Series N700 shinkansen at Osaka.  These high-speed trains link Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Hiroshima & Hakata.  Courtesy of James Chuang.

Exploring Japan by rail...

The railways are the best way to get around Japan.  On this page you'll find an introduction to train travel in Japan, plus:

How to check train times & fares in Japan

Map of Japanese train routes

How to buy and use a Japan Rail Pass

Staying in Ryokans & capsule hotels...

Things to see in Japan...

Useful country information - currency, time zone etc.

Hotels in Japan - hotel search & price comparison.

Ferries to & from Japan...

Ferries from Japan to Russia

Ferries from Japan to China

Ferries from Japan to South Korea

How to travel from Europe to Japan by Trans-Siberian Railway

Flights to Japan

Travel insurance

Useful country information

Japan has an extensive and efficient rail network and you can pretty much assume that the trains in Japan will go to all the cities and towns you want to visit.  Travelling by train in Japan is easy, as the stations have signs and departure boards in English as well as Japanese.  Japanese trains are very clean and modern, and are amazingly punctual.  Two classes of seating are provided, ordinary class and 'green car' (1st class), the latter indicated by a green clover symbol next to the entrance door.  As you'd expect, green car seating has more legroom and seats are arranged 2+2 across the coach, whereas ordinary class seats are normally arranged 2+3.  However, travelling standard class is perfectly adequate.

How to check train times & fares in Japan: 

    www.hyperdia.com or www.jorudan.co.jp  (English button at the top).

Map of Japanese train routes:  See map here

Here are some sample journey times, frequencies & prices...

* Nozomi = fastest Shinkansen train type, Japan Rail Passes not valid.  Hikari = next fastest train type, Japan Rail Passes valid.

Check Japanese train times & fares at www.hyperdia.com or www.jorudan.co.jp.  Another useful resource is www.japanrail.com. 

Children aged 0 to 5 travel free, children aged 6 to 11 travel at half fare, children aged 12 and over pay full fare.

Rail fares in Japan are expensive, and if you are an overseas visitor a Japan Rail Pass can be the cheapest way to travel even if you are only planning one return trip from (say) Tokyo to Hiroshima.  See the Japan Rail Pass section.

Bullet trains or Shinkansen...

Everyone has heard of Japan's bullet train lines, more properly known in Japan as shinkansen.  These are high-speed lines, built to European and North American standard gauge (4' 8½").  The first shinkansen was the Tokaido Shinkansen linking Toyo, Kyoto and Osaka opened in 1964, later extended as the Sanyo Shinkansen to Hiroshima, Kobe and Hakata.  There are now a whole range of 'shinkansen' lines linking all the most important cities in Japan, including Niigata, Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Hiroshima, Hakata and Kagoshima.

The trains have two classes, ordinary seats (2nd class) and Green Car seats (1st class).  Reservation is normally required on each train, but there's usually one or more 'unreserved' cars.

A series 700 train on the Tokaido shinkansen, now used on most fast Hikari & super-fast Nozomi services on the Tokaido Shinkansen between Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Hiroshima & Hakata.  Photo courtesy of Peter Geran.		Green car (1st class) seats on a series N700 train used on the Tokaido and Sanyo Shinkansen linking Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Hiroshima and Hakata.  Photo courtesy of James Chuang.

Ordinary (2nd class) seats on a series 500 Shinkansen train.  They are arranged "+£ (2 abreast, aisle, 3 abreast across the width of the car), so there's less elbow room than in the Green car seats. Courtesy James Chuang.		A series 500 train on the Tokaido shinkansen.  Amazingly, these now operate the secondary stopping trains, bumped off the front-rank Nozomi services by the series 700 when they were only 8 years old.  Photo courtesy of James Chuang.

Original narrow-gauge network...

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.

Sleeper trains... 

There are some impressive sleeping-car trains, too, for example Tokyo-Sapporo.  These run on the original narrow-gauge lines, but they can save time compared with daytime travel, even using shinkansen.

The 'Hokutosei' sleeper train from Tokyo to Sapporo.  Accommodation includes a 1st class single room with en suite toilet and shower (above left), a 2nd class single room (above centre) and 2nd class berths in bays of 4 open to a side corridor (above right).  Photos courtesy of James Chuang.  More information about overnight trains in Japan.

Sponsored links...

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 £226 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 use www.hyperdia.com to check point-to-point fares for the journeys you intend to make, then compare these with the Japan railpass prices at www.internationalrail.com (UK residents, can also be used by US & Canadian residents), www.railplus.com.au/japan-by-rail or www.internationalrail.com.au or  (Australia & NZ residents) or www.trainticket.com (residents of Europe, Asia & Africa).

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 car (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 Tokaido Shinkansen and the fastest Mizuho services on the Hakata-Kagoshima Kyushu Shinkansen (this is no big deal, as you can use the alternative only-slightly-slower Hikari expresses on the Tokaido Shinkansen and 'Sakura' services on the Kyusu Shinkansen).  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.  See www.internationalrail.com/japan/japan-rail-pass (UK residents), www.internationalrail.com.au or www.railplus.com.au/japan-by-rail (Australia & NZ residents) or www.trainticket.com (residents of Europe, Asia & Africa) for more information.

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 (UK residents) or www.internationalrail.com.au (Australia, NZ, Asia residents) for more information.

How to buy a Japan Rail Pass ...

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.  Who to buy from depends on where you live:

	Day trip to Nikko?  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 (though Tobu railway isn't covered by Japan Rail Pass, so you'll need a normal ticket).

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.  Good pages for further Japan Rail Pass information are www.japantravel.co.uk/jrp.htm and www.japanrailpass.net and (with excellent information on all the different trains)  www.jprail.com.

How do you make reservations with your pass?

It's easy to make seat reservations once you get to Japan at any ticket office, showing your Japan rail pass and passport.  However, with one notable exception reservations cannot be made from outside Japan before you get there.  But don't worry, unless you are travelling at the busiest peak times you are unlikely to have any problem getting reservations on the trains you want.

The exception is JR East, who have set up a website for Japan Railpass holders to make reservations on their high speed trains north and east of Tokyo, including the Narita Express and Tokyo-Niigata Joetsu Shinkansen, but obviously not the Tokaido, Sanyo or Kyushu shinkansen linking Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Hiroshima, Hakata, Kagoshima as these aren't run by JR East!  To make reservations on JR East services, see http://jreast-shinkansen-reservation.eki-net.com/pc/english/common/menu/menu.aspx.  Seat reservations made using this service must be collected before 21:00 the day before ravel, or they will be cancelled.

You can reach Japan from London without flying in just two weeks, by Trans-Siberian Railway.  First, travel from London to Moscow, see the London to Russia page (48 hours).  You then have a choice.  Option 1, take the Rossiya which runs every second day from Moscow to Vladivostok in 7 days.  The 1993-built ferry Eastern Dream operates once a week all year round from Vladivostok to Sakaiminato in Japan, taking 36 hours.  Option 2 is to travel from Moscow to Beijing on one of two weekly Trans-Siberian trains, taking 6 days.  From Beijing, take an overnight train to Shanghai, then there are two weekly ships to either Osaka or Kobe in Japan.  Going via Vladivostok is easier to organise as you need fewer visas, but going via Beijing is the more varied and interesting option.  See the Trans-Siberian page for more information on both these routes.

Japan is linked by regular ferries to China, Korea & Vladivostok in  Russia.

• For the weekly ferry from Sakaiminato in Japan to Vladivostok in Russia, see the Trans-Siberian Timetable page.

• For ferries between Japan and Shanghai in China, see the China page.

• For ferries between Japan and South Korea, see the Korea page.

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.

Another Japanese experience, which (purely incidentally) is an ultra-cheap option for staying a night in the heart of Tokyo or other big cities, is a night in a capsule hotel.  These are more civilised than you might think.

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.

The picture shows end-entry capsules, but some capsule hotels have side-entry types!

Find hotels & accommodation in Japan

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.

Tokyo

One of the world great cities... Stay in a capsule hotel;  visit the site of the Tokyo castle (now just foundations) near the entrance to the Emperor's palace;  shop till you drop in Tokyo's busy Shinjuku district; take a JR suburban train out to Kamakura to see the Great Buddha, the second largest bronze Buddha in the world.

Nikko

A not-to-be-missed day trip from Tokyo, Nikko's history as a sacred site began in the middle of the 8th century AD.  There are many temples and historic buildings spread through woodland in the hills around this small town, including the famous three monkeys:  'See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil' (pictured, left).

Frequent trains of the Tobu Railway link Tokyo Asakusa station with Nikko in less than 2 hours  (Japan Rail Passes don't cover the Tobu Railway).

Kyoto

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.

Nara

A worthwhile day trip from Kyoto, Nara is home to the Great Hall of the Buddha, the world's largest wooden building, housing the world's largest bronze Buddha.  The train trip from Kyoto takes just 35 minutes, and there are usually two trains each hour.  This line is run by the Kesei Railway.

Himeji

The best-preserved traditional Japanese castle (pictured, left) is to be seen at Himeji, on the Shinkansen between Osaka and Hiroshima - well worth a stop.

Nagasaki

The second atomic bomb exploded in Nagasaki three days after the Hiroshima one - although this time not quite in the centre of town, but in a suburb called Urakami.  However, Nagasaki has much more to offer than reminders of 1945.  Nagasaki has a long and fascinating history, and many beautiful temples and historic buildings have survived.

Hiroshima

Hiroshima needs no introduction.  It's a large modern city, but you'll never forget your visit to the Peace Park, site of the epicentre of the atomic bomb explosion, or a tour of the museum there.  You can see the 'T' shaped bridge (or rather, it's modern replacement) at the top of the Peace Park - this was allegedly the aiming point of the bomb-aimer of the 'Enola Gay'.  Pictured right is the 'atomic bomb dome', previously the Industrial Promotions Hall, and one of the few buildings not completely flattened by the bomb.

Guidebooks

Paying for a guidebook may seem an unnecessary expense, but it's a tiny fraction of what you're spending on your whole trip.  You will see so much more, and know so much more about what you're looking at, if you have a decent guidebook.  The Trailblazer 'Japan by Rail' guide is specifically aimed at train travel around Japan, with both city and train information.  For the serious independent traveller, the best guidebooks to take are either the Lonely Planet or the Rough Guide.  I personally prefer the layout of the Lonely Planet, but others prefer the Rough Guides.  Both guidebooks provide excellent levels of both practical information and historical background. 

Click the images to buy online at Amazon.co.uk...

Hotels & accommodation in Japan

Other hotel sites worth trying...

• www.tripadvisor.com is the place to find independent travellers' reviews of all the main hotels.

• www.booking.com is my own preferred hotel booking system (Hotels Combined being a search/comparison system).  It has a simple interface, a good selection in most countries worldwide, useful online customer reviews of each hotel, and decent prices, usually shown inclusive of unavoidable extras such as taxes (a pet hate of mine is systems that show one price, then charge you another!).

Backpacker hostels...

• www.hostelbookers.com:  If you're on a tight budget, don't forget about backpacker hostels.  Hostelbookers offers online booking of cheap private rooms or dorm beds in backpacker hostels in most cities at rock-bottom prices.

Flights

Overland travel around Japan by train is an essential part of the experience, so once there, don't cheat and fly, stay on the ground!

But a long-haul flight might be unavoidable to reach Japan in the first place.  For flights to Tokyo, try Virgin Atlantic Airlines, who now fly direct from the UK, with good prices and service.  To compare airlines, use Skyscanner.com.

Travel insurance

Get travel insurance, it's essential...

Never travel overseas without travel insurance from a reliable insurer, with at least £1m or preferably £5m medical cover.  It should also cover cancellation and loss of cash (up to a limit) and belongings.  An annual multi-trip policy is usually cheaper than several single-trip policies even for just 2 or 3 trips a year (I have an annual policy myself).  Here are some suggested insurers.  Seat61 gets a small commission if you buy through these links.

In the UK, try Columbus Direct or use Confused.com to compare prices & policies from many different insurers.

If you have a pre-existing medical condition or are over 65 (no age limit), see www.JustTravelCover.com.

        If you're resident in Australia, New Zealand, Ireland or the EU, try Columbus Direct's other websites.

    If you're resident in the USA or Canada, try Travel Guard USA.

Get a spare credit card, designed for foreign travel with no currency exchange loading & low or no ATM fees...

It costs nothing to take out an extra credit card.  If you keep it in a different part of your luggage so you're not left stranded if your wallet gets stolen, this is a form of extra travel insurance in itself.  In addition, some credit cards are significantly better for overseas travel than others.  Martin Lewis's www.moneysavingexpert.com/travel/cheap-travel-money explains which UK credit cards have the lowest currency exchange commission loadings when you buy something overseas, and the lowest cash withdrawal fees when you use an ATM abroad.  Taking this advice can save you quite a lot on each trip compared to using your normal high-street bank credit card!

You can avoid ATM charges and expensive exchange rates with a Caxton FX euro currency Visa Card, or their multi-currency 'Global Traveller' Visa Card, see www.caxtonfx.com for info.

Get an international SIM card...

Mobile phones can cost a fortune to use abroad, and if you're not careful you can return home to find some huge bills waiting for you.  I've known people run up a £1,000 bill in data charges just by leaving their iPhone connected during a simple trip to Europe.  However, if you buy a global SIM card for your mobile phone from a company such as www.Go-Sim.com you can slash the cost by up to 85% and limit any damage to the amount you have pre-paid.  It cuts call costs in 175 countries worldwide, and you can receive incoming calls and texts for free in 75 countries.  It's pay-as-you-go, so no nasty bills when you get home.  It also works for laptop or PDA data access.  A Go-Sim account and any credit on it doesn't expire if it's not between trips, unlike some others, so a Go-Sim phone number becomes your 'global phone number' for life.