Updated July 23, 2022
Summer vacation is basically just around the corner for everyone, and we are all probably looking for ways to get out of the house and (hopefully safely) travel locally.
One of the ways I found early in my days here in Japan to travel cheaply is using what is called the 青春１８きっぷ (Seishun 18 Kippu). In spite of what it name suggests, it has no age limit. Anyone of any age can use this ticket. Japan-Guide has a good breakdown of what is this ticket is in more detail, cost and how to use it. I suggest you check this out if you'd like more details!
In short, it is a seasonal day pass of sorts.
Each ticket can be used 5 times in many different ways. You can use it for yourself 5 times on 5 different days (non-consecutively), or you can gather 4 other friends with you to use as a day pass for all 5 of you travelling together. You can even do a combination of just 2 people for one day, and then the 3 times at a later date by yourself. Essentially there is a lot of flexibly on how you can use this ticket.
The catch is that there is a only a certain time period you can use these tickets. They are often associated with school holidays (summer, spring, winter). Please check those time periods carefully when you purchase a ticket!
The other obvious catch is that you can only use local JR trains.
Local trains also include local express trains, but they are only available for use with Japan Rail (as this is a JR exclusive ticket). Essentially anything that requires a seat booking at an extra cost is not included in the ticket price.
There are some exceptions listed under the Japan-Guide webpage.
You would obviously think "well, if I can't use the Shinkansen on this, then no one would be stupid enough to get from one big city to another with it".
Yes, true. And you probably won't find many people braving a trip from Tokyo to Osaka in one day using this - but it's not all that uncommon. I've known quite a few Japanese people and foreigners living here who have done this trip in the past. Considering how one usage of the ticket equates to about 3000 yen or so, the prices are rather competitive to a Highway Bus ride. Of course, flights & shinkansen are the obvious way to go if you're strapped for time. But if time is plentiful and you're on a budget, this is a fair option.
I have done a two-week trip using two Seishun 18 Kippu from:
Tokyo - Sendai - Niigata - Kanazawa - Gifu - Osaka
It's a very sensible route for anyone who don't have any travel limitations. For example, with a JR Rail Pass, these places can all be done without any headaches or fusses of transport - but with a Seishun 18 Kippu?? My first tip if you're not into frustrations from spontaneous trips (not only just this one), DO YOUR RESEARCH WELL.
Other than the time factor, which wasn't an issue (otherwise I wouldn't be going this far out from Kansai), one of the biggest problems I ran into using this ticket without proper research and understanding of which train companies run where was that... I had no idea the local JR train does not run between parts of Niigata and Toyama.
I had a full travel day between these two cities. A Japanese app called "Jorudan" had told me that the route was possible even without the Shinkansen. What I had failed to catch was that most of the rail covered here was operated by a Private Train Company, not Japan Rail. I had seen the transfer on the route guide, thinking it was just a normal transfer - but it ended up being a transfer between different stations altogether.
This meant the Seishun 18 Kippu was completely unusable here.
I had to pay out of pocket to go the rest of the way, or go a different and longer route. In hindsight, I think I should have gone a different route, but this meant looking up train schedules again in the countryside. When trains might only run a few times a day. I didn't want to get stuck somewhere so I decided to just fork up the cash and keep going.
An accident which could have been prevented if I researched more carefully.
I lucked out on this one because I always had a habit of buying things one day before I need to use it, but another rule that the Seishun 18 Kippu has (or had, maybe they changed it?) was that you cannot use the ticket on the day you buy it.
When I was at the ticket counter buying my second Seishun 18 Kippu, the clerk was doing his usual customer service thing repeating all the guidelines and one of the things he told me before I paid was, "You can't use the ticket today, do you still want to buy it?"
I said I didn't know that and he kindly told me that was a rule.
I suppose the date of purchase is stamped on there so they know, but part of me wondered if anyone would check... I didn't stick around to find out since I wasn't going to use the ticket that anyway. So I said okay, paid for the ticket and went on my way.
So do be careful when you are traveling in case this rule still exists!
If you don't need all 5 stamps, because maybe you only want to do a one-off trip and the ticket effectively expires if you don't use it in the time period indicated on the ticket, you can visit a discounted to buy a half-used Seishun 18 Kippu.
There are plenty of people who only use it 4 times, and don't have any use for it, so they try to get a bit of money back by selling their unfinished tickets to shops like these:
These shops are usually located at a street corner near a train station. At bigger stations like Osaka station, there's usually a hub underground or a mall that has a few shops that sell tickets at competitive prices.
I highly suggest looking for these shops and getting a ticket if your situation doesn't require you to use all 5 stamps in a limited amount of time. You could be saving on some money for the trip that way.