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 addition of direct flights between Montreal and Tokyo only made access easier (check the report on milesopedia about 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 learning about the whole thing.

Is purchasing the Japan Rail Pass (JRP) cost-effective?

This question arises very often. The answer is not that simple: yes and no. It depends on your ability to make it cost-effective, because it is quite expensive!

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 cars)
• possibility to book tickets with unlimited free seats
• ease of use (simply show it to the controller at the ticket office and on the train)
• very profitable over long distances

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

By purchasing the JRP at a cost of ¥29,110, you get a value of at least ¥49,390 out of it.

These prices are for unreserved seats that 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 an arrival flight in Tokyo and a departure from Osaka, it is preferable to take a long distance ticket à la carte and combine it with local passes to save money.

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

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

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:

You’re travelling only to Osaka or Tokyo? I hope you won’t go to Japan just to spend a few days in Tokyo! However, it is an excellent strategy to combine these day passes with the JRP.

For example for a 10-day trip:

• pay for transportation from the airport to Tokyo on an à la carte basis (¥1050; see below for details)
• 3 days in Tokyo (3 days Pass ¥1,500)
• 7 days to travel the rest of Japan (JRP ¥29,110)

In this situation, the total transportation cost would be ¥31,660 instead of the 14-day JRP for ¥46,390 in order to cover the entire trip. You would save ¥14,730 or $193 CAD!

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

Most of Tokyo‘s sights can be reached by subway so I recommend the Tokyo Metro Pass. which is valid on Tokyo Metro Lines and Toei Lines

It is valid for a number of hours and not a number of days. The date and time of ticket expiry 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 make a 48-hour Tokyo Metro Pass profitable (value of ¥1,200):

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

Cost: ¥1,600

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

Cost: ¥760

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

Odaiba is only accessible through this line and since it is a private company, one-way tickets can be expensive (¥400) when you do it 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 lets you visit the Nikko area from Tokyo; there are two variations depending on the size of the area you want to visit.

A supplement must be paid separately from the pass to use the limited express trains that 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 for a one-way ticket.

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 link with the KIX and ITM airports.

Cost:

• ¥4,400 (2 days)
• ¥5,500 (3 days)

The Hankyu Tourist Pass is valid on all Hankyu Railways lines visiting Osaka, Kobe and Kyoto for 1 day or 2 days, which can 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 several cards that make it easy to pay for your short trips (single journeys).

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

For example, if the only activity was to go for a picnic under the sakuras and spend the day with friends at Shinjuku Gyoen Park, I would take out my IC Card to go there.

About the IC Card:

• It is rechargeable, in cash, at all stations.
• It is available on Apple Pay as well as Google Pay and is rechargeable by credit card. Consider using your HSBC World Elite^® Mastercard^® Card to avoid foreign exchange fees!
• You have to tap your card or your phone on the reader when entering and leaving a station (or a 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 you have to pay for a ticket; sometimes, on a board just in Japanese!
• There are sometimes discounts on specific routes and companies when you pay with one of these cards.
• It can be used in vending machines, convenience stores, most restaurant chains, some shops, etc.
• You must have one per person.
• 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 money on this trip if you are willing to make transfers.

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

Stuck with an unavoidable airport transfer to make?

Stuck with an unavoidable airport transfer to make?

Stuck with an unavoidable airport transfer to make?

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

It will depend on your final destination and how many transfers you are willing to make. The final cost of the trip 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, 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 have tried to find the current and most accurate prices possible, but they can change. The order of magnitude of the prices is, however, correct.

Other little tips and tricks for 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 in the big train stations and at touristic attractions.

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