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.
Imagine embarking on a journey across Japan with your Japan Rail Pass, not just to explore the diverse landscapes and rich culture, but to uncover a unique tradition: collecting eki train stamps.
This custom offers a special way to document your travels and engage with the Japanese railway system. Below, we delve into everything you need to know about this fun pastime.
The Hello Kitty Shinkansen is a pink-and-white bullet train that runs on Japan’s Sanyo Shinkansen line, connecting Shin-Osaka and Hakata stations. It includes themed cars, a gift shop, and provides a charming travel experience with its stylish Hello Kitty design. Passengers can ride it using a standard train ticket or a valid JR-WEST Rail Pass.
The Japan Railway West Co., better known as JR West, debuted a Hello Kitty bullet train service on its Sanyo Shinkansen line on June 2018. At the moment, like other special shinkansen trains before, it seems that this train will run for a limited time, for now it’s not known until when but, according to JR West, it will be announced 4-months a time.
This exciting train boasts Hello Kitty’s iconic red ribbon as the main theme, as a way to represent the strengthening of the ties between the Shinkansen services and the western part of the country. The best part? It’s included in your JR Pass!
Everyone wants to get the most out of the Japan Rail Pass (JR Pass) and make organizing a Japanese adventure a simple and stress-free experience. Thankfully, there is an app designed to be a Japan trip planner.
Japan Travel by NAVITIME — Japan’s leading travel app — provides valuable information and tools to help you navigate your way around the country.
Traveling around Japan using Shinkansen bullet trains is an absolute pleasure. They’re comfortable, convenient, luxurious, and above all, super-fast! However, at first, it can be difficult to know where and how to buy Shinkansen tickets.
Everyone wants to get the best value tickets possible, but without doing extensive research it can be tricky. This guide to Shinkansen tickets will explain the different types, where to buy them from, how to use them, and how you can save money by getting the best-value tickets.
HyperDia has been an invaluable route planner tool for those traveling on trains and Shinkansen within Japan with a JR Pass since the early 2000’s. However, recent changes in HyperDia’s timetable services mean that you may like to consider an alternative option.
Umeda is the name of the area surrounding both Umeda Station and Osaka Station. Umeda is considered the transportation hub for sightseeing in the Kansai Region, which includes popular destinations such as Osaka, Kyoto, and Kobe.
