By Gemma Tedaldi | Published: 30th May 2024 | Updated: 1st November 2024
Getting around Japan by train is one of the best ways to explore this wonderful country, but with all the various modes of transport on offer, (local train, express train and Shinkansen to name a few), what do you use? Plus with the recent significant price hike on the JR Pass, do you still need a JR Pass and if not what pass, if any, is best to use?
We recently spent 3 weeks travelling across Japan, from Tokyo to Hiroshima and back just using public transport, so we had our fill of experiences taking the Shinkansen, Limited Express Trains and Local / Rapid Trains and purchasing tickets for them all. Now to be honest, we did mess up a couple of times, but where is the fun in travelling when you don’t! If you have any problems staff at the stations are beyond happy to help and even offer cheaper alternatives.
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Travel Insurance: World Nomads
Now we decided against using a JR Pass for our trip as the cost of the pass was actually more expensive than buying individual train tickets as we went, (you can check this for your own route with the Japan Rail Pass Calculator which is a really helpful tool!). Unbeknown to us before we arrived, there is actually another great way to get around without having to buy a ticket at every station you pass through… Behold the Welcome Suica!
🎫 The Welcome Suica 🎫
One of the best things you can do as a foreigner visiting Japan is to get yourself the Welcome Suica card, as it can be used on pretty much all public transport across Japan, and if you arrive into Tokyo this is really simple to get in the airport, with lots of people around to help with any questions you may have. If you arrive elsewhere in the country you can get the equivalent card but it is called a Pasmo or Icoca depending on where you are.
These cards work by topping up as you go, at the pink machines, so all you need to do is swipe in and out of stations, or on buses or trams, and you have paid your fare for your trip. We would highly recommend downloading an app called ‘Japan Train Card Balance’, (catchy we know), that you can scan your Suica / Pasmo / Icoca onto and keep track of your spending.
You can also use these cards for taxi rides, luggage lockers at stations, (which is very handy if you are doing day trips!), purchasing food in certain stores such as 7/11 and other goods.
For most trains swiping your Welcome Suica before you get on board is enough, however certain trains will require extra tickets, such as Limited Express Trains and Shinkansens, (more on that below).
Also be warned as some local buses and boats only take cash, (as with quite a few places across Japan), so be sure to always have some change on you incase you cant use your Welcome Suica!
Getting Japan Train Tickets: Train Types & Ticket Requirements For Trains In Japan
Shinkansen (Bullet Trains)
Shinkansens are the quickest but also most expensive form of rail transport in Japan. They are only run by Japanese Rail, (JR), and have entirely separate tracks and platforms to the rest of the rail network.
📍 Can eat / drink – this is the place to try out a bento box or a selection of snacks from 7/11!
📍 Free wifi onboard
📍 Free charging facilities
📍 Lots of legroom
📍 Seats allow you to recline
When getting to your destination via the Shinkansen, as soon as they announce the next stop as being yours get up and ready to leave the train. Shinkansens are well known for being quick and on time, so by the time you are ready you will be at the station and they wont wait for you to get off if you’re not ready!
Also don’t expect good views the entire time you are on a Shinkansen as a lot of the time you may be in tunnels or hidden from view with high sided train tracks.
Shinkansen Tickets
You can buy both non reserved and reserved seats for on the Shinkansen.
🎫 For a reserved seat: Basic fare ticket + a super (limited) express train reserved seat ticket
🎫 For a non-reserved seat: Basic fare ticket + a super (limited) express train non-reserved seat ticket
🎫 The Limited Express Tickets on a Shinkansen range from around 800 yen up to 11000 yen depending on the distance.
As you need both the basic fare ticket and an express ticket the easiest way to get these is to go to a ticket counter within the station, ask for a Shinkansen to your end destination and if you want a reserved or non reserved seat. The other way is to get them from a ticket machine, which can be a little more time consuming, (especially if you are on a busy route as the trains get booked out quickly so you may be going back and forth with train options), but you can select your carriage and seats if you opt for a reserved seat.
Limited Express Train (Tokkyu)
Limited Express Trains only stop at major stations, making them really quick to get between destinations. They are also spacious and offer the option to buy food on board too. You may even end up on a fancy themed train as well, which makes it all the more fun!
📍 Can eat / drink
📍 Free wifi onboard
📍 Free charging facilities
📍 Some seat reclining depending on the locations
Limited Express Train Tickets
As with Shinkansens, you can buy both reserved and non reserved seat tickets for the Limited Express Trains. These are semi-easy to buy at ticket machines in the station.
🎫 For a reserved seat: Basic fare ticket or a Welcome Suica + a super (limited) express train reserved seat ticket
🎫 For a non-reserved seat: Basic fare ticket or Welcome Suica + a super (limited) express train non-reserved seat ticket
🎫 Limited Express Tickets cost between 500 yen to 4000 yen depending on the distance.
Now for full transparency, we thought we had the hang of buying train tickets after nearly three weeks in Japan, but we still got caught out with the Limited Express Trains. Luckily if you aren’t sure you have the right ticket you can either ask for help on the platform or when on board the train. On one train in particular we had bought a ticket, and swiped our Suica as per usual, but the train conductor told us that we also needed another ticket due to our somewhat unusual route, but that we could just buy it on board, so no big hassle or fines.
Express Train (Kyuko) / Rapid Train (Kaisoku) / Local Train (Kakueki-teisha or futsu-densha)
Now we have grouped these trains together as, other than the number of stops they have, they are pretty much the same. These lines are often the most crowded as they are also the cheapest and stop at many more stations than the Limited Express or Shinkansen.
📍 Can’t eat / drink – unless within in Green Car
📍 No wifi onboard
📍 No charging facilities
Local Trains stop at every stop along a route, so they can also be the longest in terms of travel time. Depending on the route and location they are also more like a Subway train or Metro rather than a typical train, so seating to the sides of the carriages, (you are travelling sideways).
Rapid Trains skip some stations in comparison to the Local Trains, but there is no difference in ticket price. These tend to have forward and rear facing seats, which can be easily adjusted in terms of direction, depending on which way you want to sit.
Express Trains skip even more stations than a Rapid Train, but again there is little to no difference in the ticket price. The seats are the same as Rapid Trains as well.
Express Train / Rapid Train / Local Train Tickets
The tickets for these trains are super simply to get, especially if you have a Welcome Suica, as all you will need to do, is swipe in and out of the stations you are departing and arriving at. However when taking certain trains on certain routes you have the option to upgrade your basic fare to allow you to ride on the Green Cars. These cost a bit more than just a basic fare ticket but the Green Cars are much more spacious and allow you to eat on them too.
🎫 For any seat in a normal carriage: JR Pass or basic fare ticket or Welcome Suica
🎫 For any seat in a Green Car carriage: JR Pass or basic fare ticket or Welcome Suica + an upgraded ticket or Suica Green ticket
🎫 Green Car fees cost between 500 yen for short distances and 8000 yen for longer distances.
If you have a Welcome Suica taking the Express / Rapid / Local Trains is really simple as you simply swipe in and out of the station. If you want to use the Green Cars however you will need to upgrade your Suica to add this which is really simple to do, (once you know what to do!).
Find a Green Car machine, which is generally on the platform of trains that have Green Cars, (some shorter distance routes don’t), and simply swipe your Suica selecting the Green Car option. This now means that your Suica is loaded with a balance ticket that allows you to use the Green Cars. Once on board a Green Car swipe your Suica to an empty spot, identified with a red light above, and then enjoy your journey!
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Typical Fares & How Long Does it Take to Get Around Japan?
We’ve set out below a few typical destinations and the time / cost to get between them via either train or Shinkansen:
🚅 Tokyo to Kyoto – approximately 14,000 yen / 2 hours by Shinkansen
🚅 Tokyo to Osaka – approximately 15,000 yen / 2 hours 30 minutes by Shinkansen
🚅 Tokyo to Hiroshima – approximately 19,000 yen / 4 hours by Shinkansen
🚅 Kyoto to Osaka – approximately 500 yen / 40 minutes by Local Train
🚅 Kyoto to Nara – approximately 720 yen / 1 hour minutes by Local Train
🚅 Kyoto to Hiroshima – approximately 12,000 yen / 1 hours 30 minutes by Shinkansen
🚅 Hiroshima to Miyajima – approximately 500 yen / 1 hour from the main train station via ferry to Miyajima
Rules To Follow On The Trains in Japan
📍 Firstly, and this goes for any public transport in Japan not just trains, but phones should be on silent at all times, and no phone calls can be made or taken unless in specific carriages.
📍 Oversized baggage, that can’t fit on the floor in front of your legs or on the overhead luggage storage, also needs a reservation as well as your own ticket – it sounds odd, but it helps to keep the train aisles clear and keeps heavy baggage in set compartments. We had 60-litre rucksacks and they easily fit in front of us or on the overhead racks.
📍 Be sure to not eat or drink on any public transport that isn’t an Express Train, Green Car or Shinkansen, as this is seen as rude.
📍 When moving your seats to face which direction you want, (yes you can do this on certain trains!), be sure to do so carefully and to not let them slam down.
📍 Lastly, be sure to reserve your seats on longer distance trains i.e from Hiroshima to Tokyo, Tokyo to Kyoto etc, as they often get fully booked, (in both reserved seats and non-reserved seats), and then you won’t have anywhere to sit.
Getting Around Japan By Train: Without Needing a JR Pass FAQs
What is the best way to travel around Japan?
We think by far the best way to get around Japan is via public transport, specifically the train network. During our entire trip in Japan, we utilised the train network, (with a bus and boat thrown into the mix as well), and even though it took a bit of getting used to, in terms of the language barrier and figuring out which tickets we needed for what trip, it was definitely the best way to get around Japan.
How do foreigners get around Japan?
Getting around Japan as a foreigner is no different to if you were a local, the only difference is that as a foreigner you can purchase a JR Pass and a Welcome Suica.
How easy is it to travel around Japan independently?
Neither of us had travelled to Japan prior to this trip, and although we are by no way Japanese speakers, (Matt does know a little bit of Japanese), Japan is very easy to travel around independently. Plus if you ever have any problems with getting around you can always ask a member of staff in the station or a local, they are more than willing to help and always extremely friendly!
How easy is it to get around Japan without speaking Japanese?
Almost all of the public transport that we used in Japan had both Japanese and English translations, both in the stations and on the trains / Shinkansen, making it very easy to get around without speaking Japanese. There was only one place we visited that only had Japanese, but we expected that as it was off the main tourist trail. For our entire trip we only had one mix-up where we got on a train in the wrong direction, which ended up being quite fun as we got chatting with a local about learning languages!
Conclusion: Getting Around Japan By Train: Without Needing A JR Pass
So getting around Japan via train without needing a JR Pass is actually super simple, and can even save you a fair bit of money along the way too. With train options such as Local, Express, Limited Express and of course the world-renowned Shinkansens, there are multiple options of public transport to take for every budget and time frame.
All Our Japan Content
Here are a few other articles you may find useful for planning your trip:
📍 How To Get From Tokyo To Hiroshima
📍 How To Get From Tokyo To Kyoto
Gemma Tedaldi
Gemma is the owner and author of The Travelling Tedaldi, a travel blog helping travellers to discover the best road trips and travel itineraries throughout the UK and Europe. When she isn’t writing about her favourite travel destinations, she can often be found out exploring local hikes or planning future trips.