If you’re planning a trip to the Land of the Rising Sun, you’ll need to figure out how you’re going to get around. Without a doubt, the best way to travel in Japan is by train. The rail system in Japan is among the best in the world. Trains here are fast, reliable, and comfortable – the perfect way to fully explore the country. This post will introduce the rail system in Japan, provide some useful vocabulary, and detail whether or not it’s worth it to buy a rail pass.<\/p>\n
In Japan, there are six main regional rail companies. Collectively, these are known as Japan Railways, or JR for short. In addition, there are also many local operators across the country. The JR system covers the country from one end to the other, so you should be able to get anywhere you want to go on one of those trains. They even run buses and ferries, which you can sometimes combine with your rail ticket to make traveling even more convenient. To check times and fares for trains in Japan, use this website<\/a>.<\/p>\n When looking at train travel in Japan, you might be a little overwhelmed at the many different types of trains and tickets that are available. Here’s a basic guide to Japanese trains, going from the slowest to the fastest:<\/p>\n Japan’s bullet trains are world-famous, and they now connect almost all major cities in the country. These trains reach speeds of up to\u00a0320\u00a0km\/h (200\u00a0mph), ensuring you reach your destination pretty quickly.<\/p>\n First of all, you’ll need to specify if you want a one way<\/strong> (\u7247\u9053 – Katamichi) or round trip<\/strong> (\u5f80\u5fa9 – \u014cfuku) ticket. Almost all trains have two different classes of seats – ordinary seats and the 1st class “green car<\/strong>” (\u30b0\u30ea\u30fc\u30f3\u8eca – Gur\u012bn-sha). These seats are like business class on an airplane, with a bit more legroom. You usually need a reserved seat<\/strong> (\u6307\u5b9a\u5e2d – Shiteiseki), but sometimes you’ll find a few cars with unreserved seats<\/strong> (\u81ea\u7531\u5e2d – Jiy\u016b seki) available. Fares are calculated based on the basic fare<\/strong> (\u666e\u901a\u904b\u8cc3 – Futs\u016b unchin) plus different surcharges. These may include a limited express fee<\/strong> (\u7279\u6025\u6599\u91d1 – Tokky\u016b ry\u014dkin) for travel on the express lines or a bed fee<\/strong> (\u5bdd\u53f0\u6599\u91d1 – Shindai ry\u014dkin) if you take an overnight sleeper train. An interesting thing about the Japanese rail system is that if you’re taking the bullet train, you actually need two tickets – your basic fare plus the bullet train fare<\/strong>\u00a0(\u65b0\u5e79\u7dda\u7279\u6025\u5238 – Shinkansen tokky\u016b-ken). If this seems complicated, don’t worry – you can just get a rail pass to make things much easier!<\/p>\n If you’re taking bullet trains and buying tickets individually, you can end up spending a lot of money on train travel in Japan. To save some money and make your travels easier, consider buying a Japan Rail Pass<\/a>. These cover the entire country and are available for unlimited train travel for 7, 14, or 21 days. Here are a few things you should know about the rail passes:<\/p>\n Basically, you buy\u00a0an “exchange order” for your pass before you travel to Japan. Upon arrival, bring your passport and your order to any JR Travel Service Center to have it activated. You can select the date when you want your pass to begin, so you could spend a few days exploring a city before you start to use the pass. Just going round trip from Narita airport to Tokyo and then round trip to Kyoto will save you money, so it’s definitely a great bargain if you plan to take a couple of train trips. For more info on the Japan Rail Pass, check out this short video:<\/p>\nTypes of Trains<\/h2>\n
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Buying Tickets<\/h2>\n
Rail Pass<\/h2>\n
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