japan transportation

8/4/2019 Japan Transportation

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Transportation

Japan has an efficient public transportation network, especially within metropolitan areas andbetween the large cities. Japanese public transportation is characterized by its punctuality, its superbservice, and the large crowds of people using it.

Trains

links

Japan's four major islands, Honshu,Hokkaido,KyushuandShikokuare covered by an extensive andreliable network of railways. Trains are a very convenient way for visitors to travel aroundJapan,especially in conjunction with theJapan Rail Pass.

About 70 percent of Japan's railway network is owned and operated by the Japan Railways (JR),while the remaining 30 percent belongs to dozens of other private railway companies, especially inand around metropolitan areas.

Elsewhere on the site are guides onshinkansen,night trains,tickets,timetablesandhow to ride thetrains.

Japan Railways (JR)
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Japan Railways (JR Group) is the successor of the national Japanese National Railways (JNR),which was privatized in 1987 due to huge debts and mismanagement.

The JR Group is made up of six regional passenger railway companies, which are JR Hokkaido, JREast, JR Central, JR West, JR Shikoku, and JR Kyushu, and one nationwide freight railway company,JR Freight. Together they operate a nationwide network of urban, regional and interregional train

lines,night trainsandshinkansen(bullet trains).

The operation areas of the regional JR companies and shinkansen lines

Private Railway Companies

Dozens of private railway companies exist in Japan. The smaller ones consist of just one line, whileothers operate quite extensive railway networks. Some of the major private railway companies arelisted below:

Kanto:

Tobu(approx. 460 km)http://www.tobu.co.jp/

Tobu operates an extensive network of railway lines into the suburbs and prefectures north ofTokyo. Interest for Tourists: Access to Nikko.

Odakyu(approx. 120 km)http://www.odakyu.jp/Odakyu operates three lines from central Tokyo to western Tokyo and Kanagawa Prefecture.Interest for tourists: Access to Hakone.

Tokyu(approx. 100 km)
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http://www.tokyu.co.jp/Tokyu operates a network of two main lines and several shorter lines in the south of Tokyo.Interest for tourists: Access to Yokohama.

Keisei(approx. 100 km)http://www.keisei.co.jp/

Keisei operates a main line and several branch lines from Tokyo to Chiba Prefecture. Interestfor tourists: Access to Narita Airport.

Seibu(approx. 180 km)http://www.seibu-group.co.jp/railways/tourist/english/index.htmlSeibu operates a network of suburban railway lines west of central Tokyo.

Keikyu(approx. 90 km)http://www.keikyu.co.jp/Keikyu connects Tokyo with Yokohama and southern Kanagawa Prefecture. Interest fortourists: Access to Haneda Airport.

Keio(approx. 80 km)

http://www.keio.co.jp/Keio operates a network of railway lines west of central Tokyo. Interest for tourists: Access toTakaosan.

Chubu:

Meitetsu(approx. 500 km)http://www.meitetsu.co.jp/Meitetsu operates an extensive railway network around Nagoya. Interest for tourists: Accessto Inuyama and Central Japan Airport.

Kinki:

Kintetsu(approx. 570 km)http://www.kintetsu.co.jp/The largest private railway company. Kintetsu operates an extensive railway network in thesouthern Kinki region, serving Osaka, Kyoto, Nara, Ise and Nagoya.

Nankai(approx. 170 km)http://www.nankai.co.jp/Nankai operates a network of railway lines in southern Osaka and Wakayama Prefecture.Interest for tourists: Access to Kansai Airport and Koyasan.

Hankyu(approx. 150 km)http://rail.hankyu.co.jp/

Hankyu operates several lines in northern Osaka and connects Osaka with Kobe and Kyoto.

Keihan(approx. 90 km)http://www.keihan.co.jp/Keihan operates one main line, connecting Osaka with Kyoto and several shorter lines.

Hanshin(approx. 50 km)http://rail.hanshin.co.jp/Hanshin operates one main line between Osaka and Kobe, and a few short branch lines.
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Kyushu:

Nishitetsu(approx. 120 km)http://www.nishitetsu.co.jp/Nishitetsu operates a network of railway lines in Fukuoka Prefecture around the city of

Fukuoka. Interest for tourists: Access to Dazaifu.

Shinkansentours - links

Japan's main islands of Honshu andKyushuare served by a network of high speed train lines thatconnectTokyowith most of the country'smajor cities. Japan's high speed trains (bullet trains) are

called shinkansen () and are operated byJapan Railways(JR).

Running at speeds of up to 300 km/h, the shinkansen is known for punctuality (most trains depart ontime to the second), comfort (relatively silent cars with spacious, always forward facing seats), safety(no fatal accidents in its history) and efficiency. Thanks to theJapan Rail Pass, the shinkansen canalso be a very cost effectivemeans of travel.

Shinkansen Network

The shinkansen network consists of multiple lines, among which theTokaido Shinkansen(Tokyo-Nagoya-Kyoto-Osaka) is the oldest and most popular. All shinkansen lines (except the Akita andYamagata Shinkansen) run on tracks that are exclusively built for and used by shinkansen trains.Most lines are served by multiple train categories, ranging from the fastest category that stops only at

major stations to the slowest category that stops at every station along the way.
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Shinkansen Tickets

Seat Classes

Most shinkansen trains in Japan offer seats in two classes, which are typically found it separate cars:

Ordinary

Like the name suggests, ordinary seats are theregular seats found on all shinkansen trains. Althoughthe size and foot space of ordinary seats variesbetween train sets, ordinary seats on shinkansen aregenerally comfortable and offer a generous amount offoot space. They usually come in rows of 3x2 seats.


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Green Car

Comparable to business class onairplanes, greencars offer seats that are larger and more comfortable

than ordinary seats and offer more foot space. Theseats are arranged in rows of 2x2 seats. Green Carstend to be less crowded than ordinary cars.

In 2011,JR Eastintroduced Gran Class on its newest train sets on theTohoku Shinkansen.Comparable to first class onairplanes, Gran Class offers seats that are even more spacious andcomfortable than Green Car seats (in rows of 2x1 seats) and additional amenities and services.

Reserved vs. non-reserved cars

Most shinkansen trains offer both non-reserved seats (

, jiyseki) and reserved seats (

,shiteiseki) in separate cars. Only the Hayabusa, Hayate and Komachi trains along theTohokuShinkansenare fully reserved and carry no non-reserved seating. All seats in Green Cars arereserved. Bilingual signs indicate whether a shinkansen car carries reserved or non-reserved seats.

Advance seat reservations are required to use a seat in a reserved car (see belowon how to makeseat reservations). A fee of a few hundredyenapplies for making seat reservations.Japan Rail Passholders can make seat reservations for free.

Signs on cars indicating whether the car is reserved or non-reserved
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Signs on a platform (left) and inside a train (right)

Display in a station indicating the non-reserved car numbers of upcoming departures

Regular Tickets

A shinkansen ticket is made up of several fees:

Base fareThe fare to be paid to get from A to B. Increases step wise according to the distance traveled.Issued as base fare ticket (, jshaken).

Shinkansen supplement (limited express fee)The supplement fee to be paid for using a shinkansen train (as opposed to alocal train). Thefee increases step wise according to the distance traveled. The express supplement is issuedas limited express fee ticket (, tokkyken).

Seat reservation fee

310, 510 or 710 yen depending on whether it is low season, regular season or high seasonrespectively. An additional supplement (200-600 yen depending on distance traveled) appliesfor using reserved seats onNozomi,MizuhoandHayabusatrains. The seat reservation fee isusually combined with the express supplement into a single ticket.

Green car feeThe supplement fee for riding the green car. Increases step wise according to the distancetraveled. It is usually combined with the express supplement into a single ticket.

A passenger typically receives two pieces of tickets (a base fare ticket and a supplement ticket),
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although in some situations the two tickets are combined into a single ticket. If multiple trains areinvolved, there can be more than two tickets (one supplement ticket for each train).

Base fare ticket Shinkansen supplement ticketRail Passes

TheJapan Rail Passcan be used on all shinkansen trains exceptNozomiandMizuhotrains andcovers all the fees involved. Seat reservations can be made for free at ticket counters. Pass holderswill receive a seat reservation ticket that indicates the reserved seat. They need no tickets besidestheir rail pass when using non-reserved seats.

Similar to the nationwide Japan Rail Pass, there are a few regional passes that also covershinkansen trains: theJR East Passcovers all trains along the Tohoku, Yamagata, Akita, Joetsu andNagano Shinkansen, theKyushu Rail Passcovers all trains along the Kyushu Shinkansen (includingMizuho), and theJR West Sanyo Passcovers all trains along the Sanyo Shinkansen (includingNozomi and Mizuho). These passes, too, allow for free seat reservations.

Other discount tickets

Small discounts are available for set ticket (, kaisken) and round trip tickets (,fukuwaribiki) that are available for selected sections. Other tickets provide a discount when

purchased in advance (, hayatoku). Discount ticket shops around major stations also sellshinkansen tickets at small discounts.

Travel packages such as the variousshinkansen tour packagesbyJapanicanor the Puratto KodamaEconomy Plan (for travel along theTokaido Shinkansenby Kodama) can provide more substantialsavings, but have to be purchased in advance.
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Seat Reservations

Seat reservations allow you to secure a seat and travel with peace of mind. They can be made for allshinkansen trains, but are not mandatory on the trains that also carry non-reserved seating. Only theHayabusa, Hayate and Komachi trains along theTohoku Shinkansenrequire seat reservations.

When and where can I make seat reservations?

Seat reservations can be made from one month before travel date (from 10:00am) until shortly beforedeparture time. They can be made in various ways:

At a ticket counter

Seat reservations can be made in person at ticket officesof all major JR stations across Japan. Any shinkansen canbe reserved from any JR ticket office in Japan.

At a vending machine

A few types of vending machines with bilingual menus(Japanese and English) allow travelers to make seatreservations on shinkansen trains.Japan Rail Passholders cannot use vending machines to make seatreservations.
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Online

JR Eastoperates anEnglish websitethat allows regulartravelers andJapan Rail PassandJR East Passholdersto make seat reservations for theTohoku, Yamagata,

Akita,JoetsuandNagano Shinkansen, but not for theother shinkansen lines. Each JR company also operatesJapanese websites for online reservations, however, theyrequireJapaneselanguage skills and residency.

What information is needed to make a seat reservation?

In order to purchase a shinkansen ticket, the following information is needed:

Number of travelers Date of travel

Departure Station Destination Station Ordinary or green car Reserved or non-reserved seat

For a seat reservation, the following additional information is required:

Train name (e.g. Hikari) and train number or departure time Preference of smoking or non-smoking seat, if available

If you do not speakJapanese, it is recommended that you write the data on a piece of paper andpresent it to the salesperson in order to make the purchasing process smoother. Salespersons aregenerally familiar with the English vocabulary needed for the purchase of train tickets and seatreservations, but many have limited English conversation skills.

How can I pay?

Cash and credit cards can be used at ticket counters and vending machines that sell shinkansentickets. At some ticket counters, you should indicate at the beginning of your order that you will bepaying by credit card.Japan Rail Passholders can make seat reservations for free.

Are seat reservations recommended?

On many trains reserved seats do not get booked out, but on some they do. On particularly busytravel days (e.g. peak travel days duringGolden Week,Obonand theNew Yearholidays), trains can

get booked out several days in advance, but on most other days trains rarely get booked out morethan a few hours in advance, if at all.

For peace of mind seat reservations are always recommended, especially when traveling in groupsand preferring to sit together. On a few shinkansen trains along theTohoku Shinkansen(Hayabusa,Hayate and Komachi) seat reservations are mandatory.
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The green symbol with the seat indicates a ticket counter ("midori no madoguchi")

How to use the shinkansen?

After purchasing your ticket (see above), proceed as follows:

1) Pass through the regular ticket gate

At many stations, shinkansen passengers have to passthrough two sets of automatic ticket gates: regular ticketgates and shinkansen ticket gates. At the regular ticketgates, insert only your base fare ticket into the ticket slot,pass the gate and retrieve your ticket at the other end.Japan Rail Passholders cannot use the automatic gates,but have to show their pass to the staff at the mannedgate.

2) Make your way to the shinkansen platforms

Follow the bilingual signs to the shinkansen platforms.Depending on the station, the shinkansen platforms aresometimes placed parallel to and close to the regular trainplatforms, but often they are located in a separate part oron a different level of the station complex.

3) Pass the shinkansen ticket gates

A second set of gates divides shinkansen platforms fromthe regular train platforms, although at some stations

there are also direct gates to the shinkansen platformsthat allow passengers to skip the regular gates. This time,insert not only your base fare ticket but also yoursupplement ticket together into the ticket slot at the sametime and retrieve them on the other side of the gate.Japan Rail Passholders again use the manned gate,instead.
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4) Access your platform

Displays of upcoming departures will indicate from whichplatform your train will depart, while signs clearly indicate

the way to each platform. Virtually all shinkansenplatforms are equipped with escalators and elevators.

5) Find your car

Displays on the platform indicate upcoming departures.Other displays and/or signs mark the location of doors,indicating car numbers and whether the car is reserved,non-reserved or green. Some busy stations have twolanes painted on the platform in front of each doorlocation: one for the upcoming departure and one for the

departure afterwards. Passengers line up accordingly,especially in case of non-reserved cars to secure seats.

6) Find your seat

Seats are numbered and lettered in the same style as onairplanes. Try not to block the aisle when storing yourluggage and taking your seat to allow for quick boarding.

Your seat

Ordinary seats typically come in rows of 3x2 seats, although on some trains they are arranged inrows of 2x2 seats (and in rare cases in rows of 3x3 seats). Seats can be reclined and have tables,pockets for magazines and open overhead shelves. They provide considerably more foot space thaneconomy seats onairplanes. Some newer train sets have electrical outlets installed along the walls.

Green cars always come with rows of 2x2 seats and have seats that are more spacious than ordinaryseats. The seats are often equipped with a foot rest, reading light, electrical outlets (for aisle andwindow seats) and a seat warmer, although the exact facilities depend on the train set.

All seats on shinkansen trains can be turned by 180 degrees, allowing travelers to always faceforward. The seats are turned by the staff at the terminal stations, but can also turned by passengers,for example, to create a group of four or six seats facing each other.
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Amenities & Services

Signs and announcements inside the trains are multilingual (Japaneseand English on all shinkansenlines; plus Korean and Chinese on selected lines) and inform about upcoming stations.

Most shinkansen trains are served by small food carts with a selection of snacks, drinks and boxedmeals (bento) which periodically pass along the aisle. Some trains also have vending machines withdrinks andpay phones. Wireless internet is available on the newest train sets between Tokyo andShin-Osaka, however, a subscription or 1-day pass has to be purchased before boarding the train.

All shinkansen are equipped with multipletoilets, which are sometimes separated by gender. Thetoilets are Western style except on some older train sets. Newer train sets are also equipped withspacious toilets for wheel chair users. Outside the toilets are wash corners with sinks and largemirrors.
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Accessible toilet and wash corner on a modern train set

Smoking

Smoking is not allowed on most shinkansen trains. Prominent exception is theTokaido/SanyoShinkansen on which some last smoking cars survive on older train sets. On newer train sets alongthe Tokaido/Sanyo Shinkansen, smoking is allowed only in small cabins with good ventilation thatkeep the trains free of smoke. On all other shinkansen lines, smoking is not possible.

Luggage

Shinkansen trains are equipped with relatively spacious overhead shelves (smaller on certain train

sets) which can store small and medium sized bags and suitcases. Additionally, there is usuallyspace for two or three large suitcases behind the last row of seats in each car. On many shinkansentrains the leg room is large enough to place a suitcase in front of you, although this may not be themost comfortable solution.

According to the rules book, each traveler is allowed to bring up to two pieces ofluggageonto a train(not including small bags), with each piece not weighting more than 30 kilograms and not measuringmore than 250 centimeters when adding up width, height and depth. However, even when briningless than this upper limit, we recommend travelers with a lot of luggage to consider using adeliveryserviceto make the trip more comfortable for themselves and the passengers around them.
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Space for luggage behind the last row of seats

Shinkansen Manners

Don't block the aisle with luggage.

When having a conversation, keep your voice down.

Recline your seat with consideration for the person behind you. Return the seat to itsoriginal position before exiting the train.

Set your mobile phone to silent mode. Don't talk on your phone except in the deck areas

between cars.

Line up on the platform before boarding.

Future of the Shinkansen


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Several new shinkansen routes are currently being built,while others are in the planning phase. The following four arecurrently under construction:

Hokuriku Shinkansen: extension from Nagano via Toyamato Kanazawa by spring 2015.

Hokkaido Shinkansen: extension from Aomori through theSeikan Tunnel to Hakodate by spring 2016.

Kyushu Shinkansen (Nagasaki Route): a branch line toNagasaki which partially uses existing regular tracks, possiblywith a gauge change train. Completion date is undetermined.

Chuo Shinkansen: Using maglev technology, this new line isplanned to connect Sagamihara with Kofu in 2020, Tokyo andNagoya in 2027 and finally Osaka by 2040.

Night Trainslinks

Below is a network map of Japan's night trains, i.e.trainsthat run through the night. All night trainsare operated by theJapan Railways Group (JR). Due to competition by cheaperhighway busesandlow domesticairfares, the number of night trains in Japan has been decreasing steadily in recentyears.
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Train cars

Most Japanese night trains are equipped with couchettes and private rooms with beds, and somehave cars with seats. Couchettes and private rooms come in two classes, A and B, with B being themore basic and less costly. In addition, some trains offer a "Special A Class" with rather luxurioussuites.

All night trains are equipped with toilets and sinks, and the better ones have also public phones,showers, a restaurant and a lounge or lobby car.

CouchettesCouchettes are bunk beds, two or three stories high, in compartments shared by four to sixpeople. "B class" couchettes cost around 6,000yen, and "A class" couchettes around 10,000yen. Most night trains carry at least one couchette car of either or both classes.

Private RoomsPrivate rooms come in single and twin. "B class" rooms cost around 6,000-9,000yenperperson, and "A class" rooms around 14,000 yen/person. More luxurious suites can cost up to38,000 yen/person. Most night trains have some private rooms, but only a few have luxurysuites.
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SeatsA few night trains carry cars with seats. Depending on the train, the seats may be nonreserved, partially reserved or all reserved. Seat reservations cost about 300 to 500yen.Seat reservations are free forJapan Rail Passholders.

Japan Rail Pass and night trains

TheJapan Rail Passdoes not cover the cost for a couchette or private room! Japan Rail Passholders will have to pay for it separately. In addition, pass holders also have to pay the(limited)express fee, which is typically around 3,000yen, when using a couchette or private room.

While the Japan Rail Pass does not cover the cost for couchettes and beds, it fully cover the cost fora seat on night trains. Note however, that quite a few night trains do not carry cars with seats.

List of trains

Below is a list of Japan's night trains. The following information is given for each train (note that theticket costs refer to a trip along the complete route):

Train Category Train Name: Route

More detailed route, showing other major stations

Approx. duration of the trip Frequency of departures

Comments

Seat Couchette Private Room

Approx. ticket costwithout Japan RailPass

Approx. ticket costwith Japan Rail Pass


Approx. ticket costwith Japan Rail Pass


Approx. ticket costwith Japan RailPass

From Tokyo:

Limited Express Cassiopeia: Ueno (Tokyo) - SapporoUeno - Omiya - Utsunomiya - Fukushima - Sendai - Hakodate - Sapporo

Approx. 17 hours 3-4 trains per week

The Cassiopeia is Japan's most luxurious night train. It is equipped with a lounge and restaurant car and private "A class" twinrooms exclusively. It also carries some luxury suites.


w/o JR Pass with JR Pass w/o JR Pass with JR Pass w/o JR Pass with JR Pass

- - - - 34,000 yen 21,500 yen

Limited Express Hokutosei: Ueno (Tokyo) - Sapporo

Ueno - Omiya - Utsunomiya - Fukushima - Sendai - Hakodate - Sapporo

Approx. 17 hours 1 train per day

Equipped with couchettes, private rooms, luxury suites and a restaurant car.



- - 27,000 yen 14,500 yen 27,000 yen 14,500 yenLimited Express Akebono: Ueno (Tokyo) - Aomori

Ueno - Omiya - Takasaki - Sakata - Akita - Aomori


Equipped with couchettes, private rooms and so called "Goron to Shito" seats, which are basically couchettes without blankets,but are categorized as seats and can be used for free with the Japan Rail Pass. There is one "Goron to Shito" car for excluiveuse by women.

Goron to Shito Couchette Private Room


14,000 yen free 20,000 yen 9,500 yen 20,000 yen 9,500 yen
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Limited Express Sunrise Seto: Tokyo - Takamatsu

Tokyo - Himeji - Okayama - Takamatsu


Equipped with private rooms and so called "Nobinobi" seats, which are basically carpeted compartments to lie down, but arecategorized as seats and can be used for free with the Japan Rail Pass. The Sunrise Seto is coupled to the Sunrise Izumobetween Tokyo and Okayama.

Nobinobi Seat Couchette Private Room

w/o JR Pass with JR Pass w/o JR Pass with JR Pass w/o JR Pass with JR Pass14,500 yen free - - 20,500 yen 9,500 yen

Limited Express Sunrise Izumo: Tokyo - Izumo

Tokyo - Himeji - Okayama - Matsue - Izumoshi


Equipped with private rooms and so called "Nobinobi" seats, which are basically carpeted compartments to lie down, but arecategorized as seats and can be used for free with the Japan Rail Pass. The Sunrise Izumo is coupled to the Sunrise Setobetween Tokyo and Okayama.

Nobinobi Seat Couchette Private Room


15,500 yen free - - 21,000 yen 9,500 yen

From Osaka:

Limited Express Twilight Express: Osaka - SapporoOsaka - Kyoto - Kanazawa - Nagaoka - Sapporo

Approx. 21 hours 4-7 trains per week

Equipped with couchettes, private rooms, luxury suites, a restaurant and a salon car.



- - 27,000 yen 11,000 yen 29,000 yen 13,000 yen

Limited Express Nihonkai: Osaka - Aomori

Osaka - Kyoto - Kanazawa - Akita - Aomori


Equipped with couchettes only.



- - 23,000 yen 9,500 yen - -

Express Kitaguni: Osaka - NiigataOsaka - Kyoto - Kanazawa - Toyama - Nagaoka - Niigata


Equipped with couchettes and non reserved seats.



10,500 yen free 15,500 yen 6,500 yen - -

From Sapporo:

Express Hamanasu: Sapporo - Aomori

Sapporo - Hakodate - Aomori


Equipped with couchettes, reserved seats (reclining "dreamcar" seats), non reserved seats and a so called "nobinobi carpet car",which features carpeted compartments to lie down. Seats and the nobinobi carpet compartments can be used for free with theJapan Rail Pass. Some couchettes, nobinobi carpet compartments and reserved seats are for exclusive use by women. Notethat on some days, the Hamanasu may not feature all of the above mentioned car types.

Seats, nobinobi carpet car Couchette Private Room


9,000 yen free 15,500 yen 7,500 yen - -

In addition to the above listed trains, there are a few night trains, which run only during certainseasons or selected days of the year, such as the Express Noto betweenTokyoandKanazawaand
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a few so called "Moonlight" trains, e.g. the Moonlight Nagara and Moonlight Echigo, which areclassified asrapid trains(kaisoku) and can be used with theSeishun 18 Kippu.

Taking the trainlinks

The following is a guide on how to usetrainsand subways inJapan. Elsewhere on the site are more

specific pages ontrain tickets,night trains,shinkansen(bullet trains) andtrain timetables.

1) Train categories

All types of Japanese trains, from local to shinkansen, are typically classified into the followingcategories:

Local (kakueki-teisha or futsu-densha)Local trains stop at every station.

Rapid (kaisoku)Rapid trains skip some stations. There is no difference in the ticket

price between local and rapid trains.Express (kyuko)Express trains stop at even fewer stations than rapid trains.JapanRailways(JR) charges anexpress feein addition to thebase fare.

Limited Express (tokkyu)Limited express trains stop only at major stations. Alimited expressfeeusually has to be paid in addition to thebase fare. It is typicallybetween 500 and 4000 yen. JR railway companies always chargethis fee, but some other private railway companies do not.

Super Express (shinkansen)Shinkansenare only operated byJR. Shinkansen run alongseparate tracks and platforms. Alimited express feehas to be paid

in addition to thebase fare. It is typically between 800 and 8000yen.

2) Seat categories

JR offers the choice between two classes, ordinary and green (first class), onshinkansen, limitedexpress trains and a small number of slower trains. Most local trains carry only ordinary cars. Greencars are less crowded and offer more spacious seats, but are typically 30% to 50% more expensivethan ordinary cars.

Mostshinkansenand limited express trains carry non-reserved (jiyu-seki) and reserved (shitei-seki)

seats, while a few carry reserved seats only. Seats in green cars are often all reserved. On mostlocal, rapid and express trains all seats are non-reserved. Seat reservations cost roughly 300 to 700yen, but are free with theJapan Rail Pass.

Smoking cars or smoking rooms are provided on only a small number of long distance trains. On allother trains, smoking is not permitted.
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3) Buying a ticket

Ticketsfor short distance trips are best purchased at vending machines, while tickets and seatreservations for long distance trips can be purchased at ticket counters in train stations.

a) Purchase a ticket at a vending machine

1. Find your destination and the corresponding fare on the map above thevending machine. The map shows the train lines and stations of the region.Ticket prices are shown beside each station.

2. Insert the money into the vending machine. Most machines accept coins of10, 50, 100 and 500 yen and bills of 1000 yen. Many machines also acceptlarger bills.

3. Select the number of tickets that you wish to buy. The default is one, so ifyou are traveling alone, you can skip this step.

4. Press the button that shows the amount for your ticket.

5. Collect the ticket(s) and change.

Ticket vending machines with map of lines and stations

Sometimes the station names on the maps are written only inJapanese. If you are unable to find yourdestination and the corresponding fare, you can purchase a ticket for the lowest possible price, andpay the difference at a fare adjustment machine at the destination station.

b) Purchase a ticket at a ticket counter

In order to purchase aticket, you need to provide the following information:

Number of travelers Date of travel

Departure Station Destination Station Ordinary or green car Preference of reserved or non-reserved seat

If you wish to reserve a seat, you need to provide the following additional information:

Train name and number OR departure time
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Preference of smoking or non-smoking seat

If you do not speakJapaneseand there is a lineup, it is recommended that you write the data on apiece of paper and present it to the salesperson in order to make the purchasing process smoother.Special forms for that purpose (some in English) are actually provided at some stations, but are rarelyused by customers.

4) Entering the paid fare zone

After buying the ticket, you can proceed through the ticket gate. At automatic ticket gates, which arefound at busy stations, insert theticketinto the slot, walk through the gate and pick up the ticket onthe other side. If you insert an invalid ticket, the gate will close and an alarm will sound.

If you have aJapan Rail Pass, you cannot use automatic gates, but must pass through a mannedgate, showing your pass to the station staff.

In order to accessshinkansenplatforms, you need to pass through a second or separate set of ticketgates. They are usually well marked.

5) Station platforms

Find your platform by looking for your train line and direction. Most important signs are written inJapaneseand English, and increasingly also in Chinese and Korean.

On many platforms, marks on the floor indicate where the doors of the arriving train will be located.Waiting passengers will line up behind those marks. Train drivers are trained to stop withincentimeters.
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Passengers waiting in lines on the platform

In case of long distance trains, additional marks will indicate car numbers and whether the car is anordinary or green car, and whether it carries reserved or non-reserved, and smoking or non-smokingseats.

Note that some platforms are served by trains of different train categories (e.g. local and rapid trains).

Displays indicate the next arriving train's category and, at some stations, the set of upcoming stationsserved by it.

6) Riding the train

Wait for passengers to exit before entering the train. Be careful not to block the door at stations,especially if the train is crowded. Put backpacks on the floor or onto the baggage shelves.

Most passengers on Japanese trains are either reading, sleeping or using theirmobile phonesforsending messages, browsing the web or playing games. Talking on mobile phones inside trains,however, is forbidden, except in the entrance sections of shinkansen and limited express trains.

Upcoming stations and connecting lines are announced inJapanese. On shinkansen and some otherlines frequently used by foreign visitors, the announcements are also made in English.Shinkansenand other newer trains have electronic signs in each car that display the upcoming station.

7) At the destination station

The station names on platforms are written inkanji,hiragana, and English. The previous andupcoming station names are also written.

At your destination, leave the paid fare zone through the ticket gates in the same way as you entered.When paying with a single ticket, the ticket is retained in the machine upon exiting.

If you did not pay the correct fare for your destination station, you have to pay the difference at a"Fare Adjustment" machine before leaving through the gates. If there are no such machines, you canpay the difference at the manned gate.

Timetablelinks
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Printed Timetables

Printed railway timetables in Japanese are sold in bookstores and kiosks across Japan. They include

nationwide timetables and timetables for just a specific region or railway company.

Nationwide timetables come in various sizes and are published once per month. Besides theschedules for alltrainlines by Japan Railways (JR), they contain less detailed schedules for trains byother railway companies,buses,ferriesandairplanes, as well as a wide array of practical information.

WithoutJapanesereading skills, it is rather difficult to use a Japanese timetable, although the largesttimetable books containkanareadings for all station names. Printed timetables in English areavailable in limited quantities by mail from the New York and Paris offices of Japan Railways.

Online Timetables

The English websites of some railway companies include timetable information. Furthermore, thereare numerous other websites, which offer interactive tools to look up timetables for Japanese trains.A few of them have an English version:

Hyperdia (English and Japanese)

http://www.hyperdia.com/

Hyperdia is the best English timetable website available, due to its powerful search options.Hyperdia is the only website with the option to exclude nozomi trains from the results, whichmakes it the best tool for Japan Rail Pass users. Likewise, the option to limit results to local trainsonly, makes it a great tool for Seishun 18 Kippu users.

Functions+ Look up routes, times and fares between two stations+ Covers trains and airplanes

Options

+ Specify seat type (non-reserved, reserved, green)+ Specify intermediary stations+ Exclude air, shinkansen, limited express and non-JR+ Exclude nozomi trains

Information+ Shows stops, platform numbers, timetable along the way+ Lists other connections on the same day along the same route+ Links to maps, hotels and seat availability sites (in Japanese)
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Usability+ Results are displayed in a relatively user friendly way- Inflexible in recognizing alternate spellings for station names- Uses am/pm time format

Jorudan (English and Japanese)

http://www.jorudan.co.jp/english/norikae/

A simple and reliable tool to look up train connections. Useful to Japan Rail Pass users except forroutes along the Tokaido/Sanyo Shinkansen where results usually list nozomi trains that cannot beused by Japan Rail Pass holders.

Functions+ Look up routes, times and fares between two stations+ Covers trains and airplanes

Options

+ Specify seat type (non-reserved, reserved, green)- Cannot specify intermediary stations- Cannot exclude air, shinkansen and limited express- Cannot exclude nozomi trains

Information - No additional information provided

Usability+ Flexible in recognizing alternate spellings for station names+ Results are displayed in a relatively user friendly way- Uses am/pm time format

Ekitan (Japanese only)

http://www.ekitan.com/

Ekitan is a very user friendly timetable website, providing highly useful information such as thefinal destination of each train along the route. It also provides a wider array of timetable lookuptools than the other sites.

Functions

+ Look up routes, times and fares between two stations+ Look up departure times for a given station+ Look up first/last connection of the day+ Covers trains and airplanes+ Separate section with bus timetables

Options

+ Specify intermediary stations+ Exclude air, shinkansen and limited express+ Specify pace for transfers+ Specify preference of airline (JAL, ANA)- Cannot exclude nozomi trains

Information

+ Gives fares for all seat types (non-reserved, reserved, green)+ Gives departure times of trains from stations along the way+ Provides information about current traffic situation+ Links to maps, hotel, taxi and other local information

Usability+ Results displayed in a user friendly way+ Indicates final destination of each train along the route+ Flexible in handling entered station names

Navitime (Japanese only)

http://www.navitime.co.jp/

Navitime is a leader in mobile phone navigation technology, but also offers a very useful PC basedwebsite for looking up routes and timetables.
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Functions

+ Look up routes, times and fares between two stations or addresses+ Covers trains, airplanes and some local buses+ Look up departure times for a given station+ Look up first/last connection of the day+ Separate section for looking up driving directions

Options

+ Can exclude air, shinkansen, limited express and bus+ Can specify intermediary stations+ Specify pace for transfers- Cannot exclude nozomi trains

Information+ Information about hotels and restaurants+ Well integrated map

Usability+ Results displayed in a user friendly way+ Indicates final destination of each train along the route+ Flexible in handling entered station names

Seishun 18 Kippulinks

The Seishun Juhachi Kippu, meaning something like "Youthful 18 Ticket", is a seasonally availablerailway ticket, which gives you five days of unlimited, nationwide travel on local and rapid JR (JapanRailways)trainsfor only 11,500Yen, or 2,300 Yen per day!

Availability

The Seishun 18 Kippu is only available three times a year during school holiday seasons, as shownin the table below (subject to change):

Period Valid On Sale

Spring March 1 to April 10 February 20 to March 31

Summer July 20 to September 10 July 1 to August 31Winter December 10 to January 10 December 1 to December 31

Eligibility

Despite its name, the Seishun 18 Kippu can be used by people of any age. It is available to foreigntourists as well as Japanese nationals and foreign residents of Japan. However, there is no child fare.

Usage

Where is it sold?The Seishun 18 Kippu can be bought at most JR stations across Japan. Consult the table above forthe dates during which the ticket is on sale.

How does the ticket look like?The ticket is one small card with five fields to be stamped on each day it is being used.
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Can it be shared?The Seishun 18 Kippu is a non-personal, transferable ticket, meaning that it can be used either byone person on five days or be shared by up to five different people. When sharing one ticket as agroup, you always need to travel together, and each person uses up one of the ticket's five days ofvalidity. Some examples on how the ticket can be used are listed below:

1 person uses it on 5 days (it can be a different person each day) 2 people share it on 2 days, and 1 person uses it on 1 day 2 people share it on 1 day, and 1 person uses it on 3 days 3 people share it on 1 day, and 2 people share it on 1 day 5 people share it on 1 day etc.

How to use it?You cannot useautomatic gateswith the Seishun 18 Kippu. Instead, you have to pass through themanned gates and show the ticket to the station staff. At the beginning of each day's usage, thestation staff will stamp one of the five fields with a stamp showing the current date. If you travel in agroup, one field will be stamped for each member in your group.

When is it valid?The ticket is valid on five days during the period of validity (see table above). The five days do notneed to be consecutive days. One day is defined as from midnight to midnight, except in theTokyo

andOsakaareas where the ticket is valid until the last train. In all other areas, when you are on boardof a train at midnight, the ticket is valid up to the first station reached after midnight.

Which trains can be used?The ticket is valid only on local trains (futsudensha/kakuekiteisha) and rapid trains (kaisoku),operated by the Japan Railways (JR), as well as on the JR ferry toMiyajima. It cannot be used onexpress (kyuko), limited express (tokkyu) and bullet trains (shinkansen).
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Is it valid on night trains?Mostnight trainsare classified as eitherexpress or limited expressand cannot be used with theSeishun 18 Kippu. There are, however, a few night trains which are classified as rapid trains(kaisoku) and can be used with the Seishun 18 Kippu. These trains are very popular, because theyallow pass holders to maximize the distance traveled during a 24 hour period. Some of thekaisokunight trains are:

Moonlight Nagara: Tokyo - Nagoya - Ogaki Moonlight Echigo: Shinjuku - Niigata Moonlight Kyushu: Shin-Osaka - Hakata

Is it valid on non-JR trains?The ticket can be used only on trains operated by the Japan Railways (JR). (Note that there are asmall number ofJR trains which partially use the tracks of a different railway company. An additionalfee has to be paid on such trains.)

Travel Tips and Timetable Examples
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Traveling by local trains is naturally much slower than byshinkansenor limited express. FromTokyo,for example, it takes roughly nine hours and typically one to four transfers of trains to reachKyoto.(With theshinkansenit takes less than three hours, but the ticket costs more than five times asmuch.)

On major lines, such as the Tokaido Line and the Sanyo Line, local train service is so frequent that

you could actually "survive" without preparing a prior itinerary, but on many other lines, local serviceis infrequent and connections inconvenient. Therefore, it is highly recommended to create an itineraryin advance by studying the timetables.

Below are some example timetables to give you an idea of how far you can get in one day:

From Tokyo:To Western Japan(Nagoya, Kyoto, Osaka, Shikoku, Hiroshima, Kyushu)To Tohoku(Sendai, Morioka, Akita, Aomori)To Hokkaido(Hakodate, Sapporo)

All information on these pages is subject to change. Double-check before starting your trip!

International Air Travellinks

This page is about international air travel to Japan. Also see our other pages aboutdomestic airtravel in Japananddiscount air ticketsfor more information.

Airfare

The following are ways to save on airfare to Japan:

Fly outside the peak seasons, which includeChristmasandNew Year,Golden Week(end ofApril through the beginning of May) and the summer holidays (July and August).

Check travel agents, newspapers, travel websites and the airlines' websites for special offers.

Most major airlines have a "special offers" section on their website. If your city has a sizeable Japanese community, chances are that a large Japanese travel

agency, such as HIS, operates a branch there. Check them out, as they tend to be very wellinformed about offers on flights to Japan and often have access to the lowest fares.

Considertour packages. Good packages combine airfare and accommodation at low rates,unavailable to individual consumers. There are tour packages for both the individual travelersand those who prefer to travel with a guide.

Use an airline's mileage program, also known as frequent flyer program. In the ideal program1) collected miles never expire, 2) miles can also be earned and used on flights of partnerairlines, 3) miles can be shared among family members and 4) there are alternative ways tocollect miles, e.g. through usage of a credit card.

Some airlines offer discount fares on domestic routes if you use them to fly to Japan. Visit ourdiscount air ticketspage for more details.

Airlines and Airports

Nearly all major airlines and airports offer flights to Japan. The country's own two leading airlines,Japan Airlines (JAL) and All Nippon Airways (ANA), both serve a broad range of internationaldestinations.

Japan's most important international airport isTokyo'sNarita Airport, followed byOsaka'sKansai
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AirportandNagoya'sCentral Japan Airport.

Japan's fourth largest international airport isFukuokaAirport, which links the city with several Asiandestinations. Many other Japanese airports have a small number of international flights, mainly toKorea and China.

Below is a map of Japanese airports with international flights, followed by a list of airlines andinternational destinations for each airport.

Domestic Air Travellinks
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This page is about domestic air travel in Japan. Please check also our pages aboutdiscount airticketsandinternational air travel to Japan.

Airlines

Domestic air travel is dominated by the JAL Group and the ANA Group, which each consist of severalairlines and serve over fifty airports across the country. In addition, there are several smaller airlinecompanies competing with JAL and ANA on the country's most popular routes.

JAL Group (Japan Airlines)The JAL Group consists of JAL Domestic and JAL International, as well as of several smallerairlines including Japan Transocean Air, Ryukyu Air Commuter and others. The JAL Groupserves over 50 airports and over 100 domestic routes in Japan.

ANA Group (All Nippon Airways)The ANA Group consists of All Nippon Airways, as well as several smaller airlines such as AirNippon. The ANA Group serves about 50 airports and 100 domestic routes in Japan.

Skymark AirlinesSkymark and has the most extensive route network among discount airlines in Japan, and is stillexpanding. It operates very inexpensive flights from its main bases in Tokyo-Haneda and Kobe.Service on board of the planes is reduced to an absolute minimum (e.g. no complementarydrinks).Route Network: Haneda-Fukuoka, Haneda-Kobe, Haneda-Okinawa, Haneda-Asahikawa, Haneda-Sapporo, Haneda-Kitakyushu,Haneda-Kagoshima, Haneda-Kumamoto, Haneda-Nagoya, Ibaraki-Nagoya, Ibaraki-Sapporo, Ibaraki-Kobe, Nagoya-Sapporo,Kobe-Okinawa, Kobe-Fukuoka, Kobe-Sapporo, Kobe-Kagoshima, Kobe-Kumamoto, Kobe-Nagasaki, Fukuoka-Okinawa,Kitakyushu-Okinawa, Kagoshima-Amami, Okinawa-Miyako (from September 15, 2011), Narita-Asahikawa (from October 30,2011), Narita-Sapporo (from October 30, 2011), Narita-Okinawa (from December 2011), Narita-Fukuoka (from February 2012),Sendai-Sapporo (from March 2012), Sendai-Kobe (from March 2012), Sendai-Nagoya (from April 2012)

Air DoAir Do, also known as Hokkaido International Airlines, operates inexpensive flights from Tokyo's

Haneda Airportto various destinations inHokkaido, and from Sapporo to multiple secondaryairports across Honshu. A certain service level is maintained, including complementary drinks.Route Network: Haneda-Sapporo, Haneda-Asahikawa, Haneda-Hakodate, Haneda-Memanbetsu, Haneda-Obihiro, Sapporo-Sendai, Sapporo-Niigata, Sapporo-Fukushima, Sapporo-Toyama, Sapporo-Komatsu

Solaseed Air (formerly known as Skynet Asia Airways)Solaseed Air operates inexpensive flights from Tokyo'sHaneda Airportto various cities onKyushu, and from these Kyushu airports to Okinawa. A certain service level is maintained,including complementary drinks.Route Network: Haneda-Miyazaki, Haneda-Kumamoto, Haneda-Nagasaki, Haneda-Kagoshima, Haneda-Oita, Okinawa-Kagoshima, Okinawa-Nagasaki, Okinawa-Miyazaki, Okinawa-Kumamoto

Fuji Dream AirlinesFuji Dream Airlines started operation with the opening ofShizuoka Airportin 2009. Besides

Shizuoka Airport, the airline also flies out ofMatsumotoandNagoya.Route Network: Shizuoka-Sapporo, Shizuoka-Fukuoka, Shizuoka-Kagoshima, Matsumoto-Sapporo, Matsumoto-Fukuoka,Nagoya-Aomori, Nagoya-Iwate, Nagoya-Fukuoka, Nagoya-Kumamoto

StarflyerStarflyer started operation in 2006 and offers inexpensive flights fromTokyo'sHaneda AirporttoFukuokaand Kitakyushu onKyushuand Osaka'sKansai Airport. Starflyer offers not onlyinexpensive rates, but also a comfort level that exceeds that of conventional airlines, by offeringcomplementary drinks and an on-demand video system for every passenger.
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Route Network: Haneda-Kansai, Haneda-Fukuoka, Haneda-Kitakyushu

IBEX AirlinesIBEX Airlines, formerly known as Fair Inc, operates a smallSendaibased network of domesticflight routes. They also serve multiple routes fromTokyo'sNarita AirportandOsaka'sItamiAirport.Route Network: Sendai-Sapporo, Sendai-Komatsu, Sendai-Hiroshima, Sendai-Fukuoka, Sendai-Narita, Sendai-Osaka, Sendai-Nagoya, Narita-Komatsu, Narita-Hiroshima, Nagoya-Oita, Osaka-Fukushima, Osaka-Fukuoka, Osaka-Oita

Airports

Tokyo'sHaneda Airportis by far Japan's busiest airport, handling most of the capital's domesticflights. Tokyo'sNarita Airporthandles mostly international flights and only a very small number ofdomestic flights.

Osaka'sKansai Airportserves both, international and domestic flights. It took over a large share oftraffic (mainly international) formerly handled by Osaka's second airport,Itami Airport. Nevertheless,Itami Airport remains Japan's second busiest hub for domestic air traffic.

Other major airports in Japan include Nagoya'sCentral Japan Airport, Fukuoka Airport,Sapporo'sShin-Chirose Airport,Kobe AirportandOkinawa's Naha Airport. See a few more important airports onthe map below:

Airfare

Thanks to the deregulation of Japan's airline industry and increasing competition from discountairlines, domestic airfares have dropped dramatically in recent years, and airplanes have become aneconomical, sometimes cheaper alternative to theshinkansen(bullet train) on some routes.
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