How to plan a rail trip around Japan

In this sequence, we just take you step by stage by how we approach some of our most sophisticated journey adventures, so you can recreate them yourself with simplicity. In this article, Japanese-railway fanatic John Walton shares information on how to stretch your yen as considerably as possible on a teach excursion through Japan.

Whether or not you’re a teach fanatic (like me) or not, exploring Japan by rail is a satisfaction.

In sheer wide range of rail activities, Japan sales opportunities the way. The country’s community has ultramodern trains, classic trains, steam trains and each variety of educate in among, from routes that just take you on slow-journey rural journeys to the fastest Shinkansen bullet trains rocketing among the country’s most important metropolitan areas. 

It is most likely that everyone touring to Japan will end up on a educate at some issue. However if you want to develop a comprehensive teach itinerary to see the very best of the region, some superior preparing is necessary. Wherever to get started? Which trains to get? Exactly where to go? How a lot time to spend? Japan Rail Move or not?

I have spent extra than a decade checking out Japan, typically various times a year, and traveling by educate across this attractive and interesting state is one particular of my preferred issues to do in the entire world.

Here’s how to construct your own Japan rail journey.

Step 1: Outline your ought to-do list 

Figure out how a lot time you have and which destinations are on your have to-pay a visit to record, and develop a route from there. 

As with any excursion, what you can do will be established by how a lot time you have, as well as the time of 12 months. Japan is at its most delightful in spring and autumn, with summers incredibly warm and humid anywhere south of Hokkaidō. I’d suggest keeping away from the countrywide holiday break periods like Golden 7 days in early May well and Obon in the summertime, when tickets and accommodation are scarce and quite a few sights near down. If you want to do a great deal of factors that charm to Japanese youngsters (amusement parks, anime or manga points of interest, and so on), try to pay a visit to outside the house university vacations.

Choosing the “where” of your excursion is solely up to you and your passions. I normally advocate to mates that they imagine about a theme. Japan’s 12 remaining first historic castles, say, or temples, shrines and Zen gardens. You could possibly target on stunning significant-city life, tranquil rural trains that wind their way as a result of the mountains or a distinct little bit of specially charming Japanese preferred culture (like Pokémon, Studio Ghibli or Evangelion). 

Plotting out your stops on a map will enable you with route-creating. 

Action 2: Figure out wherever you want to start off and finish 

Wherever you fly in and out of may perhaps affect your route. 

For most global travelers, the simplest selection will be traveling into Tokyo. Most of the time that signifies Haneda Airport (HND), which is nearer to the city centre, though many airways however use Narita Airport (NRT), about an hour east of the city. Haneda is ordinarily much better, although provided that Narita is connected instantly to Tokyo Station (and numerous other individuals) by teach, it’s a very good solution if you want to get out of the cash and on the rails straight away.

Other big international airports like Osaka Kansai (KIX), Nagoya’s Chubu Centrair (NGO), Sapporo’s New Chitose (CTS) and Fukuoka (FUK) are also wonderful selections if you’re heading to their respective locations. An open-jaw itinerary – where you begin in a person city and depart from one more – is a excellent way to improve your time in Japan and especially suited to these who want to gradual down and investigate by prepare.

Still, odds are you are going to be setting up and ending your journey in Tokyo. I commonly attempt to create a couple days at the starting and conclude of my excursions below to plan and do a couple of the lots of remarkable points that the cash has to provide.

Stage 3: Uncover the ideal move for your journey

Figuring out your precise travel times could help you save you cash. 

Most travelers to Japan who want to do a lot more than a straightforward return from Tokyo to Kyoto will get great value out of the countrywide Japan Rail Go, particularly designed for tourists. There are a few variations of the countrywide pass, which you can use in excess of consecutive times: the 7-day move fees $226 ($32 for each working day), the 14-working day go $360 ($26 per working day) and the 21-day pass $460 ($22 for each day). When you look at that a 1-way Shinkansen ticket from Tokyo to Kyoto is additional than $100, these passes are a no-brainer for everything past a basic round-excursion train ticket.

Regional passes are another choice, but these can get complicated. I usually endorse them only for folks on longer journeys or who want to address precise places of Japan:

• On the westernmost island Kyūshū, JR presents passes in three- ($128), 5- ($140) and seven-working day ($151) variations. There are even finer distinctions out there, with more sets of passes devoted to northern Kyūshū, southern Kyūshū and the Fukuoka place.
• JR-East to the north of Tokyo delivers the five-working day Tohoku Location Move for $151 and the five-day Nagano-Niigata Area Move for $136.
• JR-West, covering the most important island of Honshū west of Kyoto, provides a staggering and frankly perplexing assortment of 10 passes for precise locations.

Step 4: Pick how considerably train time as opposed to non-teach time you want

Separate passes for various legs can make points less complicated. 

Although the value of a rail go increases the more you use it, it will nevertheless represent a huge chunk of your journey budget. (I usually estimate that the go will be about a single-third of the price tag of my total vacation.) Even as an avid rail supporter whose concept of a fantastic time features whizzing close to the region on a Shinkansen at 200 miles (320km) per hour, calming on a extravagant Confined Categorical, taking pleasure in the cultural working experience of a Joyful Teach trip or trundling by way of the countryside on little rural trains, I are likely not to want to do extra than 1 week of rail journey at a time devoid of location down in one location for a number of times.

As a rule, if I’m shelling out two months in Japan, I’ll bracket a seven-day Japan Rail Move amongst a handful of days in Tokyo on possibly side. If I’m investing three months, I might get two different 7-working day passes, with some time enjoyable in a cultural city like Kyoto, Nara or Kanazawa in the center, or even adhere with a single rail pass additionally a one-way return trip to Tokyo.

Move 5: Plan your weekend travel early

Some of the most pleasant trains operate on weekends. 

The 1st aspect of any rail excursion to system is the weekends, due to the fact that is when the Joyful Practice cultural tour trains are managing. Each the JR-East and JR Kyūshū regions have plenty of Joyful Trains, which are created for sightseeing and will cover some unbelievable terrain. 

I remarkably recommend JR-East’s SL (for “steam locomotive”) Gunma Yokokawa, which chugs from Takasaki to the Usui Tōge Railway Village at Yokokawa. JR Kyūshū’s new Two Stars 4047 in the Nagasaki region follows the stunning seaside route of the old key line. I also adore JR-East’s Higher Rail 1375, which travels together Japan’s highest railway line and also gives a nighttime stargazing trip.

As you plan, keep in thoughts that some Joyful Train routes have been diverted or suspended since of harm from storms (but not the three above).

Due to the fact automatic ticket equipment get the job done best for all those with some practical experience with Japanese trains, I’d book your excursion at any JR Company Center or ticket counter (the midori no madoguchi, with a environmentally friendly symbol of a human being comforting on a seat).

Stage 6: Strategy the scenic excursions and other highlights through the week

Strike well-liked sights in the quieter mid-week interval. 

Once you’ve planned your weekend vacation(s), think about how else you want to fill in your journey in in between your starting up issue, weekend Joyful Trains and your endpoint. With less holidaymakers, weekdays are a wonderful time to go to well-known sights.

You’ll also obtain lowered midweek prices at traditional Japanese resort inns, ryokan, minshuku and other lodging. Soaking all the going for walks you will do out of your legs for a few of days in a mountain hot-spring onsen is a wonderfully Japanese way to chill out.

Weekdays are designed for for a longer period educate excursions into Japan’s wonderful countryside, like on the extensive-length Restricted Categorical trains (slower than the Shinkansen, nonetheless faster than regional trains) or the beautifully charming rural area trains that crisscross Japan’s countryside.

Lots of have stunning views some of my favorites are JR Central’s Hida from Nagoya to Toyama via the Japanese Alps, and JR East’s Tsugaru from Aomori to Akita throughout the Tsugaru basic – a snowy must-do in winter.

I also appreciate JR Hokkaido’s Okhotsk/Taisetsu from Sapporo/Asahikawa to Abashiri, which delivers a peek into this distant island, and JR Shikoku’s Shiokaze from Okayama to Matsuyama, across the incredible Terrific Seto Bridge and beautiful countryside.

Neighborhood trains, much too – whether or not operated by JR or by personal railway traces – are attractive, frequently trundling by way of spots of Japan without any other type of rail services. Odds are you are going to be the only non-nearby in a compact railcar where the other travellers are schoolchildren, grandmothers and individuals likely about their everyday enterprise.

JR Hokkaido’s Senmo Line in between Abashiri and Kushiro operates through the Kushiro marshlands, the place Japanese red-crowned cranes make their household. The Shinano Railway in Nagano Prefecture uses pleasant vintage 115 series trains along the outdated Shinetsu Principal Line.

JR East’s Yamada Line from Morioka to Miyako is a springing-off issue for the gorgeous Sanriku Coastline, though the Wakayama Electric Railway south of Osaka is famed for its stationmaster cats at Kishi. And you cannot go mistaken on nearly any area line in Kyūshū, specifically in the region close to Nagasaki.

If I could do it all again…

I’d try to eat far more ekiben, the nearby specialty bento-box lunches out there at a lot of stations and produced to bring on board. Small rural stations may perhaps as a substitute have a soba, ramen or udon noodle shop or one thing identical in the waiting place – I’d unquestionably try to eat extra of that, also.

Carry a couple of vital items with you: a two-pin US-type fast phone charger, a energy financial institution (as not all trains have power details) and a reusable browsing bag for treats and drinks. Definitely use the levels system when you pack, given that Japanese trains run significantly hotter than many other countries’ in interesting weather conditions, and the air conditioning might not be as frosty as you’d be expecting elsewhere.

Acquire absolutely nothing larger than a medium have-on on the educate, and use Japan’s excellent luggage shipping and delivery solutions like Kuroneko Yamato to provide your suitcases between towns alternatively than toting them with you. This is specially vital in peak hrs or on non-express trains. Be aware that on some Shinkansen, you should make a baggage reservation if your luggage is additional than 160 linear cm (size x width x height).