JAPAN TRAVEL DISCOUNT PACKAGE AND
COMPLETE TOURIST INFORMATION
 

GETTING AROUND

By train
Japan has the world's most efficient and frequent trains , with services running to all regions of the country and varying from high-speed Shinkansen to chugging steam locomotives maintained as tourist attractions. The vast majority of services are operated by JR , which split into seven regional networks when it was privatized in 1987 but still runs as a single company as far as buying tickets is concerned. In addition, there are fourteen smaller rail companies, including Hankyp, Odakyp and Tobu, which are based in the major cities and surrounding areas, but in the vast majority of Japan it's JR services that you'll be using.

Individual tickets are expensive, especially for the fastest trains, but there are a range of discount tickets and rail passes available to cut the cost, with Japan Rail Passes providing the best deal . If you have lots of time, and are travelling during the main student holiday periods, the Seishun Juhachi-kippu is also an excellent buy.


By air
Since the deregulation of the airline industry in 1996, domestic flights in Japan have come down in price. Skymark , a new airline owned by discount travel agent HIS and modelled after no-frills European services such as Go and Easyjet, has led the way with price slashing on its Tokyo-Fukuoka and Osaka-Fukuoka routes. It's now planning a Fukuoka-Seoul service, which will be worth checking out as a cheap way into and out of Japan. Air Do is another newcomer (it has a cute teddy bear as a mascot), operating on the Tokyo-Sapporo route, the busiest in the world with eight million passengers a year.

The big three domestic airlines - All Nippon Airways (ANA), Japan Airlines (JAL) and Japan Air System (JAS) - have responded with price initiatives of their own. JAL, for example, offers a 25 percent discount for bookings over the Net, while ANA has had campaigns offering all domestic fares at ¥10,000 on certain days. The majors are also planning to launch cut-price subsidiary carriers, but they still have the market pretty much carved up between them and, busiest routes apart, there remains little competition as far as prices and quality of service are concerned; choose whichever airline offers the most convenient flight time. Of the smaller domestic airlines, Air Nippon Koku (ANK) and South-West Airlines (SWAL) offer the widest choice of routes.

If you book in advance , you can make substantial savings on the regular fares with all the major airlines. Tickets booked two months to 28 days in advance qualify for a 45-50 percent discount; if you book 21 days in advance, you can get a 30 percent discount, and fourteen days in advance gives a 20 percent reduction. There's also sometimes 35-40 percent off early morning (generally before 7am) departures. If you're not using a rail pass , the discounted plane fares are well worth considering in comparison to train fares. For example, to travel by train to Sapporo from Tokyo costs ¥22,400 and takes the better part of a day, compared to a discount plane fare as low as ¥16,000 from Tokyo to Shin-Chitose airport, near Sapporo, taking ninety minutes. Note that discounts are generally not available during the peak travelling season of the April/May Golden Week holidays , most of August and over New Year.

If you plan to fly long distances in Japan or want to make several plane trips, it's worth considering JAL's Welcome to Japan or ANA's Visit Japan fare systems. You don't need to fly either airline to Japan to take advantage of these tickets, which offer a minimum of two flights anywhere in the country for ¥25,200, three flights for ¥37,800, four for ¥50,400 and five (maximum) for ¥63,000. This fare is excellent value if you plan to visit far-flung destinations, such as the islands of Okinawa, where standard one-way fares are ¥34,500. There are a few conditions, but the main one to keep in mind is that these tickets are not available during peak travelling seasons (Aug 1-25) and the New Year holidays.


Discount Ticket Shops
In most big cities, usually in the main shopping areas near stations, you can find discount ticket shops ( kinker shoppu ) which sell, among other things, cheap airline and Shinkansen tickets. These shops (usually identified by a window full of handwritten signs indicating the cost of tickets to different destinations) buy up discount group tickets and sell them on individually, usually at around twenty percent cheaper than the regular prices. These are legitimate operations, but you'll need to be able to read and speak some Japanese to be sure you've got the ticket you need, and there may be some days when travel isn't allowed. With the Shinkansen tickets you can't make seat reservations at a discount shop, so you'll need to go to a JR ticket office as well to arrange these.

By bus
Japan has a comprehensive system of long-distance buses ( chokyori basu ), including night buses between major cities such as Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka. Fares are always cheaper than on the train, but the buses are much slower and can get caught up in traffic, even on the expressways, Japan's fastest roads, especially during peak travel periods. Most bus journeys start and finish next to or near the main train station. For journeys over two hours, there is usually at least one rest stop along the way.

There's little in the way of pleasant scenery along the highways, so if you have a long journey to make, it's worth considering a night bus ( yako basu ), if that option is available. You'll save on a night's accommodation, and the seats recline (unlike those on overnight trains), making sleep possible. To compare costs, the overnight bus from Tokyo to Kyoto, for example, costs ¥8180 and takes eight hours, while the Shinkansen costs ¥13,220 and takes two hours and forty minutes. There are hundreds of small bus companies operating different routes, so for full details of current services, timetables and costs make enquiries with local tourist information offices.

In all Japan's major cities and tourist areas, you'll find escorted bus tours , though these are generally expensive and, outside of Tokyo and Kyoto, you're unlikely to find any with English-speaking guides.


By ferry
One of the most pleasant ways of travelling around the island nation of Japan is by ferry . If you have the time, the overnight journeys to and from the main island Honshu to Hokkaido in the north, and Kyushu and Shikoku in the south, are highly recommended. A particularly good-value service is between Niigata on Honshu and Otaru on Hokkaido, a relaxing eighteen-hour cruise costing as little as ¥5250. Also memorable are the cruises across the beautiful Inland Sea, or from Kyushu to the Southwest Islands and Okinawa. If you only have a little time, try a short hop, say to one of the islands of the Inland Sea, or from Niigata to Sado-ga-shima.

There's little reason to shell out extra for the first-class sections of ferries, which provide more luxurious accommodation and facilities, as second class is fine. On the overnight ferries in particular, the cheapest fares, which entitle you to a sleeping space on the floor of a large room with up to a hundred other passengers, are a bargain compared to train and plane fares to the same destinations. For example, the overnight ferry fare from Oarai, two hours north of Tokyo, to Tomakomai, around an hour south of Sapporo on Hokkaido, can be as low as ¥6000. Even if you pay extra for a bed in a shared or private berth, it's still cheaper than the train and you'll have a very comfortable cruise into the bargain. Ferries are also an excellent way of transporting a bicycle or motorbike (though you'll pay a small supplement for these) and many also take cars.

Ferry schedules are subject to seasonal changes and also vary according to the weather, so for current details of times and prices it's best to consult the local tourist information office. The Japan Long Distance Ferry Association, Lino Building, 2-1-1 Uchisaiwaicho Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo (tel 03/3501-0889), also publishes a free annual English-language brochure, detailing current schedules and fares.

By car
While it would be foolhardy to rent a car to get around Japan's cities, driving is often the best way to tour the country's less-populated and off-the-beaten-track areas, such as Hokkaido or the San-in coast of Western Honshu. Japanese roads are generally of a good standard, with the vast majority of signs on main routes being in romaji as well as Japanese script. Although you'll have to pay pricey tolls to travel on the expressways, many other perfectly good roads are free and petrol is cheaper than in Europe, averaging ¥90 a litre. If you team up with a group of people, renting a car to tour a rural area over a couple of days can work out much better value than taking infrequent and expensive buses. It's often possible to rent cars for less than a day, too, for short trips.

There are car rental counters at all the major airports and train stations in cities and towns, with the main local companies being Nippon Rent-a-car, Toyota Rent-a-car, Mazda Rent-a-car, Japaren (which has a tie-up with Avis) and the JR-run Eki Rent-a-car. Budget and Hertz also have rental operations across Japan (although not as widely spread). For car rental firms' contact numbers, see the Listings sections in the relevant major cities. Rates, which vary little between companies and usually include unlimited mileage, start from around ¥6500 for the first 24 hours for the smallest type of car (a subcompact Minica, seating four people), plus ¥1000 insurance. It's possible to pay much more for flashier cars and, during the peak seasons of Golden Week, Obon and New Year, rates for all cars tend to increase.

To save map-reading headaches it's well worth enquiring about renting a car with a GPS (Global Positioning Satellite) navigation system; most of the major companies offer this as standard in their more expensive cars or can set it up for around ¥1000 extra per day. It's sometimes possible to get a English-version CD to work with the GPS - make sure you ask for this when you book.

Since you're unlikely to want to drive in any of the cities, often the best rental deals are through Eki Rent-a-car, which gives a discounted rate by combining the rental with a train ticket to the most convenient station for the area you wish to explore . With any rental company, it's also worth thinking about making a return trip, since one-way charges are high.

To rent a car you must have an international driver's licence as well as your national licence; if you've been in Japan for more than six months you'll need to apply for a Japanese licence. Driving is on the left, the same as in Britain, Ireland, Australia and most of Southeast Asia, and international traffic signals are used. It's a good idea to buy a copy of the bilingual Japan Road Atlas (¥2890) published by Shobunsha, which includes many helpful notes, such as the dates when some roads close during winter. If you're a member of an automobile association at home, the chances are that you'll qualify for reciprocal rights with the Japan Auto Federation, 3-5-8 Shiba-koen, Minato-ku, Tokyo 105 (tel 03/3436-2811), which publishes the English-language Rules of the Road book, detailing Japan's driving code.

The top speed limit in Japan is 80kph, which applies only on expressways, though drivers frequently exceed this and are rarely stopped by police. In cities, the limit is 40km/h, but you'll usually be lucky to be travelling at anything close to this rate, let alone speeding. To use the expressways you have to pay a toll , typically around ¥30 per kilometre, which can mount up to make the overall cost more expensive than taking a bus or train. On the Tokyo-Osaka route, for example, you'll shell out around ¥10,000 in tolls; for ¥3500 extra you could take the Shinkansen instead.

You shouldn't forget parking charges for towns and cities, either, where free roadside parking is virtually unheard of. There are always car parks close to main train stations; at some your vehicle will be loaded onto a rotating conveyor belt and whisked off to its parking spot. Reckon on ¥500 per hour for a central city car park and ¥300 per hour elsewhere. If you manage to locate a parking meter, take great care not to overstay the time paid for (usually around ¥300 per hour); some have mechanisms to trap cars, which will only be released once the fine has been paid directly into the meter. In rural areas, parking is not so much of a problem and rarely attracts a charge.

If you've drunk any alcohol at all, even the smallest amount, don't drive - it's illegal and if you're stopped by the police and breathalized you'll be in big trouble.


By bike
Although you're unlikely to want to cycle around the grimy, traffic-clogged streets of Japan's main cities, in the smaller towns and countryside a bike is a great way to get from A to B while seeing plenty en route. Outside of the main island, Honshu, cycle touring is a very popular activity over the long summer vacation with students. Hokkaido, in particular, is a cyclist's dream, with excellent roads through often stunning scenery and a network of ultra-cheap (but basic) cyclists' accommodation.

In many tourist towns you can rent bikes from outlets beside or near the train station. Youth hostels often rent out bikes too, usually at the most competitive rates. You can buy a brand-new bike in Japan for under ¥20,000 but you wouldn't want to use it for anything more than getting around town; for sturdy touring and mountain bikes, hunt out a specialist bike shop or bring your own. Although repair shops are nationwide, for foreign models it's best to bring essential spare parts with you. And, despite Japan's low crime rate, a small but significant section of the Japanese public treats bikes as common property; if you don't want to lose it, make sure your bike is well chained whenever you leave it.

If you plan to take your bike on a train or bus, ensure you have a bike bag in which to parcel it up; on trains you're also supposed pay a special bike transport supplement of ¥270 (ask for a temawarihin kippu ), although ticket inspectors may not always check.

If you are planning a serious cycling tour of Japan, an excellent investment is Cycling Japan (¥2200; Kodansha), a handy practical guide detailing many touring routes around the country. The book is edited by Brian Harrell, a local cyclist who also edits the Oikaze cycling newsletter, available from 2-24-3 Tomigaya, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo. There's also some useful cycling information on www.outdoorjapan.com


Hitching
There's always a risk associated with hitching , and if you have a choice it's best to err on the side of caution. That said, Japan is one of the safest and easiest places in the world to hitch a ride, and in some rural areas it's just about the only way of getting around without your own transport. It's also a fantastic way to meet locals, who are often only too happy to go kilometres out of their way to give you a lift just for the novelty value (impecunious students apart, hitching is very rare in Japan), or the opportunity it provides to practise English.

As long as you don't look too scruffy you'll seldom stand around long waiting for a ride. It's a good idea to write your intended destination in large kanji characters on a piece of card to hold up. Also carry a stock of small gifts you can leave as thankyous; postcards, sweets and small cuddly toys are usually popular. Will Ferguson's A Hitchhiker's Guide to Japan (Tuttle) and his entertaining travel narrative Hokkaido Highway Blues (Cannonagate) are both useful references.


City transport
All Japanese cities are served by buses and trains, but only the largest have subway systems. Some towns and cities have retained their trams, although in Tokyo, Osaka and Sapporo they've all but disappeared. Taxis are always a useful standby and need not be too pricey if used over short distances or by a group of people
 

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