How to Use the HARUKA E-Ticket: WEST QR Linking, Seats and Gates Explained

The HARUKA discount one-way ticket for foreign visitors costs ¥2,200 for an adult from Kansai Airport to Kyoto and ¥1,800 to Osaka — but that one price covers two different tickets. WEST QR goes through the gate as a QR code on your phone, needs no paper ticket and is sold only by overseas travel agencies; the other has to be exchanged for a paper ticket at a station machine. They differ in where you buy, how you reserve seats and how refunds work, and WEST QR adds one rule that catches people out: if you haven't started the ticket 3 minutes before departure, your reserved seat is cancelled. This guide separates the two based on JR West's product pages and WEST QR user guide (checked September 14, 2026), with a short comparison of other ways into the city at the end.

What's the difference between WEST QR and the paper HARUKA ticket?

The price is the same; where you buy it, whether you swap it for paper, where you reserve seats and how refunds work are not.

I'd pick WEST QR to skip the machine queue after landing. If your phone may not have data in Japan, or you'd rather not juggle a website on the platform, the paper version is the safer choice at the same price.

WEST QR is sold only through overseas travel agencies, and KKday is one of them. Its "JR HARUKA Airport Express" one-way plan offers the WEST QR e-ticket and the paper ticket as two options in the same plan; you pick the route and ticket type yourself. Three things to know first: if you choose WEST QR there is no paper exchange, so the product page's FAQ line about exchanging a voucher at the airport applies only to the paper ticket; seat reservations are not included and you make them yourself on the WEST QR user site; and it is limited to foreign passport holders entering as temporary visitors, with refund terms set by KKday.

Choose your HARUKA route on KKday →

Who can buy the HARUKA discount ticket?

Holders of a foreign-government passport entering Japan as a Temporary Visitor; Japanese nationals cannot use it, even with permanent residency abroad. Each person may buy or exchange only one of the same ticket for the same period, getting off at an intermediate station voids the ticket, and it isn't sold inside Japan. Child fares apply to ages 6-11 at the time the exchange order is issued or the ticket is bought.

How much is the HARUKA e-ticket?

WEST QR and the paper version cost the same: adults pay ¥1,300 to Tennoji, ¥1,800 to Osaka/Shin-Osaka and ¥2,200 to Kyoto.

WEST QR holders sit in the HARUKA car set aside for WEST QR; if it's full, use the non-reserved cars (no reserved seats in other cars, no refund of any difference). WEST QR doesn't cover the Tokaido Shinkansen between Shin-Osaka and Kyoto or limited expresses other than HARUKA, and the ticket must be used within a year.

How do I link WEST QR to my account?

Create an account on the WEST QR user site, then add the ticket using the QR ticket number on the voucher from your travel agency. Sign up with an email address; the password must be 8-36 characters with numbers, uppercase and lowercase letters, and the verification code expires in 5 minutes. Once you register a ticket to an account it can't be moved between accounts, except by transferring a ticket that hasn't been used. Several people's tickets can sit in one account only if everyone travels together. Do this at home, not at the airport.

How do I reserve a HARUKA seat with WEST QR?

From about a month before travel, on the WEST QR user site only. JR West's guide gives both "30 days before" and "1 month before" on the same page, so aim for roughly a month. You can change the reservation as many times as you like before the train's departure, so book one train and adjust after landing. If you miss the reserved train, the seat is void and can't be changed or refunded — ride non-reserved that day.

When do I press "start" on the HARUKA e-ticket?

Start the ticket on the WEST QR user site on the day, at least 3 minutes before your reserved train departs — otherwise the reservation cancels automatically. Don't start it too early either: once started, you can't change the date, cancel or get a refund. Start it after you've landed and cleared immigration and know you'll ride today, then scan the QR code on your phone at the gate.

What other WEST QR traps are there?

Four: no screenshots, not every gate has a QR reader, no Shinkansen transfer gates, and no getting off midway.

• No screenshots or printouts: the QR code refreshes, so display it live with data on.
• Look for the red QR reader: most major stations have at least one gate with it; at stations without one, scan the entry or exit QR code posted on the side of the gate with your phone.
• Exit before changing to the Shinkansen: leave through a conventional-line gate, then enter the Shinkansen gate with a Shinkansen ticket.
• No stopovers: exiting at an intermediate station voids the ticket.

How do I collect the paper HARUKA ticket?

At a "green" ticket machine showing the passport mark, using a passport with an IC chip; without an IC chip, go to the ticket office. Exchange orders from overseas agencies must be exchanged within 3 months. Bookings on JR-WEST ONLINE TRAIN RESERVATION open one month before travel at 10:00 JST, must be paid by credit card (virtual and numberless cards are not accepted), and need four things at collection: the reservation number, the 4-digit ID number you set, the card used to book, and your passport. Reserved-seat machines operate 4:30 to 23:20 JST. For why Japanese booking sites reject some cards, see our guide to booking Japanese trains online.

Refunds, delays and starting the ticket too early

WEST QR can't be refunded once started; before that, request a refund from the agency you bought from, which may charge its own fee. If HARUKA itself is delayed or cancelled, the fare is refunded in full through the agency, though its booking fee may not be. A ticket started too early stays valid that day but can't be moved to another day. For the paper version, JR West's handling fee is 560 yen if no reserved-seat ticket has been issued or up to 2 days before departure, and 30% of the undiscounted express charge plus 220 yen from the day before until departure, with a 560-yen minimum.

Is ICOCA & HARUKA still sold?

No. JR West discontinued ICOCA & HARUKA on September 30, 2023, saying more customers already held an ICOCA card. Buy one of the HARUKA discount tickets above and get an ICOCA separately; our Japan IC card guide covers where to get one. JR West's Kansai Area Pass also covers HARUKA reserved seats if you'll ride JR around Kansai for several days, but officially on up to 2 trains only, not unlimited. It comes in two versions at different prices: the WEST QR e-ticket sold by overseas agencies including KKday and Klook, ¥2,700 for one day and ¥6,700 for four; and the exchange-order (MCO) version from agencies and JR-WEST ONLINE, ¥2,800 and ¥7,000, which costs ¥100–300 more but adds one-day tickets for Keihan, the Kyoto Municipal Subway and Hankyu plus JR West buses — the WEST QR version has neither. If Kyoto is your base, those three day tickets are worth more than the gap. See our JR Pass guide.

Not taking HARUKA? Other ways from Kansai Airport into the city

Staying around Namba, take Nankai; staying near Tennoji, Osaka Station (Umeda), Shin-Osaka or Kyoto, HARUKA is the most direct.

Staying in Umeda? Ride HARUKA straight to Osaka Station. HARUKA has called at the underground Umekita platforms since they opened on March 18, 2023, with roughly 30 services each way per day; they're some distance from Osaka Station's original platforms, so allow time to connect. On Rapi:t, buying the express ticket on board costs 300 yen extra. We haven't verified airport bus or taxi fares and last departures here; check each operator before you travel. Once in Kyoto, see our getting around Kyoto guide; for a full plan, our 5-day Osaka and Kyoto itinerary.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1：Do I need to exchange a HARUKA e-ticket for a paper ticket?

It depends which one you bought. The WEST QR HARUKA One-way Ticket needs no exchange: start it on the WEST QR user site on the day and scan the QR code on your phone at the gate. The other ticket at the same price, the HARUKA Discounted One-way Ticket bought as an overseas exchange order or through JR-WEST ONLINE TRAIN RESERVATION, must be collected as a paper ticket at a station machine or ticket office.

Q2：Can I screenshot the WEST QR code for a travel companion?

No. The code refreshes after a set time, so screenshots and printouts do not work. A passenger without a smartphone can have the ticket shown on a companion's phone, and several tickets can sit in one account only if everyone travels together.

Q3：Can I ride HARUKA without a seat reservation?

Yes, in the non-reserved cars. If the WEST QR car is full, JR West also directs you to the non-reserved seats; you cannot use reserved seats in other cars, and no difference is refunded.

Q4：My flight is late and I will miss my reserved HARUKA. What now?

Before that train leaves, you can change the reserved seat on the WEST QR user site as many times as you like. Once you miss it, that reservation is void and cannot be changed or refunded, so ride non-reserved that day. Also, if you have not started the ticket 3 minutes before departure, the reservation cancels itself.

Q5：Can Japanese citizens or Japan residents buy the HARUKA discount ticket?

No. You need a passport issued by a foreign government and must enter Japan as a Temporary Visitor; Japanese nationals cannot use it, including those with permanent residency abroad. The ticket is not sold inside Japan.

Q6：Is ICOCA & HARUKA still available?

No. JR West stopped selling ICOCA & HARUKA on September 30, 2023. Buy one of the two HARUKA discount tickets and get an ICOCA separately if you want one.

Q7：Can I transfer straight to the Shinkansen at Shin-Osaka or Kyoto with WEST QR?

Not through the transfer gates. WEST QR cannot be used at the gates between conventional lines and the Shinkansen, so exit through a conventional-line gate first, then enter the Shinkansen gate with a separate Shinkansen ticket. WEST QR itself does not cover the Tokaido Shinkansen between Shin-Osaka and Kyoto or any limited express other than HARUKA.

Next Reads

← Back to Transport & Passes