www.tcvb.or.jp
Tokyo Turistic guide

www.kanko-osaka.or.jp
Osaka Turistic guide

www.global.city.sapporo.jp
Sapporo Turistic guide

www.okinawa.com
Okinawa Turistic guide

www.city.akita.akita.jp
 Kobe Turistic guide

www.siip.city.sendai.jp
Sendai Turistic guide

www.city.kobe.jp
Kobe Turistic guide

www.city.fukuoka.jp
Fukuoka Turistic guide

www.gethiroshima.com
Hiroshima Turistic guide

www.pref.nagasaki.jp
Nagasaki Turistic guide

www.city.nagoya.jp
Nagoya Turistic guide

www.hida.jp
Hida-Takayama Turistic guide

Travel Tips

Whether you are a first time visitor to Japan or a seasoned traveler, we hope our travel ideas can help you make the most of your trip.

Airport

• For airport information at some of the main airports in Japan, go to Narita Airport - Tokyo, Kansai International Airport - Osaka, and Nagoya Airport - Nagoya
   

• Train and Limousine  Bus travel times from Narita Airport - Tokyo,  Kansai International Airport - Osaka, and Osaka (Itami) Airport
   

• Airport Limousine service from Narita Airport and Haneda airports to downtown Tokyo
   

• MK Shuttle Service from Kansai International and Itami airports in Osaka to Kyoto
   

• Arriving on a late flight but have plans to stay at a ryokan far from Tokyo or Osaka? Flight delays, long lines at immigration, exchanging money, finding your way around Narita and Kansai International airports, ...it usually takes longer than you think to finally leave an airport. It is best to stay the first night at one of our Tokyo, Narita, or Osaka ryokans. With the 17:30 (5:30pm) check in times at the ryokans, you probably won't make it. Relax and get rid of your jet lag at a nearby Tokyo, Narita, or Osaka  ryokan before heading out to your next ryokan stay.

Rail

Little did I know that I was going to passenger train heaven when I moved to Japan. This country has an amazingly extensive train system. And it is super-efficient. The trains run on time, and leave very frequently. The Yamanote loop line, for example, which runs around central Tokyo, leaves every two minutes during rush hour. The main passenger rail company, Japan Railways (JR), operates 26,000 trains daily on average. Although you sometimes have to change trains several times on a voyage, you can get almost everywhere in Japan by train, even from one main island to another, whether by the world’s longest tunnel or an oversized bridge. The country’s investment in its passenger train infrastructure is staggering.

The diversity of trains is also remarkable. Although most are electric, and many are 15 cars long, diesel trains sometimes consisting of a single car serve some small communities. Although most trains go very fast, there are some milk runs that just amble along. Some train systems seem built to show off Japan’s high-tech prowess. The recent Yurikamome Line, for example, linking Tokyo to the artificial island of Odaiba in the middle of Tokyo Bay, is a gleaming monorail with big windows to appreciate the views of the immense Rainbow Bridge and the futuristic buildings. And the trains have no drivers…

At the top of the pecking order of the Japanese train system are the “bullet trains” (shinkansen). Their network now extends to numerous cities, covering over 2,400 km. About 800,000 people take them daily. Inaugurated in 1964, the year of the Tokyo Olympics, they are sleekly aerodynamic and have stylish, spotless interiors featuring well upholstered seats and starched linen head rests. The trains are staffed by very courteous conductors (male), who bow on entering and leaving each car and tip their hat as they check your ticket. Also on board are elegant attendants (female) who sell food and drinks from trolleys with a grace that is unique to this country. Conductors and attendants are impeccably dressed in smart uniforms.

Bullet trains depart surprisingly often - every few minutes between Tokyo and Osaka - and are so punctual that JR boasts “you can use them to set your watch”. I once hesitated when I noticed that I had been booked on two connecting bullet trains with only a four minute transfer, but this turned out to be lots of time, as both trains as usual were perfectly on time. According to one source, station masters’ train schedules are calibrated in seconds, not minutes.

Part of the trick for a smooth transfer is to find the marker on the platform with your train car number, wait to get on at exactly that spot - the train always stops at precisely the right place - and enter decisively as soon as descending passengers have left, because the train makes only a short stop. You then pass directly through the automatic glass doors into the hushed interior.

Bullet trains are safe, amazingly smooth and very fast. The fastest (and most expensive) version is the Nozomi. It is considerably faster than France’s TGV. The engineering feat is that you only really sense the great speed when you run parallel to an expressway, and notice that your are overtaking the cars at a stupendous clip. The other indication of speed is the laconic announcement which appears during long straight sections of the track on the electronic notice board at the end of the car: “you are now traveling at 300 km/hour”.

My most vivid experience of the speed of the bullet trains was while waiting at a platform for my train, at Kurashiki. Out of nowhere, a super-express bullet train at full speed tore past on the track right in front. I nearly jumped out of my skin! I can’t recall ever feeling a greater sensation of power from any machine: the platform shook mightily and the air compressed, as with a terrific roar the 15-car train roared by me in about two thrilling seconds.

Although the bullet trains often traverse heavily populated areas, especially in the busiest corridor linking Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka and Hiroshima, there are always appealing views of mountains and well-tended rice fields – not to mention the latest huge construction projects in Tokyo. The undeniable scenic highlight of this line, for those who are fortunate to be traveling on a day when the sky is clear, is the view lasting several minutes of Mount Fuji, a spectacular and mythic presence.

Natural scenery is best appreciated on the local lines, at slower speeds. From Nagoya to the charming, isolated highland town of Takayama, the Hida train follows the Miyagawa River and offers stunning views of unspoiled rapids and mountains. In November, the fall foliage is gorgeous. On Shikoku, the fourth main island of Japan, which is relatively undeveloped, a delightful train ride links the castle city of Kochi to the mountain temple town of Kotohira, climbing through the forests covering the central range of mountains.

A surprising train experience is possible in the middle of the winter, when taking the bullet train from Tokyo to Nagano (where the 1998 Winter Olympics were held). As virtually no snow falls in Tokyo, the plain you cross heading north-west toward the Sea of Japan is snowless. Without warning, as you emerge at high speed from a long tunnel, you suddenly find yourselves in a very different place, the “snow country” of the Japan Alps. The countryside is covered in white and people are bundled up against the cold – a total contrast from what you left just minutes before.
Copyright D Paget, All Rights Reserved, 2003

• If you are planning to do a lot of  traveling around Japan, a JR Japan Rail Pass will save you quite a bit of money and make your traveling experiences a lot easier and more enjoyable.
   

• For more detailed information on rail routes. rail passes, and ticket information visit the Japan Rail East and the Japan Rail West websites
   

• Traveling to the popular hot spring area of Hakone? How about fitting a visit to Mt Fuji? Do you want to explore Kamakura and Enoshima Island, or travel around the ? Go to the Odakyu Railway website for rail information and learn all about their FreePass (discount round-trip tickets) for these areas. Here is some more information on the Hakone Free Pass
   

• Print out useful rail, bus, and sightseeing information for Takayama and nearby Shirakawago at the JNTO's Takayama and Shirakawago website
   

• Use the Japan Traffic Guide to find out how to get from one train station to another
   

• Tokyo and Osaka Subway Networks
   

• More information about traveling around Tokyo and a printable PDF map of the Tokyo subway system
   

• Finally, a general overview of rail travel in Japan

Bus

• This website explains Japan's highway bus transportation system, and there is even a database which will tell you the bus schedules and bus fares.

Other Practical Tips

• Money - Japan is still very much a cash-based society, and credit cards are not used widely as in other countries. There are few International ATMs in Japan compared to other countries. Most Japanese banks do not have International ATMs and they will not accept your credit cards or debit cards. However, the best place to find International ATMs is at the Post Office. The International ATMs at the Post Office allow you to withdraw money using your foreign-issued VISA, Plus, MasterCard, Eurocard, Maestro, Cirrus, AMEX, Diner's Club, and JCB. Post Office hours are restricted so the best time to go is from Monday to Saturday between 9:00 and 17:00. Go to the Japan National Tourist Organization's Money page and also check out Japan-Guide.com's ATM web page for more detailed information.
   
• Citibank ATM and bank locations in Tokyo and some other cities in Japan
   
• Exchange Rates Table for converting Japanese Yen and other foreign currencies
   
• Announcement: There is now a Kyoto Tourist Information Center for Foreigners. Go out of the Central Exit of JR Kyoto train station and take the escalators on your left all the way up to the 9th floor. Turn left and go inside the building. The staff speaks English and they can answer all your questions about what to see and do in Kyoto. They also have an Internet service (100 yen for 15 minutes).
   
• A list of Tourist Information Offices around Japan you can print up and take with you
   
• Lost in Japan? Call Japan Travel Phone: 0088-22-4800 (Travel directions are given from: 9:00am - 5:00pm)
   
• Rentafone Japan - Cell phone rental for visitors to Japan

• Money and ATM
• Citibank ATM and bank locations
• Exchange Rates Table
• Tourist Information Offices (PDF file - download)
• Rentafone Japan