The good news about the Japanese public transportation network: it’s extensive, punctual, clean, and affordable. The bad? It’s tough to figure out! Japan is a paper-happy country and e-tickets are rare. It’s also hard to find updated and clear information about train types and tickets on the Internet. So here I’ll break down the most important things you need to know about train, bus, and taxi transportation.
Trains
Types
There are essentially three types of train: local, Limited Express, and Shinkansen (bullet trains). There are usually many sub-types and names within these groups, but this grouping will help you understand the major differences in service and, most importantly, reservations and fares.
Local trains are the slowest, cheapest, and most basic. They include subways (aka Metro) and commuter trains. Second-class cars are subway-style, with limited seating and no on-board toilets (all Japanese stations have very nice free toilets). Some longer-distance local trains also have a few first-class cars (called Green Cars in Japan). You can ride any local train at any time without needing a reservation. The names can be a bit confusing: they might have “Express” or “Rapid” in the name, but it just means they travel slightly faster or make fewer stops. The fares are all the same.
Limited Express trains are nicer and usually faster than local. All cars have plush seats (which are reservable), toilets, and sometimes even on-board cafes. These are slightly more expensive than local trains. You will need an advance reservation for Limited Express trains.
Shinkansen are the insanely fast mag-lev bullet trains that Japan is famous for. They make very few stops at major cities only and have all your high-end train amenities, with more expensive fares to match. You will need an advance reservation for these too.
Understanding fares
On all trains, you will need to pay a basic fare. On Limited Express and Shinkansen trains, you will need the basic fare plus a supplemental ticket. You can think of the supplements as mandatory reservations for specific trains, which also means your Limited Express and Shinkansen tickets are for a specific departure time, like a flight. Supplemental tickets must be bought before you enter the train station gates. Below is a handy table for understanding what you need for which trains.
(Or if you want the easy option and have cash to burn, Rail Pass might be better for you.)
| Train type | Basic fare required? | Possible to pay basic fare with IC card? | Limited Express fare required? | Advance ticket purchase required? | Seat reservations |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Local | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | Not possible |
| Limited Express | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | Extra charge |
| Shinkansen | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | Extra charge |
Paying the basic fare
For local trains and Limited Express, you can pay for the basic fare using either paper tickets or IC cards.
IC cards
Transport cards (called IC cards) are prepaid physical or digital cards that allow you to tap-on and tap-off all metros and local trains, as well as city buses. You can also use them to pay at shops, vending machines, and some taxis.
There are many different brands based on location: SUICA, manaca, and ICOCA are some of the most common. Which brand you choose is up to you and which ones are available. Many will work Japan-wide, although if you’re going far off the tourist track, you might need to check regional validity.
IC cards are not valid for bullet train basic fares. You just buy the basic fare together with the supplemental ticket (see Shinkansen section below).
Where to get IC cards
If you arrive in Tokyo, the Welcome SUICA card is a temporary IC card for foreigners. You can buy them in the airports and at JR (Japan Railway) offices in a few major train stations.
SUICA cards can also be added to Android and Apple phone Wallet apps and it’s by far the easiest option. You can get the card before you leave home, pre-load it, and then you’re ready to go. To add SUICA to Apple Wallet, click the + > Travel Card > Japan > SUICA. You’ll need to have NFC and contactless payments activated, and another payment method in your Wallet so you can transfer funds to the SUICA.
Using IC cards
Tap in. There are physical gates at train stations where you tap the card to open the gate and start your journey.
Always tap out! The card won’t let you tap in again if you forget to tap out (or if your card did not read correctly on the way through the gate). If this happens to you, don’t worry! Just find a manned booth or a “fare adjustment” machine, say where you forgot to tap out, and they’ll fix it. This happens fairly often, also to locals.
One IC card per person
Because of the tap-in-tap-out nature of these cards, they’re single-rider-use only. It’s not possible to tap in multiple times with the same card to signify multiple riders.
Loading your card
Every time you tap into a train gate (or bus), your remaining balance will show on the screen. If you use the mobile card, your balance will always show in the Wallet app, and you can track all debits there as well. Google Maps can tell you how much a train ride will cost.
Physical card: you can use a machine at stations or do it in person at ticket offices or convenience stores. You will need to pay cash! You can also use fare adjustment machines to top up your card if you don’t have enough to tap out.
Mobile card: you can top up the cards from any other linked card or account in your Wallet app. If you notice your balance is low when you tap in, you can just reload it before tapping out. The card will be briefly “offline” after you top up, usually 30-60 seconds, while the balance updates.
Unloading your card
Once you load money onto your mobile or welcome SUICA, you can’t unload it! I usually add money in 2,000-yen increments as needed. Before leaving, I drain the balance by using it at a convenience store, and then add exactly the right amount to get me to the airport. Other IC cards might be refundable for a small fee.
Paper tickets and short-term metro passes
If you don’t like the idea of IC cards or you’re only taking a few public transport journeys, you can also buy single-ride paper tickets for metros and trains, or 1-3 day city-specific metro passes. Tickets can be bought from machines or ticket offices just outside the gate.
To enter the train gates, find one that accepts paper tickets (some gates are IC only) and put it in the yellow slot. The machine will validate it and spit it out (about 1 meter/3 feet forward), and make sure you grab it! You’ll need to insert it again when you leave your end station, and then the machine will eat the ticket.
Limited Express tickets
Here you have two options. You can either a) buy the basic fare and supplement together, or b) use your IC card for the basic fare and just buy the supplement alone. The screenshot below from the JR website shows the cost breakdown: “total” for both fares together, “Limited Express” alone, and how much the basic fare is. If you choose paper tickets and you end up with 2 paper tickets, just insert the basic fare one at the gate. For IC cards, you tap in at the gate as usual. The supplemental ticket does not need to be validated before boarding.
Buying Limited Express tickets: in-person is better!
It is easiest and fastest to just buy these tickets in person in Japan, either from a ticket office or a machine. Normal Limited Express trains rarely sell out, and if they do, there will probably be another one in a few minutes that still has space.
It is technically possible to buy Limited Express tickets online in advance. BUT! You can only buy them during Japanese business hours, and you will need to pick up paper tickets in Japan using specific machines at a JR station. Make sure you bring your self-chosen PIN and the same (physical!) card you used for payment.
To make things worse, Japan Railway is split into 6 geographic regions. For example, JR East includes Tokyo, and JR West includes Kyoto, Osaka, and Mt Fuji. This means two things for purchasing Limited Express tickets online. First, you need to do it from the right JR website. It’s easy to see if you’re in the right one because your departure or arrival stations will [not] show up in the search box. Second, to pick up your paper tickets, you need to be in the part of Japan where you’ll use the train ticket. Say you land in Tokyo (JR East territory) and you have reserved a ticket next week from Kyoto to Osaka (JR West). You can’t pick up the ticket from a machine until you’re physically in JR West territory!
Seriously, just buy the tickets in person.
Of course, there are exceptions to that rule.
If you’re taking a special Limited Express train, like a sightseeing or themed train, then I do recommend advance reservations. For example, the Kintetsu network in the Kyoto-Osaka-Nara region has some neat trains that only run a few times a day. These tickets are much easier to buy online because they’re touristy things that do sell out, and you’ll receive an e-ticket that you can print from home or use as mobile tickets. The same basic fare + Limited Express payment structure applies.
If you need to arrive or depart at a specific time, for example if you’re using a hired driver to or from the station, advance tickets might be safer.
If you’re traveling in peak season times (e.g. Golden Week, school holidays in August), some trains will fill up. Seat reservations might also be a good idea.
Shinkansen
Shinkansen tickets are much easier to buy online. The basic and supplemental fares are always sold together, because it’s not possible to use an IC card for the basic fare.
E-tickets can be bought online if you make an account, and you can often save a few thousand yen by booking 2-3 weeks in advance. Tickets can be bought more than a month in advance, but your tickets and seats won’t be finalized until a month before departure. The e-tickets can be used as mobile or printed versions.
You are required to have a reservation for a specific journey, although you’re allowed to change your departure time for free, in theory up to 4 minutes before departure.
If you want to reserve a specific seat, it’s an optional third charge. If you’re traveling with large luggage (bigger than an airplane carry-on), it’s best to get a “large luggage” seat or rent a locker on board. There are luggage racks above the seats, but they’re meant for carry-on size.
First class
First class is called “green car” on all Japanese trains. There’s a surcharge to ride in green cars, and it’s in the form of – yes, you guessed it! – another ticket. Usually it’s an extra 30-50% of the normal fare. There are usually marked platform sections where Green Cars will stop.
Local trains: Only some local trains have Green Cars, but they’re an impressive upgrade over second class. They have plush seats, toilets, and employees roaming around with canned coffee and beer. You can pay the upgrade fee at JR ticket offices, at “Green Car” machines on the platforms, or you can also just board a Green Car and buy a ticket from the on-board employee.
Limited Express and Shinkansen: the price increase for the Green Car will just be included in your fare when you buy it. Here you must buy the Green Car supplement in advance.
Rail Passes
If this all seems overwhelming and/or your budget allows for it, another option is to get a JR Rail Pass. This will allow you to ride almost-unlimited Shinkansen, Limited Express, and local trains for a chosen period of time (7, 14, or 21 days), starting from 50,000 yen per adult (70,000 for Green Car upgrade, aka first class).
As always, there are a few exceptions on certain lines where you’ll need to pay a surcharge (notably, Tokyo towards Kyoto/Osaka/Nagoya/etc) or where the train is run by a non-JR company. You’ll still need to book reservations for a specific departure on Limited Express and Shinkansen trains, but they make it easier to do online yourself if you’re a Passholder.
Miscellaneous Tips
There will be a lot of employees around the stations and their job is to help you. If you can’t find anyone, head for the station’s JR ticket office or a manned ticket gate. I do recommend having a translation app loaded on your phone so you can communicate.
Japanese train stations can be enormous, and they can have 2-3 different sets of tracks for the different train types. Each set of tracks will often have its own set of fare gates, as well as its own entrances from outside. Unfortunately you can’t just pass through a fare gate to get to another part of the station – you’ll have to go around.
Japan has some truly awesome specialty and themed trains, like Hello Kitty or One Piece. These have limited routes and departures.
Most stations will have large luggage automated lockers for storing your things, and you can use any payment method. Just remember exactly which machine you used! A luggage tracker tag can help.
Other transportation
City buses
People queue for different bus lines. It’s good practice to flag down the bus you want, since drivers don’t always stop.
Enter the door that’s in the middle of the bus. If you’re using an IC card, tap in at the reader near the door. If you’re paying cash, you’ll just pay the driver at the end of your ride.
Hit one of the STOP buttons when your stop is next. Exit the bus at the front door next to the driver, and either tap-out your IC card or put cash into the machine on the way out.
For in-city transport, the fare is often flat-rate and the amount shown on a screen near the driver. Children usually pay half-fare. Note that not all coin and bill types are accepted in all buses.
Highway buses
Anecdotally, long-distance buses are punctual, modern, and comfortable. E-tickets can be bought online. Just Google your desired route, or use a bus-finding site like Willer.
Taxis
GO Taxi is a Japan-specific taxi-hailing app that’s super smooth to use and available country-wide. You can call multiple cabs at once (up to 3) if you’re a large group, and you can pre-pay through the app. The wait is usually no longer than 5 minutes if you’re in a city.
If you use a taxi stand, be aware that taxi drivers rarely speak any English. My go-to method for directing the driver is Google Maps. Click on the little speaker icon next to the address of your destination. It will speak the address in Japanese, and also show the Japanese name and address in large font. Many taxis are also cash-only, so make sure you either have cash on hand or ask the driver before departure if you can pay with IC/credit card.
Eki stamps
If you like collecting free things, unique souvenirs, or are traveling with kids, a fun activity to do around Japan is to collect eki stamps. These are ink-and-rubber stamps scattered around the country that are free for anyone to use. Large-city metro stations and JR stations usually have at least one to find (Shinkansen tracks do not have them!). Be aware they might be behind the ticket gates.
“Eki” means “train,” because that’s where the stamping tradition started, but the craze has since spread to tourist offices, shops, onsen, Tokyo’s Imperial Garden…you name it, there’s probably a stamp. The biggest stamps are around 3 inches across, so just bring or buy a postcard-sized, unlined notebook. Scratch paper is useful for testing stamps or blotting ink. These are also different from goshuin.
Kinosaki Onsen JR station – Nara temple – Jump Shop with One Piece characters – Fujiyoshida Tourism Office
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