Transport

Author: Edutraveller
Date written: 04/19/2003 03:58:26 PM
Last edited: 2003/05/04 12:44:17
Keywords: Transport, Japan travel guide, Transport in Japan, Shinkansen, Japanese transportation

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Transport

Getting to Japan is not difficult. Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya are major international airports served directly or indirectly from most major capitals in the world on a regular basis. If you cannot get a direct flight, there will be plenty changing in Hong Kong, Singapore and Los Angeles, among other locations.

Similarly, getting around Japan is easy, if not always cheap. However, there are a few ways to cut your transport costs. You always have plenty of options for getting to your destination: bus, train and airplane routes will move you around the country quickly and efficiently, and you can hire a car in most places with an international driver's licence.

Train and shinkansen

Japan is famous for the shinkansen or bullet train, which vies with the French TGV for pole position - speed records set by the one are regularly broken by the other. Although an experimental linear motor train being tested in Japan looks set to put both squarely in their places if it ever gets off the test track. In the meantime, you can use the shinkansen to get anywhere in Japan from Hokkaido to Kyushu, through one of the longest undersea tunnels in the world (and perhaps the most difficult to make). Where the shinkansen doesn't go, use the local and express trains.

Shinkansen prices can be quite expensive, particularly on the fastest type. On most lines there are three, with ticket prices increasing for the faster trains. Even the slowest shinkansen will still get you around in a respectable time, however. To reduce prices, try getting a Japan Rail Pass before you come. This will only really help short-term travellers, as the pass is for one or two weeks, but if you plan on covering a lot of distance in that time, it can be well worth it. You have to buy the pass through a travel agent before coming to Japan - it is not possible to buy in the country. You then take the pass with your passport to a JR (Japan Rail) station and get it validated. You can then travel on anything except the fastest shinkansen for the period of validity. Note however, that in some cases you may have to book a seat before boarding the train.

Another way to cut down on travelling costs for those with more time than money, is the "jyuu-hachi kippu". This is effectively a young persons' rail pass, designed for university students and the like returning home for holidays three times a year (winter, spring and summer). However, anyone can buy the ticket and it is convenient for doing a little exploring during your holidays. The ticket is valid for any five days within a certain period, from midnight to midnight. When you board the first train, your ticket is stamped. You can then ride any JR train except for express and shinkansen trains, until midnight.

The ticket costs about 12,000 yen, making it a little under 3,000 yen per day. With a little timing, you can cover the full length of Japan by train even on a tight budget.

Bus

There is an excellent bus service that covers the entire country, run by JR, the national train company. These buses usually leave from major stations and stop at regular points on the expressways where you can get off and take local buses to your final destination. Often they run overnight, making a convenient means of covering a long distance and saving a nights' accommodation fees in the process. Find out more at your local JR station or JNTO tourist office.

There is also a very good network of private bus companies within most cities that will get you around fairly economically. Buses come in two types: pay-as-you-board, and pay-as-you-leave types. The first type have a fixed charge that you pay as you enter at the front of the bus, and then you just get off where you want (usually there is a button to tell the driver to stop). The second type usually have a fare based on the distance of the journey. With these, you get a ticket as you board the bus at the middle or rear, and then you pay the total amount when you get off at the front. The price is usually on a board above the driver at the front of the bus - watch the cheapest amount as you get on, and keep an eye on it as it increases with every stop.

If in doubt, give the ticket to the driver and he'll tell you how much. Practice those numbers...

Plane

There are many internal flights that link the many dozens of minor and tens of larger local airports. If you are thinking of taking a long trip in Japan and don't have the Japan Rail Pass, think about flying. Taking a train from Sapporo to Fukuoka may seem a good idea, but the scenery is guaranteed to get boring. And it'll take a full day off your schedule. Flying will probably be cheaper and take a couple of hours.

The major national airlines (JAL, JAS and ANA) run special offers in the off season when you can buy a one-way ticket from anywhere to anywhere within Japan for 10,000 yen or less (some routes have recently fallen as low as 7,000 yen). Check with any travel agent in Japan for details, or see the many adverts on TV and trains etc. as the off season approaches.

Renting cars

It is easy to rent cars in Japan with an international driving licence. Make sure you get one before you come if you think there is a chance that you might rent a car. You will probably also need your passport and a credit card.

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