Railways

Japan Railways (JR) consists of seven companies that service most of Japan. The Shinkansen, or "bullet trains", provide ultrafast links for some of the main districts. Private and municipal railways and subways run within and between the major centres. Services are punctual but trains are crowded at rush hours in large cities. A number of lines now have women only carriages at busy times. On long distance trains only a few carriages are available for smokers, and non-smokers should avoid these as the smell of tobacco is very strong. Local tourist information offices, and the green striped ticket offices (Midori-no-madoguchi) at JR stations are excellent sources of information when planning and during your journey.

Japan Rail (JR) Pass

The JR Pass provides unlimited travel on Japan Rail trains (except the Nozomi Shinkansen), affiliated buses and ferries at a bargain price. A JR Pass Exchange Order must be purchased outside Japan before you visit, and then presented at one of a limited number of outlets in Japan to receive your Pass. It is easiest to use the JR ticket office at the International airport upon your arrival. Exchange Orders are valid for three months from the date of issue. Prices are as follows:

JR Passes are available for children aged 6 to 11 years at half of the above prices.

When traveling on long distance services such as the Shinkansen, head to the green striped ticket offices (Midori-no-madoguchi) at JR stations with your pass to organize your journey. An excellent English language train timetable and planning website is http://grace.hyperdia.com/cgi-english/ hyperWeb.cgi.
Your JR Pass is also useful for discounts at JR Group hotels, listed in the JR Pass brochure.

The JR group also issues a cheaper regional Japan Rail Pass, valid for a shorter duration in regions of Japan such as Hokkaido, Kyushu, north east Japan or western Japan. These are better value and just as convenient in situations where you know you will be travelling in one of these regions.

Intracity Transportation

Subways are available in major cities and are very convenient for travellers. JR's Yamanote-sen loop line in Tokyo and Kanjo-sen loop line in Osaka circle the centres of their respective cities. You can pick up an English version of the subway map at the airport's information desk. Remember that there is usually no English language translation available from bus drivers, so you should know your destination. The entrance for the buses is usually located at the rear of the bus. Taxis can be more convenient for foreign travellers, though they cost a lot more than a bus ride of the same distance. A written address is enough for a taxi driver to take you to your destination. If the red light on the passenger side of the front windscreen is lit, the taxi is available for service. The rear door will open automatically, and there are plenty of taxi ranks at train and bus stations. International drivers licenses can be used for car rental, available at airports and major train stations.