If it is your first, second or third time travelling to Japan, this article offers great survival tips and guidance on everything you need to know about the train stations in Japan, including how to purchase single train tickets, how to make a seat reservation, how to find your train, store and transport your luggage.
Trains & Transportation
This section of our blog is dedicated to the public transportation in Japan, available for free to all Japan Rail Pass holders.
If you want to learn more about how to locate and take your trains from Tokyo or Kyoto stations; how to arrive in central Tokyo from Narita Airport, by taking the Narita Express (N’EX); how to ride the JR buses in the major cities or take the Miyajima ferry from Hiroshima, this section is for you.
You will also enjoy a number of comprehensive routes on how to arrive from one city to another; where to look for accurate online timetables; where and how to transfer between stations and more.
The JR Yamanote line: Getting around Tokyo
The JR Yamanote line, operated by JR East, is probably the most popular and convenient way for getting around Tokyo.
At 34,5 km (21,44 miles) long, this is the only line that connects all of Tokyo’s most famous central stations. It’s also known as the Tokyo green line because of the color of its trains and the green color used to outline its route on maps.
JR Pass holders can take advantage of this loop service for free. Taking any train on the Yamanote line is fully included in the JR Pass.
Narita Express: Tokyo Airport transfer with the JR Pass
The Narita Express – also known as N’EX – is the most convenient Tokyo city transfer from and to Narita International Airport, which hosts most of the overseas flights to Japan.
This limited express train service is fast, reliable, and punctual, and you can ride it for free with your Japan Rail Pass. Find out all the travel details in this post.
Train travel in Japan: a complete guide
If you are planning a trip with the Japan Rail Pass, better be prepared! You will be riding Japanese trains quite often.
In Japan, railroads are the primary mode of passenger transportation, and they have been ever since the first passenger steam locomotives debuted in Japan during the Meiji Restoration in 1872.
There is 30,625 km of rail lines all over Japan and they carry more than 9 billion passengers per year. Due to the country’s extensive use of its rail system, 46 of the top 50 busiest stations in the world are located in Japan.
Most Japanese rail lines have a unique name, normally taken from one of the cities or regions along the route, which means that the system is incredibly easy to navigate (the line names are even indicated on the tickets!).
Even so, figuring out how to manage the Japanese transportation system might be somewhat of a challenge for some. With that in mind, we’ve created this complete guide to the train system in Japan to help solve any doubts regarding riding the densha (how you say train in Japanese!).