Today’s
topic would be on getting around Japan. One of the
commonly asked question is “do I need to get a JR Pass?”. I would say it
depends. Japan Railway (JR) is a major train operator in Japan. JR Pass is a
pass that enables unlimited rides for almost all JR trains and buses within a
given period of time, and can only be purchased by foreigners in overseas. JR Pass
comes in 7-day, 14-day and 21-day (see http://www.japanrailpass.net/eng/en003.html
). A 7-day ordinary JR pass costs 28,300 yen. Generally if you are not
travelling between cities, it’s not worth buying JR pass:
-
JR
pass can only be used for JR trains and buses. However not all trains and buses
in Japan are operated by JR.
-
Travelling
within the city e.g. Tokyo normally cost less than 1,000 yen per day. Cities
like Kyoto have one-day pass for buses which costs only 800 yen.
Would
recommend that you plan your trip in advance and check out the fares for your
route first, before deciding whether to get a JR pass.
Note: In
Japan there are many types of trains – normal, semi-express, express,
shinkansen etc. If you are travelling to location X to Y, there can be many options
which consists of different combinations of train, route, number of changes
required, travel time and fare. Sometimes the fastest option may also be the
cheapest option. You can use tools like Jorudan (http://www.jorudan.co.jp/english/norikae/e-norikeyin.html)
to plan your trip.
Getting
around Japan is quite convenient by train. However the train system in Tokyo
city can be very complex as there are many lines and operators. There are two
major types of train within the city – train (by JR) and subway/metro (by other
companies). Yamanote Line, the loop within Tokyo city centre which covers
popular locations like Shibuya, Harajuku and Shinjuku, is operated by JR and
normally very crowded. It will be crazy taking that line during peak hours.
For
locations such as Shinjuku there are multiple operators. Changing to a line
operated by a different company, means that you may need to walk as far as more
than 1km, or walking to a different station (sometimes you may need to walk
out) to change line. A very good experience is Tokyo Station – walking for more
than 1km just to change line to go to Disneyland.
For Kyoto,
bus is more convenient comparing to train. Many buses depart from Kyoto Station
– the transportation hub in Kyoto. Do some homework on the bus # and
destinations before departure. You can purchase the one-day pass for bus at 800
yen via the ticketing machines or counter. Ticketing machines are available just
beside the “bus stop” at Kyoto Station. If you see many buses and huge crowd
queuing up – yes, the machines are somewhere nearby.
