{"id":1364,"date":"2017-05-15T08:00:07","date_gmt":"2017-05-15T06:00:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.jrailpass.com\/blog\/?p=1364"},"modified":"2022-06-15T09:59:10","modified_gmt":"2022-06-15T07:59:10","slug":"rush-hour-japan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.jrailpass.com\/blog\/rush-hour-japan","title":{"rendered":"Rush hour in Japan trains and subway: Travel tips"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The country of Japan is actually a chain of more than 6,500 islands ranging in size from tiny sandbars to the main island of Honshu, with an area of nearly 90,000 square miles (230,000 square kilometers). As an island nation, Japan enjoys only a limited amount of space to hold its bustling, vibrant cities.<\/p>\n<p>You\u2019ve likely seen photographs of people pressed together in crowded trains and subways in Japan. If you are planning a trip to this unique country, do not be intimidated.<\/p>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.jrailpass.com\/blog\/transportation\">Public transportation in Japan<\/a> seldom reaches the pitch displayed in some viral videos. With a little prior planning, you can avoid the crowds all together. Consider the following information and travel tips to make your Japanese vacation one to remember.<\/p>\n<p>Looking for <strong>travel tips for avoiding the crowds<\/strong>? Apply these simple tips to keep yourself informed and to avoid any annoying travel delays.<\/p>\n<div id=\"toc_container\" class=\"toc_white no_bullets\"><p class=\"toc_title\">Table of Contents<\/p><ul class=\"toc_list\"><li><a href=\"#Avoid_traveling_during_rush_hour\"><span class=\"toc_number toc_depth_1\">1<\/span> Avoid traveling during rush hour<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#Take_the_Shinkansen\"><span class=\"toc_number toc_depth_1\">2<\/span> Take the Shinkansen<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#Traveling_during_holidays_or_other_busy_periods\"><span class=\"toc_number toc_depth_1\">3<\/span> Traveling during holidays or other busy periods<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#Read_the_maps_carefully\"><span class=\"toc_number toc_depth_1\">4<\/span> Read the maps carefully<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#Plan_routes_and_itineraries_wisely\"><span class=\"toc_number toc_depth_1\">5<\/span> Plan routes and itineraries wisely<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#Learn_to_locate_your_platform\"><span class=\"toc_number toc_depth_1\">6<\/span> Learn to locate your platform<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#Remain_kind_and_courteous\"><span class=\"toc_number toc_depth_1\">7<\/span> Remain kind and courteous\u00a0<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n<h2><span id=\"Avoid_traveling_during_rush_hour\">Avoid traveling during rush hour<\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Especially when visiting large cities such as Tokyo and Osaka, you will want to avoid traveling during rush hour. <strong>Throughout Japan, rush hour typically lasts from 7 AM to 9 AM each morning, and 5 PM to 7 PM each evening.<\/strong> These are the times when many residents and going and coming from secular employment.<\/p>\n<p><strong>The morning rush hour tends to be a bit heavier than the evening rush hour<\/strong>. Sunday afternoons are another busy time, as many people are off from work or returning from weekend travels.<\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019ve flown in from another time zone, <strong>you may find yourself waking at odd hours due to jet lag. If so, take advantage of this!<\/strong> Trains begin operating at 5 AM, so if you are an early riser, beat the rush by arriving at your destination before 7 AM.<\/p>\n<p>To avoid the evening pedestrian congestion, consider taking an early dinner. If planning an evening out, try to arrive at your restaurant of choice before 5 PM. Have a leisurely meal, and rush hour will likely be over before it is time to return to your accommodations.<\/p>\n<h2><span id=\"Take_the_Shinkansen\">Take the Shinkansen<\/span><\/h2>\n<p>This one may look like a no-brainer, but Japan\u2019s famous <a href=\"https:\/\/www.jrailpass.com\/shinkansen-bullet-trains\">Shinkansen bullet trains<\/a> do seldom carry intense rush hour traffic, as they are designed for long-distance rather than local travel.<\/p>\n<p>If you have the option of taking a bullet train or a local train, <strong>always choose the Shinkansen<\/strong>, as you will be able to ride most of them for free with the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.jrailpass.com\">JR Pass<\/a>.<strong><em>\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">\n            <a class=\"fasc-button banner-button-shortcode fasc-size-large fasc-type-flat fasc-rounded-medium ico-fa fasc-ico-after fa-chevron-circle-right fasc-style-bold\" href=\"https:\/\/www.jrailpass.com\/the-japan-rail-pass\">\n                Buy your JR Pass\n            <\/a>\n        <\/p>\n<h2><span id=\"Traveling_during_holidays_or_other_busy_periods\">Traveling during holidays or other busy periods<\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Unless traveling specifically to experience the holiday festivities, you may wish to avoid planning your vacation during <a href=\"https:\/\/www.jrailpass.com\/blog\/golden-week-travel-tips\">Golden Week<\/a> or the New Year Holidays. Golden Week lasts from April 29 to May 5 each year and can be longer if a weekend precedes or follows these dates. Many Japanese residents take advantage of these <a href=\"https:\/\/www.jrailpass.com\/blog\/japan-holidays\">holidays<\/a> to travel or visit family, so sometimes even the Shinkansen trains will be standing room only.<\/p>\n<h2><span id=\"Read_the_maps_carefully\">Read the maps carefully<\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Pay attention to the legend on maps which identifies distance. In some areas, you may be able to quickly walk from one station to another, bypassing multiple stops. This can save valuable time during rush hour.<\/p>\n<p>For detailed maps of Japan Railways, be sure to check out our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.jrailpass.com\/maps\">Maps<\/a> page and download your maps in PDF format.<strong><em>\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<h2><span id=\"Plan_routes_and_itineraries_wisely\">Plan routes and itineraries wisely<\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Find out where most of the commuter traffic is headed, and plan your activities elsewhere. In Tokyo, for example, the following lines are heavily trafficked by rush hour commuters: the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.jrailpass.com\/blog\/yamanote-line\">JR Yamanote Line<\/a> from Ueno to Okachimachi; the JR Chuo Line from Nakano to Shinjuku; the Tokyo Denentoshi Line from Ikejiri Ohashi to Shibuya; the JR Tokaido Line from Kawasaki to Shinagawa; and the JR Sobu Line from Kinshicho to Ryogoku.<\/p>\n<p>You can get the latest information on routes, timetables, schedules, and prices using the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.jrailpass.com\/hyperdia\">Hyperdia<\/a> website feature or smartphone app.<strong><em>\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<h2><span id=\"Learn_to_locate_your_platform\">Learn to locate your platform<\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Station workers will aid the stream of pedestrian traffic during busy times. Check your ticket for your platform number, and keep an eye out for directive signs.<\/p>\n<p>If traveling during rush hour is essential, try to position yourself on the platform in order to board the first or last car of the train. This will somewhat lessen your wait time when departing.<strong><em>\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<h2><span id=\"Remain_kind_and_courteous\"><strong>Remain kind and courteous<\/strong><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Japan may be known for crowded transportation, but it is also known for the courtesy, hospitality, and respectfulness of its people. If you do get stuck in an overcrowded train car or in the dizzying pace of rush hour, remain calm.<\/p>\n<p>Don\u2019t be angry, rude, or pushy; instead, be kind to those around you. If you need help finding a seat or getting to the correct platform, you\u2019ll be amazed at the willingness of others to help if you are able to keep your cool.<\/p>\n<p class=\"note\"><strong>Note<\/strong>: Don&#8217;t forget to check out our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.jrailpass.com\/blog\/japanese-etiquette-tips\">Japanese etiquette tips<\/a>!<\/p>\n<p>By following the aforementioned tips, you\u2019ll be able to beat the crowds, arrive safely at your destinations, and enjoy an unforgettable Japanese vacation.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The country of Japan is actually a chain of more than 6,500 islands ranging in size from tiny sandbars to the main island of Honshu, with an area of nearly 90,000 square miles (230,000 square kilometers). As an island nation, Japan enjoys only a limited amount of space to hold its bustling, vibrant cities. You\u2019ve likely seen photographs of people pressed together in crowded trains and subways in Japan. If you are planning a trip to this unique country, do not be intimidated.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1367,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[92],"tags":[],"acf":{"related_tours":{"tour_number":false},"bread_1":false,"bread_2":false,"bread_3":false,"bread_4":false,"bread_5":false,"bread_6":false,"bread_7":false,"bread_last":false,"custom_guide":"","pageresume":" ","shortcodes":false},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v20.10 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Rush hour in Japan: Train travel tips - Japan Rail Pass<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Learn to plan ahead and how to avoid crowds in Japanese trains and subways. Check out our travel tips and move around wisely with the JR Pass.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.jrailpass.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1364\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Rush hour in Japan: Train travel tips - Japan Rail Pass\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Learn to plan ahead and how to avoid crowds in Japanese trains and subways. Check out our travel tips and move around wisely with the JR Pass.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.jrailpass.com\/blog\/rush-hour-japan\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Japan Rail Pass Travel Blog | JRailPass\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2017-05-15T06:00:07+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2022-06-15T07:59:10+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.jrailpass.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/pedestrians-400811_1280.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1280\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"847\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"JRailPass\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.jrailpass.com\/blog\/rush-hour-japan#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.jrailpass.com\/blog\/rush-hour-japan\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"JRailPass\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.jrailpass.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/0af8e877c84593eb4df7dcd8cc76bbb2\"},\"headline\":\"Rush hour in Japan trains and subway: Travel tips\",\"datePublished\":\"2017-05-15T06:00:07+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2022-06-15T07:59:10+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.jrailpass.com\/blog\/rush-hour-japan\"},\"wordCount\":832,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.jrailpass.com\/blog\/#organization\"},\"articleSection\":[\"Travel Guides\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.jrailpass.com\/blog\/rush-hour-japan#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.jrailpass.com\/blog\/rush-hour-japan\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.jrailpass.com\/blog\/rush-hour-japan\",\"name\":\"Rush hour in Japan: Train travel tips - Japan Rail Pass\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.jrailpass.com\/blog\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2017-05-15T06:00:07+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2022-06-15T07:59:10+00:00\",\"description\":\"Learn to plan ahead and how to avoid crowds in Japanese trains and subways. Check out our travel tips and move around wisely with the JR Pass.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.jrailpass.com\/blog\/rush-hour-japan#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.jrailpass.com\/blog\/rush-hour-japan\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.jrailpass.com\/blog\/rush-hour-japan#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Japan Travel Blog\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.jrailpass.com\/blog\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Rush hour in Japan trains and subway: Travel tips\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.jrailpass.com\/blog\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.jrailpass.com\/blog\/\",\"name\":\"Japan Rail Pass Travel Blog | JRailPass\",\"description\":\"Discover Japan by train with the Japan Rail Pass\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.jrailpass.com\/blog\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.jrailpass.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.jrailpass.com\/blog\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Japan Rail Pass S.L. - JRailPass.com\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.jrailpass.com\/blog\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.jrailpass.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.jrailpass.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/logo.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.jrailpass.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/logo.png\",\"width\":214,\"height\":60,\"caption\":\"Japan Rail Pass S.L. - JRailPass.com\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.jrailpass.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.jrailpass.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/0af8e877c84593eb4df7dcd8cc76bbb2\",\"name\":\"JRailPass\",\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.jrailpass.com\"]}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Rush hour in Japan: Train travel tips - Japan Rail Pass","description":"Learn to plan ahead and how to avoid crowds in Japanese trains and subways. Check out our travel tips and move around wisely with the JR Pass.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.jrailpass.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1364","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Rush hour in Japan: Train travel tips - Japan Rail Pass","og_description":"Learn to plan ahead and how to avoid crowds in Japanese trains and subways. Check out our travel tips and move around wisely with the JR Pass.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.jrailpass.com\/blog\/rush-hour-japan","og_site_name":"Japan Rail Pass Travel Blog | JRailPass","article_published_time":"2017-05-15T06:00:07+00:00","article_modified_time":"2022-06-15T07:59:10+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1280,"height":847,"url":"https:\/\/www.jrailpass.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/pedestrians-400811_1280.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"JRailPass","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.jrailpass.com\/blog\/rush-hour-japan#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.jrailpass.com\/blog\/rush-hour-japan"},"author":{"name":"JRailPass","@id":"https:\/\/www.jrailpass.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/0af8e877c84593eb4df7dcd8cc76bbb2"},"headline":"Rush hour in Japan trains and subway: Travel tips","datePublished":"2017-05-15T06:00:07+00:00","dateModified":"2022-06-15T07:59:10+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.jrailpass.com\/blog\/rush-hour-japan"},"wordCount":832,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.jrailpass.com\/blog\/#organization"},"articleSection":["Travel Guides"],"inLanguage":"en","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/www.jrailpass.com\/blog\/rush-hour-japan#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.jrailpass.com\/blog\/rush-hour-japan","url":"https:\/\/www.jrailpass.com\/blog\/rush-hour-japan","name":"Rush hour in Japan: Train travel tips - Japan Rail Pass","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.jrailpass.com\/blog\/#website"},"datePublished":"2017-05-15T06:00:07+00:00","dateModified":"2022-06-15T07:59:10+00:00","description":"Learn to plan ahead and how to avoid crowds in Japanese trains and subways. Check out our travel tips and move around wisely with the JR Pass.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.jrailpass.com\/blog\/rush-hour-japan#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.jrailpass.com\/blog\/rush-hour-japan"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.jrailpass.com\/blog\/rush-hour-japan#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Japan Travel Blog","item":"https:\/\/www.jrailpass.com\/blog"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Rush hour in Japan trains and subway: Travel tips"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.jrailpass.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.jrailpass.com\/blog\/","name":"Japan Rail Pass Travel Blog | JRailPass","description":"Discover Japan by train with the Japan Rail Pass","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.jrailpass.com\/blog\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.jrailpass.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.jrailpass.com\/blog\/#organization","name":"Japan Rail Pass S.L. - JRailPass.com","url":"https:\/\/www.jrailpass.com\/blog\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en","@id":"https:\/\/www.jrailpass.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.jrailpass.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/logo.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.jrailpass.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/logo.png","width":214,"height":60,"caption":"Japan Rail Pass S.L. - JRailPass.com"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.jrailpass.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.jrailpass.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/0af8e877c84593eb4df7dcd8cc76bbb2","name":"JRailPass","sameAs":["https:\/\/www.jrailpass.com"]}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jrailpass.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1364"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jrailpass.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jrailpass.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jrailpass.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jrailpass.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1364"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.jrailpass.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1364\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jrailpass.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1367"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jrailpass.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1364"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jrailpass.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1364"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jrailpass.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1364"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}