Public transport in Japan

After spending almost two weeks in Japan, I thought it would be useful to share some tips I have learned through experience.

Japan has a great transport infrastructure and travelling around the country was easy (considering not everyone speaks English). However, there are a few things I would have liked to know before I got there.

Japanese Rail Pass (JRP)

JRP, a joint offering of the six companies comprising the Japan Railways Group (JR Group), is the most economical way of travelling throughout Japan by rail. There are some restrictions on use: you can only buy a JRP if you are:

1. A foreign tourist visiting Japan from abroad for sight-seeing, under the entry status of “Temporary Visitor”. Temporary Visitor entry status, according to Japanese Immigration Law, allows a stay in Japan of 15 days or 90 days for “sight-seeing, etc.”
   If you apply for a “stay for sight-seeing” when you enter Japan, entry personnel will stamp your passport as “Temporary Visitor”.
2. A Japanese living abroad who meet the following conditions click here

There are two types of JRP: Green (for superior-class Green cars), and Ordinary. Each of these types is available as a 7-day, 14-day, or 21-day PASS.

Here you can find the prices for the ordinary ticket. You can find the prices for the green on their website if you do fancy upgrading your travels.

For more information, please visit their website https://www.japan-rail-pass.com/

Buses

Using buses in Japan can be intimidating. Depending on which company you use, there are different ticketing systems and recognising the stop where you need to get off the bus can be challenging.

My first advise would be to use Google maps (God bless technology). I also used the app CityMapper when I lived in London; maps are available for many cities if you are a keen traveler, including Tokyo. Here are some tips when using buses in Japan (mind the exceptions – do what locals do).

• Enter the bus through the back door.
• When entering, pick up a ticket from a small machine next to the door. A number is printed on the ticket, which you will later use to determine your fare. If you use an IC card to pay the fare, touch your card against the sensor.
• A display above the driver shows the next stop and the fares for that stop in yen. To determine your fare, match the number on your ticket with the number and fare on the display. If you use an IC card, then you do not have to worry about this.
• When your stop is approaching, press one of the buttons to signal the driver that you wish to get off at the next stop.
• If you do not have the exact fare, use the changing machine to get small coins.
• When getting off, put your ticket and the exact fare into the box next to the driver. If you use an IC card, touch the card against the reader near the driver.

It is quite an experience to take a bus in Japan. I encourage you to do it just for the fun.

Tube/ underground/ subway

Tokyo’s subway network is operated by two companies, the Toei Subways with four lines, and Tokyo Metro with nine lines. https://www.tokyometro.jp/en/

Prepaid IC cards are generally the recommended way to get around Tokyo. They can also be used to make quick purchases at many shops across the country. I bought a PASMO card at the airport, but this was just my preference, SUICA can also be purchased and used.

One of the things the app CityMapper does is telling you which carriage you should board for a smooth journey. Japanese have always been ahead and they do have that info on maps displayed next to the platforms.

In addition, at most stations, you can switch between lines without paying for additional ticket, rather than once for each stage. At some stations, however, it is not possible to transfer to another line without going through a ticket gate. If you use an IC card and transfer to another line, your fare will be calculated correctly. However, if you have a paper ticket and use a regular ticket gate, your ticket will be swallowed by the machine. If you use an orange ticket gate, your ticket will be returned to you on the other side, and as long as you transfer to the other line within 30 minutes, you can use it to complete your journey.

Believe me…I didn’t know this and probably spent more money that what I should have.

One thing that shocked me is the fact that for certain hours, some carriages are women only. Aparrently, it was introduced in 2000 as a way to stop sexual harassment. I DO NOT agree with it. We should be encouraging women to speak out and report it, not to shut ourselves away to stay safe and spend public money avoiding the issue. We need to confront it, women should be able to simply travel without anyone groping their asses.

Taxis

Taxis are expensive compared with the efficient public transportation network in Japan. However, when public transport closes, it may be the only option to get to your destination. The price rises during nights and weekends due to the increased demand.

A plate on the dashboard in the lower corner of the windshield indicates whether a taxi is vacant or reserved (updated thanks to the advice of Tokyo5 in the comments).

Occupied

Vacant

Please note, the left rear door is opened and closed remotely by the driver. For a second I thought I was inside Michael Knight’s car (too young to understand the joke?).

If you do not speak Japanese or if your destination is not well-known, it is recommended to give your driver the address of your destination on a piece of paper or – even better – point it out on a map or your mobile phone, since the Japanese address system can be confusing even to local taxi drivers. I showed them on Google Maps so they could see it.

Many taxis accept payment by credit card and by IC card. On the door, you can usually find the different payment methods accepted on stickers. Do not give tips to the driver, as tipping is not acceptable in Japan.

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If you have any questions about how to travel around Japan, don’t hesitate to write the question in the comments or to DM on my Instagram account @myblisscation.

Thanks for popping by!

Love,

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