Shinkansen bullet train stopped at a station platform with a conductor standing nearby

Japan Transportation, Made Simple

Find the right guide for the Shinkansen, train tickets, booking, IC cards, rail passes, city transit and airport transfers.

ExploreJapanDaily Editorial TeamEditorially reviewed8 min read

Getting around Japan: quick answer

For most trips, use an IC card for local trains, subways and buses, and price individual intercity tickets before buying a rail pass. Compare a regional pass when costly JR travel stays in one area; consider the nationwide pass only when the full route and pass window justify it.

Between cities
The Shinkansen on most major routes
Local trains, subways, buses
An IC card such as Suica, PASMO or ICOCA
JR Pass
Consider it for concentrated, high-mileage JR travel across multiple regions. It is not an automatic choice for a standard city loop.
Regional rail passes
None covers the Tokyo to Kyoto Shinkansen
Booking online
SmartEX covers the Tokaido, Sanyo and Kyushu lines only
City guides
Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Hiroshima, Sapporo

Not sure where to start? Read the Shinkansen guide if you will travel between cities, or the IC cards guide if you will stay in one.

What do you need to do?

Pick the decision in front of you. Each row goes to the guide that owns it.

  • You will ride the Shinkansen for the first time

    Use: Shinkansen guideWhich train, luggage rules, gates and boarding, and what to do if you miss it.

  • You are unsure which ticket you need, or got two tickets

    Use: Train tickets in JapanBase fares, limited express charges and ticket gates.

  • You want to reserve a Shinkansen seat online

    Use: How to book Shinkansen ticketsSmartEX, other JR booking systems, or the station.

  • You want to pay for local trains, subways and buses

    Use: IC cards in JapanSuica, PASMO, ICOCA, and the mobile options for iPhone and Android.

  • You are weighing a national rail pass

    Use: Japan Rail Pass guideConsider it for concentrated, high-mileage JR travel across multiple regions. It is not an automatic choice for a standard city loop.

  • Your trip stays in one region

    Use: Regional rail passesCompare a regional pass first when expensive JR journeys remain in one operator area and fit its consecutive validity days.

  • You are getting around one city

    Use: The city guides belowTokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Hiroshima and Sapporo.

  • You are weighing a flight against the train

    Use: Domestic flights in JapanRoute verdicts, airports, baggage and check-in deadlines.

  • Budget matters more than time, or you are thinking about a night bus

    Use: Highway and overnight busesBus vs Shinkansen, whether a night bus saves a hotel night, booking, stops and luggage.

  • You are deciding whether to rent a car

    Use: Renting a car and driving in JapanWhere a car helps, IDP rules, tolls, parking and winter driving.

  • You are moving a big suitcase between cities

    Use: Luggage forwarding in JapanHotel to hotel or to the airport, how early to send, cost, and Airbnb limits.

  • You are landing at Narita or Haneda

    Use: The airport guides belowCompared by time, cost and luggage.

For route and navigation apps, see the Japan travel apps guide, and the eSIM guide for staying connected.

Trains, tickets, passes and payments

The national rail guides work as a sequence, but you can start at any step. Each one owns a single decision and links to the next.

  1. How to rideShinkansen GuideWhich train to take, tickets and reservations, luggage rules, JR Pass limits, boarding steps, and what to do if things go wrong.
  2. How fares and tickets workTrain Tickets in JapanHow Japanese train tickets work: base fares, limited express and Shinkansen tickets, IC cards, ticket machines, reservations, ticket gates, and what to do if something goes wrong.
  3. How to reserve a seatHow to Book Shinkansen TicketsChoose SmartEX, another official JR reservation system, or station purchase. Covers seats, boarding methods, changes, luggage and JR Pass reservations.
  4. How to pay locallyIC Cards in JapanWhich IC card to get and how to use it: Suica, PASMO, ICOCA, Welcome Suica Mobile, TOURIST PASMO, iPhone and Android limits, regional boundaries, and why an IC card is not a Shinkansen ticket.
  5. Whether the national pass paysJapan Rail PassWhether the national pass beats individual tickets, with current prices and the break-even method.
  6. Whether a regional pass paysRegional Rail Passes in JapanCompare JR East, JR West, Hokkaido and Kyushu regional rail passes with individual tickets and the national JR Pass, including which passes exclude the Tokaido Shinkansen and current pass prices.
  7. Run the numbersJR Pass CalculatorCompare your journeys with the verified fares currently supported.
⚡Quick Answer

What is the easiest way to pay for trains in Japan? An IC card such as Suica, PASMO or ICOCA covers local trains, subways and many buses. It is not a Shinkansen ticket. iPhone users can also use Welcome Suica Mobile.

⚡Quick Answer

Is the Japan Rail Pass worth it? Only on some routes. Individual tickets are often cheaper for a Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka loop, and no regional pass covers the Tokaido Shinkansen.

Between cities: train, flight, bus or car

The Shinkansen is the default between Japan's major cities. Other modes win on specific routes.

Shinkansen

Best for
Most major city pairs, especially the Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka and Hiroshima corridor.
Watch out for
Reserve ahead in peak periods. Oversized bags need a reserved seat on some lines.

Domestic flight

Best for
Long routes such as Tokyo to Sapporo, Fukuoka or Okinawa.
Watch out for
Airport transfers, check-in and security add time to the flight itself. See domestic flights in Japan.

Highway bus

Best for
Budget travel, and routes with no direct train.
Watch out for
Slower than rail, and luggage rules vary by operator. Book ahead for overnight services. See highway and overnight buses.

Rental car

Best for
Rural Hokkaido, the Japanese Alps and the Kyushu countryside.
Watch out for
Needs an International Driving Permit. Expressway tolls add up. See renting a car in Japan.

Bottom line: Between Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka and Hiroshima, take the Shinkansen (Shinkansen guide). Compare a flight only for long routes such as Sapporo, Fukuoka or Okinawa, take a highway bus when the fare matters more than the hours (highway and overnight buses), and use a car only where trains and buses thin out (renting a car in Japan).

Get around a city

Live local guides for the cities currently covered, including the Tokyo Metro.

Airport transfers

Dedicated arrival guides by airport and destination, compared by time, cost and luggage. Pick your airport, then your destination city.

Tokyo (Narita and Haneda)

Kansai (Osaka and Kyoto)

Other ways to get around

Short answers for other options, with a link where a full guide exists.

Domestic flights
Worth comparing for Tokyo to Sapporo, Fukuoka or Okinawa, where the train is slow or does not reach. Between Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka and Hiroshima, the Shinkansen is usually simpler once you count airport transfers and security. The domestic flights guide compares routes, airlines, airports and baggage rules.
Rental cars
Useful in rural Hokkaido, the Japanese Alps and the Kyushu countryside. Most visitors need a booklet-type International Driving Permit issued under the 1949 Geneva Convention plus their home license. JNTO says card-type and smartphone versions are not valid, and that visitors from Switzerland, Germany, France, Belgium, Monaco and Taiwan carry an official Japanese translation instead. Japan drives on the left, and expressways charge tolls that a rental company can help you pay with an ETC card. The renting a car guide covers where a car is worth it, costs, parking and winter driving.
Local buses and taxis
City buses matter most in Kyoto and Hiroshima, so use those city guides. Taxis are reliable and metered but expensive over distance, and suit late nights after trains stop or a group sharing a short ride.
Luggage forwarding
Takkyubin, Japan's door-to-door delivery network run by companies such as Yamato Transport, sends suitcases between hotels or from an airport, so you carry only a day bag through station transfers. Ask your hotel front desk, or use a participating convenience store. Price depends on size and distance, and Yamato asks you to send a bag to a hotel two days before check-in. Our luggage forwarding guide covers timing, cost, airports and vacation rentals. If you carry your bag on the Shinkansen instead, check the Shinkansen luggage rules.

Route examples

Five trips travelers ask about most. Times are approximate and fares appear only where we hold a verified one, so confirm the current timetable and fare before you travel.

Tokyo to Kyoto

Best option
Shinkansen, Tokaido line (Nozomi or Hikari)
Typical time
About 2 to 2.5 hours
Good to know
The most common intercity route. Adult one-way fare, ordinary reserved seat: ¥14,170. Reserve ahead in cherry blossom season and Golden Week. See Tokyo and Kyoto.

Tokyo to Hakone

Best option
Odakyu Romancecar, with the Hakone Free Pass for local transport
Typical time
About 85 minutes to Hakone-Yumoto
Good to know
The pass also covers local buses, trains and the ropeway around Hakone. See Hakone.

Tokyo to Nikko

Best option
Tobu limited express from Asakusa
Typical time
About 2 hours
Good to know
A realistic day trip. The JR TOKYO Wide Pass covers Nikko excursions, so compare it in the regional rail passes guide. See Nikko.

Osaka to Hiroshima

Best option
Shinkansen, Sanyo line (Nozomi, Hikari or Sakura)
Typical time
About 1.5 hours
Good to know
A common extension past the Golden Route. Adult one-way fare, ordinary reserved seat: ¥10,760. Sakura services also stop at Himeji. See Osaka and Hiroshima.

Sapporo to Hakodate

Best option
JR limited express Hokuto
Typical time
About 3.5 to 4 hours
Good to know
The Hokkaido Shinkansen does not reach Sapporo yet, so the limited express is the fastest rail option. See Sapporo and the Hokkaido winter itinerary.

Common mistakes first-time visitors make

Specific, avoidable errors.

  • Buying the JR Pass without running the numbers

    Instead: Total individual tickets for your own route first. A simple Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka loop is often cheaper as separate tickets. Use the JR Pass guide and calculator.

  • Looking for a regional pass to cover Tokyo to Kyoto

    Instead: None does. The Tokaido Shinkansen is outside every regional pass, so compare tickets or the national JR Pass.

  • Treating an IC card as a Shinkansen ticket

    Instead: A tap of Suica, PASMO or ICOCA does not buy a Shinkansen ride. Use a ticket or a booking, and link a card only as a gate key.

  • Skipping a Shinkansen reservation in peak season

    Instead: Reserve ahead around cherry blossom season, Golden Week, Obon and New Year. Non-reserved cars can fill, and some peak-period trains are all reserved.

  • Assuming a rental car is the fastest way between big cities

    Instead: The Shinkansen usually wins between major cities once traffic and parking are counted. Keep the car for regions trains reach poorly.

  • Carrying full luggage through every station transfer

    Instead: Send bags ahead by takkyubin, or reserve an oversized-baggage seat where the Shinkansen requires one.

Common transportation questions

References

View references

Japan National Tourism Organization

Ready to build your route?

See how these transportation choices fit into a full day-by-day itinerary.

Browse itineraries

Planning a trip to Japan?

Get practical Japan travel tips, itineraries, and destination ideas in your inbox.