Should you buy the Kansai Thru Pass? - Ep.1 Japan Slash🗡️or Pass👁️👄👁️

The Kansai Thru Pass is a travel pass available in Kyoto, Osaka, Nara and other cities in the Kansai Area, it claims to offer unlimited train, bus and subway rides at a good price. But is everything really as good as advertised? In this video I will talk about whether or not you should buy the pass, the caveats you need to know if you plan to buy one, and some travel cost calculations to help you make your own decisions.
This is the first video in the series that I call the【Japan Slash or Pass】where I talk about the various travel passes you can buy in Japan and see if could help to slash your travel costs in Japan or you should simply just give a pass. So be sure to subscribe to my channel for future content to come!
00:00 Intro
00:42 What's the Kansai Thru Pass?
01:35 The caveats of the pass
02:37 The real deal-breaker and cost calculations
04:01 Cost-effectiveness comparisons
04:52 Should anyone ever buy the pass?

[@bloodpine666]

dude, your videos are the gold standard for japan travel. easy to digest, no advertisements or corporate interests, just a guy offering advice to fellow travelers. and backed up with good math, too. tysm!

[@Will_Zhao]

Glad you like them!😊

[@dataprojectsviz6081]

Amazing video, thank you for making a video on this topic, definitely helps!!!

[@BecauseOfReasons]

I just found your videos a couple days ago and I'm loving it! I'm planning to go to Japan next year and all of this is really helping me with my research! Please keep this series going!!!

[@VperVendetta1992]

Informative and hilarious, thank you!

[@lovinglycat]

Amazing and informative video! After sitting and thinking on the Kansai Thru Pass for a loong time, I came to the conclusion it didn't seem worth it for the cost either?! Came to youtube and so glad to see that I was thinking along the same lines haha. Can't wait to travel around Japan with your tips in mind 😊

[@yoru489]

So informative and funny. 😂 Thank you so much

[@crc6599]

Thanks for sharing this!

[@docninel]

Thank you for your videos its really helpful

[@johnnyzhang5333]

I eagerly await the next japan travel guide with big funny memes. You are pretty good

[@YaShah13]

Man you're extremely funny and gives necessary information Hope to see your more videos 😁

[@chiragganguly]

Loved the calculation

[@msdani_]

You're the best, Will! Thank you for this since I'm planning my solo trip and feeling so confused with all these passes

[@ashoknarula2055]

Very objective assessment. Agree - there’s too much hype about rail passes for tourists

[@supertom90]

Perfect!!

[@awesomeseniorella6028]

Thank you very much. Very informative. I will do this during my visit

[@iamhanauta]

Thanks for this very useful video. We plan to go to Japan from late November to early December (11 days), use the JR West Kansai - Hiroshima Pass, and squash all the day trips to Nara, Kobe, and Hiroshima/Miyajima in its 5-day validity to maximize its benefits. Your videos have been helpful since we are now in the day-to-day planning stage of our trip. We'll definitely look forward to your future videos.

[@Will_Zhao]

Cool! You should also watch my How to Use the JR Pass video to know what to do when you arrive!😉

[@johnnguyen4875]

Great video! ❤

[@neverbeaten]

Ive been tryin to understand passes and subways for a month. U made the math for me and vids are funny too. Best channel for transportation 🎉

[@Julian-mt8ht]

Thank you Bro! So helpful

[@SumitMangela]

your videos are awesome and super helpful. can you make a video for osaka amazing pass. I will travel to japan in oct but I was wondering if I should get it or not?

[@Travel-by-Train]

This video will help me to plan my next trip in 🇯🇵Japan 🍒🍒🍒

[@Hushy]

The one that got me hitting the subscribe button is the cat smashing the kansai thru pass :p

[@bigdreamerx]

best edit ever once again!! one question is now that the Hankyu One Day Pass is no longer on sale, what are the alternatives?

[@mollyjenkins6162]

Thank you for this! We are still planning to get at least a two day Thru pass to travel from Nara to and around Koyasan area; that's where I've determined the cost to be worth it. But as we travel from Nankai Osaka to Hankyu Arashiyama: nope. I'm hoping ICOCA will do just fine.

[@Will_Zhao]

I don't know too much about Koyasan but longer rides, round trips get you more value for the pass for sure.

[@angelomendo]

Really well explained and informative! Subscribed. Btw, have you looked into the JR West All Area pass? I'll be covering these places: Osaka, Amanohashidate, Kanazawa, and Kyoto over 12 days, and I'm not entirely sure what pass to get or if I should even get one.

[@Will_Zhao]

I haven't used that pass myself, but when I'm looking for a pass for my trip I start with some quick maths: does a round trip from one end of the pass's coverage to another(both places you plan to visit of course) cost more than the pass itself? If yes, then you probably should buy the pass. If no, then you probably shouldn't.

[@peggylius8464]

Hello! Thank you for the informative video! :) just a quick question, what about kansai wide pass? Is it more worth it? Thank you! :)

[@vanessa.stolke]

Thanks a lot for your video! I am planning to travel to Tokio, Kyoto and Nara in 2024 oder 2025. I think for me as a beginner (this is the first time travling for me in my life) it is enough with 3 Citys. Furthermore I do not speak Japanese and my English is not the best... 😅 Aaaand I need to save money, so I can maybe only stay for 7 or 10 days.

[@felisenpai9625]

Peak Nihon explained video!

[@RG.......]

Thanks for sharing - just 1 question - is there any pass that covers the train ride from Kansai airport to Osaka city? Otherwise what would be the cheapest option to get to Namba

[@hacoba]

Lol love the video and the AI voiceover

[@ktpoon3789]

Thank you

[@conanaksoy]

Thanks for video to help us. What you think about Kansai Mini Pass :)

[@afrizaldwiputranto6724]

For osaka enjoy eco card pass is it included all train line in osaka ? Also include jr line train ? How large this pass coverage? Thanks

[@rainlois5403]

are the cats on your videos a hint for an upcoming video about the wakayama electric cat station masters? (pls make a video about them)

[@Gamex996]

there's always the anxiety of certain train not working with the pass, so I mostly skip small areas passes if they aren't covering everything

[@Will_Zhao]

Yes exactly, It's really hard to figure it out. So that's why i'm making videos haha

[@ynyn9168]

Sir what you can recommend for to buy. I will stay 2days in Osaka, 1 day in Kyoto? Thank you

[@match20x]

While I love Japan and all the transportation offerred, it can be stressful in trying to plan out the passes making sure to get not only the right one but also the one that makes most sense. It seems though maybe just best to plan out transportation to and from airport and then go with the flow during the trip 😢 But just to be sure, Im spending 5 days in Kyoto and planning to dedicate each day to Nara, Osaka and Kobe. Might not be worth it huh?

[@aliciawong5514]

Hi, what about if I wanted to go Nara, Kobe and Hiroshima? Is it still worth it

[@excursioncouple]

but what about if you go to Koyasan? it cost like 2000 yen from hommachi station one way to koyasan

[@xingyap5841]

Hi, if day3 visit Kobe. It is sound better value for 3days pass?

[@theagarwalmohit]

😊

[@gooi5320]

How about osaka amazing pass? Is it worth the deal?

[@AEC_GeeGee]

Please do a review of JR Kansai Mini Pass. 🙏🏻

[@lezielretardo5692]

How about the osakamazing oass?

[@jonathancube]

Still available march 2024?

[@Komainu959]

Remember when you were in school and there was that one teacher who made learning fun? That is this channel.

[@Will_Zhao]

Thanks!

[@atlasbravo1564]

You are indeed pretty good.

[@atsaichu]

As of April 2024, Kansai Rail Pass replaces Kansai Thru Pass and with price hikes too. 2-day pass now costs 5600yen and 3-day one is 7000yen. And, you lose access to buses since it's now a "Rail" pass. 😅

[@rixx789]

How about Tokyo Metro Pass??

[@ThucAnhNguyenSMILE]

a question! should I purchase Osaka Amazing Pass or other sightseeing travel passes to cover both transportation & sightseeing location entrance fees?

[@Will_Zhao]

The 1 day OAP comes at 2,800 yen - 1,700 yen more expensive than the 1 day bus&subway pass, which covers everything the OAP does minus the attraction entrance. You can just go and check out what attractions Osaka Amazing Pass has to offer and see if your plans will allow you to get more than 1,700 yen's worth from the pass in 1 day. If yes, then get the OAP, if not, get the commuter pass.

[@ThucAnhNguyenSMILE]

Awesome! Thank you :)

[@kretzschi5000]

You see the pass also seems to offer discounts for many attractions wich often cost money so i was wondering how much that is.

[@lifeofvilla]

Yes I like the pass because of this, plus $10 USD is not that big of a deal now since the yen is so weak. This pass offers the convenience of being an all in one instead of scrambling to buy a bunch of different passes at different points throughout the journey, which is why he mentioned time constraints. I just like it for the convenience and the price point is not bad unless you’re budget is really low

[@laedi6034]

I was planning on buying the 3 day one because I want to do a day trip to Nara. Can you suggest an alternative? I've computed my travel using Navitime since you can input the pass you plan to use. I wont save a lot so maybe you have a better suggestion. 😅

[@Will_Zhao]

You need watch my latest video on how to travel between the kansai cities. A day trip to Nara from Osaka or Kyoto with the kintetsu one day pass would only cost 700 yen and you get to ride buses for free while you are in Nara, which is really convenient. So do check it out.

[@laedi6034]

@@Will_Zhao thanks! I only saw it after I posted my question. By the way does it cover the bus to Kasuga Taisha Shrine. The map showing the designated zone for bus is so vague. 😅 I see it covers surrounding area of Kintetsu Nara but up to what point? 😅

[@Will_Zhao]

@@laedi6034Yes it does, Nara is a relatively small place, there are only so many places to visit and most of them happen to be just around kintetsu Nara, so worries.

[@tobiasbrizuela1312]

Dear friend - your vid was very informative - I intend to spend 4 days in Osaka and 4 days in Kyoto , including a day tour to Hiroshima. What would you suggest I do instead of buying the Passess? Would appreciate your guidance.

[@Will_Zhao]

Thanks! A day trip to Hiroshima is something I've never heard of, it's almost a 2-hour ride one way. But if that's what you gonna do, maybe consider the JR West Kansai-Hiroshima Area Pass, it saves you quite a bit for the round trip to Hiroshima alone, and you get to ride the Haruka from the KIX airport to Osaka or Kyoto for free. For intra-city travel, buy the Bus and Subway One Day Pass in Kyoto, and the Osaka One Day Pass in Osaka. You can check out my videos on Kyoto and Osaka.

[@tobiasbrizuela1312]

@@Will_Zhao appreciate it.

[@EnzymaticCatalysis]

But what if you want to go to Nara and Kyoto in one day from Osaka, and then Kobe the next day from Osaka? It’s probably worth it then, no?

[@sher7673]

For a 2 day pass, this is indeed not that worth it. But for Kansai Thru Pass 3 day pass, it's quite substantial. 3 days to 3 different cities will be easily cover the cost with the convenience of not having to buy 3 different day passes everyday.

[@pawindook9669]

you are pretty good

[@kandakuntv]

The math makes sense but what if you include the attractions that come with the pass, would that make it worth it?

[@Will_Zhao]

As for as I know the pass does not grant you free entry to any of the attractions, only some minor discounts. Therefore I wouldn't rely on those to get your money's worth.

[@phatsakorn1069]

What's the transportation from Osaka to Kyoto, costing only 410 yen? I looked up on Google Maps and found they start at 800ish.

[@Will_Zhao]

It's the Hankyu private rail. On Google Maps, you have to search for a route from 'Osaka-Umeda Station' to 'Kyoto Kawaramachi' Station for it to show up. Sometimes you have to be very specific with your Google searches, it's ridiculous.

[@abinayanatarajan2409]

Can I use the one day Kyoto pass to travel to Nara and Kobe? Or should I go for JR West Kansai area pass? I will be spending total of 11 days in Japan. 3 days in Osaka - for which I already bought Osaka amazing pass. Remaining days in Kyoto and last day in Koyasan. For which I would need to use Nankai Konya line. Pls pls suggest pass

[@Will_Zhao]

You really don't have to worry too much about getting a pass just to get from one city to another in Kansai since unless you are taking the Shinkansen evey single time, the rides are generally quite cheap. You can refer to my video on this here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/aXWkdpSLgqhrjLM

[@Will_Zhao]

And you can't use the Kyoto pass to go to Nara, it's not within the range of the pass. But you can check out options like the Hankyu one day pass if you are doing a round-trip within a day.

[@neoneo2290]

how about Kansai MINI JR PASS?

[@favno4]

You are pretty good.

[@Will_Zhao]

Thank you, that means a lot.❤

[@DANGITPHI]

This GUY Japans!

[@s6031417]

Sir, I must thank you for this video as it's information is precisely what I needed. I did my own calculation for the traffic costs and had the same conclusion as yours. KTP might not the best answer to individual traveller who will visit only one city for each day and I'm really happy that there's a video supports my thought. But here is my question instead : If my travel plan separates the cities and I'm going to visit only one city for each day, is electronic cards (like ICOCA card) already enough? (I'm going to visit Osaka/Nara/Kyoto BTW.)

[@Will_Zhao]

Haha good to hear! IC cards are really convenient but they do not provide any discounts whatsoever. If you plan to visit one city a day you might want to consider the one day commuter passes(bus/subway/bus&subway) offered in each city, these are usually quite good value and relatively easy to use.

[@s6031417]

@@Will_Zhao Wow! That was a fast reply. Thanks again! I just watched your pervious video(the one about Kyoto's Public) and I guess I will have an ICOCA + Kyoto 1 day pass anyway.

[@benedictuskristian4109]

Hello i also have a question, I will be in osaka for 4days then kyoto 3days and will visit regular tourist spot such as USJ, kaiyukan, Osaka castle, shrines/temples around kyoto and maybe the most far will be nara on the 7th day. Is osaka metro pass & kyoto pass can be efficiently enough to cover subway/bus (non JR lines)?

[@Komainu959]

@@benedictuskristian4109 This really depends on how you're planning out your trip and even where your base of operations are going to be. The best way to tell is: Pin your home base in Google Maps. Pin all the sites you want to see and MAKE SURE they will be open on the day you wish to visit. (Japan Guide site is great for this...GMaps not as much). Then route your directions- Maps will provide you with an estimate of cost. Total that all up and see how it does against a pass. Why the above matters is because say you are staying in Dotonburi area and going to one site in the morning then going back to base, then another site in the evening and going back to base VS going out and hitting multiple locations then heading back. That can make a significant difference in price, especially over a few days.

[@benedictuskristian4109]

@@Komainu959 thankyou very much for the answer 👍 totally agree, finally i made my itinerary in detail with the estimated cost of each trip for each destination. And the summary combination of osaka-metropass and kyoto-buspass suits me better than KTP 👍

[@user-nu6zs9ru3j]

thank you unfortunately I bought the pass. However, I hope I spend the money to get convenience at least

[@docninel]

Can i use the hankyu pass for shinkansen?

[@Will_Zhao]

Unfortunately, no.

[@docninel]

Thank you. Im looking forward to your next videos its so informative. It helps me alot to plot our Japan trip ☺️

[@kayak0000]

I don't want to shuffle all these passes, such a hassle. I just need one..plus what is a 300 yen difference? If u have money, just spend it.

[@Will_Zhao]

You are not wrong. If you can't be bothered, just don't. It's not a day and night difference.

[@carolinap8612]

Im cracking up at the graphic for the "specific niche target". You're also missing another bigger target audience and its the one that doesn't quiver over a calculation thats equal to about 6 USD difference in price and who just rather pay that to save time, avoid a headache and be as flexible as possible. You're assuming only people who want to save every penny would consider this pass. I loved the 3 day version for a short trip but Im spending more time in Kansai this time around and even then, it sounds easier to just combine two Kansai thru passes than get 3 different limited passes multiple times for multiple days for multiple people. Cheers for the info.

[@thorndikedeterman8393]

'promo sm' 😝

[@gooi5320]

Bro your videos enlighten me! Please upload quicker

[@Will_Zhao]

Working on it!