Quick Transportation Tips in Japan
Approximate reading time: 18 minutes
Train station in Fukuoka, Japan, featuring the "Kanpachi Isaburo" (かんぱち・いさろく) train.
Table of Contents
Introduction
Disclaimer
Tips
Know the railways of the regions you’re going to
Get a Transportation Card
Advantages
Disadvantages
Japan Rail Pass
Advantages
Disadvantages
Navigation Apps
Google Maps
Japan Travel
Sometimes, taking the taxi makes sense
If all else fails, just ask the station master!
Ending Notes
Introduction
Nishitetsu Fukuoka (Tenjin) Station is the largest station operated by Nishi-Nippon Railroad (Nishitetsu).
Japan is known for their efficient and extensive transportation system. You’ve probably seen it in our videos – how amazed we seem to be just by doing our commute from one place to another.
Although many countries we’ve visited already have their own sophisticated transport system, Japan takes it a step further with their thoughtfully designed railways.
With very specific stops, locations and timetables for each train and bus, the transportation companies get their reputation for being punctual, with very little instances of delay.
But because of their extensive network, navigating the commute every day can be confusing especially for first-timers. We know, because we’ve been there, too! We’ve taken the wrong train on the wrong platform, or the right train but in the opposite direction, and even a completely different company.
That’s why we discuss all the important tips we think will be useful for your next trip to Japan! Spend less time getting lost in the train stations, and more of it exploring your itinerary. With this guide, we hope you get to travel Japan like a pro.
Disclaimer
The information presented in this article may be subject to change at the venue or service provider’s discretion. You may check their respective websites or social media accounts for any updates on the price, location, and other details. Additionally, this article may contain affiliate links from which we get a portion of profit, at no added cost to you. These links are safe to click.
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Tips
Know the railways of the regions you’re going to
Of the many railway companies in Japan, one of them is the most extensive: Japan Railways (JR) is a government-owned railway company whose services extend from the northernmost part of Japan to the southernmost area of Kyushu. You will find JR lines at every major city, especially the busiest ones where the shinkansen or bullet train stops.
Other than the JR, many privately owned railway companies are found only in select regions in Japan; make sure you familiarize yourself with these before your trip, because they don’t all go to the same places! It’s also important when planning your itinerary, so that you can purchase the passes that make the most sense with your trip.
Spanning areas of Metropolitan Tokyo and nearby prefectures, these privately owned railways can be used to travel around Yokohama, Saitama, and other neighboring regions:
Tokyo Metro
Tobu Railways
Seibu Railways
Keisei Electric Railways
Keiyo Corporation
Odakyu Electric Railways
Tokyu Railways
Keikyu Corporation
Sotetsu Holdings
In the western areas of Osaka, Kyoto, Nara and Nagoya, you’ll find the Nagoya Railroad (otherwise known as the Meitetsu Railway), Kintetsu Railway, Keihan Electric Railway, Nankai Electric Railway, Hankyu Railways and the Hanshin Electric Railways.
Going even further south will take you to the Kyushu region where you’ll find Fukuoka. Here, the Nishi-Nippon Railroad (otherwise known as the Nishitetsu Railway) operates locally within the region.
That said, the trains and platforms are labeled clearly, so you just have to watch out for the signs and boards that indicate what Google maps has pointed you to. Note the destination of the trains as well.
Get a Transportation Card
Get Suica Card here
You’ve probably heard of ‘Suica’ or ‘ICOCA’ cards and thought: what does all that mean?! Well, they’re basically prepaid transportation cards you can use to travel within cities or regions throughout Japan. You load some money into the card using a machine, and then you just tap it on the ticket gates when entering and exiting a station. It’s easy!
There are different types you can purchase depending on the region where you avail it. The greater Tokyo and eastern area have the Suica and Pasmo; the Kansai area of Osaka, Kobe and Nara have the ICOCA and PiTaPa; Sapporo and Hakodate in Hokkaido have the KitaCa; and Fukuoka in Kyushu has the Sugoca, Nimoca and Hayakaken available.
Don’t worry – all of these can be used in most stations all over Japan! They can even be used to pay at vending machines, convenience stores, and some shops.
Advantages
One advantage of having a transport card is a smoother experience when transferring trains. For example, if you need to transfer from a JR line to a Kintetsu train, you won’t have to look for the ticketing booth or machine for either of them.
This also saves you time, since buying a ticket for every trip can cost you minutes to even an hour of your day, if you’re traveling to many places. You won’t even need to look at the map provided to estimate how much your fare is; it just automatically deducts from your card.
The transportation cards are also refundable – just surrender this to a nearby ticket booth and they’ll return your Y500 deposit fee for this. How convenient! If you choose to save it for your next trip, you can also do that. Just make sure to use it within 5 years, or else it expires.
Disadvantages
While it can definitely save you time and money from having to adjust fares, it could also cost you more money if you aren’t careful! Be very sure about the trains you should take, because it can be very expensive to go back once you’ve exited the station gates.
Transportation cards aren’t meant for inter-region travel. If you want to go to Tokyo from Osaka or vice versa, you’ll have to go to the ticket booth to buy a shinkansen or limited express ticket, regardless of the amount in your transportation card. Now, we don’t really see this as a major setback since waiting for these long-distance trains may take some time anyway, but it might be something you need to consider for your trip.
Japan Rail Pass
As mentioned earlier, Japan Railways’ trains span nearly all of Japan – to entice visitors to explore more of the archipelago, they offer the highly sought after JR Pass. You’ve probably heard of it before; the JR Pass gives you unlimited rides on all shinkansen (except Nozomi and Mizuho), and nearly all JR lines across the country. There are only very few exceptions, and even then, these might not be part of your trip anyway.
The JR Pass covers limited express, rapid, and local trains, as well as some local buses. Nozomi and Mizuho are not included, likely because these are the fastest shinkansen in Japan.
Advantages
If you’re traveling to different places across Japan from Fukuoka to Hokkaido, you’ll get the most bang for your buck with a commuter pass like the JR Pass. A one-way shinkansen from Fukuoka to Tokyo alone can cost you upwards of Y15,000, consisting immediately of ¼ the price of your JR Pass. You can only imagine your ROI with a complete trip all the way to Sapporo in Hokkaido – what a steal!
The best part about the JR Pass is that the more you use it, the more you get your money’s worth. Since you’re entitled to unlimited rides, even on the shinkansen, you can get lost and explore as much as you want… responsibly, of course.
There’s also no need to worry about fare adjustment or calculation – if you enter and exit at a JR station, all you need to worry about is if the pass covers that trip. Most likely, it does. Just remember to get your pass again once you’re past the ticket gate, because this isn’t replaceable!
When availing of a JR Pass, there are 2 types of cars to choose from: the ordinary car or the Green car. The Green car is just the business class of trains in Japan, but it’s not really that necessary. You can choose to have the pass for 7, 14, or 21 days, depending on your itinerary.
The price for ordinary cars are YPRICE (7 days), YPRICE (14 days) and YPRICE (21 days). On the other hand, Green car JR Passes are available for YPRICE (7 days), YPRICE (14 days) and YPRICE (21 days). These are all available on Klook, and once you finish your purchase, your voucher and instructions for claiming will be sent to your email.
Disadvantages
While the JR Pass is definitely convenient for many backpackers, it can also have its drawbacks. For one, it may sometimes be more expensive than a direct flight. For example, a roundtrip shinkansen and rapid train from Tokyo to Sapporo might cost more than a JR Pass, but even a flight from Haneda to New Chitose Airport could be cheaper on Japan Airlines.
Train rides also take longer, even with the new technology installed in the shinkansen. Getting to Sapporo from Tokyo alone can reach 8 hours of travel time.
If you really want to take this route, you can avail of this cheaper commuter pass: the JR East-South Hokkaido Pass covers the shinkansen from Metropolitan Tokyo, to other parts of Eastern Japan all the way to Hakodate in South Hokkaido. It also covers other local trains within Sapporo. The JR East-South Hokkaido Pass is available on Klook for YPRICE for 5 days.
Another possible disadvantage of the JR Pass is its limitation to the JR lines. This is to be expected since it’s provided by the company itself, but this is also something to consider when you plan your itinerary. For example, buying this pass may not make sense if the Keihan railway covers more of your destinations in Kyoto. Or if you’re only staying in Osaka, the Osaka Metro Pass might be more useful and convenient to your agenda.
For trainspotting fans, the restriction of the Nozomi and Mizuho, two of Japan’s fastest shinkansen, may come as a disappointment. You can still ride these, but for an added fare.
Nonetheless, if you really want to use these trains, there is a cheaper option for an itinerary based in Osaka, Kyoto and maybe even Hiroshima! The JR West Kansai-Wide and Kansai-Hiroshima Passes include unlimited rides on the Nozomi and Mizuho shinkansen up to Okayama or Hiroshima station.
The JR West Kansai-Wide Pass is available on Klook for YPRICE for 5 days, while the JR Kansai-Hiroshima Pass costs YPRICE for 7 days.
Navigation Apps
Google Maps
It should come as no surprise that this is our favorite, go-to navigation app anywhere, especially Japan. With its easy and familiar interface, navigating the complex train routes in Japan becomes less daunting. Google Maps provides different routes and estimated prices for nearly all the destinations you enter on it, even going so far as to indicate the railway company, line, and platform number you need to get on. This should make it less likely for you to get lost.
One of the best features is the time adjustment system, where you can see the routes and ETA if you choose to leave at a certain time. Or, if you need to arrive at this place by a certain time, it provides you with an ETD.
Google Maps also shows timetables for most trains and buses, indicating the time of arrival of the next train or bus for that stop. The best part is that it’s a free app!
The only qualm we have with Google Maps is that the location is not so accurate sometimes, so you’ll need to manually input your current location to get a better route estimate.
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Japan Travel
Japan Travel app by NaviTime
Another recommended app is the Japan Travel app by NaviTime, specifically catered to navigating areas in Japan. It works the same as Google Maps does, but this is better used if you’ve availed of commuter passes like the JR Pass or Subway Passes. With features that suggest the best and available routes while considering your commuter pass, it’s easy to see why the Japan Travel app comes recommended by the JR company.
Like Google Maps, this also provides different routes and estimated prices. Japan Travel, however, has the added feature of including the fare difference if you have certain commuter passes.
Railway companies, lines and platforms are also indicated, and it has the same time adjustment features we mentioned before.
The only downsides to this app are that it isn’t as extensive nor is it as intuitive as the Google Maps interface. Also, it’s a free app, but it can only use one commuter pass at a time. You have to pay to have it show the best routes for multiple pass holders.
Even so, we think it’s still a good app to have. It’s a valuable feature anyway, so you never know when it might come in handy!
Sometimes, taking the taxi makes sense
Taxi in Japan
Taxis in Japan are known to be on the more expensive side; this is what makes the train so attractive to take in the first place! However, for families or groups of around four to six people, it might be more cost-efficient and convenient to just hail a taxi. Especially for short distance rides, the cost of a taxi trip might just be the same as a train ticket.
For larger groups, it’s also good to consider hiring a private van or coaster for longer distances. Alternatively, you can also try booking a private tour.
If you are traveling with older adults or persons with disabilities that keep them from walking long distances, it might also be the better option than having them brave the public transportation. While it may be efficient, it may not be the best environment for them to be in for long periods.
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If all else fails, just ask the station master!
Station masters
Navigating is definitely hard on an empty stomach and with tired feet! If your trusty Google maps has led you astray or you just don’t have the energy anymore, just look for the nearest information booth; all stations will have one.
Station masters are especially knowledgeable about their designated area. They are also very friendly, so just ask away! You can use a translation app or device if you need to.
Ending Notes
Ukiha Station in Ukiha City, Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan.
And those are all the tips we can give for taking on Japan’s very intricate transportation system! Do you feel ready for your trip? We’re sure you’ll be an expert in no time, anyway.
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