A Japan Rail Pass will probably save you money...
Train fares in Japan are expensive even by UK standards, and even if you are only planning a couple of inter-city journeys, a Japan Rail Pass can save you money over normal tickets. For example, the normal return fare from Tokyo to Kyoto is 27,440 Yen, about £211, and from Tokyo to Hiroshima 37,240 Yen, about £286. A Japan Rail Pass costs £284 for 7 days unlimited travel throughout Japan. You can see that a rail pass can save money even if you're making just one return journey from Tokyo to Hiroshima. You can usewww.hyperdia.com to check point-to-point fares for the journeys you intend to make, then compare these with the Japan railpass prices atwww.internationalrail.com.
Japan Rail Pass...
Japan Rail Passes covering the whole of Japan are available for 7, 14 or 21 consecutive days unlimited travel on the national Japan Railways (JR) network, in a choice of ordinary class or 'green' (first) class. You can use any JR train service, both high-speed Shinkansen and ordinary slower narrow-gauge trains, except for the very fastest 'Nozomi' expresses on the Tokyo-Osaka-Hakata Shinkansen (this is not a problem, as you can use the 'Hikari' expresses on this route which are only slightly slower). A green class rail pass is great if you can afford it, but standard class on Japanese trains is perfectly adequate, there's no real need to pay more. You can also use overnight sleeping-car trains with a Japan Rail Pass, if you pay the rather large sleeper supplement, around ¥10,000 (about £77) one-way for a basic 'B' category bunk in addition to your pass. The Japan Rail Pass does not cover lines that are run by private rail operators, only the Japan Railways (JR) Group.
Japan East Rail Pass, Japan West (Sanyo) Rail Pass, Japan West (Kansai) Rail Pass:
There are also three other Japan Rail Passes covering smaller areas. The Japan East Pass covers Tokyo, Nagano, Niigata, Sendai, Morioka, Misawa & Akita. The Sanyo area pass covers an area including Osaka, Himeji, Okayama, Hiroshima & Hakata. The Kansai area rail pass covers Kyoto, Osaka, Kobe, Nara & Himeji and costs only around £15 ($23) a day, a pretty good deal. See www.internationalrail.com for more information.
How to buy a Japan Rail Pass online...
You need to buy your Japan Rail Pass before you leave your home country as you can't buy a pass once you're in Japan. You can buy your Japan Rail Pass from a UK, US or Australian agency, depending on where you live:
| | Passes can be sent to any address worldwide, including the UK, Ireland, USA & Canada. The button links to www.internationalrail.com. | |
| | If you live in Australia, New Zealand or Asia, click to check pass prices & buy a Japan Rail Pass online at the Seat 61 RailShop Australia. Prices in AUD$, passes sent out from International Rail in Australia. | |
How does a Japan Rail Pass work?
When you buy a Japan rail pass in the UK, you will be given a voucher which needs to be exchanged for the railpass itself in Japan any time within the following three months. Vouchers can be exchanged at all the most important Japan Railways stations, including Tokyo and its international airports, but unfortunately not including Sakaiminato if you arrive by ferry from Vladivostok.
Train reservations can be made in Japan at any ticket office once you have your
rail pass, but they cannot be made from outside Japan before you get there. However, except at the busiest peak times you are unlikely to have any problem getting reservations on the trains you want. Good pages for further Japan Rail Pass information are www.japantravel.co.uk/jrp.htm andwww.japanrailpass.net.
Left picture: The high-speed 'Shinkansen' will get you from Tokyo and Kyoto to Hakata, where it ends. To reach Nagasaki, you'll need to change onto the 'Kamome' ('Red Express'). On of the original 'Red Expresses' is seen here at Hakata.
Right: Nikko is a great day trip to make from Tokyo. You can get there in less than 2 hours on the Tobu Railway's 'Spacia Express' from Tokyo Asakusa station. Departures are frequent.
The railways are the way to get around Japan. On this page you'll find an introduction to train travel in Japan, plus:
An extensive network of original 3' 6" narrow-gauge lines remains, covering the whole of Japan and taking you to almost every city and town of any size.
There are two unique types of overnight accommodation which you should try in Japan. 'Ryokans' are traditional Japanese inns. The rooms don't have beds, but are covered with 'tatami' matting on which you place a bedroll. You will probably be offered a hot cup of green Japanese tea when you first arrive. 'Ryokans' are the Japanese equivalent of B&Bs, so they are an inexpensive option compared with hotels, as well as an experience.
The hotel reception looks like any other hotel reception - just remember to take your shoes off before you walk in, and place them in one of the lockers in the lobby. Upstairs, there will probably be several floors of fibreglass sleeping capsules, each floor with its own locker room and shared showers. You change in the locker room and put your clothes and bags into your locker. Your capsule has radio, alarm clock and TV, and a screen or curtain pulls over the capsule entrance for privacy. Unfortunately, the main clientele for these hotels is Japanese businessmen who have missed their last train home, so they don't tend to cater well for women or couples.
It's impossible to mention every sight or attraction Japan has to offer, but here are some highlights of a visit to Japan that might give you some ideas.
Nikko
Capital of Japan from 794AD until 1867, Kyoto should be on every visitor's itinerary. Office blocks and pinball arcades in the modern city rub shoulders with tiny wooden houses in the older parts of town. There are several important temples in and around the city, including the famous Kiyomizu-dera Temple, and the Kimkaku-ji Temple or 'Golden Pavilion', pictured right.
Himeji
