Itineraries
Getting around Japan by train
What the rail pass actually covers, when it is worth buying, and how the IC card fits in.
Japan's rail network is the best reason to travel the country the way it is designed to be travelled. The Shinkansen connects Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka and Hiroshima at intervals frequent enough that reservations are optional for most of the day, and the journey between Tokyo and Kyoto takes a little over two hours.
The Japan Rail Pass is the obvious question for any first visit. It covers JR lines nationwide including most Shinkansen services, but not the fastest Nozomi and Mizuho trains, which means a slightly longer journey on the Hikari instead. Since the 2023 price rise the arithmetic changed considerably: a pass now only pays for itself on an itinerary with several long journeys, and a simple Tokyo-Kyoto return no longer justifies it.
Price the individual legs before assuming. Separately from any pass, get an IC card - Suica, Pasmo or ICOCA are interchangeable across most of the country. It handles local metro, buses, and a surprising amount of convenience-store and vending-machine payment, and it removes the need to work out fares at a machine each time.
Reserve Shinkansen seats when travelling with luggage: oversized bags now require a reserved space on some routes, and the rule is enforced.
