Looks like we can bring the Japan Rail Pass discussion to a close now… several blogs on the internet, and a reply I received by e-mail from Kintetsu International travel, all appear to be in accord, and so I’ll share the information with you.

As I had earlier speculated, the Mizuho will NOT be valid with the Japan Rail Pass, but the Sakura will be valid. This will make it a slightly longer journey for those pass holders who want to travel between Osaka, Hiroshima and Kyushu Island during the morning and evening hours. During the rest of the day, however, Sakura trains will run over this entire route at intervals of approximately one per hour. Since the Mizuho’s fare structure is similar to that of the Nozomi, you will need to pay the entire fare to use Mizuho trains.

Regarding Hayabusa services, which will run to northern Japan (between Tokyo and Aomori and between Tokyo and Sendai) to initially complement Hayate services: The Japan Rail Pass AND the more regional JR East Rail Pass will cover it, with the exception of its new premium class service called GranClass. GranClass can be equated to a luxurious first class cabin on an airline, with 18 very large seats, a special car attendant, and first-rate meals. If you want to use GranClass and you have a rail pass, you will need to pay the GranClass seating charge AND the limited express charge (the charge normally required to use the Shinkansen).

If you have a version of the pass which is valid in Ordinary (Standard) Class, the Rail Pass will cover the Hayabusa’s ordinary class seats. If you have a Green Car version, the Pass will cover the Hayabusa’s Ordinary AND Green Cars; the Hayabusa will have one Green Car with 55 seats. But to use GranClass, regardless of the type of pass that you have, you’ll have to pay the charges I just noted. So for traveling between Tokyo and Aomori, this amounts to 16,500 yen. My opinion: If you really want to step up in travel class, the best thing to do is just purchase a Green Car version of the Rail Pass. Right now I don’t think it’s worth the expense to travel GranClass, unless you’re very curious to try it out. And remember, the new Hayabusa services will compliment the existing Hayate services that run on that particular bullet train line.

As promised I’ll be writing more about the Kyushu Shinkansen in my next post.

February 5th Update: Please read my most recent Japan Rail Pass-related post for the official decisions regarding the Rail Pass.

I’ve been eagerly awaiting word on how the Japan Rail Pass is going to be affected by the new bullet train services that are starting up next month (See my post from a few days ago). But I’d thought I’d write up a little editorial in regards to two conflicting reports that I have received and seen.

Recently I decided to write a note through Facebook to the Japan National Tourist Organization (JNTO), Japan’s official tourism agency under the umbrella of the Japanese Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, to ask about the Japan Rail Pass with regards to how the Rail Pass will be valid with the introduction of the Mizuho and Sakura services on the Sanyo and Kyushu Shinkansen between Osaka, Fukuoka and Kagoshima, as well as the new Hayabusa services that will be introduced on the Tohoku Shinkansen between Tokyo and Aomori (northern Honshu).

Here is how the JNTO replied on their Facebook page, Visit Japan:

“Even after the extension of Tohoku and Kyushu Shinkansen, JR Pass is valid for all the Shinkansen except Nozomi. This means the pass is also valid for Hayate and Hayabusa of Tohoku, and Mizuho and Sakura of Kyushu. However, it is still pending whether or not it is valid for Gran Class (more luxurious than Green Car) of Hayabusa, which will start in March.”

So it does appear that the Rail Pass will be valid on all of these services. Moreover, given the fact that Nozomi trains are restricted, taking the Mizuho trains that run during the morning and evening will offer greater convenience for Rail Pass holders who want to go to Western Japan and Kyushu, right?

NOT SO FAST, says Japan-Guide.com, a very popular website that has become one of the major web resources for researching not just about traveling in Japan, but living in Japan as well. They have had a web page about the Kyushu Shinkansen since mid-December, and when the page was published they were not sure how the Rail Pass would be affected. But on February 3 Japan time, more or less around the same time the JNTO wrote a response to me on Facebook, Japan-Guide.com posted this on their page:

“The Japan Rail Pass will be valid on Sakura trains but invalid on Mizuho trains (like Nozomi trains).”

Wow, two conflicting reports. Of course the final say goes to Japan Railways, which as of this writing has not yet posted anything on the official Japan Rail Pass website. But how embarassing is it going to be for one of these two reputable organizations when they find out that their information was incorrect?

Whatever the final decision is, I hope that all parties get the facts correct for the benefit of all people who want to visit Japan and benefit from the use of the Japan Rail Pass.

And so ends my two cents. 🙂 I’ll share more news when I hear about it!

February 5th Update: Please read my latest post which talks about the official decisions regarding the Japan Rail Pass.

It’s the end of January, and train travel in Japan is reaching another milestone: the opening of the final segment of the Kyushu Shinkansen, which is scheduled to take place on March 12, 2011.

With this comes some new, distinct bullet train services for the busy bullet train corridor linking Osaka with Kagoshima at the southern end of the main Japanese archipelago: the “Mizuho” and the “Sakura”.

I’ve been checking on a regular basis to see how the Japan Rail Pass will be affected by these new services. As you may or may not know, the Japan Rail Pass is good to use for all of Japan’s bullet train services, with the notable exception of “Nozomi” trains. The “Mizuho” has been designated as a Nozomi-type service by Japan Railways; in other words, the “Mizuho” will only make stops at major cities just like the “Nozomi” does. The “Sakura”, meanwhile, is the “Hikari” type, making a few more stops than the “Mizuho” will. There will also be different versions of the “Sakura”, with one running from Osaka to Kagoshima and the other restricted mainly to Kyushu (Fukuoka-Kagoshima).

Japan Railways has not yet made an official announcement regarding the validity of the pass on these new services, although my guess is that this decision has already been made. Some of the Japan travel sites are assuming the pass will be valid on “Sakura” trains but not “Mizuho” trains, just as it is valid on “Hikari” services but not the “Nozomi”. I am hoping that this information will be made available by February 12, which is when reservations for the new “Mizuho” and “Sakura” trains will start to be taken in Japan.

When it is known for sure what the Rail Pass will and will not cover, I will embark on a project to update the Japan Rail Pass connection chart. This will be an ambitious project to say the least, and I can’t guarantee that I’ll have it completed in a timely manner. But I hope that this project, when it is made available, will make it easier for Japan Rail Pass holders to travel quicklyand easily along the Tokyo-Osaka-Fukuoka-Kagoshima bullet train corridor with services that the Rail Pass holders will be permitted to use.

In the meantime, I’ve discovered a few more travel deals, as well as a bit of news for those living in the northeast. China Airlines, the flag airline of the Republic of China (better known as Taiwan) will be rerouting its 3x weekly service from New York’s JFK Airport to Taipei. Currently the plane stops over in Anchorage, Alaska, but starting in late April of this year the plane will make a stop in Osaka, Japan. This will be the first ever nonstop plane service offered to Osaka’s Kansai Airport from the East Coast of the United States. The only problem is, according to the JNTO website, the flight to Osaka will depart from JFK at 2:10 AM, arriving in Osaka at 5:30 AM the next day. The return leaves Osaka at 9:50 PM and lands at JFK at 10 PM the same day. But the good news, in the long term, is that China Airlines will be joining the Skyteam alliance of airlines later this year. When that happens, Skyteam frequent flier members (including Delta Airlines) will be able to earn and redeem miles on China Airlines flights. If you do not mind the redeye departure and arrival times flying westbound to Osaka, this may be a flight option worth considering, especially if your plans mainly focus on western Japan or the Kansai region (i.e. Kyoto, Osaka, Kobe, Nara).

Some other travel deals and interesting tour packages as of this writing:

JTB Corp. is offering a special “Hanami” guided tour package for foreigners who want to enjoy Japan’s signature cherry blossom season. The package with airfare goes for $1,885+tax from Los Angeles and $2,059+tax from New York, and includes airfare from the US to Tokyo, a three night stay in Tokyo including a full-day guided tour, a one-way bullet train trip to Kyoto, three nights in Kyoto, and airfare from Osaka back to the US. Land packages only are available for $1,180. The prices are per person, double occupancy, and the tour commences with departure from the US on Wednesday, March 23.

Also being offered by JTB is the annual Anime Otaku tour package that coincides with the 2011 Tokyo International Anime Fair. The package includes 5 nights in Tokyo, including two days of Anime-themed guided tours in Akihabara and Nakano, and a one-day pass to the Tokyo International Anime Fair. The tour begins with departure from the US on Tuesday, March 22. With round-trip airfare the package costs $1,585+tax from Los Angeles and $1,745+tax from New York. The land package only goes for $860. The prices are per person, double occupancy.

If you live in Los Angeles, Singapore Airlines Vacations is offering a good deal for trips to Tokyo on its new Airbus A380 plane. The A380 Fabulous Tokyo Package starts as low as $1,249+tax per person, double occupancy, and includes round-trip airfare to Tokyo on the Singapore A380, airport transfers, five nights at the Tokyo Hilton and a half-day sightseeing tour. The package must be purchased by April 15.

You can discover more great tour packages in the land of the rising sun by visitng the websites of the JNTO, IACE Travel and JTB.

You’ll be hearing from me next time with the official word on the Rail Pass and more details about the Kyushu Shinkansen.

The Japan Times, Japan’s leading English-language news publication, has published a very interesting article regarding complaints that International travelers have made about Haneda Airport since its International building opened three months ago. Chief among the complaints: Lack of amenities during the late-night and early-morning hours, including inexpensive public transportation and shuttle buses between Haneda’s three terminals (International, Domestic #1 and Domestic #2).

Haneda Airport is one of the busiest airports in the world, with its main focus being on Domestic (inter-Japan) traffic during daytime hours. Handling over 62 million passengers in 2009, Haneda ranks fifth behind London Heathrow, Chicago O’Hare, Beijing and Atlanta airports in terms of annual passenger traffic. In October of 2010, Haneda opened arrival and departure “slots” to international flights during the off peak hours of 11 PM to 7 AM, along with a fourth runway and a new International passenger terminal.

As I have stated in my earlier blog post, and as the article confirms, there is a problem with transportation and lodging options when arriving at such a late hour, as many of the International flights are now doing. Tokyo Monorail and Keikyu Railway, the two railway operators out of Haneda, run their final trains from the airport at around midnight. This is like most train operators do… the Japanese rail system, with few exceptions, does not operate around the clock. Lines shut down overnight in order to permit track inspections, maintenance and construction. This means after midnight, passengers who want to travel out of Haneda are limited to a limousine bus, which by then is extremely limited and charges a “night surcharge”… you can see it for yourself on this sample page from the Tokyo Airport Limousine website… or to a taxi.

The free shuttle buses connecting Haneda’s terminals also shut down at midnight. According to the Japan Times article one party had to pay 1,300 yen – the equivalent of US $15 – just to travel the short distance between terminals.

If you are interested in visiting Japan one day, of course you should look at the various airfare deals to see what appeals to you. Obviously I don’t have any experience myself using Haneda late at night, but based on my initial feelings and the article posted by the Japan Times, I strongly recommend NOT using Haneda Airport until amenities for late-night travelers (especially late-night International arrivals) are improved. If you want to visit Japan, use Narita Airport, which is a bit farther away from Tokyo but has the continued advantage of reasonable arrivals/departures, and numerous, convenient transit options such as the Skyliner, Narita Express and the new 1000 yen Super Shuttle bus.

Read the entire Japan Times article here: http://search.japantimes.co.jp/mail/nn20110107f1.html

I’d like to take this opportunity to wish you a Merry Christmas! Thanks for visiting my Japan tips blog!

If you are a first time visitor, please take a look through all of my blog entries. I hope the entries can be of assistance to you if you are planning a trip to Japan one day.

Scroll through the entries, and click “Previous Entries” at the bottom of the page to see more. Or if you want to search for specific keywords, use the search bar at the top of the page.

Two of my favorite posts on this blog are: Tokyo to Kyoto for 2,300 yen and my post on traveling overnight by train in Japan.

Enjoy, and thanks again for visiting!

I am happy to post and recommend several videos posted by HIUC students in Japan who are learning English. They give lessons about the Japanese culture. When I saw these videos I was pleased to see that they know a lot of English! I also learned many things that I never knew before when it comes to Japanese culture. For example I did not know that when visiting a Japanese shrine (Shinto religion), you are not supposed to walk under the middle of the torii gate at the entrance… that entrance is reserved for the gods so you have to walk around it. A bad thing because, if I remember correctly, I walked through the middle of several of them when I went to Meiji shrine 😛

My thanks to the HIUC students (I wish I knew what HIUC means!)  for providing such a valuable service to everyone via YouTube. I highly recommend that you view all of their videos so that you can get a better understanding of the culture. Who knows, these all might come into play when you visit Japan one day!

HOW TO BEHAVE AT A JAPANESE SHRINE, presented by Daishiro, Asuka and Tai

JAPANESE LUCKY CHARMS, presented by Ken, Ayaka and Hayami

JINBEI AND YUKATA, presented by Ryo and Natsuko

PRINT CLUB (“Purikura”), presented by Yuya, Hayato and Mei

SUMMER FESTIVALS, presented by Masato and Shoko

JAPANESE RICE, presented by Haruka and Karin

LUNCH BOXES, presented by Mai and Tomomi

POCKET TISSUES, presented by Shin (Nice shirt!) and Rie

Around this time of year (Winter), many good deals are out there for those wanting to travel to Japan in the near future. Here is a brief summary of some of those.

First there are deals in place with airlines traveling to Tokyo’s Haneda Airport, which is located closer to Tokyo than Narita Airport is. Haneda Airport is the world’s busiest airport for domestic traffic, as several major Japanese carriers operate flights from Haneda to other destinations in Japan. Recently Haneda opened up slots for international air carriers during the night hours, along with a new runway and new international building to boot. Airlines offering new flights are starting to promote this with bonus mileage for their frequent flier members.

American Airlines’ AAdvantage frequent flier program is offering bonus miles for their new service from New York JFK to Tokyo Haneda that starts on January 20, on top of the miles that are already earned for flying the route: 5,000 bonus miles for discounted Economy, 10,000 for full fare Economy, and 15,000 for First or Business class. A round-trip purchase is required and travel must be completed by April 30, 2011. Visit the special offer page at American Airlines for more details.

Delta Air Lines has an attractive offer for its Skymiles members, myself included, on their flights between Detroit and Haneda, and between Los Angeles and Haneda. Fly in Economy Class and earn double miles for the trip, or fly in Business Class and earn triple miles. A round-trip purchase is NOT required… you can fly as many legs as you want (a single one-way journey, five round-trips, etc.) Both routes begin operating on February 19, and all travel must be completed by May 31, 2011. Visit the special offer page at Delta for more details.

The best offer out of these is on Delta, flying from Detroit to Tokyo Haneda. The distance between the two airports is 6,428 miles, so for flying that route one-way you would earn 6,428 miles. Fly a round-trip and you earn 12,856 miles. With the bonus mileage promotion, you would earn 25,712 miles for the round-trip in Economy Class, or 38,568 miles in Business Class.

CONGRATULATIONS! You now have enough miles for a FREE, round-trip economy ticket on Delta within the United States. See what I mean?

American and Delta are not the only airlines offering bonus mile campaigns… similar campaigns are being offered by All Nippon and possibly others, while Japan Airlines is offering a discounted mileage upgrade to business class on its flights from San Francisco.

Of course, the good news is that you can get all of this bonus mileage. Now for some not-so-good news: These flights all land at night, at around 10:30 or 11 PM. Land, and then pass through immigration and customs… If you make it out of the airport past midnight, chances are you won’t have a train ride into Tokyo as midnight is the time when most train services stop. Your best bet then is to take a Taxi or one of the few Limousine Buses that run into Tokyo after midnight in order to reach your hotel.

Besides the mileage bonus offers, some companies are offering inclusive travel packages.

Right now one of the best – and least expensive – is from American Airlines Vacations, offering an Air+Hotel package starting at $965 from Los Angeles that includes round-trip air transportation and six nights in a Tokyo hotel. Packages from Chicago start at $1,035, New York $1,065 and Dallas $1,085. Prices are per person, double occupancy. The deal is good for travel in January or February only. You have until December 31 to purchase the package.

If you want to spread your horizons a bit, IACE travel is offering a trip to the world-famous Sapporo Snow Festival from February 7-15. Packages are $2,150 from Los Angeles and $2,265 from New York, and include round-trip transpacific air travel, air travel from Narita to Sapporo, four nights at a hotel in Sapporo, air travel from Sapporo to Tokyo Haneda, and three nights at a hotel in Tokyo. Land packages (no round-trip transpacific air) cost $1,485. Prices are per person, double occupancy.

JTB is also offering discounts on a few of its inclusive travel plans during January and February. This includes their 7-day/5-night Tokyo Osaka Free Plan (Round-trip airfare, 3 nights in Tokyo, bullet train to Osaka, 2 nights in Osaka) starting at $1,525 from Los Angeles and $1,645 from New York. The package does not include any guided tours, but you can book such tours at additional cost if you wish.

Also discounted is the 9-day/7-night JTB Heritage Tour, which includes stops in Tokyo, Hakone, Takayama, Shirakawago, Kanazawa and Kyoto plus round-trip airfare, guided tours and intercity transportation starting at $2,875 from Los Angeles and $3,000 from New York. These prices are per person, double occupancy.

These deals and others can be found on the offical website, for Japan tourism, http://www.japantravelinfo.com/. They have done an excellent job providing information on Japan’s major tourist destinations and I highly recommend combing every nook and cranny of that website to see if any destinations and offers appeal to you.

I would first like to express my thanks and gratitude to everyone that has read my blog and has asked me questions regarding travel in Japan. I by no means consider myself an expert on this subject… but I have done a lot of research through guide books and the Internet regarding the culture and its transportation. So I am happy to share my love of Japan and my travel advice to people one-by-one, and to everyone through this blog.

Today’s topic will be about Japan’s efficient Shinkansen network, which is going to get bigger over the next four months with the opening of two important extensions. These extensions will make traveling in Japan faster and easier, bringing major cities closer to each other. The first, opening this Saturday December 4, is an 81.8 km (50.8 mile) segment in northern Japan between the cities of Hachinohe and Aomori. The second, opening on March 12, 2011, is a 130 km (80.7 mile) stretch in Kyushu between the cities of Fukuoka and Yatsushiro.

The first extension opening December 4 will reduce travel times to northern Japan by a small margin… yet, any sort of time savings is a plus, in my opinion, because it’s just more time on your hands to enjoy the wonderful country. The Tohoku Shinkansen line will extend north to the city of Aomori, known for its hot springs, mountains and Aomori Nebuta festival. Near Aomori is a historical site where you can view remnants from the Jomon period (10,000 BC-300 BC).  Aomori is also a top producer of Japanese apples known as Obokoi apples.

Before the shinkansen network existed, Aomori was easily an overnight trip from Tokyo.  Today, thanks to the Shinkansen, it takes 4 hours: 3 on the bullet train to Hachinohe, then one hour on a Tohoku Line limited express train to Aomori. When the extension opens December 4, the trip will be reduced by about 20 minutes or so. The fastest trains from Tokyo to Aomori will take 3 hours, 20 minutes… but note that the station where the bullet trains arrive will be at Shin-Aomori (literally New Aomori) station. From Shin-Aomori, it’s a 6 minute ride or so to (plain) Aomori station. So the overall travel time, including transfer and waiting times at Shin-Aomori, will be about 3 hours and 40 minutes.

When arriving at Shin-Aomori station, you will have to wait for the next regular train to “shuttle” you to Aomori station… a special rule being introduced will permit travelers to use non-reserved seats of Limited Express (i.e. long distance) trains between Shin-Aomori and Aomori stations, so if a Limited Express comes first, you can use that. Speaking of Limited Express, trains bound for Hokkaido will now start at Shin-Aomori station, go to Aomori, then reverse direction for the trip to Hokkaido. Journey times to Hakodate, the major city on the southern part of the island, will be reduced by an average of 15 minutes.

Overall journey times will be reduced further in March 2011 when new, faster “Hayabusa” trains will be introduced on the Tokyo – Shin-Aomori route. These trains will reduce travel times by an additional 15 minutes.

The regular, one-way fare between Tokyo and Aomori will be 16,370 yen in ordinary class and 21,860 yen in green class… so an excellent way for tourists to save is to buy a 7-day Japan Rail Pass, or better yet, a JR East Rail Pass which costs 20,000 yen for 5 consecutive or 4 non-consecutive days and covers all journeys north of Tokyo into the Tohoku region, including the Tohoku Shinkansen. If you continue to Hokkaido, however, the Japan Rail Pass will generally be the better deal.

The second shinkansen line, opening March 12 2011, will be very significant as it will be a missing piece that will cover an entire shinkansen network stretching from Tokyo through Kyoto, Osaka, Hiroshima and Fukuoka to the main city in the southern region of Kyushu, Kagoshima. This will reduce one hour from the current travel times between Fukuoka and Kagoshima to 1 hour and 20 minutes. The Kyushu Shinkansen will link to one of Japan’s major bullet train networks, the San’yo Shinkansen. Hourly trains, called either “Mizuho” or “Sakura”, will run from Osaka west to Fukuoka then south to Kagoshima. From Osaka you’ll be able to reach Kumamoto – home to one of Japan’s most famous castles – in as little as 3 hours, and you can travel from Osaka to Kagoshima in as little as 3 hours 45 minutes. More details about timetables and fares should be made known later this month.

To wrap up this blog entry, a note about the segment opening in northern Japan, which was sort of referenced in my last post: The local railway between Hachinohe and Aomori will be taken over by a private railway, now that Japan Railway will operate the bullet train line between those two cities instead. This means that if you have a Japan Rail Pass and were to take one of those overnight trains up to Hokkaido, you will have to pay more in extra fees since you would now travel over a longer section of railway that is not operated by JR, and therefore is not included in the rail pass. Fees for traveling over this line will now increase from 3,700 yen up to 6,560 yen… Not to mention you will also have to pay for your accomodation on the train as well.

With this in mind, using a Japan Rail Pass, we return to my idea of an overnight trip with a rest stop. In a day and age where the yen is strong, this might work out better, and cost less: Take the bullet train north, stop somewhere to spend the evening, and in the morning continue the journey to your destination. Sendai, Morioka, Hachinohe and Aomori are some good locations where you can rest at reasonably-priced business hotels such as Toyoko Inn.

The most up-to-date version of this article (from March 2016) can be found here.

Greetings everyone. I figured that I would spend this post – in the shadow of the Japanese Yen checking in at a whopping 81 to the US Dollar (which must be the ___th time in the last few months that a 15-year record low has been established) – to talk about traveling Overnight by train in the land of the rising sun.

Have I travelled overnight by train in Japan? No. Have I read a lot about it on many different websites? Yes. Can I share what I’ve learned with you? Yes. Can I share one suggestion that may make your overnight travel a little bit easier? Yes. Will I do something like this on my next trip to Japan? I might.

Overnight trains were once a staple of the country. Many stories have been told – real and fiction – about traveling life on these trains. Regular services peaked in the 1970’s, but then came the bullet trains – then cheap overnight highway buses – then aging train equipment – that sapped most life out of these so-called “Blue Trains” (nicknamed for their color).

These days, only ten main overnight train services remain in the entire country, compared to the plethora of overnight highway buses that are now the routine.

From Tokyo, five trains are available. Three run to northern Japan from Ueno Station: The Akebono, which runs north to Akita and Aomori (and sadly appears to be the next blue train to be axed in the near future), the Hokutosei, which runs north to Sapporo in Hokkaido, and the Cassiopeia, a deluxe sleeper train that also runs to Sapporo. Going west from Tokyo are two trains coupled together: the Sunrise Seto and Sunrise Izumo. Both arrive at Himeji and Okayama during the early morning hours. At Okayama, the Izumo goes to Kurashiki and terminates at the city of Izumo, home to Japan’s oldest Shinto shrine, while the Seto crosses to the island of Shikoku, terminating at the port town of Takamatsu.

From Osaka and Kyoto in the Kansai region, two trains run to northern Japan: The Nihonkai, which runs to Aomori, and the deluxe Twilight Express. The Twilight Express makes the run from Osaka to Sapporo in about 21 hours, making it Japan’s longest journey on a single passenger train.

There are also three trains that are not technically classified as sleeper trains, but still operate overnight: The Hamanasu, from Aomori to Sapporo; the Kitaguni, from Osaka and Kyoto to Niigata; and the Dream Nichirin, running from Fukuoka along the eastern coast of Kyushu to Miyazaki.

Most of these overnight train services offer bunk beds and private rooms, some of which have a private sink, toilet and/or shower. A few trains have public showers that can be used for a small fee. The Twilight Express and Cassiopeia also have diner cars and lounge cars. Other trains have carpet space – where you pay for the privilege of sleeping on the floor – and comfortable seats that can be found on many of Japan’s other high-end train services.

The fare structure for the sleeper trains consists of the BASIC FARE (the normal fare that you would have to pay to get from origin to destination over the local railway), the LIMITED EXPRESS FARE (which is also from Point A to Point B), and the ROOM/LODGING FARE which is a fixed fare no matter where you start or end your journey. (For example, if you were to take the Tokyo-Sapporo “Hokutosei” and board it in Sendai for a trip to Sapporo, the Basic and Limited Express fares would be less than from Tokyo, but the lodging fare would remain the same.)

The Japan Rail Pass covers the basic fare on all JR Railways. If you take an overnight train and stay in a bunk or a room, your responsibility would be for the Limited Express Fare and the Lodging Fare. If you stay in a seat or sleep on the floor, your journey is covered and you do not have to pay additional charges. In addition, you will have to pay for travel on non-JR operated Railways… for overnight trains this affects the Cassiopeia and Hokutosei from Tokyo to Sapporo. This payment for non-JR railways arose from 2003… when JR East extended its Shinkansen services north from Morioka to Hachinohe, it ceased operations of local trains over that same route and turned the right of way over to private railway companies, even though overnight sleeper trains continued to use it. This will continue in December of this year, when the bullet train is extended further north to Aomori and the Hachinohe-Aomori segment of the local JR line is transferred over.

So how much does an overnight trip on a train in Japan cost? Here are a few examples, courtesy of Island of Hodo, a Japanese website dedicated to overnight trains in Japan (with an English section that hasn’t been updated in a LONG time).

Nihonkai from Kyoto to Aomori (northern tip of Japan)

21,740 yen for a B-type Bunk (Basic Fare 12,290 + LEX Fare 3,150 + Lodging Fare 6,300) (Japan Rail Pass: 9450 yen)

Shared bunk accomodation. Each bunk has a privacy curtain. Shared sink and toilet nearby.

Sunrise Seto/Izumo from Tokyo to Okayama

13,850 yen for Nobinobi Carpet Seating (Basic Fare 10,190 + LEX Fare 3,660) (Japan Rail Pass: No charge)

Carpet accomodations where you sleep on the floor. Shared sink and toilet nearby.

Sunrise Seto from Tokyo to Takamatsu

27,510 yen for an A-Class Single Deluxe Private Room (Basic Fare 11,010 + LEX Fare 3,150 + Lodging Fare 13,350) (Japan Rail Pass: 16,500 yen)

A private room for one person on the upper level of the train. Keypad lock entry for the room. Bed with nearby lighting controls, audio channels and alarm clock. Shared toilet in same car. Shower in same car shared with other A-Class passengers.

Twilight Express from Osaka to Sapporo

89,620 yen for an A-Class Private Suite for two adults (Basic Fare 16,170 [x 2] + LEX Fare 3,150 [x 2] + Lodging Fare 50,980) (Japan Rail Pass: 57,280 yen for 2 passengers)

This is the most expensive overnight fare. Choice of one of two A-Class Private Suites on the 21-hour Twilight Express, one of which is at one end of the train. On the northbound trip to Sapporo, when the suites are toward the back of the train, the five windows command an unparalleled view of the train line and surrounding scenery. Double bed with table and seats located next to the windows. On-board television, with a private sink, toilet and shower.

Kitaguni from Niigata to Kyoto

15,440 yen for Green Car seating (Basic Fare 9,030 + Express Fare 1,260 + Green Car Fare 5,150) (Japan Rail Pass: 5,150 yen; Green Car Japan Rail Pass: No Charge)

Reclining Green seats that are typical on other major train services in Japan, comparable to first class seating. This train also has hard-back unreserved seats which can be used for Free with the Japan Rail Pass, and bunk accomodations which will incur a charge.

Hamanasu from Aomori to Sapporo

9,750 yen for “Dream Car” reserved seating (Basic Fare 9,750 + Express Fare 1,260 + Seat Fare 510) (Japan Rail Pass: No charge)

These trains have comfortable reserved seating with a mini-lounge. Shared toilets nearby.

As you can see, charges vary on all ends of the spectrum. And most of them might be out of the range of the average tourist. Don’t get me wrong though… if you have the money to spend, then experiencing a journey by overnight train can be memorable.

So what do you do with a Japan Rail Pass? Well as you’ve seen with at least one example, it is still possible to travel over SOME routes at little to no cost. For example, if you really wanted to go overnight from Tokyo to Sapporo, you could take a bullet train up north to to Aomori, then pick up the Hamanasu train to Sapporo. This journey is fully covered under the rail pass and you’d get to Sapporo at 6 AM the following morning. Or you could pony up some extra yen to take any of the overnight sleeper trains that run to the northern Japan region.

But what if you wanted a good place to rest, with access to your own private toilet, and even your own shower if you wanted to? And what if you could do it while reducing your lodging costs while visiting Japan? I have an untested answer, but I’m sure at least ONE person has done this in Japan – Japanese or non-Japanese – and I’m pretty sure this will work if you consider the logic. Especially if you have a JAPAN RAIL PASS.

In fact, I’ve already explained this idea in an earlier post… Ah, here it is. But I’ll explain this in a little more detail here.

The idea is to simply split your journey up into two parts. Take a train (yes, bullet trains work here) to an intermediate station along the way to where you are going. Get out at that station, find a hotel to stay at, and rest there for a while. When you wake up in the morning – rested and perhaps showered – hop back on the train again towards your destination.

This, in most cases, will reduce your lodging costs. You’ll more than likely find cheap accomodations in an intermediate, out of the way city, compared to larger, major cities such as Tokyo. And your rail fare? No sweat… as long as your rail pass does not expire for two days (the day of departure and the next), your trip is fully covered. So for those who plan to use their Rail Passes to the fullest, this is something you might want to think about. Plus, you’ll have the added benefit of spending *some* time in a Japanese city you probably didn’t think about checking out in the first place. And with some extra yen you could forward some luggage to your destination with a luggage delivery service such as Yamato, making the journey easier.

You’ll have to do the homework – find out what trains cater to your travel schedule for the destination you want to travel to – and find out what hotels are near some cities and train stations along the way. You’ll especially want to find out, for cheaper hotels, whether there is a curfew or the reception is open 24 hours.

A business hotel chain that is opening hotels all the time in Japan – many near train stations – is Toyoko Inn. I can’t officially endorse them because I haven’t stayed in a Toyoko Inn before, although I am tempted to do so one day… but Toyoko Inns seem to have a very good reputation and they have online booking services in English. They have 24-hour reception, and from what I have researched, check-in times for Toyoko Inns are between 16:00 and 24:00, so you can arrive during the late hours. A cancellation charge is applied if you do not arrive by your scheduled time and do not contact the hotel.

So using my idea and using Toyoko Inns as an example, let’s see what we can do for some overnight trips.

TOKYO – KYOTO

The essential trip that a foreigner must take when visiting Japan for the first time. Let’s use the Japan Rail Pass and leave Tokyo at 9:30 PM on one of the final Hikari train services of the day. This train stops at Hamamatsu at 10:48, where we could go off and rest at the Toyoko Inn there (6,000 yen single; 4,200 yen p/p double occupancy)… or perhaps we could exit at Toyohashi at 11:01 and stay at the Toyoko Inn there (6,090 yen single; 4,095 yen p/p double occupancy)… Say, why don’t we just go all the way to Nagoya and stay at the Toyoko Inn that is closest to the bullet train exit? (6,905 yen single; 3,940 yen p/p double occupancy) In the morning we can leave at our leisure… if we choose to take one of the first bullet trains of the day, we could get into Kyoto before the first trains of the day from Tokyo pull in! Leave Hamamatsu at 6:32 or Toyohashi at 6:45 and we can get to Kyoto at 7:58 in the morning… or we could leave Nagoya at 6:35 and reach Kyoto in just 45 minutes!

TOKYO – HIROSHIMA

A long journey to a city of important significance, for Japan and for the world. We could go overnight on the Sunrise Seto/Izumo train, changing in Okayama for a bullet train to Hiroshima.  The Rail Pass covers this trip with no additional charges… but do we really want to sleep on the floor? Nah, not unless we stay in a ryokan and sleep in a futon… so, let’s leave at 7 PM on a Hikari service that will bring us into Himeji station at around 11 PM… yes, that Himeji, with the castle? After staying at the Toyoko Inn there (5,880 yen single; 3,990 yen p/p double occupancy), we could leave the next day as early as 6:36 in the morning, and reach Hiroshima as early as 7:38.

TOKYO – SAPPORO

We can already do this for free anyway, using the bullet train and the Hamanasu. But what if you need to shower, or what if a 6 AM arrival in Sapporo is too early? We can address that. Let’s pull up the timetables for the bullet train effective December 4, when the line is extended to Shin-Aomori… aha! Leave 6:56 PM on the Hayate and arrive in Shin-Aomori at 10:24. Ride the shuttle train one stop to Aomori station and park at the Toyoko Inn there (5,460 yen single; 3,780 yen p/p double occupancy). In the morning we leave from Aomori at 8:15, change in Hakodate to another train, and we’re in Sapporo by 2 PM in the afternoon. All we paid for the trip was 3,780 yen each for a party of two. No paying for expensive accomodations in Tokyo and no spending extra, precious yen for a plane ride to Sapporo the next day.

2 PM too late an arrival? Then let’s do an afternoon and evening trip to Hakodate instead: Leave Tokyo at 3:56 PM, and change in Shin-Aomori to a train that will take us to Hakodate, on the southern end of Hokkaido, at 9:41 PM. There’s a Toyoko Inn nearby (5,460 yen single; 3,990 yen p/p double occupancy), and when we get up the next morning, the first train to Sapporo goes out at 7 AM, reaching Sapporo at 10:18.

OSAKA – SAPPORO

Ah the longest railway journey, and a classic one too… but we don’t have extra thousands of yen for a room on this train, so we’ll use the rail pass and Toyoko Inn concept once again.

We leave Shin-Osaka, the bullet train station, at 3:13 in the afternoon and reach Tokyo at 6:10 PM. This gives us about 45 minutes in Tokyo to do whatever we wish before taking the 6:56 PM Hayate train to Shin-Aomori. The rest of the instructions are the same as in the first Tokyo-Sapporo itinerary above, which will get us into Sapporo by 2 PM, nearly 23 hours, a room, a bed and a shower later. Under the second plan we’d leave Shin-Osaka three hours earlier at 12:13 PM and reach Sapporo at10:18 AM the next day… which is only about an hour more than the Twilight Express takes for its complete journey.

Okay, the moral of the story is that I am officially, certifiably, a lunatic. But by now you get the idea. As you can see, be it short or long, the possibilities are endless. Once again, find out what you want to see, where you want to go, what your timetable is like. Of course, do comparisons between hotels to see if this is something that you’d be willing to do, or CAN do for that matter. And remember, the more you use the Japan Rail Pass in the time you have, the better value you will get out of it.

One more thing that I failed to mention: During high peak periods, such as the Golden Week and New Year’s holidays, and during summer months, extra overnight trains are added. Some of these trains cater to budget travelers in Japan who are using a Seishun 18 ticket… the most popular is a train called the Moonlight Nagara which runs between Tokyo and a city called Ogaki, halfway between Nagoya and Kyoto. Your rail pass is valid on this train, but then again, so are Seishun 18 tickets because the train is classified as a Rapid service. This service sells out very quickly and tends to get crowded as well. Just something to keep in mind 🙂

As always I welcome your questions or comments. Feel free to leave your thoughts here or you can e-mail me at jrsideproject@aol.com.

Usage of Jose’s Japan Tips is subject to the usual DISCLAIMER, which you can read by clicking the DISCLAIMER tab.

This post is out of date. Please read the updated article from September 2014.

It’s becoming tough to plan a trip to Japan these days… the exchange rate between the US dollar and the Japanese yen has soured. At last check today, it was 83-84 yen to the dollar, a 15-year record rate. So a trip to Japan now is more expensive than it was two years ago – my last trip to Japan, when the yen averaged around 100 to the dollar.

Willer Express, which in the last few years has become one of Japan’s major highway bus operators, is now offering a new Japan Bus Pass, which caters towards the budget traveler. Is the new Bus Pass worth its cost, and how does it compare to the more frequently-used Japan Rail Pass?

First, here are the specifics of the Bus Pass: ANYONE can use it, even Japanese people, however it can only be purchased outside of Japan. Most of the highway buses on the Willer Express network can be used, which includes connections between Japan’s major cities. The cost of the pass is 8,000 yen for 3 days or 10,000 yen for 5 days. For each day that you use the pass, you are permitted to take the bus a maximum of two times, on two different routes (i.e. you cannot travel round-trip on the same travel day). The trips can be used on non-consecutive days, but all travel must be completed two months after the date of purchase. The Bus Pass is blacked out during Japan’s major holidays, and on other certain weekends. It is non-transferrable and you must show Photo ID (i.e. Passport) when boarding.

What do I think about the new Bus Pass? It is a tremendous deal, if you are willing to travel to several major cities in Japan, have time on your hands, and are willing to sleep on the bus during certain parts of your trip. The more times you use the Bus Pass, the more cost-effective it will be.

Let’s say that you plan on visiting Tokyo and Kyoto on your trip to Japan, and you want to use a Japan Bus Pass. With Willer Express you must make the trips overnight, which would involve sleeping on the bus. Each trip would then cost 4,000 yen based on the 3-day Bus Pass purchase. That isn’t too bad; many other bus operators in Japan operate the Tokyo-Kyoto route starting from more or less the same price. Willer, on the other hand, has the benefit of allowing reservations to be made in English.

But let’s say that you want to explore more of the country. Let’s say you wanted to add Hiroshima to the list of cities to visit. With a 3 day Bus Pass, you could, for example, travel overnight from Tokyo to Kyoto on Day 1 of the pass, stay in Kyoto, use Day 2 of the pass for a daytime OR nighttime trip to Hiroshima, stay there, and use your final day of the Pass for the overnight run from Hiroshima back to Tokyo. That’s three trips, which would reduce the cost of each trip to about 2700 yen. Even better! Remember, Bus Pass days do NOT have to be used consecutively.

But to squeeze every yen’s worth out of the Bus Pass, you must travel more. Remember that for each day of validity you can take up to TWO bus trips that are not on the same route. So in order to maximize the value of the Bus Pass, you must be willing to take SIX trips on a 3 Day pass, or TEN trips on a 10 Day pass.

So let’s try to build a sample itinerary using the three-day Bus Pass that would allow for some good coverage of major Japanese destinations.

3 DAY JAPAN BUS PASS SAMPLE ITINERARY

Bus Pass Day 1: Depart Tokyo’s Shinjuku Bus Terminal in the morning for the city of Sendai, a major city located within close vicinity of the Pacific Ocean. Spend the afternoon in Sendai, perhaps wandering over to Matsushima, one of Japan’s most important sites. In the evening, board an overnight bus bound for Osaka and spend a few nights there. Use Osaka as a base for visiting Kyoto.

Bus Pass Day 2: Take a bus back east from Osaka in the morning and spend the day in Nagoya, Japan’s third-largest city. In the evening, board a night bus to Hiroshima. Spend some time in the city where the first atomic bomb was dropped.

Bus Pass Day 3: Take a morning bus from Hiroshima to Kobe, in the region synonymous with beef. In the evening, return by night bus to Tokyo.

BUS PASS: 8000 yen / 6 trips = 1333 yen per trip

Wow. Now that’s a good deal.

My take on all of this… well, I’m not sure if I’d be the type of person who’d rush from one city to another in order to make the Bus Pass more valuable. I’d also need to have a lot of time on my hands, since a good portion of my trip time will be spent on a bus. If I wanted to cover a lot of ground, I’d rather try to save whatever time I have for the trip. So I would personally stick with a Japan Rail Pass. Besides obviously covering Japan’s entire network of bullet trains, there is the added benefit of NO blackout dates with the Rail Pass. You can travel on any date that you wish, as long as you are able to obtain a seat. But if I were to travel on the cheap and sacrifice time and comfort, and I had an idea of what major cities I’d want to visit in Japan, I would definitely give the Bus Pass serious consideration.