I could provide no greater travel service than to teach you how to travel by train and bus in Japan.
Trust me, you will absolutely have to learn how to use the Japanese transit system if you want to get around easily and inexpensively. Uber is spotty and costly, and cabs are even more expensive. Transit is the only way to go.
Let’s start with the most important tool at your disposal. GOOGLE. Traveling in Japan is now made easy by GOOGLE MAPS. And you will almost always have a strong Internet signal anywhere in Japan. I even had Internet when I was hiking in the mountains above Kyoto and got lost!
But your phone battery drains really fast. So, always carry spare battery chargers!
And it is always wise to have lots of CHANGE when traveling by transit. YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO USE YOUR CREDIT CARD!
Whenever you want to get somewhere you just open GOOGLE MAPS and type in where you want to go.
Then open the blue DIRECTIONS window at the bottom where you will be given multiple transit options.
- If you are just walking to some place, press the WALKING ICON at the bottom of the page. And if you want transit, press the TRANSIT ICON. When choosing a transit option, always pick the one with the fewest transfers.
When the screen opens for the option you selected, scroll down and click on your destination.
The location will be to the left of the red END button. A new window will open and click DETAILS.
Now you will get very specific step-by-step directions, with the train line name, the number of the train, the time it leaves and arrives, the gate where you will exit the station, and even what it will cost. The cost is very important because you always need to know this in advance in order to purchase your ticket.
It does the same with buses.
Let’s do a real trip together. Here are the directions from Narita Airport to Tokyo Station — via multiple options. And then we will hop the bullet train to Kyoto Station.
Make sure you have entered Narita to Kyoto Station on your phone, so you have a backup and can double check these directions for the entire journey in case you lose your Internet connection.
Option #1
A cheap — but long (1 hr 12 min) — way into Tokyo is to catch the Narita Airport Limousine Bus toward Shinonome Shako. Go 1 stop and get off at Eki, and then walk to the station. The airport is not near Tokyo and the buses leave infrequently, so be prepared to wait. (¥1000)
Option #2
You could take a taxi to Tokyo Station to avoid waiting for the bus but it would be very expensive. (30000 yen or close to 300 USD)
Option #3
If you don’t want to wait for the Limousine Bus or pay an arm and a leg with a taxi, then take the local train to Tokyo Station. It’s the fastest and cheapest way to go, but trains can be confusing at first.
After a long airport ride you are bound to be tired and a bit dazed. So, you will probably need help buying your ticket. Go to one of the many information desks in the airport, preferably the one near the entrance to the JR Train (look for the overhead directional signs). Someone there will usually speak at least some English and ask them how to get by local train to Tokyo Station. It’s a straight shot and you can do it on your phone, but if you aren’t confident, then just ask for help. The Japanese love to serve.
Once you have arrived at Tokyo Station I recommend that you go to the JR Ticket Office to the left of the main entrance. I am going to give you instructions below on how to navigate the bullet train on your own, but when in doubt, go to the JR Train Office. They are in every station and ask the friendly staff to help you buy the right ticket. But be advised: When you enter the JR Ticket Office there will usually be a long line of foreigners, waiting to purchase a JR Rail Pass or buy their train ticket because they don’t have a clue. Don’t get in that line! Go to the back of the office and look for staff providing INFORMATION. They will often take you to the ticket machine outside the office and do it for you if you ask.
- The JR Rail Pass can be purchased for one week, two weeks, or three weeks. Unless you are taking lots of trains it’s way more expensive than just buying individual tickets. But it allows you to avoid buying any train tickets — even the local trains and subways. I didn’t buy one, but I liked navigating the train system once I got the hang of how it all worked.
SHINKANSEN BULLET TRAIN
The instructions below are for those wanting to purchase their tickets on their own. You really do need to eventually learn how to do this at some point, and the earlier the better.
Go to a Shinkansen bullet train ticket machine — not the local train machines — the lines can often be quite long, so just be patient, and when it’s your turn, take as long as you need and don’t worry about those behind you waiting. They can always get in another line. Press the ENGLISH option at the top right.
Press ONE PERSON and then RESERVED SEAT.
It will give you a menu of cities. Select Kyoto.
Select Shinkansen Train (bullet train). You want the Nozami Line (I took train #107 toward Hiroshima)
Double Check that number because that’s what it gave me for this example on October 16, 2018. The day you travel the train number may be different. But the key is to take the Nozomi Line to Kyoto.
Select the CAR NUMBER and then the SEAT.
Get a window seat on the right because the views are better (Mt. Fuji!). Pay for that first ticket which is just getting you your seat. It will cost you ¥8210 ($73)
Now, this is the weird part, because you will need to buy a second ticket. So, reinsert that first ticket into the machine and press the EXPRESS button and pay another ¥5700 ($51)
So the total cost will be ¥13900 ($124) and this is a great deal! A dirty nasty train from D.C. to New York, a comparable distance, would cost you at least twice as much and wouldn’t run on time. Japanese trains are plush, clean, have WiFi at each seat, and always run on time!
Proceed through the turnstiles, inserting one ticket and then the next. And take them both when they are spit out at the far end of the turnstile. Hold onto them because you will need to insert them into turnstiles at Kyoto Station when you exit.
The ticket has the platform number on it but it’s hard to read, so if you are confused as to where to catch your train, just walk over to one of the guys standing next to every turnstile or in the ticket kiosk and ask for help. The key now is to get to the correct platform.
The ride to Kyoto takes 2 hr 18 minutes.
They have a wonderful food cart on the train where you can buy prepared meals, liquor, water, tea, coffee, fruit, and snacks.
Exit at Kyoto Station.
Kyoto Station is very big and confusing, so use GOOGLE MAPS which will tell you what exit to take within the station. In Kyoto Station you want the Central Exit. It might say something like take West Gate at another station.
When in doubt, follow the overhead signs to the BUSES. The buses are usually located at the front entrance of the rail station.
BUSES
Catch the bus to your hotel following GOOGLE MAPS.
Buses are simple, efficient, clean and cheap in Japan. EVERYBODY rides the buses, not just poor people. It’s just a matter of finding the right bus. There are usually many different buses at a big station. But GOOGLE MAPS will tell you the bus number and the bus stop number which will be painted on the pillars or on signs by each bus stop in front of the station.
In Japan there are local buses and what they call highway buses that will take you from city to city. For highway buses you need to buy your ticket at the station and then it works just like any long distance bus in America. The are very comfortable and have WiFi connections at each seat.
GOOGLE MAPS will also tell you the BUS FARE. For the local buses you will need to know that when you leave the bus and deposit your money for the ride.
Enter the bus at the middle/rear door. GOOGLE MAPS will tell you how many stops until your destination and the fare. You can follow your progress on your map screen so you can see where you are going and when your stop is coming up! The standard fare in Kyoto, no matter the distance, is ¥230 ($2).
In many other cities the bus fare is based on how far you travel and on those buses you need to look to the right right by the door as you enter for a small metal ticket box. Grab a ticket. The ticket will tell you what stop number you boarded. Then watch the screen above the driver and it will keep updating the cost as you go along. When you get to your stop, see what the fare is on the screen, and then walk up to the driver and put your ticket in one box and your money in the fare box.
The bus stops are always well-marked and easy to find even in the little towns and rural areas.
For those staying in Japan for an extended period of time, you can buy a Japan Bus Pass which is like the Japan Rail pass, allowing you to travel all around Japan by bus for three, five or seven days, and they break it down further by weekday and weekend travel. I don’t see the advantage to this because the trains are nicer, fairly cheap, faster, and they go virtually everywhere. But it will definitely save you the hassle of having to buy your ticket. That said, the highway buses are often full, and if they don’t know you are taking the bus because you didn’t buy a ticket and you are not in their system, you might find out there is no seat available.
The major cities in Japan, like Tokyo and Osaka, also have bus passes. Pasmo is the most widely used and accepted of these cards.
The Pasmo card can be used in major cities in Japan for travel on:
- JR train lines
- Private train lines
- Tokyo subway lines
- Buses and taxis with the Pasmo logo
Please note: The Pasmo card will not work on express trains or Shinkansen bullet trains.
LOCAL TRAINS
When taking the local trains use GOOGLE MAPS. Select the route to your destination. It will tell you the RAIL LINE NAME AND THE COLOR OF THE LINE. There are many public (JR) and private line trains throughout Japan. The private line trains operate exactly like the JR trains and are usually a bit nicer. Follow the overhead signs in the station to your line. Google Maps will tell you the fare. Go to a ticket machine and you need to FIRST insert the fare amount. You will not be asked where you are going, but you will need to know what it costs to get there. Then press that amount on the screen as verification. And it will give you your little, raffle-size ticket. Follow the signs to the right platform, or just ask the guys at the turnstile where your platform is.
All trains in Japan are not created equal, and the terminology is confusing. Words don’t mean what you might think. There are essentially three types of train There will always be a digital sign on the platform, like the D.C. metro, that will say such and such train to, let’s say, Nara, and when it leaves. There will be multiple trains to Nara and each one will be different relative to how many stops it will make along the way. You want to always take the Rapid or Special Rapid train. The Commuter train stops at even less than the Rapid, but it will invariably be very crowded. But if it isn’t crowded, take the Commuter. The cost for all these variations is always the same.
Trains With No Special Fares
Local: These trains stop at every station.
Rapid: These trains stop at fewer stations than local trains.
Commuter Express: These trains run during peak commute times in the morning and evening, and stop at fewer stations than rapid trains; they are used on routes such as the Chūō Line, Keiyō Line, and Saikyō Line.
Special Rapid: These trains stop at even fewer stations than commuter express trains, and are used on routes like the Chūō Line and Sōbu Line. There are varieties such as the commuter special rapid train, the Chūō special rapid train, and the Ōme special rapid train.
You have probably seen the videos of people being squeezed like sardines into train cars. And that definitely happens every day in the morning and evening, but if we avoided rush hour, the trains were often only half full.
BICYCLES
We found that the best way to get around Japanese cities was by bicycle.
There are many places to rent bicycles in the larger cities. It’s quite cheap to rent a bicycle in Japan and you rent them by the day. So, if you rent the bike at 10 AM, you don’t have to return it for 24 hours. The cost is usually about $10 a day and the bikes are usually very nice, with three gears, good brakes, a basket on the handlebars, and a rim lock.
Final Thoughts: Don’t stress! There are lots of trains. There is no time deadline. And when in doubt, ASK FOR HELP!
