Japan

Public transport in Japan is amazing! It’s clean, safe, cost effective and efficient – very efficient. We will focus on the main travel around Tokyo and the Shinkasen for travel to other parts of the country.

Japan has an extensive network of train, subway and bus lines and is the best way to get around the country and Tokyo’s train lines operated by JR (Japan Railways) and the subway lines (Toei and Tokyo Metro) are the most convenient for moving around the city.

Japan prides itself on being a society that is punctual, operationally efficient and respecting others time so being late for anything is a sign of being disorganised and disrespectful. Not only are trains rarely late or delayed but in the main cities they are very frequent.

Some of the stations in Tokyo are big, very big! Shinjuku station is the busiest in the world with an average of 3 million people using it every day across 36 platforms and 53 tracks!

If you need a taxi there are stands throughout the main cities or you can hail them down (red light on the top means it is available – green means it is not). You can also order taxis through the Japanese taxi App ‎GO and Ubers are also available in Japan but these are generally just the same cars as taxis.

You can’t help but be impressed by how clean the taxis are, the doors automatically opening and closing and the drivers wearing suits, hats and white gloves!

If you intend to use Taxis for the airports we recommend using the Near Me site to book where you can put in your pick up location, destination, date and time, number of people and luggage and a fixed rate will be provided.

 

Which train, subway or bus to get?!

Use Google Maps as it is extremely accurate for planning your destinations and routes and it clearly displays train platform numbers, times and costs (in Yen) and will also tell you where to exit/enter for any transfers.

The Tokyo trains and underground map will initially seem daunting but you’ll soon get the hang of it. Don’t be afraid to ask, most Japanese are polite and will be willing to help and there are ticket officers at stations who will help and you can use your Google Translate App for assistance.

In Tokyo it seems you’re never more than 10 minutes walk from a train or underground station and they are well signposted and easy to follow with names, colour codes and numbers.

Buses are also prevalent around the city and Google Maps is extremely useful for searching which bus to catch and where from. The drivers have a ritual every time they set off even from an intersection called shisa kanko which is a safety procedure where they physically point at, and verbally announce, things like traffic signs and their actions to prevent mistakes.

 

How to pay:

Use a Suica or Pasmo card in your phone wallet (or you can have a physical card) and use this to pay for trains, subways and buses. We prefer the Suica card but there is no real difference between the two except the Suica card is provided by the JR company.

Suica indicates your balance as you scan to exit and how much your trip cost. It can be easily topped up through your phones wallet cards and you can also use it to buy goods in convenience stores and vending machines.

Suica cards can be downloaded in the App Store for Apple users and in Google Play Store for Android. Physical cards can be purchased from ticket machines or ticket offices in the main stations. Suica might not give you discounts on travel but it is the most convenient way to pay and travel.

We would advise using a Suica card for travel and not getting a Japan Rail Pass (JR) JR Pass as they only work for JR lines and not the two underground networks (Toei Subway and Tokyo Metro) as these are operated by different companies. A Japan Rail Pass is a good option only if you are doing a lot of travel around Japan. Use this JR Fare Calculator to see how much it will cost you on your travels versus how much you can save.

Buses have a flat fare that you pay on exit at your destination with most local buses in central Tokyo costing ¥210 for adults and ¥110 for children. You can pay with cash, either exact change or ¥1,000 bills which the machine can break, or with an a Suica or  PASMO card.

Taxi’s can be paid for via any payment card or cash within the vehicle and you can order and book one via Japan’s main taxi App Go or; via Uber.

 

Tokyo’s main JR train lines: 

There are five main train lines in Tokyo operated by JR that connect the main railway stations and travel around the city:

Yamanote Line – circle line (coloured light green) that connects all the major city centre locations including Tokyo Station, Yurakucho, Hamamatsucho, Shinagawa, Shibuya, Harajuku and Shinjuku. This is a loop line that you will likely use most often to connect your travels around the city.

Keihin-Tohuku Line – light blue line that runs alongside the Yamanote line on the eastern side

Saikyo Line – darker green line that runs alongside the Yamanote Line on the western side from Osaki through Akabane

Chuo / Sobu Line – slower service that runs east and west across the city

Chuo Line – faster service that runs east and west across the city and connects Shinjuku with Tokyo Station

 

Toei Subway and Tokyo Metro

The Tokyo underground is made up of two separate networks; Toei Subway and Tokyo Metro but they do interconnect at some stations. This why using a Suica card instead of cash tickets is advised as you may need to purchase multiple tickets to cover the different companies. Google Maps will indicate the different lines you need to take on your journey.

The Toei Subway connects to 106 stations across Tokyo over four lines; the Asakusa Line, the Mita Line, the Shinjuku Line, and the Oedo Line which forms a loop around the city. The Tokyo Metro has nine lines covering 180 stations!

Between the JR lines and the Metro and Subway you will have all of your travel across the city covered.

 

Shinkasen:

For travel beyond Tokyo and to connect to other Japanese major cities and towns Japan Rail (JR) trains or the Shinkasen (also known as the bullet train) are the most effective and efficient way to travel. If you’ve never experienced a super fast train before then the Shinkasen is a ‘must do’ as they travel at 199mph / 320kmph and will get you from Tokyo to Osaka in 2.5 hrs (the normal train is 3-4 hrs and to drive is 6hrs).

The number of cars or carriages depends on the line but for the most common routes they average 12-16 cars and can be nearly 500 metres in length! The Shinkasens are kept immaculately clean, have toilets between every second carriage and for some lines food and drinks are served by a roaming service attendant. A ticket inspector will be on most trains so always have your tickets ready to show if asked. Wifi is available onboard, you just need to register an email address, but it is intermittent so be mindful of this if you need to save anything.

The first Shinkasen ran in 1964 and due to commence in 2037 is the Chuo Shinkasen line which is a a Maglev (magnetic levitation) train which will be the fastest in the world reaching top speeds of 314mph / 505kmph. It will make the trip from Tokyo to Osaka in 60 minutes!

 

Shinkasen tickets: 

Shinkasen are operated by Japan Rail (JR) and they run very frequently from all the major cities. You don’t need to book well in advance and you can get tickets on the day but if you are travelling in a large group it is best to book in advance. We often purchased our tickets the day before we were travelling and never had any issues with finding seats in the Class (Green) we wanted and for the times we wanted to travel. If you have a JR Pass it will cover the Hikari and Kodama trains but not the Nozomi (the fastest).

Shinkasen tickets can be purchased via a number of methods; online at Shinkansen, at ticket counters at the stations or through ticket machines at the station. We recommend using the website and registering your details to make it easier for future bookings. It is very easy to use to find your stations, routes, seat options and class and on completion of booking you will get a QR code ticket to access through the station and to your train.

If booking online, and once you’ve booked your tickets, go to the Menu on your account, go to My Trips, click on Details and display QR ticket. It will bring up all your tickets and you can then click on each one and it will bring up the QR code for that ticket. Take a photo or screenshot to allow access onto your platform and for any ticket checks.

If you came from another station and used an electronic form of payment to enter that station ie Suica, when going through the Shinkasen ticket machine to your platform you will need to scan your Suica card (or however you paid electronically) at the same time as your Shinkasen QR code.

Ticket prices will vary greatly depending on where you are going and the class of carriage, reserved seat or unreserved. For our travel via Green Car (Business) for two people from Tokyo to Kyoto the total cost was ¥37680 or £185 / €210 / $244. 

 

Shinkasen seating:

There are generally three classes of travel on the Shinkasen but they can vary depending on the train and route but the main routes ie Tokyo to Osaka, Kyoto will have all class types:

Ordinary cars; these are the equivalent of Economy class on a plane although with more space and comfort with the budget option of Unreserved (where you don’t have a specific seat carriage or seat allocated) or Reserved (where you have a specific carriage and seat allocated). Ordinary car arrangments usually come in a row of five, three seats on one side, aisle and two on the other side. Each seat has a tray that folds down and power sockets for charging. Ordinary cars are great if you are travelling on more of a budget and bear in mind if you book Unreserved there may be a risk you won’t find seats together especially during peak hours (7am-9am and 5pm-7pm).

Green cars; are reservation only and are slightly more expensive than the Ordinary car. They are the equivalent of Business class on an airline with more spacious and comfortable seats and more legroom. There are only four seats per row, with two seats either side of an aisle. There generally only between one and three Green cars on a train, depending on the route, and in our opinion its the best way to travel. Each seat comes with a reading lamp, footrest and are quieter than the Ordinary cars. A four leaf clover indicates the Green class cars.

Gran Class; this is the equivalent of First class on a plane with only one or two seats divided by an aisle, leather seats that fully recline and an attendant on hand to service complimentary drinks, meals and magazines. As you would expect the Gran Class is considerably more expensive than the other class carriages and there are generally only one carriage on each train and only on the main routes.

 

Shinkasen luggage storage:

One thing to be conscious of is luggage storage on the Shinkasen which is not generally an issue out of peak hours but if you are planning on travelling during peak hours and have a lot of luggage it could be problem as the carriages will likely be full.

There are luggage storage areas at the end of each carriage and overhead racks along the carriage which will take good size cases ie up to 160cm (LxWxH) and will suit most travellers.

You can bring up to two pieces of luggage per person, each with a maximum combined dimension (LxWxH) of 250cm and a maximum weight of 30kg. You must reserve a seat with an oversized baggage area to accommodate luggage between 160cm and 250cm. This reservation can be made for free online, at a ticket machine or at a ticket window.

Luggage over 250cm is not permitted to be carried onto the Shinkasen and you cannot use the oversized baggage areas in non-reserved carriages.

If you bring oversized baggage on a Shinkansen line that requires a reservation without making one you could be fined ¥1,000 and your luggage may be removed by the conductor. 

 

Finding your train:

To find your train at the station look for the Shinkasen signs, pass through the ticket gates with your paper ticket or scan your QR code. Look for your train on the electronic display boards which will show the name of your train ie Nozomi, Hikari or Kodama, the destination, departure and arrival time and; the platform number.

On the platform there are signs on the floor that indicate the car numbers where the train will stop and check this against your car number on your ticket. It is best to arrive at least 15 minutes before the train, as with all public transport in Japan they are extremely punctual arriving on time and departing on time. The train will leave on time! People will politely queue for their car so be sure to respect the queuing etiquette also.

As soon as the train arrives the train doors will open, board swiftly, get your luggage stowed and find your seat. If you have a reserved seat, find the seat number specified on your ticket. If you have an unreserved seat, find any available seat in the unreserved section. 

 

Viewing Mt Fuji: 

For the best views of Mt Fuji (as long as its a clear day!) book C and D windows when travelling from Tokyo to Osaka or Kyoto. You will see it first from Tokyo after around 30-40 minutes into the journey. It is very impressive! If you don’t have C or D seats you can go to the section by the car doors and view it out the window.

 

Shinkasen –  a great way to travel:

We absolutely loved travelling around Japan via Shinkasen and you will too! Yes it is more expensive than slower standard JR trains or a bus but the comfort, the efficiency and of course the speed is one that everyone visiting Japan should experience, and especially if you come from a country with a not so great public transport system! You cannot help but be impressed by the super sleek machines seemingly gliding into a station or be enthralled by watching the beautiful Japanese countryside flying by you at 200mph!