Can a 20 year old coming in to Japan as a foreign tourist purchase a JR Pass?

Hi there,

You need to enter Japan under a temporary sightseeing visitor visa. From reading your post, I think you will qualify.

As for seat reservations. Personally I find it much better to reserve seats in advance, as you are secure of seating and don't have to queue up for a seat beforehand on the train platform. You can make a reservations up to 5 minutes before train departure. Just tell the JR staff at a ticket window where you wish to travel and they will find the best tickets for you, they will also tell you if a train does not have reserved seats.

Hope this helps,
Daniel

Hi Daniel,

Thank you very much for your reply. Yes, now I know that I'm qualified :) Your feedback proved to be very helpful.

Thank you,
Lee.