Transportation in Japan

We traveled by plane, bike, car, boat, bus, and train while on this trip… While driving a car in Japan was not as difficult as I was expecting, I still recommend utilizing Japan’s amazing public transportation system. Here are some key points about Japan’s public transportation:

• Taxi: The train is the best way to get around. Avoid taxis as much as possible unless you are able to communicate in Japanese fluently. We learned common phrases in Japanese before traveling to the country but none of that was very helpful when we got into taxis. We’d try to rely on Google Translate but it was still difficult sharing addresses and explaining where we were trying to go. Uber is not frequently used in Japan. The taxis have a union and even if you order an Uber, it will be a taxi that picks you up at the set Taxi rate. Often it was hard to figure out where the Uber would pick us up because they were limited to certain locations for where they could pick us up. You can still Uber/taxi but be mindful of the challenges of taking a taxi when you are planning your trip. The train system is WAY easier to use. 

• Navigation: I laugh at the train system being “way” easier to navigate because I remember looking at maps online before the trip and feeling very overwhelmed. Hopefully, after reading some of these tips, you’ll feel a little more confident in using the train system. If not, there are transportation attendants at all of the train stations who are very helpful at answering your questions and can communicate in multiple languages including English. If the English kiosks or signs are still confusing you, just ask someone! The attendants are very friendly. 

• Navigation: Here is an app for Japanese transportation that I used to plan out different routes before our trip. You can also use Google Maps but I preferred to use the Japan Travel by Navitime app when I was there.

• PASMO Card: You’ll need to buy a PASMO card (PASMO passport), and load money onto it to enter and exit the local train destinations.  You can add your PASMO card to your Apple Wallet but I was fine just pulling my card out for transportation. Purchasing the PASMO card is essential because none of the transportation systems use Apple Pay the way England and some other countries do (At least they did not when we visited in March 2024). When we were visiting Japan, we couldn’t buy our PASMO card until we were at the actual train station. Once you arrive you want to look for a PASMO passport. The station we purchased it at required us to go up in person instead of the kiosk so just plan a little extra time in your schedule when purchasing your card for the first time. After that, you should be able to enter and exit the train stations throughout Tokyo and other main cities without any issue. Some of the shops at the train stations also allow you to make purchases with your PASMO card. If you are worried about putting too much money on your card, there is no need. You’ll be able to get your excess money off your card after your last time using it on your trip. This process is best described here: If you plan on only riding public transportation in the city 1 or 2 times, you can purchase one time tickets to get you where you need to go at one of the kiosks in the station. 

• Airport: When you arrive at the airport, there is a train system that'll take you to different stations in the city. If you have the station you want to get to, there are signs and people to help show you which tickets to buy and which train you need to get onto. Utilizing the app I provided above can also help give an idea of what route and tickets you need to purchase. 

• City Train: From the time you arrive to the airport, there will be an overwhelmingly amount of train options to get you to your destination. As mentioned before there are attendants that can help confirm you have purchased the correct train ticket. We waited to get our PASMO card at one of the main train stations (Tokyo station). The trains are almost always on time, but they do get very crowded. At some popular stations, there are train attendants that ensure as many people can fit in the train as possible. Train etiquette includes: placing your bag or backpack in front of you or in your lap (to avoid bumping someone on the train with your backpack); taking up as little space as possible (to make room for everyone); and being quiet on the train (whispering, not talking on the phone, using headphones with low volume). It's quite incredible to witness the respect and consideration of others in the public transit system. (Unless you get claustrophobic, you might not enjoy the closeness to one another on the train).

• Bullet Train: To ride the Shinkansen bullet train or other long-distance trains outside of the city, you'll have to purchase a different ticket (you might need a few tickets depending on when you are traveling to) Again, if you have any questions, ask one of the friendly transportation assistants who speak English. For the Shinkansen, you can purchase reserved or unreserved seats for the bullet train. You'll still have a seat if you do unreserved but you're in a free seating section so you might not get to sit next to your friends if you care about that. We did both options and I felt more comfortable having the reserved seat for our first long-distance train ride. If you are trying to “watch your nickels and dimes”, the unreserved bullet train carts are just as good of an option.

• Busses: I had read online prior to the trip that the best way to get to Mt Fuji is via bus. I would have to stand by that after traveling to Mt. Fuji. The bus station in Tokyo is pretty easy to navigate. As soon as you know when you’re going to Mt. Fuji, I recommend purchasing your seats, as the buses can fill up quickly. There are a few different companies that provide this service. We purchased our tickets, HERE, and didn’t have any issue with our experience. ( There were no bathrooms on the buses we took from Tokyo to Mt. Fuji, so be mindful of that. If you have a small bladder ) The bus station is centrally located in Mt. Fuji and is at the same location as the local train that takes you to key tourist spots. If you are staying in Mt. Fuji for a night or so, many accommodations will provide free shuttles to and from the train/bus station. 

• Car Rental: Renting a car in Japan was pretty easy. We only rented a car for a day to drive ourselves to a private whiskey tour and to see the Japanese snow monkeys. One thing to note if you plan on renting a car in Japan is that you need an international drivers permit. For those who do not know, an International DP, is a small card that has the description of your English drivers license in 10 different languages. It was really easy to get prior to the trip. I brought two 2x2 passport-sized photos with me to AAA and paid $20 to get my international driver's permit. You can also just get your picture taken there. The permit lasts 1 year from when you get it. As far as driving in Japan, they drive on the left side of the road. I had driven on the “opposite side” of the road in other countries before but I was for some reason more nervous to do so in Japan. We didn't drive too much in cities but overall we had no issues driving in Japan. (The roads are not as crazy as some other countries are). Honestly the hardest part was navigating which my husband did. The signs on the road were obviously all in Japanese and given that we cannot read Japanese in the slightest, we had to rely on looking at the visual of the maps. Overall it was still a much smoother experience than I was expecting. We had no issues with the rental company we used, Nissan-Rent-A-Car.

For more information regarding Japan travel or to learn about other destinations, visit my website.  You can also contact me through my website with questions or requests for personalized itineraries. I hope you enjoy traveling around Japan in all the various modes of transportation!