Japan: How to save on transportation in Japan?

Japan is a very popular destination, especially for a first trip that will take you a little out of your comfort zone. The arrival of direct flights between Montreal and Tokyo has only facilitated access(see milesopedia’s report on this flight).

A trip to Japan will be expensive, especially in terms of transportation. On the other hand, there are ways to save money by taking everything apart.

Is it worth buying a Japan Rail Pass (JRP)?

This question arises very often. The answer is very simple: yes and no, depending on your ability to make it profitable, because it’s quite expensive!

If you are planning to visit Japan in the near future, you can still take advantage of the current rates by purchasing your JR Passes before the price increase:

• JR Passes can be activated up to 3 months after the issue date.
• When you activate your pass in Japan, you can choose a start date up to 30 days in advance. This means you could potentially travel to Japan with the pass until the end of January, depending on when you order.
• When ordering, keep in mind the 3-month activation window, as well as the date on which you will exchange your voucher for the pass in Japan.

If you plan to activate the pass in Japan on December 20 (so it will be valid for the next 30 days), you should buy it on or after September 21.

The Japan Rail Pass has many advantages:

• valid throughout the country
• valid on Narita Express routes between Narita airport and Tokyo
• valid on Haruka Express or Kansai Airport Rapid routes between Kansai airport and Osaka
• flexibility (no need for tickets with reserved seats in unreserved carriages)
• possibility to book tickets with unlimited free seats
• ease of use (simply show it to the ticket inspector at the ticket office and on the train)
• very profitable over long distances

I advise you to draw up a rough itinerary and then calculate the cost of your trip. For example, the cost-effectiveness of the JRP is maximized with this fairly popular route:

If you buy the JRP at a cost of ¥50,000, you get a value of at least ¥49,390. So you’re even.

These prices are for unreserved seats which can be purchased as cheaper à la carte tickets. If you take reserved seats and use the JRP to travel to Osaka and Kyoto as well, you save more money.

On the other hand, in the case of a multi-city itinerary with a flight arriving in Tokyo and departing from Osaka, it’s best to take an à la carte long-distance ticket and combine it with local passes to save money.

I recommend you do the same exercise regardless of the length of your trip, and determine whether long-distance journeys can be condensed into 7, 14 or 21 days.

A two-week trip to Japan may require only a 7-day pass instead of 14 days, depending on the routes you have planned.

An online calculator is available here.

Then, to visit certain regions, one must also consider the JR Regional Pass. I usually go to this site to see exactly what region is covered by each pass.

Here are a few of them:

A trip to Osaka or Tokyo? I hope you won’t go to Japan just to spend a few days in Tokyo! However, it’s an excellent strategy to combine these daily passes with JRP.

For example, for a 10-day trip:

• pay for transportation from the airport to Tokyo à la carte (¥1050; see below for details)
• 3 days in Tokyo (3 days Pass ¥1,500)
• 7 days touring the rest of Japan (JRP ¥50,000)

In this situation, the total cost of transport is ¥52.550, instead of buying the 14-day JRP of ¥80.00 to cover the whole trip. A saving of ¥27,450 or $255 CAD!

There’s a whole range of them, but I’m going to talk about the most useful passes.

Most of Tokyo ‘s tourist attractions are served by the subway, so I recommend the Tokyo Metro Pass, which includes the Tokyo Metro and Toei lines.

It is valid for a number of hours, not days. The expiry date and time will be printed on the back of the ticket after the first use:

• ¥800 (24h)
• ¥1,200 (48h)
• ¥1,500 (72h)

Example of use for sightseeing to monetize a 48-hour Tokyo Metro pass (value ¥1,200):

The Tokyo Free Kippu One-day Pass is valid on all Tokyo Metro lines and JR lines within Tokyo‘s 23 districts.

Cost: ¥1,600

The Tokyo Metropolitan District Pass (Tokunai Pass) is valid on all JR lines within Tokyo‘s 23 districts.

Cost: ¥760

The Yurikamome One-day Pass is valid only on the Yurikamome line.

Odaiba is only accessible by this line, and since it’s a private company, one-way tickets can be expensive (¥400) when booked à la carte.

Cost: ¥820

The Tokyu Line Minatomirai Ticket is valid on Minatomirai trains as well as several stations between Tokyo and Yokohama.

Cost: ¥630 – ¥1100 (price depends on departure and arrival stations)

The Odakyu Railway Hakone Freepass lets you visit the Hakone area from Tokyo.

Cost: ¥5,700 (2 days), ¥6,100 (3 days)

The Mt Fuji Pass lets you visit the area of Mt Fuji and Fuji Five Lakes from Tokyo.

Cost: ¥5,500 (1 day), ¥8,000 (2 days), ¥10,000 (3 days)

The Nikko Pass allows you to visit the Nikko region from Tokyo; there are two variants, depending on the extent of the region you wish to visit.

There is a supplement to pay separately from the pass to use the limited express trains, which make fewer stops between Tokyo and Nikko.

Cost:

• World Heritage Area Pass ¥2000 (2 days),
• All Area Pass ¥4,500 (4 days),
• Limited express free ~¥1,200 one-way.

The Kansai Thru Pass is valid for the entire region and allows you to visit Osaka, Kyoto, Nara, Kobe, Wakayama, Koyasan, Himeji for 2 or 3 days which can be non-consecutive.

Also valid on the KIX and ITM airport connections.

Cost:

• ¥4,400 (2 days)
• ¥5,500 (3 days)

The Hankyu Tourist Pass is valid on all Hankyu Railways lines, allowing you to visit Osaka, Kobe and Kyoto for 1 or 2 days, which may be non-consecutive.

Cost:

• ¥700 (1 day)
• ¥1,200 (2 days)

The Kyoto Subway & Bus Pass: you need to take a bus to get to the majority of the tourist sites.

Cost:

• ¥900 (1 day),
• ¥1,700 (2 days)
• or ¥600 for bus pass only

In Japan, there are a number of cards that make it easy to pay for your short trips (one-off journeys).

Having lived in Tokyo, you’ll understand that I didn’t visit 3-4 tourist sites in the same day! I used an IC Card daily as a local, but I was always calculating whether I should buy a day pass or just go à la carte.

For example, if the only activity was to go picnicking under the sakura trees and spend the day with friends at Shinjuku Gyoen Park, I’d get out my IC Card to go there.

What you need to know about the IC Card :

• It can be reloaded, in cash, at any station.
• It is available on Apple Pay as well as Google Pay and reloadable by credit card. Remember to use your Scotiabank Passport™ Visa Infinite* Card to avoid currency conversion fees!
• Swipe your card or phone over the reader as you enter and exit a station (or bus).
• Since prices for one-way trips are based on the distance travelled, the exact amount will be deducted from your card.
• This saves you from having to look up the price to pay for a ticket; sometimes, on a board just in Japanese!
• There are sometimes discounts on certain routes and companies when you pay with one of these cards.
• It can be used in vending machines, convenience stores, most restaurant chains, some retail outlets, etc.
• One per person is required.
• Expiration of physical card: 10 years (so you can keep it for your next visit to Japan!)

The Narita Express is the fastest and most comfortable way to get to Tokyo from Narita Airport (NRT). However, there are ways to save on this trip if you’re prepared to make transfers.

Although there are direct flights between Montreal and Tokyo Narita, Haneda International Airport (served from Toronto) is much closer to the city.

Do you have an unavoidable airport transfer to make?

Do you have an unavoidable airport transfer to make?

Do you have an unavoidable airport transfer to make?

How do you choose THE best way (efficiency, cost, comfort, etc.) to get from the airport to the city?

This will depend on your final destination and the number of transfers you are prepared to make. The final cost of the journey also depends on the location of your hotel.

In short, if you’re willing to take out the calculator, the savings can be considerable. Japan has put a multitude of deals at our disposal, so it’s up to us to take advantage of them!

ありがとう！ Arigatou!

Please know that all prices for this article are approximate. I’ve tried to find the most accurate prices possible, but they are subject to change. However, the order of magnitude of the prices is correct.

Other tips and tricks about transportation in Japan :

• long journeys on board Shinkansen trains can be paid by credit card.
• it’s impolite to talk on the phone in train and subway cars.
• pay attention to cars that are solely reserved for women during peak hours (indicated on the platform floor and on the doors)
• there’s always someone who speaks English at major train stations and tourist attractions

If you want to follow my adventures on Instagram, my account is @wanderingaline!