Rail Pass for Matsue and Izumo: Which JR West Pass Pays Off?

For a trip to Matsue (松江) and Izumo (出雲) from Osaka or Kyoto, the pass to compare against plain tickets is JR West’s Kansai-San’in Area Pass: 7 days for ¥18,000.^[4],[5] If Hiroshima or Miyajima is also on your route, look at the Sanyo-San’in Area Pass instead.^[7],[6] For days spent only within San’in, the Tottori-Matsue Pass is the budget pick at ¥4,000 for 3 days.^[2],[3] The San’in-Okayama Area Pass that older pages still describe is not on JR West’s current list.^[1]

Key facts

• The pick (from Osaka or Kyoto): Kansai-San’in Area Pass, ¥18,000 for 7 days, Shinkansen to Okayama and the YAKUMO included.^[4]
• If you add Hiroshima: Sanyo-San’in Area Pass, ¥23,000 for 7 days, Nozomi included.^[6],[8]
• Budget pick (days within San’in): Tottori-Matsue Pass, ¥4,000 for 3 days, with Matsue’s Lake Line bus.^[3]
• When none pays off: a one-way trip, or days spent on the Ichibata Railway, which none of the passes lists.
• Who can buy: only foreign passport holders entering as a “Temporary Visitor”.^[2],[4],[6]
• San’in-Okayama Area Pass: not on JR West’s pass list as of October 6, 2026.^[1]

Item	Kansai-San'in Area Pass	Sanyo-San'in Area Pass	Tottori-Matsue Pass
Adult price (¥)	18,000	23,000	4,000
Days	7	7	3
What it covers	Kansai, Okayama and San'in (Tottori, Shimane, Hagi): the Sanyo Shinkansen between Shin-Osaka and Okayama, limited expresses such as HARUKA, YAKUMO, KONOTORI and SUPER HAKUTO, JR West local and rapid trains, Kyoto Tango Railway, Chizu Express and West JR Bus route buses in the area. Not the Tokaido Shinkansen or the Sanyo Shinkansen west of Okayama.	Kansai to Fukuoka (Hakata) via Okayama, Hiroshima and Yamaguchi, plus Tottori and Shimane: the Sanyo Shinkansen between Shin-Osaka and Hakata including Nozomi and Mizuho, limited expresses such as HARUKA, YAKUMO and KONOTORI, JR West local and rapid trains, Kyoto Tango Railway, Chizu Express, West JR Bus and JR Bus Chugoku route buses, and the JR West Miyajima Ferry. Not the Tokaido or Kyushu Shinkansen.	Limited express and local trains (including rapid) in the San'in pass area around Tottori and Matsue, ordinary reserved seats included, plus the Loop Kirinjishi bus (Tottori) and the Gurutto Matsue Lake Line bus. No Shinkansen.
Where to buy	JR-WEST ONLINE TRAIN RESERVATION (credit card, collected in Japan with the passport), an exchange order from a travel agency outside Japan, or some travel agency stores in Japan; up to 1 month before the first day.	JR-WEST ONLINE TRAIN RESERVATION (credit card, collected in Japan with the passport), an exchange order from a travel agency outside Japan, or some travel agency stores in Japan; up to 1 month before the first day.	Only outside Japan: an E-TICKET (exchange order) from a travel agency, exchanged in Japan with the passport within 3 months of issue and no later than the day of use. Not sold in Japan or through JR-WEST ONLINE TRAIN RESERVATION.

What happened to the San’in-Okayama Area Pass?

JR West’s own list of passes for overseas visitors no longer shows it. As checked on October 6, 2026, the JR-WEST RAIL PASS page lists the Kansai-San’in Area Pass, the Tottori-Matsue Pass and the Sanyo-San’in Area Pass, and no San’in-Okayama Area Pass.^[1] The JR West pages we read do not say whether it was withdrawn for good or only paused, so treat any page that still sells it as out of date and check the list before you buy.

The lineup does change: the same page notes that sales of the Kansai Area Pass ended as of September 30, 2026.^[1]

Kansai-San’in Area Pass: the pick from Osaka or Kyoto

This pass suits a trip that starts and ends in Kansai and spends most of its days on the Japan Sea side. JR West describes it as unlimited rides from Kansai to San’in (Tottori, Shimane, Hagi) and Okayama.^[4] It covers reserved seats on the Sanyo Shinkansen between Shin-Osaka and Okayama and on limited expresses such as the HARUKA, YAKUMO, KONOTORI and SUPER HAKUTO, plus JR West rapid and local trains.^[4] That is the whole classic route: Shinkansen to Okayama (岡山), then the YAKUMO, which runs from Okayama to Izumoshi (出雲市).^[9]

The catch is where it stops. It cannot be used on the Tokaido Shinkansen, or on the Sanyo Shinkansen west of Okayama, so Hiroshima by Shinkansen is outside it.^[4] Beyond JR trains it also covers the Kyoto Tango Railway, Chizu Express and West JR Bus route buses, but not expressway buses.^[5],[4]

Verdict: if you ride Shin-Osaka to Okayama, the YAKUMO to Matsue and back the same way within a week, price those legs in JR West’s route search and compare them with the pass. The more side trips you add in the area, the more the pass is worth.

Sanyo-San’in Area Pass: if Hiroshima is on the route

Choose this pass when your loop also takes in Hiroshima, Miyajima or Yamaguchi. It covers the Sanyo Shinkansen all the way from Shin-Osaka to Hakata, Nozomi and Mizuho trains included, and limited expresses such as the HARUKA, YAKUMO and KONOTORI.^[6],[8] It adds the JR West Miyajima Ferry and JR Bus Chugoku route buses; it is not valid on the Tokaido or Kyushu Shinkansen.^[7],[6]

The catch is the price: JR West lists it at ¥23,000 for adults, ¥5,000 more than the Kansai-San’in Area Pass, for the same 7 days.^{[6],[7],[8],[4]} That difference buys the Shinkansen west of Okayama, so it only pays off if you actually ride it, for example Osaka to Matsue and Izumo, then Hiroshima, then back. If Hiroshima is your only trip out of Kansai, the Hiroshima day trip from Kyoto or Osaka compares single tickets with JR West’s passes for that ride.

Tottori-Matsue Pass: the budget pick for days within San’in

This pass suits travellers who reach San’in another way (by plane, on the Sunrise Izumo, or at the end of a Japan Rail Pass) and want to move around for a few days. It gives 3 days of unlimited rides on limited express and local trains in its area, plus the Loop Kirinjishi bus in Tottori and the Gurutto Matsue Lake Line bus.^[3] Ordinary reserved seats are included as often as you like, on trains such as the SUPER HAKUTO, SUPER INABA and YAKUMO; reserve before you board.^[3],[2] JR West’s English page still calls it a non-reserved-seat pass in its heading; the Japanese page, which prevails, includes reserved seats.

The catch is the area: it has no Shinkansen and does not reach Okayama or Kansai, so it does nothing for the trip in and out. JR West shows the exact area only on a map on the pass page; check that every station you plan to use is inside it. Buy it before you fly: it is sold only outside Japan, as an E-TICKET from travel agencies, not in Japan or through JR-WEST ONLINE TRAIN RESERVATION. You exchange the E-TICKET in Japan within 3 months of issue, and no later than the day you start using it.^[3],[2]

Does a pass get me to Izumo Taisha?

Only part of the way. If you are timing the trip around the shrine’s November rites, the Kamiari-sai guide has the dates.

The passes list JR trains and a few named operators and buses; the Ichibata Railway (一畑電車) is not among them.^[5],[4] The Ichibata line is the direct rail route from Matsue to Izumo Taisha, and its fare from Matsue Shinjiko-Onsen to Izumotaisha-mae is ¥900 for adults and ¥450 for children aged 12 and under.^[10],[11] If you will ride it several times in a day, ask about its 1-Day Free Ticket at the main stations.^[10]

The other way in uses JR to Izumoshi Station, then an Ichibata bus from Bus Stop No.1 to the Seimon-mae stop in 25 minutes.^[12] The step-by-step Ichibata route and timetable are in the Matsue and Izumo guide.

How do I decide?

If you already hold a nationwide pass, the Japan Rail Pass review explains when it covers the YAKUMO route on its own.

Three questions that settle it

• Where do you start and end? Kansai: Kansai-San’in. Kansai plus Hiroshima or Kyushu: Sanyo-San’in. Only travelling within San’in: Tottori-Matsue, bought before you leave home.
• How many JR days in a row? The two area passes run for 7 consecutive days; the Tottori-Matsue Pass for 3.^[4],[5][3]
• Can you use it? All three are only for foreign passport holders entering as a “Temporary Visitor”.^[2],[4],[6]

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Can I buy these passes after I arrive in Japan?

Two of them, yes. The Kansai-San’in and Sanyo-San’in Area Passes are sold through JR-WEST ONLINE TRAIN RESERVATION, by travel agencies outside Japan and at some travel agency stores in Japan, up to 1 month before the first day.^[5],[7],[4] The price depends on the day you buy, not the day you use the pass.^[4] The Tottori-Matsue Pass is not: it is sold only outside Japan, as an E-TICKET.^[3],[2]

Do children need their own pass?

Children aged 6 to 11 need a child pass, and an adult or child pass holder can take up to two children aged 1 to 5 free.^[4],[2]

Can I use a pass on the Sunrise Izumo sleeper?

No. The Sunrise Izumo cannot be used with the Kansai-San’in Area Pass or the Tottori-Matsue Pass.^[5],[3]

Do I have to reserve seats on the YAKUMO?

Reserve before boarding to be sure of a seat. On trains with only reserved seats there is no non-reserved seating for pass holders.^[4],[2] With the two area passes, the YAKUMO’s semi-compartments are not included beyond the fare.^[5],[7]