**00:56 — Community and Farewell**
John thanks viewers from Hawaii, the Philippines, and Massachusetts for their community engagement. He shares macadamia nuts gifted by a viewer family from Maui. He confirms Leo (his son) has had chocolate behind Kanae's back and watched *Charlie and the Chocolate Factory* with him. He confirms he flies to Kagoshima the next morning.
**01:00 — Area Recommendations: Where to Stay**
John advises against staying in Akihabara — better for daytime tourism than nightlife. He recommends Asakusa (Hoppy Street, authentic old-Tokyo atmosphere), Ueno/Okachimachi (Ameyoko Market, cheaper hotels, Skyliner access), and Yoyogi (sumo district, walking distance to Asakusa and Skytree).
**01:04 — Sumo Wrestlers and Japanese Culture**
John shares an anecdote about accidentally pushing a sumo wrestler, discovering their muscular build under the fat appearance. He notes they take public transportation and are approachable.
**01:05 — Why the Price Hike Really Happened**
John gives his insider analysis: JR Central's Tokaido Shinkansen (Tokyo–Osaka–Kyoto) is overcrowded, and 80% of JR Pass users ride this route. The price hike is a pure business decision to reduce crowding while capturing more revenue — and tourists will still come. It's not just about inflation or the weak yen; it's about managing demand.
**01:07 — Final Takeaway**
John's closing message: Use the Hokuriku Arch Pass. Go to Kanazawa. See the countryside. Save money. He promotes his related Hiroshima atomic bomb survivor video one final time, describing it as the most important story he's told.
**01:08 — Farewell**
John says goodbye, noting he needs to eat (he hasn't eaten since 6 PM the previous day as part of a fasting regimen) and has a 5:30 AM flight to Kagoshima. He confirms plans to do a midnight snack run and a director's cut episode about the Hiroshima story.
## Japan Travel Tips
- **Buy before October 1 if arriving within 90 days:** Third-party resellers (JTB USA, Klook) were still showing old prices when John checked. If you bought from a reseller, you're grandfathered at the old price for up to 90 days. JR-direct purchases are grandfathered for 30 days. Read the fine print before clicking "buy."
- **Consider the Hokuriku Arch Pass over the nationwide JR Pass:** At ¥24,500 for seven days, it covers Tokyo → Kanazawa (via Joetsu Shinkansen) → Kyoto/Osaka/Nara (via Thunderbird Express). This is half the price of the seven-day JR Pass (¥50,000) for the same basic route, with the bonus of seeing the Japanese countryside.
- **Fly for long distances within Japan:** If doing a Tokyo–Hokkaido round trip, book domestic flights 45 days in advance — you can find fares under ¥10,000. This saves significant time and money compared to the Shinkansen for point-to-point routes.
- **Do the math with a calculator:** John refuses to tell you if the JR Pass is "worth it" because it depends entirely on your itinerary. Calculate individual Shinkansen fares for your planned routes and compare to the pass price. A single Tokyo–Hakodate round trip costs ~¥50,000, nearly the entire cost of a 14-day pass.
- **Bring less luggage:** John recommends traveling with only a phone, camera, battery charger, toothbrush, and change of socks. You can buy everything in Japan cheaply, and dragging massive suitcases clogs trains and creates problems for other passengers.
- **Book Nozomi Shinkansen seats in advance during peak times:** The Nozomi (fastest Tokaido Shinkansen) now requires seat reservations during busy periods. Budget the ¥1,000–¥3,000 reservation fee if you need to arrive at a specific time.
- **Take the bus instead of the Narita Express:** The N'EX has increased in price; the bus costs ¥1,000–¥1,300 and is a perfectly viable alternative for Narita Airport access.
- **Buy yen now at 149 JPY/USD:** John notes this exchange rate is the weakest he's seen in his 25 years in Japan and advises converting currency while rates remain favorable. He expects Japan to intervene before the rate breaks 150.
- **Visit Kanazawa before the crowds:** John recommends Omicho Market (near the station, closes early), Higashi Chaya District, and Kenroku-en garden — all walkable from Kanazawa Station.
- **Try sōsu katsudon in Fukui:** This breaded pork cutlet with tangy sauce over rice is one of John's favorite donburi dishes, available in the Fukui region accessible via the Hokuriku Arch Pass.
## Japanese Language & Culture Notes
- **Shinkansen (新幹線):** Bullet train — Japan's world-famous high-speed rail network. The word literally means "new trunk line." John emphasizes the reliability (trains are on time to the minute) and the cultural pride JR staff take in their service.
- **Green car (グリーン車):** First-class car on Shinkansen. John mentions the Green Car upgrade fees have also increased alongside the standard pass prices.
- **Donburi (丼):** A rice bowl dish topped with various ingredients. *Sōsu katsudon* is a Fukui specialty in this category.
- **Katsudon (勝つ丼 / カツ丼):** Breaded pork cutlet over rice, typically topped with egg and onion. *Sōsu katsudon* from Fukui adds a distinctive tangy Worcestershire-style sauce.
- **Hokuriku (北陸):** The northern coastal region of Japan's main island, including Toyama, Ishikawa (Kanazawa), and Fukui. The Hokuriku Arch Pass takes you through this culturally rich but less-visited area between Tokyo and Kansai.
- **Omicho Market (近江町市場):** Kanazawa's largest fresh food market, often compared to Tokyo's Tsukiji. Known for fresh seafood, local produce, and street food. John's top recommendation for Kanazawa.
- **Ryokan (旅館):** Traditional Japanese inn. John mentions good local ryokan options in Kanazawa.
- **Onsen (温泉):** Hot spring bath. John recommends onsen for senior travelers, noting the healing properties of geothermal mineral waters, which he increasingly appreciates as he gets older.
- **Matane (またね):** Informal "goodbye" in Japanese. John closes the livestream with this casual farewell.
- **JR Central's business decision:** John explains that the Tokaido Shinkansen is overcrowded, and 80% of JR Pass users ride this corridor. The price hike is primarily a demand management tool — not just about inflation or the weak yen. JR Central wants fewer pass-holders paying cheap rates on an already-crowded route.
- **Japan's deflation-to-inflation transition:** Japan experienced decades of deflation (falling prices) before the recent inflation wave. The October 1, 2023 price hikes represent the first sustained inflation in a generation, catching Japanese consumers and businesses off guard.
- **Japanese savings culture:** Japan's elderly population holds trillions of dollars in bank accounts earning near-zero interest. With inflation now exceeding 0.01% interest rates, these "paper millionaires" are actively losing purchasing power — a massive macroeconomic shift that could eventually spark increased domestic spending.
- **JR as national ambassador:** John emphasizes that JR staff see themselves as ambassadors of Japan, not just railway employees. This cultural value drives the extraordinary service standards — on-time performance, cleanliness, and courtesy — that set JR apart from most global rail systems.
## Food & Drink Guide
No dedicated restaurant visits occur in this livestream, but several food and drink items are discussed:
- **Sōsu katsudon (ソースカツ丼):** Fukui Prefecture's signature donburi — a breaded pork cutlet (tonkatsu) served over rice with a tangy Worcestershire-based sauce. John calls it one of his favorite donburi dishes in Japan. Available at restaurants throughout Fukui, accessible via the Hokuriku Arch Pass. [00:24:30](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQoEG2Ywo8Q&t=1470s)
- **Tokyo Disneyland tickets:** One-day high-season adult tickets rose from ¥9,400 to ¥10,900 on October 1, 2023 — a ¥1,500 increase. Still considered a bargain for American visitors at the 149 yen exchange rate. [00:05:14](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQoEG2Ywo8Q&t=314s)
- **Japan Postcard Club Hiroshima series:** Limited-edition postcards featuring the repaired Hiroshima atomic bomb train and Genbaku Dome, available through John's Postcard Club. The final day of availability coincided with this livestream. [00:10:08](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQoEG2Ywo8Q&t=608s)
## People
- **John Daub** — Host, Only in Japan Go creator. American living in Japan for 30+ years. Warm, opinionated, practical. Delivers the stream solo with characteristic candor, defending JR's pricing while acknowledging the pain, and promoting alternative passes and travel strategies. He mentions he is doing intermittent fasting, hasn't eaten since 6 PM the previous day, and has a 5:30 AM flight to Kagoshima the following morning.
- **Kanae Daub** — John's Japanese wife. Mentioned as someone who "can't get these prices" because she doesn't have a foreign passport. John notes she is the boss regarding Leo's diet — she has not allowed Leo (their young son) to have chocolate yet. John confesses on stream that he gave Leo chocolate behind her back and watched *Charlie and the Chocolate Factory* together with Leo without her knowledge.
- **Leo Daub** — John and Kanae's young son. John reveals Leo can now watch full-length movies (graduating from *CoComelon*), has already secretly had chocolate (a scone with chocolate chips), and loves *Anpanman*. John plans to take him to see an *Anpanman* film at the cinema.
- **Chris Stradler** — Viewer/supporter who sent a super sticker during the stream. John thanks him on air.
- **Michael Sasano (peso)** — Viewer who sent a super chat, prompting John to joke that if Japan prices go up, so should his super chat. Michael is also referenced as the source for the 90-day grandfathering rule for third-party reseller JR Pass purchases.
- **Patrick** — Viewer from New Hampshire planning a trip to Japan with his wife in 19 days. Confirms the John Manjiro Festival is in Fairhaven, Massachusetts (correcting John's confusion between Fairhaven and Fairview).
- **Joy** — John's moderator, from the Philippines. John mentions plans to visit the Philippines when Leo is older. He playfully tells Joy not to tell Kanae about Leo's secret chocolate consumption.
- **Doc Rock** — Hawaiian viewer who always books the Green Car and thinks JR workers deserve raises. Sends gifts including Hawaiian macadamia nuts, which John describes as "Jared quality." John thanks the Hawaiian community for their generosity and warmth.
- **Jersey Girl** — Viewer who works in retail and saved for her Japan trip by working a second job overnight. John praises her dedication and uses her example to encourage other viewers to work harder for the trip they want.
- **Greg, Satrio, and others** — Viewers sending comments and questions through the live chat. Satrio mentions his first time in Japan and asks about Kanazawa bar recommendations. Greg says he'll be in Japan in 19 days.
- **JR Rail window staff** — John mentions speaking with staff at JR windows who confirmed the price hike was proceeding as planned.
- **92-year-old atomic bomb survivor** — Featured in John's previously released main channel video (promoted throughout this stream). Survived the Hiroshima bombing, returned to work on a repaired train 72 hours later. John considers this the most important interview he's ever conducted and is frustrated YouTube isn't recommending the video.
## Key Takeaways
1. **The JR Rail Pass price increase is real but context matters.** The 14-day pass going from ¥47,250 to ¥80,000 (68%) is a shock, but the pass was undervalued for years, the yen is at a 25-year low, and Japan remains exceptionally cheap for dollar-based visitors compared to historical norms and most other developed countries.
2. **The Hokuriku Arch Pass is the best-kept secret in Japan travel.** At ¥24,500 for seven days, it covers Tokyo → Kanazawa → Kyoto/Osaka/Nara via scenic countryside routes, and its price did not increase as of October 1, 2023. For most Kyoto/Osaka travelers, this is the smarter choice.
3. **Buy your JR Pass now if arriving within 90 days.** Third-party resellers were still listing old prices, and buyers are grandfathered at the old rate for up to 90 days (30 days for direct JR purchases). Read the fine print before buying.
4. **Japan's inflation is real and painful for residents.** 4,500+ food items have risen in price, wages are stagnant, and Japanese households are feeling the squeeze for the first time in a generation. Tourists enjoying Japan at 149 JPY/USD should recognize their good fortune.
5. **JR is worth every yen.** Compared to Spirit Airlines, Amtrak, or European rail, Japan Rail offers immaculate on-time service, genuine hospitality, and a product that doubles as a cultural ambassador experience. John argues JR kept its workers employed through the pandemic in the red and deserves support.
6. **Do the math yourself.** John refuses to universally declare the JR Pass "worth it" because it depends entirely on your route, number of Shinkansen rides, and travel style. A single ¥50,000 round trip to Hakodate nearly pays for a 14-day pass by itself.
7. **Japan has never been cheaper for Americans in 25 years of John's residence.** Despite the JR Pass increase, the 149 yen exchange rate means visitors from the US are still getting a historically extraordinary deal. John has no sympathy for travelers complaining about ¥80,000 for a 14-day pass when he earns yen and pays yen.
8. **Consider alternative accommodation neighborhoods.** Akihabara is better for tourism than for staying — Asakusa, Ueno/Okachimachi, and Yoyogi offer better value, authentic atmosphere, and easier access to Skytree, Ameyoko Market, and sumo culture.
## Notable Quotes
> [00:07:58](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQoEG2Ywo8Q&t=478s) **John Daub:** "If you are coming to Japan only because of the price of the JR Rail Pass, then you're coming to Japan for the wrong reasons, man. It's only like a hundred dollars your airfare went up. People are complaining about an increase on the rail prices and they're saying 'oh, I'm not going to Japan now.' Yeah, you are. Come on. The tourist numbers to Japan right now are higher than they've ever been."
> [00:08:41](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQoEG2Ywo8Q&t=521s) **John Daub:** "I don't think Japan really has much of a choice but to raise the prices, and the weak yen is one of the driving factors of it. They can't raise the prices on domestic Japanese products, so they will on things like the JR Rail Pass."
> [00:27:18](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQoEG2Ywo8Q&t=1638s) **John Daub:** "Just don't ride the Narita Express. Take the bus. They're 1,000 or 1,300 yen, it's so cheap, right?"
> [00:44:27](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQoEG2Ywo8Q&t=2667s) **John Daub:** "I want you to compare JR to Spirit Airlines. Compare it to Amtrak. Compare it to any rail network in Europe, for that matter. And tell me that JR is not the best. Japan Rail is the best. Hands down."
> [00:45:55](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQoEG2Ywo8Q&t=2755s) **John Daub:** "Try to find a Shinkansen train that is not on time. It's rare. And when it isn't, when it's just a minute late, you'll get an apology from JR. A minute late, you get an apology. Please. Is that not worth a little bit more?"
> [00:45:56](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQoEG2Ywo8Q&t=2756s) **John Daub:** "I think that you were getting too big of a bargain. Everybody was getting a steal. So it says 68% increase, but let's be real about it — let's say it really is like a 25% increase because they probably should have been raising the prices. It was just undervalued."
> [00:57:07](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQoEG2Ywo8Q&t=3427s) **John Daub:** "The Hokuriku Pass price did NOT increase. Tap your fingers. People, listen, because I don't have a table to bang. Hokuriku Pass did not go up. Go for that. Seven days, same price. It's cheaper than the JR Rail Pass. If you're just going to Kansai and Kyoto, go via Kanazawa, have an adventure out of it. Save some money. See the countryside. It's a win-win-win."
> [00:34:07](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQoEG2Ywo8Q&t=2047s) **John Daub:** "Back in the 1980s and 90s, Japan did not care. You didn't get many tourists at all, because it was one of the most expensive tourist destinations in the world. Now it is ridiculously cheaper. Japan right now has never been cheaper than it is right now. And anybody complaining about the prices, I have no sympathy for you."
> [01:05:41](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQoEG2Ywo8Q&t=3941s) **John Daub:** "The biggest overall factor is that the Tokaido line in particular between Osaka, Kyoto, and Tokyo is too crowded, and they don't want so many people. This is a pure, straight-up business decision, and it's fueled by JR Central. You might not like the price, and you might not pay for it, but they're still going to make bank, all right?"
## Related Topics
- JR Pass strategies and regional alternatives
- Japan inflation and the weak yen economy
- Hokuriku region travel (Kanazawa, Fukui, Toyama, Nagano)
- Japan travel budgeting and cost-of-living for tourists
- Japan Post and shipping from Japan (Postcard Club)
- Hiroshima atomic bomb history and survivor stories
- John Manjiro and US-Japan historical connections
- Sumo culture and neighborhood Tokyo
- Japan's rail network excellence and comparison to global systems
- Alternative accommodation areas in Tokyo (Asakusa, Ueno, Yoyogi)
- Kagoshima travel (John's upcoming trip at video's close)
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Full Transcript
00:00:01 John Daub: Alright, before you freak out or get a little panicked about these price increases — I remember happened on this day. It's now October 1st, 2023, and we'd known about this for quite a while. Starting back in about April, the news had hit the wire that prices in Japan for just about everything were going to be going up October 1st, and was far enough away that we're like, oh okay, that's six months in advance. But now it's here.
00:00:27 John Daub: And for those of you that are still coming to Japan in the future, you still have a chance to get and snag a ticket that might be cheaper. I think you have like a couple of hours. Some of the websites I see online still have the older prices. Let me see here. This is JTB USA, a couple of the other websites. I'll pull this up right here. They still have the older prices. I think this is JTB USA. There's also Klook and a bunch of other sites that you might want to buy your JR Rail Pass. If you're coming in the next month or so, it might be a pretty good option, considering the fact that the price doesn't really matter — you have, I think it was one month or three months to validate it. Make sure you read the fine print before you click the buy button because you might save a significant amount of money by buying your pass now if you're coming, I guess it is October, November, maybe even December. Again, read the fine print.
00:01:28 John Daub: I reported on this a few months ago and I was shocked and devastated and not sympathetic to you for having to pay more because I can't get those rail passes in Japan. And then I realized that it wasn't just the JR Rail Pass, which is this one on the screen — which is the entire country. This is a 14-day rail pass and you can see it says 47,250 yen. The price of that is going up significantly. And let me pull it up right here. Again, this is from a couple of months ago. The 14-day pass is going up from 47,000 to 80,000 yen. That's a significant jump and those 33,000 yen more can buy like two or three or four or five or like two weeks in a capsule hotel. Maybe, you know, that's a lot of bread for people to spend. The seven-day pass also receives a pretty significant increase — all of them about 60,000 yen. And, you know, I'll pull this up again in a couple of minutes. But it's, you know, the day is here. But it's not just Japan Rail that is increasing the prices. Believe it or not, everything across the board seems like has gone up. And the purchasing power of the Japanese yen has absolutely gone down. Right now we're sitting at 149.3 yen to the dollar. It's ridiculous. Let me pull it up on my laptop here. I always just Google USD JPY — that's USD to the Japanese yen. There it is on the screen — that's the exchange rate right now and you can see it's just getting worse. It did dip a little bit — I think Japan manipulated the currency and bought some money — but over the last year you can see it was high last October, went down, and now it's back up at record levels again. I haven't seen this since 1998, and last year. So if you're gonna buy yen, I would say yeah, buy it now. Why not? Because I don't think it's good. I'm almost positive that Japan is going to step in and it's not going to get above 150, much.
00:04:01 John Daub: With that and the Japanese consumer — which is me — I'm, yeah, I live here but I make yen and I go to the supermarket. I'm shocked. I went in there and checked out the prices in the supermarket, and everything went up, including beer, which thankfully I kind of quit. But the new wave of price hikes are here. You can see it — it's a pain thing. This is Japan Today — this is an article that came out today. We're going to be seeing a lot of people recycling the stuff from last October or sorry, last April, when this came out. And the households are getting just hammered right now. We have not seen inflation in Japan really at the same level as the US. Today we feel it for the first time. It says here that 4,500 food items have gone up, which is really hard, and a new liquor tax has come into effect October 1st to add to that. So yeah, thankfully I don't drink anymore like I used to. Oh, this is interesting — the one-day high season pass tickets for Tokyo Disneyland are up to 9,400 yen per adult. Now they're going to cost 10,900 yen. Wait, did I get that right? Did I just read that right? Wait, a second — wait, did I just read that right? Hold on. Disney's increasing the prices by that much? How do I go back? I guess I just have to replay this. Disney's increasing the prices by 40% — is that right? That doesn't seem right. Me and Kanae and Leo just went to Tokyo Disneyland last week. And how — I'm going to play this clip again and I — is that right? Ticket prices — I didn't realize that it was going to be that much today. Holy smokes. So if that news is right here — that's a significant increase for Japanese families. It says here it's just coming up on the screen: one-day high season ticket for Tokyo Disneyland currently 9,400 yen per adult, will cost 10,900 — so it's going up by 1,500 yen. If I got the 16,000 yen number earlier, I can understand why they would do that because the dollar is so strong. Tokyo Disneyland is a steal for everybody who's coming to visit Japan because it's way cheaper than Disneyland in the United States. All right, that's a relief off of my brow here because if they'd raise it that much based on the US dollar — which would be wrong because this is Japan — I probably would never go to Disney again.
00:07:02 John Daub: Going back to the JR Rail Pass increases — you if you haven't seen it right now, you're going to start to see it maybe tomorrow, depending on where you are in the world right now. I didn't see the price hike, but according to my talk with the JR windows — the people working at the staff there — they told me that this price hike is going ahead. So I've yet to see the price increases, but they're supposed to. Maybe on Monday, I'm not sure how they're gonna do it. I'm gonna keep this up here. The Green Car — which is also going to be the price increase for the JR Rail Pass — is also a disappointment for some of you. A few of you do like the Green Car. That's gone up even more. So I still think it's worth it if you want to get the Green Car. I still think it might be worth it for those — it just depends how you use the pass. And in a couple of minutes we'll talk about that because I think a lot of you might be saying "oh, now the JR Rail Pass is not even worth it." But if you do the math and you see your options, it still sort of is, depending on how you use it. So I think that's a good thing about the JR Rail Pass — it's not as significant as the JR Rail Pass increases, but they're significant enough that they hurt.
00:08:18 John Daub: And I want to bring everybody down to earth on this. It seems like a really high one if you are coming to Japan only because of the price of the JR Rail Pass, then you're coming to Japan for the wrong reasons, man. It's only like a hundred dollars your airfare here went up. But people are an increase on the rail prices and they're saying "oh, I'm not going to Japan now." Yeah, you are. Come on. The tourist numbers to Japan right now are higher than they've ever been. It's considered the number one tourist destination right now in the world. It's never been higher. The people that want to come here are coming here. And if you don't want to, you don't have to, but they're good. I don't think Japan really has much of a choice but to raise the prices, and the weak yen is one of the driving factors of it. I — I heard from some people, some corporations in the tourist industry — the stronger dollar is making an impact and Japan does not see that the yen is going to get stronger anytime soon. So of course they're going to take advantage of the fact that you're paying less money, but they can't raise the prices on domestic Japanese products, so they will on things like the JR Rail Pass.
00:09:38 John Daub: One of the biggest things that's happening is impacting me right now is this — so I got some good news from this organization here. This is Japan Post. I'm a huge fan of the post office. I love the people who work here — not just in Japan, but you know, at USPS and all over the world, because they do a job where it's more and more getting squeezed out by digital stuff and other carriers, and I want the mail to stick around. So I do have the Postcard Club. But today is the last day — if that is for you to get the ones from Hiroshima. So even — how do I not have that here? So I have the Hiroshima postcards which are really cool — it's the atomic bomb train, the Genbaku Dome atomic bomb dome in the background. Today is the last day for that. But I've been sending packages and postcards from Japan for a long time. However, I saw this notice which says hey, everybody, we're going to raise the prices October 1st. I think I have a video as well which is an unfortunate video as I tried to — I pushed a button to discover some of the information. Yeah, going to the United States, there's going to be a price hike with that. Small packet rates have returned so I no longer need to send the Daimyo via EMS, which would arrive in three to five days. Now they're going to arrive in seven to ten days at a reduced rate, but the rate has been increased. So it's — I don't know — Japan Post has been a little bit more of a — although they're everywhere and they're also a bank, which is what helps Japan Post. Japanese, in particular the older generation, save a lot of money. There are like trillions of dollars in the Japanese banking system from older people who don't spend their money, but they save it. But not everybody is rich like that, but there's a lot of paper millionaires, and I say paper because they don't spend their money and they're humble because they lived through an era where they didn't have to spend a lot of money — they were quite frugal with their money. So these luxury goods are not a thing that they would ever consider. Luxury cars, luxury homes, even though they've got a million or several million dollars in the bank — it just sits there as security to alleviate risk, which is a good quality insurance and so you part of what Japan is all about. So if the elderly — the senior citizens — just spent 1% more, the Japanese economy would be booming. That's how much money is in savings right now, that's just sitting there. We don't have a consumer debt problem like the US does with credit cards and all that. People are a little bit more responsible, but we're starting, we're getting there — the younger generations are getting there. Um, but regardless, let's go back to the Japan Post. They're a bank. So they've got a lot of revenue. They've got a lot of source money in there. The interest rates are like 0.01%, which is sad at inflation, but now the interest rates are below inflation. So people who leave their money in the bank are losing money right now because inflation is well above the percentage there. So maybe there's hope that Japanese consumers will start to spend more domestically, and that could raise prices. And this would also mean that Japanese workers would be getting pay raises because although inflation is happening here in Japan, people are not getting pay increases. Corporations are not raising the wages, because people are not buying as much because there's uncertainty in the market. It's a hard, hard situation here domestically. For you that are visiting — you're going to start to see it more. Now you're still getting a ridiculous deal. Everybody that visited this summer got a ridiculous deal. That's not going to stick around forever. We're getting prices again. As I said, all these products from the supermarket are getting price increases. This comes from the Japan Times. This is from, I guess, April. Japan sees price hikes on 35,000 food and drink items. By the end of 2023, some of those price hikes I've already seen and it hurts a lot. I mean, we feel it. The food trucks are starting to increase prices as well. And I feel bad for them because they don't want to, but they just have to pay for the fuel and for the stuff. Japan is an island country. It's — you can't go get around that. And that means that everything, almost everything is imported here. Almost everything is imported to Japan. So that means that we have to buy stuff at 149 yen to the dollar in particular for buying from the US, but that means Japanese companies in the US are making a killing. So there's no excuse for not raising the wages of the workers there. But for a lot of industries here, we're getting killed because of the inflation and the weak yen on both those things. And man, I feel really bad. We're going to see some companies probably go under. Unless — you probably don't know this — in the Japanese parliament, there are measures here and stimulus packages that are going to be passed through. So the Japanese government, the prime minister's approval ratings is probably going to take a massive hit after today because we're starting to see — it's one thing to say that there's going to be price increases, but then when you start to see it and feel it, yeah, the popularity of the Japanese government is going to go way, way down over the next couple of weeks, I got a feeling, as people start to travel domestically and feel the hurt. So we said we have here the food and beverages and the things, the prices of the food. It was already really cheap for you travelers. So it's not going to be such a big increase because I bet you it's going to be incremental and the Japanese government is going to try to find ways to alleviate the pain in the first few months because it hits like a sledgehammer to a lot of businesses. It's just anytime you get the government involved to get the money out of them, it's really — it requires a ton of paperwork and it's just painfully long, and sometimes it's not even worth it. So I feel really bad for a lot of small businesses and I'm one of them. And I have — you know, I have an assistant that I have to pay and I definitely have to pay her more, cause not only does she do so much for this channel, she's a super hard worker and the cost of living is going up. So, you know, I got to think about that too.
00:16:55 John Daub: So when you come in, you buy your rail pass, I want you to think about a couple of things. One — cause I want to talk about the rail passes. Now that you have a better understanding of the situation behind it all. And then the second thing is — you're not going to have the same shoulder pain or injury because you already had some — and so then you're going to be able to afford a rail pass. So the rail passes are more expensive for you to pay. Me, stop emailing me and asking me — okay, maybe I think I sped that up, stop asking me if it's worth it. All right, stop asking me. I get like — I don't know — I get maybe 20 emails a day, which isn't on this. I get a bunch on Instagram and other and my regular email. But "can you tell me if the JR Pass is worth it?" I don't know where you're going, I don't know what's your budget, I don't know what — I want you to do is I want you to get a calculator and I want you to do the math by Googling it. You have to do this when you plan your trip. You can't rely on me to do this as a service for you if you're not even on — you know — Patreon with the Postcard Club, which I would be happy to help you if you were to join the Postcard Club. I send these postcards, up — where is the Hiroshima one? Maybe I'll help you if you join the Postcard Club. I — what, oh, here, yeah, this is the postcard for that. You can still get it until I think two — for another hour and a half, I'll send this to you right away. This is from the video that I sent and there's a picture of Sasaguchi-san on the back. Uh, is it worth it? Not really though writes in peso. I think it's worth it if you're traveling long distances and the shinkansen is one of the cornerstones of your traveling. The problem was that JR had — when the tourism returned, in particular during the cherry blossoms, Shinkansen trains were ridiculously crowded. And I think people forgot that they didn't need to bring everything in the kitchen sink with them. So travelers are coming with these massive suitcases as well, creating a lot of problems. Look, I know when you're at home you had all these conveniences, but now when you travel you don't need to bring that super-sized suitcase. I think you could probably cut out 90% of that. All you need is a battery charger, a phone, a camera, and a toothbrush and maybe a change of socks and underwear. You can buy everything here pretty cheap, even cheaper, and you can do the laundry, you know, recycle some of that. But there's no reason for you unless you're here on business or something. Now winter's coming and you might need a jacket and you know more clothes, but you can wear the same thing every day. I sometimes do, but I get a washing machine here. I still wear this. I still wear the same thing pretty much every day — a black t-shirt or this one. It's got this like this button here, kind of like. So I look — if you're traveling in 14 days and you're making the trip to Hokkaido and back, I recommend that you fly. I recommend if you book 45 days in advance, you can get a really — like a hundred dollar, less than a hundred dollar domestic flight. It saves you so much time. And then you can do regional passes. But if you're making the Shinkansen as part of your experience — and a lot of you do — and I think it's a good idea if you like trains. It pays for itself, man. Do the math. One ticket going to Hakodate and back is like 50,000 yen, and that — you know, majority that's more than half of a 14-day pass. Now you'd be crazy to do that in a day trip, but that's how much the Shinkansen actually is, and people are doing that. And they hadn't raised the prices for the JR Rail Pass in a very long time. And I think that if they just done it 5% every year, but the thing is Japan doesn't have inflation — it has deflation for a very long time, except over the last two years. So we're starting to feel it more. But for you as a tourist, it does — it's a shock right now and I feel you. I don't — I feel your pain because I read it because I have to read it too, but I don't really feel your pain because I can't get that pass anyway.
00:21:26 John Daub: Alright, Pear Pig Bear Man writes in — here in Japan for the first time, love your videos, Kanazawa. Now, hey, anyone have good recommendations for things to do there or good bars? Hey, gosh. I recommend going in the morning before the crowds. I'm not sure how crowded Kanazawa is, but I recommend going, definitely going to the market. That was one of the best experiences. And I think that's the Omicho Market. Yeah, it's almost walking distance from Kanazawa Station. Everything Kanazawa is almost walking distance. The Omicho Market is really cool. There's good street food in there and it does close early, but I highly recommend Higashi Chaya and there's another street not too far away from the castle that you can go to, and Kenroku Park. But yeah, I'd recommend there. I wonder where you're staying too. There's some really good hotels in Kanazawa, some good local ryokan as well. Getting back to this — there's the Hokuriku Arch Pass, right, which has become really, really popular. This is a pass that allows you to take Kanazawa and Kyoto — it's like a cultural pass. And I'm going to turn the camera around and show it to you. One of the reasons why I'm inside instead of outside is because I want to make use of the fact that you know I can use my — so this is the Hokuriku Arch Pass. And I think — I think the price of the pass is still — I don't think they've raised it yet, so you can still get it at a deal. But you have seven days of consecutive unlimited pass for this amount of money, and this is so cheap. And what it allows you to do is use the Shinkansen from Tokyo going towards Nagano and Karuizawa, which is a really awesome place. But it mostly hits Kanazawa here. You can also use the local trains in this region, by the way. And then from Kanazawa, you can take the super express trains to Kyoto and Osaka and Nara, and you can do Kansai region. So this hits a lot of the areas that many people are thinking about. Toyama is so beautiful as well, as well as Nagano, which has the mountains. You know, Toyama is also really beautiful. Hakuba is not too far away. You have the Kurobe Alpine Route, Kenroku Park in Kanazawa, the Fukui Dinosaur Museum, the best dinosaur museum — the best museum in the world, I think it is. The prices are still relatively cheap. But this is better. A lot of people take the Tokaido Shinkansen going directly this way. But if you take the arch pass, you can stop off and use Kanazawa and then you circle around to Kyoto and you see so much of the Japanese countryside in this bit here, which I love. And a stop in Fukui, you can try their Sosu Katsudon, which is what they're famous for. It's so good — breaded, deep-fried pork cutlet. In this area. This tangy sauce over a bed of rice. That is one of my favorite donburi over rice dishes here in Japan. And you can take that Thunderbird Express, which is this bird, this train here, which is a very comfortable — it's slower and more comfortable than the Shinkansen, I think. I prefer going slower than the Shinkansen. The price is going to go up for this. So I'm not sure by how much. But if you search on JR.com, you'll get all of the information. Here's all the train lines that activate through this pass. It is a really good pass. And it's become quite popular. Yeah, I would love to. I can't get that pass. It's only available to international tourists because they check the stamp in your passport. So you might want to consider that. Is there any reason for you to take the Tokaido Shinkansen? Yes, because you don't want to go to Kanazawa and it's just faster. But if you want to see some of the countryside, I recommend that you get away from Tokaido Shinkansen and go around via Kanazawa and see some more culture and countryside. That's probably the best way to do it. And seven days continuous. So I mean, I think that's a lot of time to see everything in the Kansai region and Kanazawa and Nagano. So the Hokuriku Pass is probably the best one. The prices here is for the JR Rail Pass. So let me see price increase changes for the passes. The — the overseas video. Yeah, okay, here, I can show you what they all are here. So let's go over this. The price changes together because it's better when we do it as a team. The price changes — as you can see, the East Pass goes up 10,000 yen, which is still — still a bargain. All right. It's still a bargain. But it's painful. I feel it. But I was getting a really good bargain. Think about my wife, Kanae. She can't even get these prices because she doesn't have a foreign passport. I'm not sure. But she does have a different passport. The Niigata area — this is a slight discount. I'm okay with that. The JR Wide Pass — that hurts, but I can see why, because you can do day trips to Utsunomiya for gyoza and then go to Karuizawa or Echigoyozawa for the sake vending machines or something. You can do day trips. So you save. It's still a pretty good deal, but again, it hurts. This — just don't ride the — the Narita Express is what this is. Just don't ride it. Take the bus, send them a message. Bus is 1,000 or 1,300 yen, it's so cheap, right? But that's still a good deal if you wanna ride it. Trying to be an activist. The JR East-South Hokkaido Pass has gone up. That's not as big of an increase. I think they really want you to ride in — and in this one, I can't get this pass. And this price increase is only 6,000 yen, and it's still, I think it's a pretty good deal. What else is there? The Tokyo-Wide, it gives you some more information. I think the Hokuriku Pass was here, unless — okay. So this is the JR East. So maybe, I think the Hokuriku Pass is run by JR West. No, this way — is run by JR West, so that's why we don't see that. Let me see if I can pull up the JR West. West price increases. That's another thing that you really have to consider. JR is not an easy business. Can I still ride the Shinkansen? I don't know what you can ride, John. I think that you can — they're saying that the Nozomi Express now requires — this is another change of JR — the Nozomi Express now requires a reserved ticket in busy periods. Maybe right now it's a weekday, so it's not gonna need a reserved ticket. But I don't like reserved tickets. I prefer non-reserved because I live in Tokyo. It's the origin, so I can always get a seat. But now Nozomi's are gonna require reserved tickets during peak times, and that really stinks. All right, here we go — Japan Guide. Let's see what they have to say. This comes from July. A lot of these price increases were announced well in advance. Yeah, so there's a seat reservation. So basically, with the Japan Guide, it's like — oh yeah, this is a seat reservation. So it's a train rail pass that you guys have. You can get seat reservations for Nozomi by upgrading, but it's gonna cost you. To Nagoya from Tokyo, it's 4,180 yen for like 30 bucks, which might be worth it if you wanna get there, if you need to get there at a certain time. But for longer trips, it might be worth it because it's definitely saving you some time — 6,500 yen. And the Hikari Express trains aren't as frequent, right? So if you wanna save a few hours, it might make sense to get this. But I don't know. The Japan Guide doesn't say — where's the Hokuriku? Oh, here it is — the arch pass. Is it? Oh, here it is. Hokuriku Area Tourist Pass. So that goes up to 20,000 yen. Oh, that's a different one. So the arch pass isn't mentioned here. See more passes. Okay, they have the price increases. The Nikko Pass, all the passes went up. It's not just JR. The Chubu, which is this one — this pass area. All right, it seems like the Hokuriku Pass did not go up. Did it? That's a really good price. 24,500 yen. And the national pass for seven days is 50,000 yen. So if you're just going to Kyoto — I see what they did here. So this is actually really useful information. It's interesting, right? The seven-day pass. This is the Tokaido Shinkansen going back and forth from Tokyo to Kyoto. It's 50,000 yen for seven days. The Hokuriku Pass is half that price. It'll get you to Kyoto, but you can't take the Tokaido Shinkansen. You got to go via Kanazawa, which is probably a good idea. So let's pin that, okay? So forget the JR Rail Pass. If you're just going to Kyoto and Osaka, get the Hokuriku Arch Pass. The price was not increased, apparently. Is that right? It will go up once the extension of the Hokuriku Shinkansen to Tsuruga is complete. Okay, so thanks for that little information there. It's actually kind of big. I don't know if it's going to be a massive price increase, though. But they haven't raised that. So for the time being, if you're just going to Osaka and Kyoto, and you have seven days, get the Hokuriku Pass, okay? Get two of them if you want. You can buy them inside the country. You don't need a 14-day pass. Just buy another one. And by the way, it's called the Chubu area — which is the center of Japan, this kind of area between Tokyo and Osaka, going out there. You can only buy up to seven-day passes for that. So that price has stayed the same, which is kind of weird, right? So take advantage of it. There you go. I'll probably do another livestream next week with this information, just particular about the Hokuriku Pass.
00:32:44 John Daub: JJerseyGirl is here! People, if you want to visit Japan, you're going to have to spend money. I worked a second job overnight for a few months because of the things I wanted to do. I carried $3,000 in yen and other cards. I work in retail. Can be done. Yes. I think if you're considering — and I'm somebody who loves Japan, and some people call me an unofficial ambassador and all this other stuff. I want you to come here. I absolutely want you to discover the beauty of Japan and what made this such an attractive place to visit for me. When I came to Japan, I fell in love with — actually, I did not fall in love with this place. I didn't like it at all. But it grew on me. And it's changed quite a bit over time, in particular for me personally, because now I'm married to somebody who's Japanese, and I know the system better. But if you don't know the system, this can be a hard place to live. Nevertheless, as a visitor here, you get the best of both worlds. You get this really safe, beautiful, delicious country to explore where there's adventures all over the place, a weak yen and a strong dollar, and great service. So I want everybody to come and experience the beauty of Japan that I know and bring you through the show. But you do have to spend money here, and things are going to be cheaper than they are at home. But this is still going to — it costs you something. Back in the 1980s and 90s, Japan did not care. You didn't get many tourists at all, because it was one of the most expensive tourist destinations in the world. Now it is ridiculously cheaper. It's not cheap, because there's still a lot of countries where Japan is quite expensive to visit, in particular those coming from Southeast Asia or from India. When you compare the living costs, Japan, of course, is one of the top countries with per capita income. People make money here that's quite high, so the standard cost of living is much higher. But you can't get around that. But Japan right now has never been cheaper than it is right now. And anybody complaining about the prices, I have no sympathy for you. As somebody who lives here — as I said, inflation is a big, big problem right now. Wages have been stagnant. Even YouTube revenue is down, which is why I'm thankful for my Patreon supporters more and more. You know — I don't know if you're traveling to Japan for a vacation, I think you can consider other places like Thailand or Korea. I don't know. But Japan is just so darn good as an experience. If you're trying to save a couple of — you know, like a couple hundred bucks after spending a couple thousand on your flight, and you want to go somewhere else, I think it's a mistake. I think you need to reassess a lot of things. You know, maybe work a little bit harder. But I think Japan is worth the cost increases, and I think it's marginal for those that are coming here from the US with dollars. Maybe not for Australians and others that are coming here with currencies that aren't as strong, but the yen is still much weaker to almost every currency, and it does not look like it's going to change.
00:35:57 John Daub: As you're watching right now, I do have one quick request. If you wouldn't mind, go over and check out — YouTube is not suggesting it because it's a controversial theme. I don't think so. It's an inspirational story about a 92-year-old woman who was on the train — 72 hours, she survived the atomic bomb — and I interviewed her about her experience. It's an incredible story. She told me about the flash of light and the heat and everything, and what she saw afterwards. And then she went back to work 72 hours later on that train that's bombed out behind you. Well, I don't know if it's that particular train, but that particular train is the same train that you see in the picture that's been repaired. There's a bombed-out train where 89 people lost their lives in the bomb, and they've repaired it and put it back on — four months after. Oh, so it wasn't the same train. But she was on a train working 72 hours later, and she told me her experience. And I want you to see this, please. And I want you to learn more about Hiroshima. It's a good story. It's not about — it's not what you think. Alright? It's an inspirational story in a time of tragedy. And I'm really sad that YouTube is not suggesting this to anybody because it's a controversial theme. But, you know, them's the brakes in the world. Chris Stradler, thank you for the super sticker. Appreciate that very much. So check it out and leave me a comment. And share some love with a like and let YouTube know that this is a good video. Because YouTube is not recommending it. And that's a shame because I wanted her message. I made this more — when I make videos, I want to make it for them too. I want them to be proud of this video. And I want her story to be told, you know? I want this to make an impact in the world. And it's not because YouTube sees it as a controversial topic. So some people say it's restricted. But I did a poll on Discord and everybody said that it wasn't in their country — it's just not being suggested, which massively hurts a video. Chris writes in here — always enjoy your work. Thank you, Chris. I'm glad that you're here. 100,000 yen is like $670-ish, which feels not too much. Much different than back then. I'm not sure if that's right. 100 — yeah, Patrick, okay, the other way around. Yeah, 100,000 yen is not much money now. So when I go to the US, by the way — if you're in New Bedford or in Massachusetts, come out and see me. I'll be at the John Mangiro Festival in Fairhaven — or is it Fairview? I always get those two mixed. Near New Bedford. I'll be there on October 6th, October 7th and 8th. October 7th is the festival. So don't come on the 8th — you're probably not gonna find me. But I'll be at the festival on October 7th in New Bedford, which is gonna be a lot of fun. And I'm gonna pay through the teeth for the experience because I get paid in yen, and my flight was really high, and the hotel is off the charts. I don't know why — I guess it's a Massachusetts price. Or maybe it's just I get yen. It just feels worse because of the inflation and the fact that I pay in yen. But, nevertheless, I'm pretty excited about this. Patrick's in New Hampshire. Yeah, come on out. You're gonna have some — I believe they have some Japanese street food. But I want you to learn about John Manjiro, who was the first Japanese to live in the United States. And there are Japanese students coming from Kochi — Kochi Prefecture, which is where John Manjiro was born. And they're all coming over to the festival as well. So I'm gonna interview them and talk about it for a main channel episode that I'm producing. I'm pretty excited about it. I got a chance to talk with the CEO of the Manjiro Friendship Club. I'm gonna interview him for the episode as well and see some of the records from the 19th century. It's a pretty cool story. And I'd love to see you if you're in the area. So that'll be fun. I'll be filming. But I'll make some time to hang out a little bit. Are you going to Boston? No plans to go to Boston. I'd like to. I don't know. We'll see. My main focus is to go there and film the Whaling Museum and the John Manjiro Festival and see the area that John Manjiro — the first Japanese to live in America — what kind of place that he lived in. And it doesn't seem like the town has changed so much over the last couple — maybe it has, but it seems like a lot of it has been preserved quite well, which I'm excited to go down and see. It's a beautiful area, that part of the US, that part of New England. New England in general is a really nice place. I have a brother who lives in New England and I'm always happy to go back to go and check it out.
00:40:51 John Daub: So getting back to the pass here — I want to hear from you. Leave me in the comments what you're going to be doing with your money if you think that this pass increase is a deal breaker, if you're going to consider the Hokuriku Pass, if you're going to not come to Japan in general because this has ruined your trip. Come on. It hasn't done that. There's other ways to get around. You can rent a car, but look — domestically, I'm paying more for the highway and the gas prices are up, so it feels worse to drive. The bus prices are going to go up really quickly. For domestic, the passes are still a deal because you are a foreign tourist and you can get them. So again, I feel your pain, but I don't sympathize to it, but it's the best way. Asaya used to live in Western Massachusetts. Hey, and Massachusetts isn't too big, but it's bigger than I thought it was when I looked at it. It's like, whoa, it's deceptively big, Massachusetts. There's a lot of stuff in there. I'm still buying — so it's — this is from Doc Rock, so it's much worth it and relaxing and experimental. You know, once you get the pass, you get peace of mind. You don't have to worry about buying a ticket, you know. You got it, and it's nice to have it. Did you — have you been to the Philippines? Not yet. I'd love to go. One of our moderators, Joy, is from the Philippines, and it'd be cool to see Joy. And we got a ton of viewers in the Philippines. So I probably — Kanae and I will probably go when Leo gets a little bit older because we can't leave him behind. We'll check out Manila and then go down to the beaches and some of the beautiful places. Love to do it. Matsumi is in the house. How you doing, Matsumi? Ah, some good comments here. It's interesting to see what your thoughts are. I'm, Satri, I'm just going by myself. I'm going for work. It's not a long trip. So to go with Leo for one week is not worth it. We're gonna go for a month later on. We are. Yeah, so look. It is painful to pay the extra money, but I want you to think about it in terms of a local. Because we gotta pay a crap load of money too. And our currency is like — it's not toilet paper, it's not worthless. It's worth something, but it's worth a lot less. And I want you to please consider our feelings too. Because we're paying more too. And the Shinkansen prices are gonna go up too. Maybe not October 1st, because I think JR is gonna raise their prices. The prices of the Shinkansen as well — the first price increase in quite a while. So we're gonna see that go up. They were in the red for a long time, JR. They didn't lay off a lot of workers during the pandemic despite the fact that no one was riding the trains. And I don't think they received a lot of government subsidies either. They probably received some. So I have to say, you know, JR, Japan Rail is a pretty good company for doing the best for their workers and trying to maintain things, but they were in the red for a long time. That's the one company I don't want to see hurt. Everybody who's ever ridden JR, raise your hand and tell me that you've always had a pretty darn good experience. I want you to compare JR to Spirit Airlines. Alright? Compare it to Amtrak. Compare it to any rail network in Europe, for that matter. Alright? And tell me that JR is not the best. Japan Rail is the best. Hands down. And the fact that they still charge such a price, I think, is a bargain. Clean trains. There's no trash. Everything is beautiful, immaculate, so convenient. Vending machines, food carts, everything. The stations are clean, easy to navigate. Oh, come on. Nobody can say that it is a rip-off. Because Japan Rail is such a fantastic organization from top to bottom with a reputation. Their reputation means the world to them. And that's why they do the service that they do. It's not just because of the money. They do it because of the reputation. They realize they're also ambassadors to the country of Japan. But they're also a private business. Alright? So they need to make money. So they can't take a loss and then continue to hire and keep the staff of professionals that they do. Impossible. Not with the price increases. I know that the staff is going to be getting raises as well. Because I have friends who work at JR. So trains in Germany and the UK aren't great at times. They're not bad, but they're not great. Japan Rail is great. Exceptional. Try to find a Shinkansen train that is not on time. It's rare. And when it isn't, when it's just a minute late, you'll get an apology from JR. A minute late, you get an apology. Please. Is that not worth a little bit more? 68% more? I don't know. But I think that it's not 68% more because I think you were getting a bigger bargain than you were getting. If that makes sense. You're getting too big of a bargain, is what I want to say. That's my personal feeling. I think that you were getting — everybody was getting a steal. So it says 68% increase. Let me put the price back up here. It's a 68% increase for the 14-day pass, I believe. But let's be real about it. Let's say it really is like a 25% increase because they probably should have been raising the prices. It was just undervalued. So I want you to understand it in that sense. Everybody's been getting a discount for a very long time. And now they did this, which is not good. There are better ways to do it. But it hurts now because it looks bad. It looks bad. But apparently you can still get it at the normal price. And this is a 14-day pass. So if you can, snag it if you're coming in November. Or make sure you read the fine print. And then you'll get the old price. But apparently from today, the prices have gone up. So there you go. I do my best to try to highlight some of this stuff here. And to make you feel better about your purchase, I'll one more time show you a picture of what you're paying for to make you feel good about it. And I'll tell you what I think about the product. It's pretty fast. That's the Tohoku Shinkansen. I always hope that people go up north to Tohoku. I think I did speed that up. Because of the car that seems like it's going a little bit too fast. I think I just didn't have a lot of time for that scene. It's beautiful. You're paying for that. So pay. Come to Japan and pay. Don't be too upset. Because I know Michael — because everything for me has gone up in price. Everything has gone up. So it stinks. Hotels have gone up. The food has gone up. My lunch has gone up. Price of coffee went up. Starbucks went up. We get less for more. And it's just a reality now. And I'm going to have to work harder at YouTube as well. There's lots of things. We start to feel the pain. Everybody is feeling it. But if you're on vacation — I say this. And Jersey Girl — thank you again for saying this. She works in retail. She just worked a little bit harder. And she saved up so that she could have a better trip. And I think that's something that we have to continuously think about. It's not just — trust me. Thailand might be cheap now. But prices are going to go up there too. They're going to go up everywhere. But what makes Japan really special is the fact that it's $149 to the dollar. Think about that. Even when I was here 25 years ago — and this is my 25th year — I never — I've never seen this in my time. Over this way — in my time, I've never seen this exchange rate to the dollar. Never. So — what — is this max? If you max it out, you know — this is — alright. These prices are from like the 1985, right, back in the day. But I want you to see here — this is when I came to Japan. 1998. It was at a massive high. Do you see that? There. And if you follow the trend line, it's been like around 120 yen to 100 yen — getting down to like 77 yen during the bust. And now it's doubled. It's at 149 yen. I — again — you are getting such an amazing deal. And it's not just — you know — the US — if you're American traveler, why aren't you traveling more? You know, it's — you're never gonna get a better chance to come to Japan than right now, and even though the prices have increased, I feel it more, but you — I think that you have nothing to complain about. You're gonna feel it a little bit, you know — you're gonna feel good about your bargains just a little bit less. So I can't sympathize.
00:50:54 John Daub: Doc Rock writes in here — I always get Green Car and I always thought how this is sustainable. They deserve a raise. Always. And that moved up pretty fast here. It suits you, Boshi. Yeah, you know it. I think it's a — when you buy the Green Car, think about the people that you're supporting. I guess a lot of people are tipping for stuff. These people don't get a tip, alright. They never get tips in Japan. So I want to make sure that they can keep their job. And if they did not lay off many workers, they asked some people to take paid breaks and they've had likely all these programs to try to help to reduce the amount of red that they got into. They're a pretty good organization and did a pretty good job by their workers. Michael Sasano writes in — since prices in Japan are going up, then so will my super chat. Well, thank you, Michael. I did — let's see here — that's a 30 — that's a 33 percent increase if I didn't math right. Well, thank you very much. That's my lunch right there, Michael. Thank you. I'll take a couple more questions and then John's got to go and get some work done. And I'll give you time where you can watch this episode on online. Please do leave me a comment. I will definitely respond. I'll be checking the comments for this latest video on the main channel and I will respond if you leave — if you want to get a message behind because I love you guys, my family, my Hawaiian family too. We met somebody from Maui yesterday. That was really nice. They gave us some macadamia nuts — they weren't Jared quality macadamia nuts. Jared works at one of the hotels in Hawaii and he gives — and he brought these macadamia nuts. I've never tasted anything that was so amazing. But the ones that we got yesterday — I'm gonna try those and those look pretty good too. But Jared's on another level of macadamia nuts. And the ones — the brand — probably from Michael as well. Michael, those are pretty good — the salted macadamia nuts. We went through those like a lawnmower — like macadamia paradise in this house. So thank you, thank you to our Hawaiian family for taking very good care of us. A lot of vitamins in those macadamia. So me and my friend brought that — bought the JR Rail Pass — if I go to pick it up, will I have to pay the difference? No, rotten cylinder. This is the good news and this is the biggest news. And if you're still watching, this is what you really need to do — if you're coming in the next month or two, you still have a chance at least right now to buy the pass at the original price before the price increase affects you. At 2 PM on the East Coast in the US, maybe I'm not sure. But apparently the prices are still there, so you can go ahead and get it as long as you can — I think it — I don't know if it's 90 days or 30 days. Please read the fine print before you take my word for it because there could be some resellers that have 30 days and some resellers that have 90 days. I don't know. So make sure you read the fine print. But if you're coming in October or November, it seems like it would be safe to buy it in advance and then you'd be able to activate it. They can't charge you more when you're gonna — I never heard that before. They'd be — oh, by the way, we raised the prices, and so we want you to pay the difference. That's not going to happen. You raise the prices, and then those that are grandfathered in don't — that's 30 days if you bought directly from JR, 90 days if you bought from a third-party reseller. Thank you, peso. So according to peso, not me — that's who you blame. Trouble, I'm hedging my liability here. 90 days if you buy from reseller. So that means if you're coming in all the way up to December like 30th, you're pretty good to go by getting the JR Rail Pass at the original price for the next couple of hours or until the deal ends, and then they raise the prices. Doc Rock is from Hawaii. Aloha. I always — you know — viewers from from the Philippines because there's so many that are visiting, and from Hawaii, from the US in general and from Hawaii the most. I've never seen like so much love that comes from people when I meet them. Everyone's just so relaxed in those two countries and just so big smile and so much love, it's incredible. Um, so thank you. It's everybody from this community because I think we have one of the best in on YouTube, if not the best. But in particular, people from those countries have big smiles, and everybody's different, of course, but like just yesterday, meeting somebody from Hawaii — wow, so friendly. They said hi, they knew my name, and they said it in a way like they knew me, and I felt like I knew them too. But um, by the interactions, I love that. That's cool. The price gone up on the third party? I got my voucher, so might be too late. Okay, so some resellers — JTB USA had it at the original price. So I guess it depends and they might have changed it now as well. So it could be over, but there you go. And they gave him nuts. They did. I think I have it — have it right here. Yeah, these two nuts here. Check it out — one is for Kanae, one is for me. Leo doesn't eat chocolate yet, which is a good thing. Yeah, these look good. Snack straight from Hawaii. Uh, yeah, if you missed it — the biggest takeaway from this livestream — um, I sympathize — wait, I feel your pain, but I don't sympathize. So take that away. I still love you, but I don't sympathize, okay. The Hokariko Pass price did not increase. And if tap your fingers, people listen — because I don't have a table to bang. The Hokuriku Pass — price did not go up. Go for that. Seven days, same. It's cheaper than the JR Rail Pass. But if you're just going to Kansai and Kyoto — go via Kanazawa. Have an adventure out of it. Save some money. See the countryside. It's a win-win-win. When is he going to start eating chocolate? Uh, Kanae the boss said at age five, but I might have — I might have given him a piece of chocolate once. Don't tell her. I get in big trouble. I gave him a scone that had chocolate in it. I didn't quite — in my defense, I forgot that there was chocolate in the scone. I don't have a defense. But just don't tell her that I told you that. Leo has already had chocolate and we watched — don't tell her that Leo and I, when Mom was not home, we watched Johnny Depp and the Chocolate Factory — Charlie and the Chocolate Factory movie together. And I explained to him — although he might not have understood how amazing chocolate is — but he can't have it. And I didn't say that it was because of Mom, that would be cruel, but we did watch Charlie and the Chocolate Factory together, and Kanae does not know. So don't tell her that either. Why am I telling you secrets? Painful. I have to tell somebody. Maybe that's why I'm telling Joy. Joy, don't tell anybody. Saya, you too? Did Leo lick the screen during the chocolate fountain scene? No, but he tried to jump through the TV and swim in there. Now he didn't try to do that — we were just sitting there watching it, you know. You know, peso — he can now watch a full-length movie. He used to only be able to watch like one minute of CoComelon videos. Now he can watch the full-length movie. And then he can watch a full-length movie. Watch a full-length movie. So we're hoping to go to the cinema one time, take him to go see Anpanman or something. He likes Anpanman. All kids do. Um, yeah, you guys — you are sort of my surrogate family because you know, I lean on livestreaming when the times are tough. So if I'm having a tough time, I might just go live just to and introduce something about Japan just because it makes me happy to have you guys around. I can feel you there. I literally can feel it — not well, I feel you're there, but not like feel, feel, you know, I mean, like you — like if there's a ghost over my shoulder, I can sense that it's there. But of course there's nothing there. It's a ghost, I can't sense anything right now. You don't mean you've ever sensed something was wrong or something was around or you sense a cat but you can't see it. You sense your — [Japanese]: being watched right now. I know you're watching me and I'm not watching you, but I sense — I can sense that, you know, I'm being watched right now. Cool feeling. All right, we're having fun here, but not many direct questions. I'll take one more. I'm hungry. Final question. Tomorrow I'm flying to Kagoshima at — I gotta wake up at 5:30 in the morning. So I have to make the most out of today. My wife and I will be there in 19 days. Greg, welcome. Satrio, I could feel you coming when you were running down the streets in Ginza. I could feel it, sort of. A Poe in the Go, thank you. Please do hit that like button. I do appreciate it. Please hit the like button on the Hiroshima video. I would, actually — I'd rather you hit the like button here. I will not give up on that video. I'm not gonna give up on it. I already wrote to YouTube and I said — it's, you know, remove the flags. Please suggest it. It's life — it's a video that'll change people's opinions on the city of Hiroshima in a positive way. Confirming the Manjiro Festival is in Fairhaven. Thank you, Patrick. Fairhaven, Massachusetts. Don't go to Fairview and look for me there. I'm in Fairhaven and New Bedford and the Whaling Museum. It's a great area. Shout out to Fairhaven. And the John Manjiro Friendship — learn more about this guy, man. It's one of the most fantastic stories that you'll ever read about. John Manjiro. Yeah, how's Akihabara? You know, I haven't been in Akihabara for a while. Let's go there in October. We'll do a stream in Akihabara when I get back. Before I go to the US, let's do something like that. Akihabara is the same. It hasn't been — it has been pretty crowded since tourism returned, but I'm not sure what it's like after the summer rush. A lot of younger people — the school was out, a lot of young people in Akihabara. But I'm guessing that it's still pretty crowded. It's a popular place. I don't know why to stay. I don't know why. There's better areas to stay, and I think Asakusa is a way much, much better area to stay than Akihabara. Maybe Ueno, unless you're focused on Okachimachi, but I think that you could stay in Ueno and have that market vibe right outside your door. You wanna go to a place that's really nice at night. I don't think Akihabara is that nice at night, alright? It's not a nighttime place. A lot of these — unless you're like a maid cafe person — it's not a nighttime place in the same way that Asakusa with the Hoppy Street has for nightlife, like this authentic — like a rural, authentic, old-time drinking atmosphere and restaurant atmosphere in Asakusa. That's a reason to stay there. But, you know, Okachimachi and Ameyoko Market is so vibrant at night. I don't know why you wouldn't wanna stay where the hotels are a little bit cheaper there. You know, doesn't make sense to me. And Ueno is accessible from the Skyliner, so it's a pretty straight shot to there on Keisei Skyliner. Is it Keisei or Keio? Keisei, I think. Somebody might wanna take that. Yoyogi, the Sumo area, is also a really good deal. Usually the hotels are cheaper. You can walk to Asakusa from Yoyogi, and the Skytree is really close as well. And you have the Sumo wrestlers walking around all day. So you only bump into them if you're staying the night there, because there's not a lot of reason to walk around Yoyogi. But if you walk around Yoyogi, over time, you start to bump into Sumo wrestlers, which is cool. You probably literally bump into them — they're kind of large. They're on the trains. It's muscular large too. Trust me, it is not what you think. All right, when those guys take off their shirts, they look fat. It's not — fat people, you know, it's not. As somebody who just shed quite a bit of weight, I remember what I look like, you know. I jiggled a lot. I jump and I shook. It's still kind of there. But the point is that Sumo wrestlers are not like that, you know. It's very muscular. I remember I pushed one. He said, go ahead, do it. I did it. And it's like — wow, they're built, you know. I guess you don't know if you're asking. Okay, so good questions. Thank you, everybody. A lot of comments here. There's no CC, so — what reasons for price hike? Because it's near double. The price hike is — I think I pretty much made that clear. But the price hike is because they hadn't raised it in a very long time. They know that tourists are paying 150 yen to the dollar right now. And this is too cheap. Locals can't get this pass. But the biggest overall factor is that the Shinkansen line — and I'm saying this with pure — I'm saying this, and I'm genuine when I say this — the Tokaido line in particular between Osaka, Kyoto, and Tokyo is too crowded, and they don't want so many people. And it's a business decision. This is a pure, straight-up business decision, and it's fueled by JR Central. There's regional passes, alright? JR Central — it's too crowded. It's already too full. They don't need pass holders paying a really cheap price to ride the Tokaido Shinkansen anymore. They're going to be full without it. And the vast majority of people — and I'm talking like 80% of those getting the JR Rail Pass — are getting it to go back and forth to Kyoto, Osaka, and riding the Tokaido Shinkansen, which is already overcrowded. So they want — I don't think that's going to change because they raised the price. So why not raise the price and get money out of it if you can — and people are still going to ride it anyways — and maybe they'll get less people, but it's a good business decision on their part. You might not like the price, and you might not pay for it, but they're still going to make bank, alright? Just what it is. Avoid Tokyo-Osaka line. Get the Hokuriku Arch Pass. That's your final takeaway from this. Go to Kanazawa. The seven-day pass is cheaper than the seven-day pass for the JR Rail Pass before the price increase. It's 25,000 yen. 24,000 yen. What is that? $200? And you can go for one week of Shinkansen going to Kanazawa and then a Super Express limited train, which is really comfortable, going to Osaka, Kyoto. Do it. Do it. Do it. Never thought I'd hear myself say that. Do it. Okay? Mark it. Bookmark it. Heart it. Like it. Keep it. Favorite it. Whatever. Hokuriku Pass. See the countryside. All right. There you go. Where to go as a senior citizen. First of all, don't call yourself a senior citizen because senior citizens in Japan start at age 90, so life expectancy is just ridiculously high here. I don't know. It depends on how good you can move. So, you know, every senior citizen is different. I'd say go to the onsen because you feel the waters are healing and they really loosen up the muscles. And as I get a little bit older, I find myself enjoying a hot bath with the healing waters of the thermal geothermal waters from the ground with all those minerals in there. There you go. Doi. All right. That's all. I can stay here forever, but I got to get back to work and eat something. I'm doing this fasting thing and haven't eaten since 6 PM yesterday and it's 1:30 PM the next day. I'm not even that hungry, which is weird. That means I am still a spring chicken. UFO Bob — you're not a spring chicken. You're just a chicken, but you're not a senior chicken. And that's the point. Spring chicken. You think — do I look like a spring chicken? Don't answer that. All right. Have a good day. I'll see you tomorrow or tonight. As I did plan on doing. I do plan on doing a director's cut talking about this. I probably do that tonight. Talking about this atomic bomb train episode tonight on this channel. Give you some of the background of that story, because I think it's pretty significant. Interviewing a 92-year-old atomic bomb survivor is always going to be an experience. And for me — I'm blown away by the history that she saw through her eyes. I could meet Taylor Swift. If I could meet Taylor Swift or a survivor of the atomic bomb, I probably would be more open-eyed at the atomic bomb survivor because I just can't believe that she has that story to me. And by the way, I'd like to meet Taylor Swift too, so I can't — but I don't actually know anything about her. I don't know any of her music. It would be fun to meet her on a midnight snack run. I'm sure I'll have that coming up soon. Not — not for a few days at least. Maybe tonight. I don't know. Maybe I'll do the — do the — maybe I'll do the midnight snack run tonight on that show. We'll see. Bye bye. Matane.