Preparing for my Japan trip was overwhelming when it came to trying to understand the public transportation there. I had already decided that driving wasn't the best idea, and I had to have an idea of what I was getting myself in to with my bum feet (nerve damage in both), so I put this blog together with all of the information I found helpful:

All airport, subway, train and bus stations that I came across in Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka all had bilingual signs with English. The intercom announcements and platform signs are also in Japanese and English. If you were to travel without internet access you would still be able to figure out how to get around.

Various subway and train signs.

JR Passes

JR National Passes include long distance traveling on the Shinkansen trains, but once you activate it it must be used on consecutive days. It includes JR trains, JR buses and the Narita Express. You MUST buy one before getting to Japan and it's only for tourists. I heard that this rule recently changed and there were a couple locations in Japan that were selling these passes, however I would buy one in advance just to be safe. When you arrive in Japan you have to exchange the voucher for the actual pass, which you can do at both major airports. I did it as soon as I got off the plane, knowing that I was going to hit the ground running, and it was worth the extra time at the airport. 99% of the time I was in Tokyo I used JR lines. When you're using the JR pass you don't use the ticket gates, you show your pass to an agent located in a booth next to the gates, regardless if you're using the subway or if you have a ticket for a Shinkansen. I purchased a JR Pass and I'm glad I did. I wasn't convinced that it was worth the money, but it ended up being a value for me because I was traveling between multiple cities, and I spent five days on Tokyo using JR lines. Be warned though, it's not cheap; at the time of writing a 7-day pass is $254 USD, 14-day pass is $406 USD and a 21-day pass is $519. If you aren't sure it's worth the money for your trip you can price everything on Hyperdia and compare. Alternately there are regional passes you can get instead.

A note about Shinkansens- You have to book your ticket at the JR office in the train station. The lines are long, so allow extra time. You'll have a reserved seat ticket so make sure to specify if you want a specific seat, and if you are traveling with other people and want to sit together. If you don't have a JR pass and you book at ticket on a Shinkansen you can do so at a kiosk, however you won't be able to reserve a seat unless you buy the ticket in the ticket office. The seat layout is ABC_DE and there is plenty of overhead storage space for carry-on size luggage as well as lots of legroom.

A platform sign and the interior of a Shinkansen

Pasmo and Suica Cards

Pasmo and Suica cards are reloadable cards, like a debit card. They can be used on Tokyo private train lines, Tokyo subway lines and JR lines. They can also be used on most bus lines, trains, vending machines and convenience stores all over Japan, but can not be used on Shinkansen trains. You can buy them online in advance or once you get to Japan and it is re-loadable. I bought mine in advance and it came pre-loaded with $20 which was nice to have one less thing to worry about. Originally Suica cards could only be used in the Tokyo area but now you can use them all over Japan. Pasmo cards were for the Kansai region, but now they are both virtually the same- kind of like visa/amex/mastercard. They all do the same thing, they're just made by different companies. I bought a Suica card and predominately used it in Kyoto and Osaka since I used JR lines in Tokyo.

If you need to reload your Pasmo/Suica card, you can do so at any train/subway station. It's considered an IC card, so when you use one of the fare adjustment machines, select 'English' at the top of the screen on the right-hand side and then select the option to reload or check the balance on an IC card. If you know you have enough funds on the card for your ride and you can't get through the gate, talk to one of the agents. They can check your card and see what's wrong.

Kansai Pass

The Kansai Pass is for (you guessed it) the Kansai area, including Kyoto, Nara and Osaka, and includes trains, subways and buses. It also includes discounts to numerous attractions. There is a 2-day pass for 4,000 yen and a 3-day pass for 5,200 yen. You don't have to use it on consecutive days like the JR Pass and you can buy it in Japan. If you took the bus 6 times a day (which in Kyoto you will if you plan on seeing multiple temples) that equals about $14 USD a day. If you did that for 3 days that's $42 USD. That doesn't make the 3-day pass a deal, however if you use the card for any of the attraction discounts I think it would be worth it. Since I didn't plan on going to any of the included attractions I skipped the Kansai Pass.

Buses

I didn't end up use buses in Tokyo or Osaka but it was my predominant mode of transportation in Kyoto. You can use the Pasmo/Suica card on the bus if you don't have exact change. If you don't have one of those AND you don't have exact change, the machine at the front of the bus where you pay to get off has a change machine attached to it. Just make sure you get change before your stop so you aren't holding anyone up. I ended up spending WAY too much money on bus transportation-an average bus ride costs 230 yen. There are bus passes you can buy at the Kyoto Bus Information Center in front of Kyoto Station. There is an all-day pass for 500 yen (about $5 USD) which is a STEAL. I wish I had gotten that and I definitely will next time.

Walking

Just a note about walking- There are so many people in Japan it isn't uncommon to walk in the street when necessary. The Japanese are pretty aggressive when it comes to walking, so be prepared. Also keep an eye out for bicycles, they're everywhere and they're fast! I had trouble with Google Maps when using it for walking directions, and at one point the map was literally spinning around in circles on my phone. Even with GPS set to high accuracy the location wasn't always accurate, so my advice would be to still use Google Maps, but expect to walk a couple of extra blocks!

All of the buses and trains were 100% accessible as well. Yay Japan!

You can read more about my Japan trip here:

Staying Connected In Japan

Japan: Things I Didn't Know

#japan #asia