Japan Rail operates approximately 20,000 kilometers of track across the Japanese Archipelago. The shinkansen network connects Tokyo to Fukuoka on Kyushu in under six hours, with the Tokaido Shinkansen alone carrying over 150 million passengers annually. The Nozomi service between Tokyo and Osaka covers 515 kilometers in two hours twenty-eight minutes, stopping at Yokohama, Nagoya, and Kyoto. The Hikari and Kodama services make additional stops at stations including Odawara and Hamamatsu. The Hokuriku Shinkansen runs from Tokyo through Nagano to Kanazawa, taking two hours twenty-six minutes to cover 450 kilometers. The Tohoku Shinkansen extends north from Tokyo through Sendai to Shin-Aomori, with the Hayabusa service completing the 674 kilometers in three hours. A branch line connects to Hokkaido through the Seikan Tunnel, the world's longest undersea tunnel at 53.85 kilometers, reaching Sapporo in approximately eight hours total from Tokyo. The Kyushu Shinkansen runs from Fukuoka to Kumamoto and Kagoshima, completing the 256 kilometers from Hakata Station to Kagoshima-Chuo in one hour seventeen minutes.
The Japan Rail Pass provides unlimited travel on JR trains including most shinkansen services for consecutive seven, fourteen, or twenty-one day periods. Nozomi and Mizuho shinkansen services do not accept the pass. Purchase must occur outside Japan through authorized vendors, with exchange orders converted to physical passes at JR offices upon arrival. Seven-day ordinary passes cost approximately 29,650 yen as of 2024, fourteen-day passes 47,250 yen, and twenty-one-day passes 60,450 yen. Green Car passes for first-class seating cost approximately 39,600 yen for seven days. Regional JR passes cover specific areas: the JR East Nagano-Niigata Area Pass covers five days for approximately 27,000 yen, the JR West Kansai Area Pass covers consecutive days around Osaka and Kyoto starting around 2,800 yen per day, and the JR Hokkaido Pass covers three, five, or seven days starting around 16,500 yen. Reserved seats on shinkansen require advance booking, accomplished at midori-no-madoguchi ticket offices in major stations or through ticket machines with English menus.
Tokyo Metro and Toei Subway operate thirteen lines covering 304.1 kilometers with 285 stations across the capital. The Ginza Line, opened in 1927, was Asia's first underground railway. The Marunouchi Line connects Tokyo Station to Shinjuku and Ikebukuro. The Chiyoda Line runs from Yoyogi-Uehara through central Tokyo to Kita-Ayase. A single journey within central zones costs 170 to 200 yen. Twenty-four-hour Tokyo Subway Tickets cost 800 yen for unlimited rides on both Metro and Toei lines. IC cards including Suica and Pasmo function across all rail networks in the Kanto region with fares deducted automatically. Deposit costs 500 yen, refunded upon return minus a 220 yen handling fee if the card has been used. Cards purchased in Tokyo function in Osaka, Kyoto, and most major cities through mutual agreements between regional operators.
Osaka Metro operates nine lines totaling 137.8 kilometers with 123 stations. The Midosuji Line runs north-south from Esaka through Umeda, Shinsaibashi, Namba, and Tennoji to Nakamosakicho. Single journeys range from 180 to 400 yen depending on distance. One-day Enjoy Eco Cards cost 820 yen on weekdays, 620 yen on weekends and holidays. Kyoto operates two subway lines: the Karasuma Line running north-south for 13.7 kilometers with fifteen stations, and the Tozai Line running east-west for 17.5 kilometers with seventeen stations. Single fares range from 220 to 360 yen. Kyoto also operates an extensive bus network with flat 230 yen fares within central zones, increased to 260 yen in 2024. One-day bus passes cost 700 yen. Route 5 connects Kyoto Station to Kinkaku-ji via Shijo-Karasuma and Kitaoji. Route 100 connects Kyoto Station to Ginkaku-ji via Kiyomizu-dera and Heian Shrine. Route 101 and 102 circle the city in opposite directions.
Private railways operate independently of JR across defined regions. Odakyu Electric Railway runs from Shinjuku to Hakone-Yumoto in approximately ninety minutes on the Romance Car limited express, covering 85 kilometers with reserved seats costing around 2,300 yen including surcharge. The railway continues via switchbacks and funicular to Lake Ashi and Mount Fuji viewing points. Hakone Freepass provides two or three days of unlimited travel on Odakyu lines and eight transit types within Hakone for approximately 6,100 yen from Shinjuku. Keio Corporation operates lines from Shinjuku to Mount Takao and western Tokyo suburbs. Tobu Railway runs from Asakusa to Nikko in approximately two hours on limited express services, covering 140 kilometers for around 2,800 yen. Kintetsu Railway operates the longest private railway network in Japan at 582.9 kilometers, connecting Osaka, Kyoto, and Nara with limited express services to Ise and Kashikojima on the Shima Peninsula. The urban express from Osaka-Namba to Kyoto takes thirty-five minutes covering 38.6 kilometers.
Buses serve areas without rail access and supplement urban transit. Highway buses connect major cities with overnight services between Tokyo and Kyoto, Tokyo and Osaka, and Tokyo and Hiroshima. Willer Express operates three-row and four-row seating configurations with overnight Tokyo-Osaka routes starting around 3,500 yen, taking eight to nine hours. JR Bus Kanto operates routes to Hakone, Mount Fuji's fifth station, and Nagano. Reservations occur through company websites or convenience stores. Local buses in rural areas require exact fare payment upon exit, with fare displays showing amounts based on entry zone numbers. Buses around Mount Fuji depart from Kawaguchiko Station to the fifth station between April and November, suspended during winter closure. The journey takes fifty minutes, costing 1,570 yen one-way. Retro Loop Bus in Kanazawa costs 200 yen per ride, circling major sites including Kenrokuen Garden and Higashi Chaya District every fifteen minutes.
Ferries connect Honshu to Hokkaido, Shikoku, and Kyushu where bridges do not exist. Seikan Ferry previously operated across Tsugaru Strait before the Seikan Tunnel opened in 1988. The Kobe-Miyazaki Ferry traverses the Inland Sea overnight, departing Kobe at 19:00 and arriving Miyazaki at 08:30, covering approximately 440 kilometers with fares starting around 8,000 yen for basic accommodation. Takamatsu-Takamatsu on Shikoku connects to Uno Port in Okayama Prefecture via sixty-minute ferry, costing 770 yen for foot passengers. Ferries to Miyajima Island depart Miyajimaguchi every fifteen minutes, operated by JR West and Miyajima Matsudai Kisen. JR ferries cost 180 yen and accept the Japan Rail Pass. The crossing takes ten minutes. Ferries to islands in the Seto Inland Sea depart from Okayama, Hiroshima, and Matsuyama. Connections to Okinawa Island operate from Kagoshima, taking approximately twenty-five hours covering 600 kilometers with fares starting around 13,000 yen. Ferry travel to Yakushima from Kagoshima takes four hours on conventional ferries costing approximately 5,000 yen, or two hours on hydrofoil services costing around 8,000 yen.
Domestic flights connect Tokyo to Sapporo, Fukuoka, Okinawa, and regional cities. Haneda Airport operates the majority of domestic services from Tokyo with flights to New Chitose Airport in Sapporo departing every thirty minutes during peak hours, completing the 822 kilometers in ninety minutes. Advance purchase fares range from 8,000 to 15,000 yen. Japan Airlines and All Nippon Airways operate the majority of domestic routes. Low-cost carriers including Peach Aviation, Jetstar Japan, and Skymark Airlines offer reduced fares with advance booking. Tokyo to Fukuoka flights depart Haneda every twenty minutes during business hours, taking one hour fifty minutes. Tokyo to Naha in Okinawa takes two hours forty-five minutes covering 1,554 kilometers. Regional airports serve Kanazawa, Toyama, Matsumoto, Okayama, and Kumamoto with connections through Tokyo or Osaka. Flights between Osaka Itami Airport and Sapporo, Fukuoka, and Okinawa operate at similar frequencies to Tokyo departures.
Car rental operates from outlets at major airports and city centers. International driving permits issued under the 1949 Geneva Convention are required alongside national licenses for visitors from Switzerland, Germany, France, Belgium, and Monaco. Other nationalities require official Japanese translations of their licenses obtained through embassies or Japan Automobile Federation offices, costing approximately 3,000 yen. Vehicles drive on the left side of roads. Compact cars cost approximately 5,000 to 8,000 yen per day, mid-size vehicles 8,000 to 12,000 yen. Toyota Rent-a-Car, Nissan Rent-a-Car, Times Car Rental, and Nippon Rent-a-Car maintain networks across the country. Highway tolls apply on expressways with Tokyo to Osaka via Tomei and Meishin Expressways costing approximately 11,640 yen for standard vehicles covering 506 kilometers. Electronic Toll Collection cards reduce costs slightly and eliminate toll booth stops. Parking in Tokyo costs 300 to 600 yen per thirty minutes in central areas, with daily maximums around 3,000 yen. Navigation systems in rental vehicles offer English language options. Speed limits are 40-60 kilometers per hour in urban areas, 80-100 kilometers per hour on expressways.
Taxis display vacant status with red lights in windshields, occupied with green lights. Rear left doors open and close automatically by driver control. Base fares in Tokyo start at 500 yen for the first 1.096 kilometers during daytime hours between 05:00 and 22:00, increasing by 100 yen per 255 meters thereafter. Late-night surcharges of twenty percent apply between 22:00 and 05:00. Larger vehicles accommodating more passengers cost approximately twenty percent more. In Kyoto, base fares start at 600 yen for the first 1.7 kilometers. Few drivers speak English, with destination addresses written in Japanese characters recommended. Smartphone applications including JapanTaxi and GO allow English-language booking with credit card payment. Ride-sharing services such as Uber operate with limited availability, primarily in Tokyo using licensed taxi vehicles. From Narita Airport to central Tokyo, taxis cost approximately 20,000 to 25,000 yen taking sixty to ninety minutes depending on traffic and destination ward.
Bicycles provide practical transport in flat urban areas and designated cycling routes. Rental shops near stations charge 500 to 1,500 yen per day. Electric-assist bicycles cost approximately 2,000 yen daily. Kyoto's flat terrain makes cycling efficient between temples and districts, with rental locations near Kyoto Station and in Arashiyama. Designated parking areas exist at most temples and tourist sites. Riding on sidewalks is permitted where signs allow, with walking speed required when pedestrians present. Registration plates must be attached to bicycles, handled by rental shops for their inventory. Overnight parking is prohibited on public streets in most cities. Community bicycle sharing systems operate in Tokyo, Osaka, and other major cities with electronic locks released by IC cards or smartphone applications. Thirty-minute increments cost around 165 yen.
Walking remains necessary for temple approaches, traditional districts, and shopping areas closed to vehicles. The path from Kiyomizu-dera to Gion in Kyoto covers approximately three kilometers through Ninenzaka and Sannenzaka slopes, requiring forty-five minutes at moderate pace. Fushimi Inari-taisha's summit trail ascends through 10,000 torii gates over four kilometers, taking two hours round trip. The Philosopher's Path in Kyoto runs two kilometers between Ginkaku-ji and Nanzen-ji along a canal, requiring thirty minutes. Nakasendo trail sections between post towns including Magome and Tsumago in the Kiso Valley cover eight kilometers through forests, taking approximately three hours. Kamikochi valley trails in Chubu Sangaku National Park extend along the Azusa River on level boardwalks, with the five-kilometer route from Kappa Bridge to Myojin Pond taking ninety minutes. The Kumano Kodo pilgrimage routes through Wakayama Prefecture connect shrines across mountain paths, with the Nakahechi route from Tanabe to Kumano Hongu Taisha covering approximately forty kilometers over four days.
Station infrastructure includes coin lockers sized small, medium, and large costing 300, 400, and 600 yen respectively per day. Availability diminishes during peak tourism periods and national holidays. Luggage forwarding services through Yamato Transport and Sagawa Express deliver bags between hotels and airports, costing approximately 2,000 to 3,000 yen per standard suitcase with next-day delivery. Booking occurs at hotel front desks or convenience stores. Service operates from Narita and Haneda airports to Tokyo hotels, and from Kansai Airport to Osaka and Kyoto hotels. Major stations including Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, and Shin-Osaka contain designated luggage service counters. Oversized baggage on shinkansen requires advance reservation without additional charge since May 2020, with storage space limited to designated areas between certain car numbers. Unreserved oversized luggage incurs a 1,000 yen surcharge if caught by conductors.
Accessibility features include platform edge doors at major stations, elevator access at urban subway stations constructed after 1994, and wheelchair spaces on shinkansen. Priority seating exists in the first car of most trains. Station staff provide boarding ramps for wheelchairs at platform height differences. Not all stations contain elevators, particularly rural stations and those constructed before accessibility regulations. Kyoto's bus fleet includes low-floor models with wheelchair ramps on approximately seventy percent of vehicles as of 2023. Accessible taxis with ramps or lifts operate in major cities through advance reservation services. Tokyo Metro publishes accessibility information showing elevator locations at each station through their official website and smartphone application.