Travelling by train in Japan

You can reach Japan from London without flying in two weeks, by Trans-Siberian Railway. First, travel from London to Moscow - see the London to Russia page (48 hours). You then have a choice:

Option 1, take the 'Rossiya' which runs every second day from Moscow to Vladivostok in 7 days. The Far East Shipping Co operates a twice-weekly passenger ship from Vladivostok to Fushiki in Japan, taking 36 hours.
Option 2, travel from Moscow to Beijing on one of two weekly Trans-Siberian trains, taking 6 days. From Beijing, take an overnight train to Shanghai, then there are two weekly ships to either Osaka or Kobe in Japan.

Travelling by train in Japan
Whether you travel overland or fly to Japan, the Japanese railways are the way to get around. There are high-speed lines, built to standard gauge (4' 8½") known commonly as the 'bullet train' or shinkansen in Japanese. The first shinkansen opened in 1964, and there are now several 'shinkansen' lines linking all the most important cities in Japan, including Niigata, Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Hiroshima and Hakata. There is also an extensive network of original 3' 6" gauge lines, covering the whole of Japan and taking you to almost every city and town of any size.

There are some impressive sleeping-car trains too, for example Tokyo-Nagasaki and Tokyo-Sapporo. These run on the original narrow-gauge lines, but they can save time compared with daytime travel, even using shinkansen.
Travelling by train in Japan is easy, as the stations have signs and departure boards in English as well as Japanese.

Two classes are provided: ordinary class and 'green car' (1st class). Green cars are indicated by a green 'clover' symbol next to the entrance door. Japanese trains are very clean and modern, and are amazingly punctual.

Train times & fares for Japan
Visit www.hyperdia.com for lots of useful timetable information. Another useful resource is www.japanrail.com. The famous Thomas Cook Overseas Timetable is also a key source for Japanese train routes and train times in printed form (available at our 'Books on Travel' section.)

In Japan, children aged 0 to 5 travel free, children aged 6 to 11 travel at half fare, children aged 12 and over pay full fare. Rail fares in Japan are expensive, and if you are an overseas visitor a Japan railpass can be the cheapest way to travel even if you are only planning one return trip from (say) Tokyo to Hiroshima.

Japan Rail Pass
The advantages of a Japan railpass - Train fares in Japan are very expensive by European standards. Even if you are only planning one or two inter-city journeys, a Japan Rail Pass can be the cheapest way to travel. For example, the normal return fare from Tokyo to Hiroshima is about £200, Tokyo to Kyoto about £140. A 7 day Japanese Rail Pass costs around £156 and offers unlimited travel. You can use www.hyperdia.com to check point-to-point fares for the journeys you intend to make, then compare these with the Japan railpass prices at www.railchoice.co.uk.

Types of Japan railpass: Japan Rail Passes are available for 7, 14 or 21 consecutive days unlimited travel on the national Japan Railways network, in a choice of ordinary class or 'green' (first) class. You can use any JR train service, including both high-speed Shinkansen and ordinary narrow-gauge trains, except for the very fastest 'Nozomi' expresses on the Tokyo-Osaka-Hakata Shinkansen (this is not a problem, as you can use the 'Hikari' expresses on this route, which are only slightly slower). You can also use overnight sleeping-car trains, if you pay the rather large sleeper supplement - Tokyo to Nagasaki by sleeping-car costs ¥9,700 (about £51) one-way for a basic 'B' category bunk in addition to your Japan rail pass. The pass does not cover lines that are run by private rail operators.

Buying a Japan railpass - it must be bought outside Japan and is available online with www.railchoice.co.uk.
When you buy a Japan railpass in the UK, you will be given a voucher which needs to be exchanged for the railpass itself in Japan any time within the following three months. Vouchers can be exchanged at most important JR stations, including Tokyo and its airports, but unfortunately not including Fushiki if you arrive in Japan by ship from Vladivostok. Train reservations can be made in Japan at any ticket office once you have your railpass, but they cannot be made from outside Japan before you get there. FUrther resources for further Japan Rail Pass information are www.japantravel.co.uk/jrp.htm and www.japanrailpass.net.

'Ryokans' and capsule hotels
There are two unique types of overnight accommodation which you should try in Japan. 'Ryokans' are traditional Japanese inns. The rooms don't have beds, but are covered with 'tatami' matting on which you place a bedroll. You will probably be offered a hot cup of green Japanese tea when you first arrive. 'Ryokans' are the Japanese equivalent of B&Bs, so they are an inexpensive option compared with hotels, as well as an experience.
Another Japanese experience, which is an ultra-cheap option for staying a night in the heart of Tokyo or other big cities, is a night in a capsule hotel. The hotel reception looks like any other hotel reception - just remember to take your shoes off before you walk in, and place them in one of the lockers in the lobby. Upstairs, there will probably be several floors of fibreglass sleeping capsules, each floor with its own locker room and shared showers. You change in the locker room and put your clothes and bags into your locker. Your capsule has radio, alarm clock and TV, and a screen or curtain pulls over the capsule entrance for privacy. Unfortunately, the main clientele for these hotels is Japanese businessmen who have missed their last train home, so they don't tend to cater well for women or couples.

Things to see in Japan
It's impossible to mention every sight or attraction Japan has to offer, but here are some highlights of a visit to Japan that might give you some ideas:
Tokyo - One of the worlds greatest cities. Stay in a capsule hotel; Visit the site of the Tokyo castle (now just foundations) near the entrance to the Emperor's palace; shop till you drop in Tokyo's busy Shinjuku district; take a JR suburban train out to Kamakura to see the Great Buddha, the second largest bronze Buddha in the world.

Nikko
A not to be missed day trip from Tokyo, Nikko's history as a sacred site began in the middle of the 8th century AD. There are many temples and historic buildings spread through woodland in the hills around this small town, including the famous three monkeys: 'See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil'. Frequent trains of the Tobu Railway link Tokyo Asakusa station with Nikko in less than 2 hours (Japan Rail Passes don't cover the Tobu Railway).

Kyoto
Capital of Japan from 794AD until 1867, Kyoto should be on every visitor's itinerary. Office blocks and pinball arcades in the modern city rub shoulders with tiny wooden houses in the older parts of town. There are several important temples in and around the city, including the famous Kiyomizu-dera Temple, and the Kimkaku-ji Temple or 'Golden Pavillion'.

Nara
A worthwhile day trip from Kyoto, Nara is home to the Great Hall of the Buddha, the world's largest wooden building, housing the world's largest bronze Buddha. The train trip from Kyoto takes just 35 minutes, and there are usually two trains each hour. This line is run by the Kesei Railway.
Himeji

The best preserved traditional Japanese castle at Himeji, on the Shinkansen between Osaka and Hiroshima - well worth a stop.
Nagasaki

The second atomic bomb exploded in Nagasaki three days after the Hiroshima one - although this time not quite in the centre of town, but in a suburb called Urakami. However, Nagasaki has much more to offer than reminders of 1945. Nagasaki has a long and fascinating history, and many beautiful temples and historic buildings have survived.

Hiroshima
Hiroshima needs no introduction. It's a large modern city, but you'll never forget your visit to the Peace Park, the epicentre of the atomic bomb explosion, or a tour of the museum there. You can see the 'T' shaped bridge (or rather, it's modern replacement) at the top of the Peace Park - this was allegedly the aiming point of the bomb-aimer of the 'Enola Gay'.

There are six main train travel operators in Japan which are known as Japan Railways, plus many local railway operators. Japan train times: www.hyperdia.com. Tokyo metro website (with map) - www.tokyometro.jp.
London-Japan by Trans-Siberian railway.

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