Japanese Rail Trip advice.

[Segedunum]

Hi folks,

While I'm pretty au-fait with European Railways and can usually work things out for myself, I'll probably need some advice for a possible upcoming trip this August!

I'm staying with a friend in Singapore and have discovered flights over to Osaka/Tokyo from there to be fairly reasonable, so am considering maybe 5 days or so over in the south of Japan, probably taking in Tokyo and/or Kyoto.

I'd like to have a nice dabble in the railways while I'm there obviously- and was wondering if people had any useful advice for travelling by rail in Japan and within Kyoto/Tokyo. My Japanese knowledge is nil (but I intend to dabble in some basic language skills before I go)- so is it easy enough to get around? I'm not intending on going anywhere wildly remote

Are there any particular interesting rail routes in the general vicinity, things within either of the cities that are a 'must-see?'

I appreciate this is a fairly broad question, but I'm at the very very early planning stages with this!

Thanks

Rich

 

[Kite159]

All the stations I used a few years ago in Japan had the majority of signs in English as well as Japanese which helps.

Just beware of Shinjuku as it's easy to get lost within the station.

 

[class387]

Some personal recommendations from when I was in Tokyo:

• Yurikamome line (DLR type light rail) on Tokyo Bay is a must do for views of Tokyo Bay, preferably at night. Try to get a front seat.
• There is a huge variety of EMUs on the Toei subway, including the ancient 8500-series on the Hanzomon line and Siemens units with Taurus motors on the Asakusa line.
• The JR Musashino line (every 20min from Tokyo station to Shin-Kiba on Tokyo Bay) uses old 205 series units, the last old JR units in Tokyo. You could combine this with a trip on the Yurikamome.

Trains are not as crowded as you may think (unless using the last train or travelling at high peak on select lines), nor are they as reliable - 2-3 minutes delays are no rarer than than in the UK.

 

[Segedunum]

Plans have slightly altered but that makes things more relevant to this thread!

I've had to can a stopover in Singapore as it made the cost spiral, but I've booked with Singapore Airlines from Heathrow to Osaka, changing in Singapore, with 15 nights to play with.

Accor currently have a sale on, so there's an Ibis in Osaka, an Ibis Styles in Kyoto and an Ibis Styles on Tokyo Bay that I can base myself at- I won't use those for every night- but they can provide the bulk and be the cheap, reliable accommodation I need for most of the trip. Can always splash out or find something quirkier for a couple of other nights (was looking at the Capsule hotels, some having mixed reviews, others seeming to be better received!)

So it seems I'll be using a JR Pass for 14 days, and will predominantly be focused around the south of the country, i.e Hiroshima, Kyoto, Osaka, Nagoya and Tokyo.

I know I can't take the fastest Nozomi Shinkansen trains with this pass, but at £315 for a fortnight it seems decent value.

I've been looking at the various railway museums in that area too, all seem to have their own pull! I'm looking for a nice split between appreciating the country I'm in, and getting out and experiencing the railway.

5 months to go until I'm jetting off!

 

[47403]

Wow. Sounds like that will be an unbelievsble trip Richard.
Have a good un, young sir.