Transportation in Japan is one of those logistical issues that you will need to solve in order to make your trip possible. While it may seem like an unimportant detail, how you travel and how you decide which carriers to utilize will have a strong effect on the success and cost of your trip.

Most visitors to Japan begin their trip on the main island of Honshū, usually flying into either Narita International Airport (near Tokyo, in Eastern Japan) or Kansai International Airport (in Osaka, in Western Japan). Honshū is the island that is home to most of the major Japanese cities and the greatest percentage of the population. If you plan to spend most or all of your time while in Japan on the island of Honshū, you will likely rely heavily on Japanese extensive rail (train and subway) system once you arrive.

Japan has one of the most extensive rail systems in the world. If you plan to visit the greater Tokyo area during your stay in Japan, you will be able to find a train or subway to take you just about anywhere you want to go in the region.

There are cases, however, whereby you may want to use other forms of transportation while in Japan, such as taxis, buses and bicycles. Here are some notes about each of these modes of transportation:

By Taxi: Tokyo and Osaka, as well as all other major Japanese cities, are the home to an enormous number of taxis. Taking a taxi can be a smart move if you are navigating   the city streets at night while out on the town – especially if you plan to stay out after hours when other public transportation shuts down entirely. Taxis are also convenient when you arrive at a local train station but still have a ways to go to your destination: just hop into a taxi and tell the driver the name of your destination. Many of the smaller towns, villages and rural areas in Japan are not well-serviced by trains, making taxis a necessary transportation alternative.

By Bus: Travelers who have recently arrived at Narita International Airport will often opt to take a bus into Tokyo, since the airport is about an hour out of town. Buses are also an excellent choice when you want to take a tour around the city or town. Many Japanese nationals use regular city buses to get them to work or school.

By Bicycle: Bicycles are regularly used in Japan, especially among schoolchildren and housewives. And, many businesspeople – both men and women – use their bikes to get to and from work. Still, the bicycle culture in Japan is not nearly as big as it is in neighboring China.

On Foot: Regardless of which mode of transportation you choose to take, Japan travel guides will almost certainly take you places that require you to travel at least part of the way to your destination on foot. So, bring a comfortable pair of shoes for your excursions throughout the cities, towns and rural areas of Japan.

Air Travel

Japan has two major competing national airlines, JAL and ANA. Both provide excellent and frequent air service to all of the major airports in Japan, including many domestic destinations. Also, both are linked to other air carriers through the airline networks OneWorld (for JAL) and Star Alliance (for ANA). This makes it easy for you to connect to and from other air carriers when your trip to Japan requires transfers between different carriers and either of these national airlines.

In addition, all of the other major world airlines fly directly into the major Japanese airports, as well. You should have no problem finding availability. For anyone who has ever traveled internationally, you already know that in general you will receive better customer service (i.e., friendlier flight attendants, better meals, better in-flight services) when flying internationally than you do domestically. Of course, there are always exceptions to this rule. This is why you should always consider not only price, but also customer service and airline reputation, when selecting your flight.

Japan air travel at the domestic level (within Japan) is also quite good in terms of frequency of flights and customer service. However, most foreign visitors to Japan opt to take the local trains or the shinkansen (bullet train) to travel within Japan from city to city. Both from a cost perspective and due to the fact that a train allows you to see more of the countryside than does an airplane, the train just makes more sense in most cases.

Trains

As mentioned above, most major cities on Honshū (the most populous of the four main Japanese islands) are serviced by very extensive rail services. Passenger rail service in Japan is fulfilled by seven separate entities formed in 1987 after the breakup of the then-government run Japanese National Railways. The seven companies are Hokkaido Railway Company, East Japan Railway Company, Central Japan Railway Company, West Japan Railway Company, Shikoku Railway Company, and the Kyūshū Railway Company.

As a rail customer, you do not need to worry about these seven companies, however. There is no need to transfer trains or buy separate tickets when you travel from one network to another.

For a short stay in Japan of 1-3 weeks, you should consider buying a Japan Rail Pass. This is a very cost-effective way to tour Japan. There are 7-day, 14-day and 21-day versions of the pass for adults, with reduced rates for children age 6-11. The pass provides you with the ability to make unlimited travel throughout the nationwide network. It is especially recommended if you plan to visit more than one area or region of Japan. You can use it not only for local and express trains, but for the most shinkansen (bullet train) routes, as well.

Besides being a cost-effective option for you, Japan trail travel is just a lot of fun. Trains are clean, very quiet, and run like clockwork.

Taxis

Taxis in major cities in Japan are everywhere.  Even if you elect to take the train to a major destination, the final destination may be well over a 30 or 60-minute walk. And, smaller towns and villages – as well as major cities in on the three main islands of Hokkaido, Kyūshū and Shikoku, lack the extensiveness of the rail service of the Kanto and Kansai regions of Honshū – making taxis an ideal alternative.

The majority of taxis in Japan will accommodate four passengers, in addition to the driver. Fares are about 700 yen for the first two kilometers, with an additional 100 yen being charged for each additional 500 meters. (Important: fares at nighttime can go up by as much as 20-30 percent).

Most taxi drivers in Japan do not speak English. Therefore, unless you speak Japanese, be sure to bring a copy of the address and/or a map with you so that you can point out where you want to go.