Trains

While there are many cars in Japan, trains do seem to be the preferred method of transport. Japan Rail is the national rail service and covers much of the country. There are many other lines as well, In Tokyo alone there are about a dozen private rail lines, thirteen different subway lines and street cars as well.

A Japan Rail pass is a must if you are going to be traveling around the country. The passes come in blocks of 7, 14 or 21 days and must be purchased as a voucher outside of the country. Once in Japan, the vouchers can be redeemed at any Rail Pass Exchange Office, which seem to be available at most stations. You can purchase them well in advance and redeem them on the day you want your pass to start. If you are traveling in Tokyo, the Rail pass is good on the JR Yamanote Line which basically circles central Tokyo, but travel on all of the Tokyo subways is actually quite cheap. Plan ahead a bit though, a pass on one subway line isn't necessarily good on another.

In spite of some initial concern about Japanese characters, traveling the Tokyo subways is quite easy. Most stations also have western lettering, so it's pretty easy to identify the different lines and stations. I don't think I would even consider driving in Tokyo and we only used a cab twice for short hops with all of our luggage.

Japan Rail Website.


	Above: Ueno Station. Where our train arrived from Tokyo's Narita Airport. Left: Amote Sando Station in Shibuya, Tokyo. Below Left: The Hakone Tozan Scenic Railway. This runs from Odawara Station just outside of Tokyo, to Hakone. Below Right: The Hakone Tozan Cable Car, a funicular rail car that is part of the scenic loop of Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park.


	Above Left: The Hakone Tozan Cable Car Above Right: Kyoto Tower from Kyoto Station, literally the most crowded rail station I have ever set eyes on. Left: The taxi queue at Hime-Ji Station. Below: The Shinkansen, or "Bullet Train". Japan rail passes can be used on all Shinkansen.

	Left: The Shinkansen Below: The Kansai Airport Express. From Kyoto to Kansai International Airport.