Oboke and Iya Valley Rail Pass (2026): 12,000 Yen for 3 Days

For a Shikoku trip of three days or more that takes in Oboke (大歩危) and the Iya Valley (祖谷) plus Kochi or Matsuyama, the pass to price is JR Shikoku’s ALL SHIKOKU Rail Pass: 12,000 yen for 3 days.^[1],[2] The nationwide JR Pass only makes sense if Shikoku is one part of a longer JR trip.^[5] For a simple Okayama to Oboke and back, single tickets are cheaper.^[4],[1] Older pages are out of date in two ways: Iyotetsu left the pass on March 7, 2026, and the 4-day and 5-day passes ended on October 1, 2026.^[3][2]

Key facts

• The pick for a Shikoku loop: ALL SHIKOKU Rail Pass, ¥12,000 for 3 days; the 7-day pass is 20,000 yen.^[1],[2]
• Covers the Nanpu to Oboke: non-reserved seats on all JR Shikoku limited express, rapid and local trains.^[1],[2]
• No longer covered: Matsuyama’s Iyotetsu trains and trams (since March 7, 2026) and the Shodoshima ferry and bus (passes issued from October 1, 2026).^[3][1],[2]
• From Okayama: the pass starts at Kojima, so buy a ticket for the Okayama to Kojima section.^[1]
• Iya Valley buses: no rail pass here covers them.^[2],[1]
• Who can buy: only foreign passport holders with Temporary Visitor status.^[1],[2]

Item	ALL SHIKOKU Rail Pass	Japan Rail Pass
Adult price (¥)	12,000	50,000
Days	3	7
What it covers	Non-reserved ordinary seats on limited express, rapid and local trains on all JR Shikoku and Tosa Kuroshio Railway lines, plus all Asa Coast Railway, Kotoden (Takamatsu-Kotohira Electric Railroad) and Tosaden Kotsu lines. Not Iyotetsu (since March 7, 2026), not Shodoshima Ferry or Olive Bus (passes issued from October 1, 2026), not the Sunrise Seto, not any bus. Valid on the Seto-Ohashi Line only from Kojima southward. 7-day pass ¥20,000.	All JR Group railways nationwide, including Shinkansen except Nozomi and Mizuho (separate NOZOMI MIZUHO Ticket), limited express, express, rapid and local trains, Tokyo Monorail, local JR Bus lines and the JR-West Miyajima ferry.
Where to buy	Exchange order from travel agencies outside Japan; at Takamatsu, Matsuyama, Tokushima, Kochi and Kotohira stations and JR Shikoku Tour branches in Japan; via JR-WEST ONLINE TRAIN RESERVATION; or as a QR ticket from Klook or Trip.com (no exchange needed).	Official online service (JAPAN RAIL PASS Reservation), 7-day standard adult ¥50,000; or overseas JR-designated agencies, ¥53,000 for purchases on or after October 1, 2026. Picked up or exchanged in Japan with the passport.

What changed on the ALL SHIKOKU Rail Pass in 2026?

Two rounds of changes, both announced by JR Shikoku. First, starting March 7, 2026, Iyotetsu is no longer included.^[3] Iyotetsu runs Matsuyama’s trams and suburban trains, so pages that still list it as covered are out of date.

Second, for passes issued on or after October 1, 2026, the Shodoshima Ferry and Shodoshima Olive Bus were dropped, although passes bought on or before September 30, 2026 can still use them.^[1],[2] The 4-day and 5-day passes were discontinued at the same time, so only the 3-day and 7-day passes remain.^[2] The prices in Japan and online went down: the 3-day pass from 12,500 yen to 12,000 yen and the 7-day pass from 20,500 yen to 20,000 yen.^[2]

ALL SHIKOKU Rail Pass: the pick for a Shikoku loop

This pass suits a trip that moves around Shikoku for several days, for example Takamatsu, Oboke and the Iya Valley, then Kochi. Every JR Shikoku and Tosa Kuroshio Railway line is included, in non-reserved ordinary seats, whether the train is a local, a rapid or a limited express.^[1],[2] That includes the Limited Express Nanpu, which takes about 1 hour 40 minutes from Okayama to Oboke and about 56 minutes from Kochi.^[9] It also covers all lines of the Asa Coast Railway, Kotoden in Kagawa and the Tosaden trams in Kochi.^[1],[2]

The catches are at the edges. The pass is valid on the Seto-Ohashi Line only from Kojima Station southward, so the section from Okayama to Kojima needs its own ticket.^[1] It is not valid on the Sunrise Seto sleeper or on any company’s buses.^[2],[1] If you continue from Kochi to Matsuyama, the pass gets you a discount on the Nangoku Express bus: 3,000 yen instead of 4,000 yen, bought at the JR Bus ticket counter.^[1] Once in Matsuyama, you pay Iyotetsu fares yourself.^[3]

You can buy it before you go or after you arrive. JR Shikoku sells it through travel agencies outside Japan, at Takamatsu, Matsuyama, Tokushima, Kochi and Kotohira stations, through JR-WEST ONLINE TRAIN RESERVATION, and through Klook and Trip.com as a QR ticket that opens the automatic gates with no exchange.^[2],[1] Child prices apply to ages 6 to 11.^[1]

JR Pass: only if Shikoku is one leg of a longer trip

The Japan Rail Pass covers all JR Group railways, including limited express trains, so it covers the JR Shikoku line through Oboke as well as the trip from Tokyo or Osaka.^[5] At 50,000 yen for 7 days, it pays off only when long Shinkansen rides fill the same week.^[6] If you already hold one, use it for Oboke and skip the Shikoku pass. When to buy it at all is covered in the Japan Rail Pass review.

JR West has no pass that reaches Oboke. Its Kansai WIDE Area Pass, 5 days for 12,000 yen, takes you from Kansai as far as Okayama and Takamatsu, and its exact area is shown only on a map.^[7],[8] It can get you to the edge of Shikoku; it does not replace a Shikoku pass for the Iya Valley.

Single tickets: Okayama to Oboke and back

For a short visit from Okayama, buy tickets. JR Shikoku’s fare table gives Okayama to Oboke as a 2,410 yen fare plus a 1,860 yen non-reserved limited express charge.^[4] There and back, that is 8,540 yen, less than the 3-day pass, which in any case would not cover Okayama to Kojima.^[4],[1]

Does a pass pay off on my route?

Price your legs against the 3-day pass. Here is a Takamatsu loop through Oboke, using JR Shikoku’s fare table and non-reserved limited express charges:

• Takamatsu to Oboke: 2,010 yen fare plus 1,200 yen charge.^[4]
• Oboke to Kochi: 1,430 yen fare plus 1,200 yen charge.^[4]
• Kochi back to Takamatsu: 3,190 yen fare plus 2,200 yen charge.^[4]

Bought leg by leg, the loop costs 11,230 yen, 770 yen less than the 3-day pass.^[4],[1] So the loop alone is close to break-even: add one more ride inside the same days, such as the Tosaden trams in Kochi or Kotoden to Kotohira, and the pass comes out ahead.^[1],[2] Stretch the same loop over more than 3 days and compare it with the 7-day pass instead.^[1],[2]

What does no pass cover in the Iya Valley?

The rail passes end at Oboke Station. Shikoku Kotsu runs the route buses into the valley, with a change at Kazurabashi Yumebutai for its Iyakei Line, and it revised its timetables on October 1, 2026.^[10] The ALL SHIKOKU Rail Pass is not valid on any company’s buses, so budget for bus fares on top.^[2],[1] Bus times, the vine bridge and the gorge boat are in the Iya Valley guide.

If you are going in the cold months, check what is open at the vine bridge and in the valley in winter before you fix your pass days.

How do I decide?

Four questions that settle it

• Where do you start? Okayama and back the same day or the next: single tickets. A loop starting in Takamatsu, Tokushima or Kochi: price the ALL SHIKOKU Rail Pass.^[4],[1]
• How many days do you spend moving around Shikoku? Three or fewer: the 3-day pass. More: the 7-day pass.^[2]
• Is Matsuyama on the route? Iyotetsu trams are no longer covered, so do not count them.^[3]
• Do you already hold a JR Pass for the same days? Then it covers JR Shikoku and you need no second pass.^[5]

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Can I reserve seats on the Nanpu with the ALL SHIKOKU Rail Pass?

The pass covers non-reserved ordinary seats.^[1],[2] JR Shikoku’s pass pages do not list reserved seats as included, so plan to ride in the non-reserved cars.

How much is the pass for children?

The 3-day pass is 6,000 yen and the 7-day pass 10,000 yen for children aged 6 to 11.^[1],[2][1]

Can I buy the pass after I arrive in Japan?

Yes. It is sold at Takamatsu, Matsuyama, Tokushima, Kochi and Kotohira stations and through JR-WEST ONLINE TRAIN RESERVATION, as well as by agencies abroad and as a QR ticket online.^[2],[1]

Does the pass cover the Sunrise Seto sleeper?

No. The ALL SHIKOKU Rail Pass is not valid on the Sunrise Seto.^[2],[1]