Last updated January 22, 2023

Note: This is part 2 of a series dedicated to my Japan travel advice. For the entire series, see:
• Part 1 - When to Go & Where to Stay
• Part 2 - Getting Around
• Part 3 - Getting Online & Saving Money

Transportation Basics

Japan has one of the best transit systems in the world. If you have lived in a city with a decent public transportation system, you’ll do just fine with catching trains. But even if you haven't, don't worry! The trains typically run really frequently, are rarely late, and are easy to figure out after a few rides.

Major Japanese train stations (or 駅 eki) are not like the American stations I have been to. Major Japanese train stations, like Tokyo’s Shibuya, Shinjuku, or Tokyo Stations, Osaka's Namba Station, Kyoto’s Kyoto Station) are like giant shopping malls that happen to have a train station inside of them. There’s tons of shopping and food inside of and adjacent to the major train stations. They're really quite massive and you can easily get lost in the them—even my friends who are born in Tokyo have gotten lost trying to navigate major stations. So just make sure you have allocated enough time to find what you’re looking for and try not to get too frustrated. Smaller stations are much simpler and typically only have a few stands or stalls, so they're very easy to navigate in comparison.

One tip is to try to stand or sit near the door on the train so you can read the signs over the door easily. I actually recommend standing on the trains for the first few rides, as sitting makes it easy to miss your train if you're only going one or two stops. Just be sure you don't block the door when people are trying to board. The trains have signs and maps over the door that tell you the next station. The new trains have LED video monitors or digital screens that are really easy to read and displays stop names, announcements, and other helpful information in English and Japanese. It is harder to see the stop map on the older trains—especially if you don't read Japanese—but you can still figure it out because the stop names typically written in English as well as Japanese.

Japan has one of the best transit systems in the world. If you have lived in a city with a decent public transportation system, you’ll do just fine with catching trains. But even if you haven't, don't worry! I suggest brushing up on Japanese train etiquette and learning how to be a good train passenger, and you will be fine!

Also, in Tokyo at least, if you’re a man or traveling with men, do not board the pink train cars during commuting hours. It’s pretty clearly labeled, but if you’re rushing onto a train (which you shouldn’t do anyway, as it's dangerous to run on the platform) you could accidentally board a "women-only" car. These women-only cars are in effect during the major commuting hours (i.e. mornings and evenings).

A Note About Taxis

Japanese taxis have a reputation for being really expensive. In the past, I rarely took them unless the trains stopped running for the night (trains usually stop running by 1am) or if I was splitting with friends. Also, taxis cost more at nighttime, so there’s also that to keep in mind. But starting with my Dec 2023 trip, I actually took taxis much more than I ever used to. I typically used Uber to call taxis, and I found they were the same prices as Uber Comfort rides in LA or San Francisco. There's also an app called GO! that Japanese residents use, but it required a Japanese phone number when I tried to register so I stuck with Uber.

Taxis are fairly easy to catch in Tokyo if you're near a major station; there's usually an area where taxis line up and you can board them. Many drivers speak some English. When you use Uber, the driver already has the address for your destination. So when I don't catch taxis via Uber, I typically just direct the drivers to a train station or a major attraction nearby where I want to go, and then I will walk a little to the exact spot I need to go to.

When telling your driver your destination, try not be too vague—they really need an address to enter into their GPS, unless you can give them a major landmark or train station. If you're not comfortable speaking Japanese, have the address printed out or written on your phone so you can show it to them. If you're going to tell them a landmark or location verbally, the drivers will know the major stations in big cities, but if you try to tell them a specific restaurant, hotel, or store name, it likely will just cause confusion. They probably will have no idea where you’re trying to go, even if you speak Japanese fluently. So just stick to landmarks. And don’t worry too much about price gouging—I have not heard much about this happening at all in Japan. Finally, two things to remember: 1. don’t tip the driver, as it is not customary to tip anyone in Japan, and 2. do not try to open or close the taxi door, as they’re usually automatic and will close when the driver presses a button.

The JR Pass

You may have seen the Japan Rail (JR) Pass advertised. This is a transit pass offered by the Japanese government to tourists in Japan. Japan’s train and rail system has two buckets: government-operated (like JR) and privately operated (there are a variety of private companies, like Keio, Keisei , Hankyu, or Odakyu). The JR pass allows you unlimited access on most JR trains, as well as some JR-operated buses and ferries. This can be a great deal with fantastic savings, but it depends on your trip's itinerary because the JR Pass does not work on private lines. You have to buy a ticket or use a transit card for private lines. Determining whether or not you need a JR pass depends on how long you’ll be staying, what train lines you’ll need to take, or whether or not you’ll be staying in one region or taking expensive trains (like the 新幹線 shinkansen, bullet trains) across the country. Read more about Japanese private vs goverment operated lines here.

Determining whether or not you need a JR pass depends on how long you’ll be staying, what train lines you’ll need to take, w whether or not you’ll be staying in one region or taking expensive trains (like the shinkansen) across the country.

I used to always get a JR pass because I usually visted both the Tokyo and Kyoto/Osaka metropolitan areas. But now I opt for convenience more than price savings and just take whatever is fastest; taking a JR pass can make your transit times increase drastically because you might not always be able to take a direct route that uses private lines. Sometimes only relying on JR trains is not ideal; they can be really inconvenient because a private line often provides a faster or more direct route. Also, sometimes the JR train or bus won't directly go to your destination if it's less touristy or more obscure place, meaning you'll have no choice but to pay for a private rail train.

Overall, before you buy a JR pass, you should calculate the cost of how much it will take to get to all of your major destinations without a pass and then compare it with total cost of the JR pass. I suggest using Hyperdia to do this because its filtering feature allows you to plan routes that only relies on JR trains (Google Maps does not do this—it shows you the fast/most convenient route regardless of whether the train is JR or private rail, so you have to pay attention to the lines it shows). Also, if you're planning to take the shinkansen between Tokyo and Kyoto/Osaka, then you should know that the JR pass only works on the slower lines and not the the fastest Nozomi line

Planning Your Route

You can use Google Maps to get a general idea of what routes to take within a city or when traveling from city to city, like Tokyo to Kyoto. But if you’re concerned about maximising your JR pass, Hyperdia is better because Google typically shows you the most convenient route, which may or may not include private lines.

Suica & Pasmo

Regardless of whether you get a JR Pass, I highly recommend getting either a Suica or a Pasmo card when you arrive. They're transit cards (similar to San Francisco’s Clipper or Los Angeles’ TAP cards); you can load money on them to pay for the train, bus, or ferry. There used to be more of a difference between Suica and Pasmo, but now it really doesn’t matter—in most major cities, you can use either card. I personally have a Suica card because the mascot is a cute penguin. You can pick up a Suica or Pasmo card at the airport, or any major train station.

But having a transit card is extremely convenient because you don't have to fumble with change as you try to enter the station, which helps minimise confusion. Just pay attention to the balance remaining as you enter or exit a station, but rest assured knowing it’s very easy to reload the card at any station. One other feature that makes a Suica/Pasmo card useful is that you can also use them outside of trains and buses. You can also use these cards in konbini or vending machines. Even some clothing stores and other places will accept them! For more about Suica and Pasmo, see The Japan Guy’s post that explains the cards in depth.

Airport Advice

I try to fly into Haneda Airport in Tokyo. Narita Airport is larger, but it is also quite far from Tokyo. And as much as I love Japanese trains I don’t like the feeling of wasting time traveling an hour to Tokyo when Haneda only takes 30 minutes. If you do fly into Narita, you could take the N’EX (Narita Express) train. It costs a bit more than local trains that make more stops because it's marketed to tourists and travelers going to/from the airport. I used to always take N'EX, but on my last trip I took the Keisei Narita Skyaccess. It is a more limited route, so it still feels fast. However you get to Narita, be sure you don't catch a local train on accident. They stop at every station so it will probably take over an hour

While I prefer Haneda Airport's location and amenities a bit more, Narita is still a great airport, so you won’t go wrong either way. Haneda is just a little more convenient for my travel style, but not all airports can fly internationally to Haneda so it’s not an option for everyone.

I’ve taken the train, a taxi, and airport shuttle buses to and from the airport. Trains are convenient from Haneda and Narita, but if you have a lot of luggage it can be stressful taking the train. A taxi from Haneda is not too bad in the early morning when there’s light traffic, but a taxi from Narita is so expensive that I don’t want to think about it. Airport shuttles are nice options too.Refer to Japan Guide’s pages for more information about Haneda and Narita airports.

Heavy Suitcases? Ship Your Luggage!

A recent thing I learned on my December 2023 is the art of using the TAK-Q-BIN, or luggage delivery service, provided by Yamato Transport. Whenever you see people hauling massive suitcases, they're almost always foreigners in Japan. That's because Japanese residents use 多急便 takyuubin services to have their luggaged shipped to their destinations. This also includes shipping to airports! That part is the game changer for me because you can just pick up your suitcases at the terminal (they'll hold them for you, even if they arrive a few days before you do) and then walk over to the check-in desks. It's also not as expensive as I thought. In December 2022, it was less than 70 USD to ship 3 large suitcases from Osaka to Narita airport and have them held there for 5 days. It's so much easier than lugging large suitcases accross the country via train or bus. It's such a convenient service! You can ship your luggage to pretty much any destination in Japan (and internationally, although I imagine it's expensive). Osaka, Haneda, and Narita airports all have. You can find Yamata Transport offices and counters all over Japan, but there is a directory here with English speaking staff that caters more to tourist needs. When I used it, I was given the option to buy protective covers for my bags; 2 of them were large duffels full of souvenirs (mostly snacks and clothes I bought from GU ?) so I purchases covers for those. I also used TSA locks to secure the bags. This service is such a game changer that I will use it from now on, whenever I am traveling to different cities in Japan. Read more about TAK-Q-BIN here!

➡️ Continue to Part 3 - Getting Around