Hi All - this may be a stupid question but does the national rail pass give access to all of Japan? Are there any restrictions about how long you can stay in once place before moving on?
Also, can you use the national rail pass as soon as you arrive from the airport?
Thanks
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It really isn't a stupid question at all - there are quite a few people who still don't understand the basics of the pass. It does not cover city subways or city buses, nor non-JR lines. As to coverage, 70% of Japan is mountainous so there are many areas with no rail line at all. But as far as popular tourist places go, a JR Pass covers nearly all of them or at least gets you in close to where you can take a private line the rest of the way.
Your next question is more problematic - the pass is made for long distance travel - you can stay anywhere for as long as you want, but you need to travel enough to make the pass worth it if you are going to buy it.
As for activating it at the airport, it depends which airport. NRT, HND, and KIX are covered, others not so much. You can get the full list at
http://www.japanrailpass.net/en/exchange.html
Also when you arrive is another factor. KIX is a 24 hour airport but the rail pass office is not.