Trains, subways, buses, and taxis in Japan are famously punctual and easy to use once you know the basics. Here's everything a first-time visitor needs.
Trains, subways, buses, and taxis in Japan are famously punctual and easy to use once you know the basics. Here's everything a first-time visitor needs.
Japan Railways runs the backbone network — local trains, rapid trains, and the Shinkansen. In Tokyo, the JR Yamanote Line loops through most major districts and is often the easiest first line to learn.
Tokyo has two subway operators (Tokyo Metro and Toei Subway) whose lines are color-coded and connect to JR and private lines at major stations. Osaka, Nagoya, Fukuoka, and other cities each run their own subway network.
Companies like Odakyu, Keio, Tokyu, and Hankyu run their own lines, often reaching suburbs and tourist areas (e.g. Odakyu to Hakone) that JR doesn't directly serve. Fares and IC card use work the same as JR.
Useful for areas without a nearby train station, and often the only public transport option in smaller cities like Kyoto's historic district. Boarding and payment procedures vary — see the ‘buying tickets & transferring’ section below.
Metered, safe, and common outside major cities or late at night. Doors open and close automatically — don't touch them yourself. Cash, IC cards, and increasingly QR payment apps are all accepted.
High-speed rail connecting major cities (Tokyo–Osaka in about 2.5 hours). Requires a base fare plus a limited express surcharge; reserved seats cost a bit more than non-reserved ones.
From Narita/Haneda (Tokyo) or Kansai Airport (Osaka), options include limousine buses (door-to-door to hotels), airport express trains (Narita Express, Keisei Skyliner, Nankai/JR Kansai Airport lines), and taxis (expensive for long distances).
Fares below are general reference ranges as of 2026-01-01 and can change — always check the amount shown on the ticket machine, IC card reader, or your route-planning app.
An IC card (Suica/Pasmo) isn't required, but it makes almost every ride faster — you tap in and out instead of calculating fares and buying a ticket each time. It also works on most buses and at convenience stores. Paper tickets work fine if you prefer not to use one.
They're different companies running different lines in the same city — JR (Japan Railways) runs the national network plus city lines like Tokyo's Yamanote Line, subways are run by metro operators, and private railways (Odakyu, Hankyu, etc.) run additional lines, often to suburbs. Fares and IC card use work the same way across all of them, but transferring between companies sometimes means exiting and re-entering gates.
A route-planning app (Google Maps, Japan Transit Planner) will usually tell you the platform number and often the best exit for your destination. Station signage also shows platform numbers and directions in English.
City rides are generally inexpensive by international standards — a short subway or bus trip commonly costs a couple hundred yen. Longer intercity trips on the Shinkansen cost more, and that's where a rail pass can pay off if you're covering a lot of ground.
The gate won't let you through. Use the fare adjustment machine (seisanki) near the gates to top up or pay the difference, then try the gate again.
Suica and Pasmo work in most major cities' train, subway, and bus systems thanks to nationwide interoperability, but a handful of regional or smaller local networks may not fully support them — it's worth a quick check if you're heading somewhere remote.