A closer look
For decades, the Japan Rail Pass was the single greatest cheat code in global travel, allowing tourists to ride ultra-expensive bullet trains for pennies on the dollar. What tourists didn't realize was that this high-speed itinerary stacking was a monumental loss leader. The pass was so absurdly underpriced that the everyday Japanese salaryman—paying full price for their daily agonizing commute—was essentially subsidizing foreigners to joyride across the country. Japan Railways finally snapped in 2023, hiking the prices up to 70% to end the financial bleeding.
