Home  >  Guides  >  What is the Main Transportation in Japan?

What is the Main Transportation in Japan?

Roverista

Aug 27, 2021 · 8 mins read

For those of you who want to travel to Japan, knowing about its transportation system before you are there can be helpful. Did you know that transportation in Japan is considered one of the most efficient and punctual in the world? That's right!

The Japanese transportation systems include many forms, such as buses, trains, the famous Shinkansen, and even taxis and cabs. Here's the main transportation you need to know before visiting Japan.

TRANSPORTATION YOUR SHOULD KNOW IN JAPAN

  1. Shinkansen
  2. Train
  3. Highway Bus
  4. Plane
  5. Subway
  6. City Bus
  7. Taxis & Cabs

1) Shinkansen

OKYO, JAPAN Shinkansen bullet trains at Tokyo station @ Delphotostock / Adobe Stock

Shinkansen is a Japanese phrase meaning 'new trunk line' and refers to a super-fast train that quite literally bolts over tracks. You might know them as "bullet trains". These bullet trains can travel at speeds up to 320 miles an hour, which is absolutely stunning.

Once on the Shinkansen, not only do you see the world blurring by, but you do it comfortably on cushioned seats. There is ample space for both you and your bags in the ordinary (basic); and green (business class) cars. Other facilities include toilets; electrical outlets; smoking, and food trolleys with all kinds of mouth-watering food, drinks, and bento.

Shinkansen lines are extensive and cover Japanese regions to the north, south and sideways. You can take the bullet train from Hakodate in the north to Kagoshima in the south, and from Tokyo in the west all the way east to Hiroshima, and vice versa.

Prices & Operating Times

While individual trips are always available to pay and ride only once, you should consider buying a JR pass. The JR pass is a great way for visitors to make multiple trips in the Shinkansen.

With a JR ordinary pass, you get unlimited Shinkansen rides for 7 days in 29560 Yen, 14 days in 47250 Yen, and 21 days in 60450 Yen. On the other hand, to get the unparalleled luxuries of the green pass, you pay 39600 Yen for 7 days of unlimited rides, 64120 for 14 days, and 89390 Yen for 21 Yen.

2) Trains

Fujikyu Railway train railroad track with snow covered Mount Fuji ( Mt. Fuji ) background in cherry blossom springtime. Fujiyoshida City, Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan @ Shawn.ccf

There are many regions still not coverd by the Shinkansen. But don't worry, you can both save money and travel easily through regular Japanese trains. There are many different types of local Japanese trains, each with its own unique features and facilities. These include:

Local Trains

The Japanese call these traditional, slow-paced trains Futsu. They are the slowest trains that run over Japanese tracks today. You can take a local train if you don't want to spend a lot on travelling since they don't have a surcharge on the fares.

What's probably the best thing about these local trains is that they're found at every train station. So even if you don't have any other options, local trains will never leave your side!

Rapid trains

These trains are called Kaisoku in Japanese. As the name suggests, these trains are fast. And even though they're more expensive than local trains, the increased speed should be worth each dime you spend. Also, you don't have to pay any surcharges on the fares, which is an added benefit.

Rapid trains have fewer destinations than local trains, but the list is still very extensive.

Express trains

Express trains or Kyuko are another train option if the Shinkansen doesn't go where you want to go or if you wish to save money on travel. The prices of express trains are almost identical to local trains.

However, unlike local trains, express trains don't make many stops and don't operate in every single station.

Limited express trains

These limited express trains known as Tokkyu in Japan can also be considered an alternative to the Shinkansen. You may be required to pay a limited express fee along with the base fee to be able to ride the limited express.

These trains only make stops at major Japanese stations and thus may not be that convenient.

3) Highway Buses

Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan - HIGHWAY BUS HIGHWAY BUS of Central Japan Railway Company front of JR Shinjuku Station @ vacant / Adobe Stock

Highway buses are yet another form of Japanese inter-city transport. These buses will be perfect for you if you want to spend a little on travelling and don't mind slower journeys. Highway buses give you the chance to save several thousand yen, which you can then spend on that Japanese souvenir you've had your eye on!

Among the bus options are the JR Group and Willer express, both of which travel across Japanese cities and regions.

Highway buses also have many facilities! These include reclined seats with cup and drink holders, luggage racks, electric outlets, storage trunks, and toilets.

These buses have set departure timings throughout the day, and most require you to make bookings in advance.

4) Plane

Nagoya, Japan - June 08, 2017 Aircraft at Chubu Centrair International Airport @ leeyiutung / Adobe Stock

While travelling in Japan, you'll have the option to travel by plane across the many beautiful tourist spots and attractions. Planes are also the fastest method of travelling domestically in Japan, which is why you should consider them. Many air travel companies in Japan offer domestic flights, all waiting to take you wherever you please.

Two huge names in Japan's air travel industry are Japan Airline (JAL) and All Nippon Airways (ANA). Following are details about these two and more Japanese airlines offering domestic flights:

Here are the major airports in Japan, operating both domestic and international flights:

5) Subway

JR Train @ kawamura_lucy /Adobe Stock

Japan's most popular tourist areas of Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka are also served by Metro or subway networks. You also have options when it comes to private companies, and you can choose between JR and many other trains.

Metro buses and subways are convenient and accessible forms of transportation, which is why travellers to Japan should consider them.

The difference between JR & Metro

To put it simply, JR and Metro are different companies. The first one offers transport services overground, while the second one underground.

Both Jr and Tokyo Metro can be taken to travel within cities.

Prices & Operating Times

Subway trains start operating as early as 5 am and stop at midnight. This means you can travel wherever you want throughout the day.

To ride the Tokyo Metro, you have to pay from 170 to 320 yen based on your travel distance. However, you may also buy a one-day unlimited travel pass for 600 yen, saving on multiple trips.

Japanese Cities with Subways (With Maps)

  1. Tokyo
  2. Yokohama
  3. Nagoya
  4. Sendai
  5. Sapporo
  6. Kyoto
  7. Osaka
  8. Kobe
  9. Fukuoka

6) City Bus

Public transport bus in Tokyo - TOKYO JAPAN - JUNE 19, 2018 @ 4kclips / Adobe Stock

Besides the Metro and subways, you can also use city buses to travel around Japanese cities. These buses charge you to take you to your desired stop.

In Tokyo, Osaka, Hiroshima, Sendai, Kyoto, Nagoya, Kanazawa, and other favourite tourist metropolises, you can even step onto special city buses. These buses are mainly used to give foreigners a chance to visit their must-see spots within Japanese cities. They follow a tailor-made route for visitors.

Prices & Operating Times

Buses generally have similar charges to subway trains. You could expect to pay several hundred yen, which is very cheap when converted into US dollars.

You can find schedules for off-season and peak season buses here.

7) Taxis & Cabs

Kyoto, Japan - April 17, 2019 Taxi black cab car in traffic on road Aito company bussiness sign on car vehicle in downtown city @ Andriy Blokhin / Adobe Stock

Like most countries, you can find cabs on Japanese roads too. These cabs take you wherever you tell the driver to, but you already know that! What sets taxis apart from regular cars is their green number plates, which will help you identify them too.

There are three main types of taxis in Japan:

Small and medium taxis have engine capacities of up to 2000cc, while large ones contain over 2000cc engine capacities.

How to use Cabs in Japan

Using cabs in a new city might intimidate you, but don't worry and rely on this guide. To hail your cab, you can either stand at a taxi cab in front of train stations or simply gesture one to stop at a safe place.

One important thing to note about these cabs is the vacant or occupied indicator. You need to watch out at the bottom left of a cab's windshield for either a green or a red sign. The red sign indicates that the cab is vacant and you can approach it, and the green one means that it is occupied and you need to look for another one.

Next, make sure you hand the driver the address on a piece of paper, or even simply show it to them on a map. This will help if you don't speak Japanese.

Prices & Operating Times

Cab fares differ depending on the region, company, and even cab size. In standard four-passenger cabs, you can expect to pay 400-700 yen for the starting 2 kilometres. Then, the fare increases by 90-100 yen each 300-400 metres.

Cabs operate throughout the day and you should be able to stop one easily.


0 claps      
0 saves

Related Post