How to Ride Trains in Japan | Things You Need to Know, JR Pass Tips, and More 🚃
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 1 มิ.ย. 2024
- Booking your JR Passes and train tickets for your Japan trip has never been easier with the help of Klook! After booking your JR Pass, Klook will send your exchange voucher to your home FREE OF CHARGE! All you have to do is exchange the voucher at a ticket service center once you land in Japan and you're free to explore 🗾
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Today we are going over ALL THE TRAIN TIPS!!! ALL THE TRAIN INFO!!! I can think of!!!!! It's a hefty one!! And even then, I'm sure I missed stuff...
Let me know down below what you learned, or any other tips that I may not have mentioned! :)
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🗼 new upload almost every week 🗼
🔰 timestamps 🔰
0:00-3:11 train companies
3:12-10:31 tickets and passes
10:32-13:35 train gates
13:36-15:06 the countryside is special
15:07-16:46 types of trains
16:47-22:31 how to ride trains (general tips)
22:32-26:08 train stations
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ULTIMATE JAPAN TRAIN GUIDE | Things You Need to Know, JR Pass Tips, and More 🚃
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What's your favorite train tip? 🤓
Knowing transfer gates super useful, but I will add a special case, when using JRPASS and doing a transfer, the gate will hold your pass till you add the extra fare,
Eg: from Tokyo to Fuji, the jr train will let you in an intermediate station, where you take a gate that will eat your pass and wait till you use the ic card to pay the extra fare ( found the hard way)
Hyperdia at the time was great, but Jorudan is just as good. Don't be late for your train. Look at alternate trains in the event you don't wanna be sprinting to catch your transfer. If you're in the city, and you aren't in a hurry, don't stress about missing your train especially if there's another one that comes soon. You'll just be in a poor mood if you worry too much about it.
Great video Allison! This will be helpful for my kids when we head the "third best" hot spring town in Japan LOL. I'm going to show them this video.
@@archieologic It's number one in my heart 🤧🤧
I avoid them and bike, too many ppl for this anti social soul.
When using the JR-Pass with a reserved seat ticket you have to put both the JR-Pass and the reserved seat ticket togeather (stacked) through the ticket gate
As a mom travelling to Japan often, I 100% agree with your stroller comment. We always avoid rush hours, there is no need to suffer 😂 and we avoid stroller as much as we can when we have to take the metro. My advice for parents visiting Tokyo and wanting to explore different areas : don't stay in one central hotel for the whole stay. Book accommodations in different areas. 3 days Shibuya, 3 days Yanaka, etc... You'll have more time exploring and less time in traffic or just stuck at the station not being able to board ! And walking around Tokyo is just great to discover the city.
Alternates to trains and subways. Cover things like busses and ride sharing apps and even taxis.
Alright it’s gonna happen 🚌
And here I thought that New York trains were crowded after 5pm going home. I can relate to getting lost in Germany on my way to work and I got back to work crying Lol ❤
Thank you so much for the video! People say all the time "avoid hush hours" but never say when those are.
I will be traveling alone for the first time next year. Being a girl I kinda feel the tension for riding public transport late in the night....but oh well, we women know how it is.
Was there last week and had purchased a new large suitcase from the markets for our return trip home. Forgot that the ride to the hotel was timed durring rush hour. Ended up sitting for about 45 mins on a platform seat waiting for the train crowds to thin out. Saw a local with a large case and watched how he managed it. He too had to wait for a train that had space for him and his case to get on with.
I am planning a trip to Japan for next year and would love to know about taking taxis - not only in Tokyo but other major cities. I know NOT to touch the doors, but I'd love to know how to hail a cab, average costs for various short trips, anything to look out for, appropriate behavior, what to say to the driver (or not say). Thanks so much for your channel.
You CANNOT get the remaing balance on your Welcome Suica or PASMO Passport back. That is the purpose of them. Be mindful of how much you put into it each time you refill because you have to spend it all.
Also, while most first time visitors will probably land in Japan at either Narita or Haneda Airport in Tokyo area where Suica and PASMO are sold but now major shortage, if however you can fly in at Kansai Airport to visit Osaka and Kyoto first, you can just buy the ICOCA card there. Suica, PASMO and ICOCA are among the 10 IC Cards that work nationwide.
Regarding how to pay for a train ride in more rural area, besides IC Cards becoming useless, on some trains you pay at the front car where the conductor is when the train stops at an unmanned station. These are also the trains that utilize the "numbered ticket" fare system mentioned in the video but for trains.
As of last month, you could still get a regular Suica at Tokyo station, and surprisingly, only to Tourists. Reason I know this is because my girlfriend went to try to get one and was straight up rejected. 15 min later I went in with my passport and loaded with 1000 yen and just gave it to her. Had her register it this time so that if it’s lost again, she won’t have to go through this same issue.
I usually tell people “just go mobile” but I also get wanting a physical card as well.
“Where in Tokyo?” - one of the JR travel agent offices, that’s all I can remember considering how huge that station is.
Use google maps, go slightly earlier or slightly later than rush hour makes a huge difference, and walking to the further cars helps with the huge crowds. The wrong station exit can mean being on the wrong side of the tracks and not able to cross. Have your card or ticket ready and if not, step to the side so the rest of us can get to our train that leaves in 1 minute. Running is acceptable.
Great video. Very comprehensive. Regarding Shinjuku Station exits: it only seems like it has over a 100 exits but there is probably around 30 at most for the actual JR, Toei, Odakyu, Tokyo Metro, Seibu and Keio stations. The rest are exits from the underground malls and passageways.
23:00 This is so true. I cried out of exhaustion and confusion. 😂 Wish you would also discuss about buses. They are even more confusing I think.
Oh, yes, buses would be great.
Next video should be about transferring between train lines at Shinjuku Station. Can you transfer from JR to Odakyu to Keio using their connecting transfer gates? =P
I have been watching your content for awhile now and it’s been super helpful as someone who hopes to travel to japan in the next few years and stay, I love your content and vibes! keep up the good work 💗
Last comment. I don't understand the big deal about the Japanese train system shutting down at night. Paris, London, San Francisco, Chicago, Berlin, Rome, Beijing, and Shanghai all stop running around midnight. I think it's the norm. The New York Metro is the only one I know that has lines running 24/7. I should add that NY also allows tapping credit cards to pay fares. There is a discount to use an IC card, but paying by credit card is available.
I just got to Tokyo a couple days ago. I was able to get a welcome Suica card from Haneda airport.
The only train system I've experienced in my life was Dubai train station but it wasn't complicated or confusing , watched your video twice and still can feel it it's the most confusing train system 😂 if I visit Japan I'm 100000% will get lost 😂😂😂 but thank you so much for the video , take care love you ❤❤❤❤❤
The subway system in Sapporo is pretty good so it’s what I use 95% of the time. I rarely take the trains to be honest. I sometimes take buses to places too.
Thanks for all the details. Please do a video on above ground transportation. 🚕
🚌🚌🚌
@@AllisoninTokyo 🚕🚖🚕🚖🚕🚖♥
Thank you for such an informative and fun video , love your content !
🧚♀️🧚♀️🧚♀️
Thank you! Great guide!
Thank you.👍🥰
Wow! Lot of great information here. Wish I could say I now understand everything about trains in Japan but that would be impossible 😮. I did learn a lot though so thanks!👏
I would need 3 hours 😔
Thank you very mich!
Thank you for the very informative video!!
Very informative video 😃 One other thing I've learned traveling in Japan by train, you are supposed/expected to wear your backpack in front of you when the train is crowded. This is to not accidentally bump into someone (as well as not to have awkward/inappropriate close encounters...😅)
yes!!
Arigato gozaimasu Allison-san
Hi Allison! Your videos provide valuable information. Thank you so much!
Brilliantly done and very clear. From all I’ve seen this is the best one so far.
Thank you for sharing this video it Very helpful I hope your channel will get more love and view❤❤
cries in android phone
😔
Me with my s23 ultra, no way I'm changing to iphone
@rodolfo7077 I feel u,just buy the physical card
I dont think she said it was impossible, just difficult. A quick search and there are apps to use and im guessing you can use google wallet. But nothing beats having a physical card imo
Same here
Fab video, Allison ☺️ I hope you're having a wonderful day. A video about capsule hotels, or just hotels in Tokyo in general, would be amazing!
I’ve good experiences using Klook so I’m glad they’re sponsoring you! I did a canoe ride down the river and it was so fun I’d totally do it again. 👍🏼
sounds fun 🤩
I just started watching your content because I've gotten interested in going to Japan for my undergrad. What videos/resources would you recommend?
To those concerned about above ground transport like buses or cities like Nagasaki/Hiroshima that have street cars, you should be good as long as u have an ic card in my experience. Sometimes there's a button or cord you should pull to notify when u want to get off like in the US. And try to make sure you have enough money in it at all times cuz I've had some embarrassing moments where I had to give the conductor cash but I didn't know how much or how to give them the money and I felt bad for delaying the train/bus 😅.
Thanks for your informative video. Do you know if I can buy last min (like on the day it self -late morning) to buy JR ticket from Nagoya to Tokyo? Its going to be on Sat in mid May. Thanks
Will you be applying for permanent residency? If you havnt already that is haha I just discovered this channel but I’m highly enjoying your videos and it’s very motivating
I need you to take the sunrise sleeper train to Osaka and explain how to buy the tickets for that because the whole base+express+seat or whatever totally freaks me out and confuses me 😅
is there a chance you could go over taxis/ubers/buses and then explain the use of the emergency thing for trains?
My favourite train is the little single carriage train that runs through local Fukui, really cute little Densha. Thanks for the content, I’ve taken inspiration from channels like yours to start my own channel. I’m moving to Kanazawa next year 😝
One man trains are so cute but confusing to explain 😍
Thanks for this video! I am (finally) heading back to Japan this summer after a long time. (I was last there in 1993 before smartphones existed!) I am going for a race in South Hokkaido. Looking at connections, etc, I probably will fly into Tokyo and then take the Shinkansen to Hokkaido. Just need to figure out the bike/luggage transport and what train to reserve. And, if I want to find a luggage service or try to figure it out with my baggage. I love traveling light, but I cannot do so for an Ironman!
Are the trains as crazily busy in other major cities like Osaka? Or is it mainly a Tokyo issue?
Thank you so much for such comprehensive information btw, this has made me feel much better prepared
Hi Alison thanks for all the tips 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻, could you also do a video on which kind of trains provide free WiFi and in general do all train stations have toilets? Are the toilets free to use or chargeable,?
Bullet trains and most limited express have wifi! And all stations have bathrooms (not the cleanest usually…haha) but in Japan there aren’t paid public bathrooms, all free!
Thank you for recommending! Can i ask what would you advise to do if no sucica cards are available anymore? Is it all IC cards on a shortage?
Great information once again Allison!!
A bit of help please….. I’m online now…. On the JR site, I plan on using the Pass May 26, 2024. The site is asking for my address, so will they ship the pass to me. Kind of worried I won’t receive it on time 😬. Also will I get a code that I can reserve seats one month before my first day of use? I cannot wait to reserve seats, time crunch thing.
Thanks so much Allison. Hope your well!!
HAPPY EASTER 🐣
Want to meet me for a meal between 28 to 1 may? My treat. I arrive late night 27th n have decided should i fly to another city or stay put....hahaha
Where were this video when i arrived in Japan 30 days ago
Hi Allison,
Great video - it certainly made things a bit clearer in relation to train travel in Japan.
Can I ask a couple of questions though:
1) I am looking to travel to Japan later this year (for around 2.5 weeks, with a week each in Tokyo and Osaka, and a few days in between in Kyoto). As there are only 2 big/long train rides involved (Tokyo --> Kyoto and Kyoto --> Osaka), preloading the Suica card in the Apple Wallet should cover all inner city Travel (travelling from Shinjuku to Shibuya, or Ueno to Ikebukuro for examples) right?
2) As for those longer trips involving the shinkansen (bullet trains) between Tokyo and Kyoto and Kyoto and Osaka, how far in advance should you look to book these in?
Thanks!
I hope to go to Tokyo in a year or two, and this will be my first big trip with a wheelchair. Just knowing that I’m going to have to research every station I plan to use ahead of time and look for alternatives feels exhausting.
Thankfully they updated many stations over the past decade to include elevators due to the Olympics (compared to before), so for larger stations you will likely be fine! Just be careful when booking accommodations and heading to smaller stations 🤧
Hey! Thank you for this very informative video! There is something i'm not sure i understand still...If you wanna board a shinkansen for example, even if you have an IC card, you have to get a ticket right? Like go to a ticket machine or talk to a person to get a ticket to board the right train and then you pay with your IC card? Can someone please help me with this i'm so confused 😅
I believe you still need to go get a physical ticket for the Shinkansen. We are in Japan right now and the lines for the Shinkansen tickets are long. We bought our Shinkansen tickets on Klook and they give us a QR code. You can take the QR code to the JR machine and scan them then the physical ticket prints out. It was so easy and fast. We got to walk past everyone waiting in the lines and it saved us so much time.
I had constant issues in Kamakura, i had to go to help counter multiple times due to fare rejection when i scanned my suica(w/ kamakura paper day pass)- still dont understand what i was doing wrong
During the section about the country side you said you can look up if a station couldn't use an IC card, do we just Google this or is there a website? Fantastic video! I'll be in Japan for 3 months at the end of the year for my 2nd and longest visit.
Thanks! Depends on the station really, if you can’t find it on a website my hack is to go to the Google Map photos and see if there’s pictures of the ticket/gate area to see if they have a IC reader 😂
Often, if it's near the boundary of the card zones, there would be special signage on this. JRHokkaido(Kitaca), JRWest(ICOCA), JRCentral(TOICA) all have a page showing a map all the stations accepting IC cards. JRCentral(TOICA) has some weird rules about not able to cross SUICA/TOICA boundary at Atami and Kozu. (the maps are in English 🤓)
is this video for the peaple who come to japan?
i'm Japanese
I am from Canada, so if I got my IC card on my iPhone, is it as long as I have wifi, the card will work? Thinking of getting a pocket wifi
For the life of me I do not know how to read the train board on top of the ticket machine and reading the electronic board (time table) while waiting for the train AND all the lines on the floor. Can you make a video on this w/ picture/video of it.
I have the 7 day JR Pass coming for part of my 14 day trip (a time where I'm going from Tokyo-Osaka-Hiroshima-Kyoto-Aomori and I guess I want to know how to reserve my seats and how far in advance I should? I know what days I'm leaving each city, but I'm unsure of the times (most of them will likely be very early in the morning). I am also going to look into luggage forwarding, so if I have to stand, I'll stand.
Really depends on when exactly you’re coming, but in general you will be fine on weekdays (can make same day seat reservations) and weekends you need to be a bit careful (can usualllly do same day if youre in the morning but late day times will go quickly on certain routes)
@AllisoninTokyo I arrive in Tokyo on April 17 (Wednesday) and will leave for Osaka on the 21st (Sunday), and while I'm there, I'll take a day trip to Hiroshima on the 23rd (Tuesday), and then I'll go to Kyoto on the 24th (Wednesday), and then I'll go all the way up to Aomori on the 27th (Saturday). That last trip is the one I'm mostly concerned about as it's on a weekend with a few transfers.
When traveling between cities on the JR with the pass, can you get off anytime or you have to specify the destination?
On the JR pass you can get off and on! (But you will need to reserve seats each time if you are doing that but you could even do this right before you board, otherwise could try the unreserved seating sections)
Hello! I have an off topic form the video question. I Just received my 1yr work visa, so I'll be heading back to Tokyo in a couple weeks. How difficult is the process of either renewing the visa to stay longer, and/or what's the process? My concern is this, I researched and the rules say I cant start the renewal process until 3 months prior to mine expiring, though it took 8 months for my COE to be approved. Do I have to come back to the states if they haven't approved or finished my approval? I've heard they can issue a temp visa until they approve it, idk about that. Thanks! I really enjoy your content, been here for a while now.
Don’t worry, once you’re in renewing it’s actually a super easy form and the 3 month rule is for everyone :)
Oh no! Allison has the frowny face..
If i buy a shinkansen ticket from tokyo to kyoto on Klook, can I reserve my seats on there? I tried searching for tickets on Klook and chose reserved seating, but I didn't go further with it because the website said I will get a qr code and I wasnt sure how to proceed with that and choose seats before paying. Any info on that? Thanks
For normal tickets, I believe that they pick the seats for you 🫡
I don't have an Iphone and my phone is android from the UK, can someone suggest what I should do? I am also arriving in Sapporo first and then heading to osaka and tokyo later.
You should be able to get a Kitaca card in Sapporo.
I get confused when I have to put 2 tickets into the gate. Why does this happen? Also sometimes I get a receipt and a ticket with my reserved seat on it -How do I figure out which ticket to put in the
ticket gate?
Usually one is the fare and the other ticket is something extra (seat reservation usually or a special fare)! Usually the receipt just has a bunch of text on it, but if you aren’t sure on what to put in the machine you can always go through the manned counter or ask a staff member:)
DERAIL
Is that true that there are Metro tickets valid for up to 72 hrs (or 48, I don't remember) that has like a special price???
Yes! I think they have 48 and 72!
@@AllisoninTokyo which company does make it and do you think is a better price than paying regular prices day by day? Sorry for bothering that much and thank you so much...
I always get the Tokyo metro 24/48hr pass because I like their trains better lol
I think the keikyu passes cover all of the local Tokyo lines except JR.
But if you check each company’s website it will explain what “discount tickets” they have available.
Osaka also has a ton of different passes.
I don't know why, but I could never add credit to the suica card, on my iPhone. So got a physical one.
😔
It’s dependent on what kind of credit card you have. And I can’t remember which one works 😅 I know amex is a no, maybe Mastercard was the one that works?
@@aibao_eipariru_april I didn’t think there’d be a problem depending on the manufacturer. I thought it might have been my bank not authorizing me putting money on a digital card that wasn’t theirs.
first
Step into my channel’s playground where learning Japanese feels more like play than work!
Most important thing when riding a train is, CASH! If you don't have cash you cannot charge IC card.
yesss 😔😔😔
Suggestions: try talking slower and without hand gestures......both detract from your message.
Cant believe Japan is big racist towards samsung users. Big disappoint.
Is this a joke, right?
I mean, must be
Surprisingly I'm more intimated by buses then i am about trains. I can find dozens of "how to ride a Japanese train" videos but zero bus videos! Is it because they're so self explanatory that it doesn't need a whole video? In Kyoto i didn't want to embarrass myself so I either just took trains and walked further or a taxi because I didn't want to do the bus system wrong and have people stare 😅🫠
Interesting but also so true…gonna make a bus video!!!
If you get on in the front you tap your card once when you get on and leave through the back. If you get on at the back door you tap your card getting on and off.
If you tell the driver where you’re trying to go he will emphasize more the stop you need to get off at. 😅
That’s all I got for bus info 😆
I took the bus once, and besides being awed at how fast it was, still have anxiety thinking about it lol
Me, too, 100%. Trains are easy and fun for me; buses I avoid as much as possible due to the reasons you mentioned.
@@aibao_eipariru_april Thank you for that tip! That just demystified the front door vs. back door tapping payment situation.