Trailblazer Guide Books

Practical guidebooks for the more adventurous traveller.
— The Herald

Japan by Rail

by: Ramsey Zarifeh & Anna Udagawa
Price: £19.99 BUY NOW

ISBN 9781912716142
5th edition
528 pages
72 maps
80 colour photos,
10 illustrations
120mm x 180mm 5" x 7"

no visitor to Japan should be without their own copy
- Wisconsin Bookwatch, (US) September 2022
Highly recommended!
- The Man in Seat 61, www.seat61.com
Highly recommended
- JETwit.com, Japan Exchange and Teaching Programme Alumni magazine
if you are coming from outside Japan, this is quite possibly the best single book you can bring.
- www.japanvisitor.com
'The Bible for train travel in Japan’ …. with …. 'all the essential information to make the most of the very many tourist sites around Japan.'
- Zoom Japan magazine
Brilliantly informative guidebook
- JTB Europe (Japan Travel Bureau)
A find...Well researched.
- The Japan Times (Tokyo)
This magnificent travel book should be a required item in your luggage
- Books Monthly
One of my favourite and most used guidebooks
- South China Morning Post
If you plan to rely on trains in Japan to get around - which in most cases you should - then Japan by Rail may prove more useful than the standard guidebook.
- www.japanvisitor.com
This handy guidebook by Ramsey Zarifeh enables international visitors to make the most out of a visit to the country.
- Railway Gazette
A must for any travel or train buff's collection… covers everything from Japanese words and phrases to railway timetables. This new edition includes recent extensions to several train lines plus further coverage of popular tourist destinations and less-traveled areas nearby,
- California Bookwatch, USA
Highly recommended
- Bullet-In Magazine
Invaluable companion
- Railway Magazine
A gem
- The Daily Yomiuri
Excellent
- The Sunday Times

Japan is steeped in legend and myth, perhaps the greatest of which is the popular misconception that the country is simply too expensive to visit. The truth is that flights to Japan are cheaper than they've ever been, accommodation can be great value, while the warm hospitality which awaits every visitor costs nothing at all. The real secret to travelling around the country on a budget, however, is the Japan Rail Pass. With this pass you can travel on some of the fastest trains in the world as often as you like for as long as you please - and all for one bargain price. Use this comprehensive guide in conjunction with a rail pass to get the most out of your trip to Japan.

Practical information - planning your trip; suggested itineraries; what to take; getting to Japan
City guides and maps - where to stay, where to eat, what to see in 26 towns and cities; historical and cultural background
Kilometre-by-kilometre route guides - covering train journeys from the coast into the mountains, from temple retreat to sprawling metropolis; 33 route maps
Railway service summaries - bullet trains and all routes in this guide
Plus - Japanese words and phrases; customs and etiquette; 63 colour photos

NEW FOR THE FIFTH EDITION

New style Trailblazer guide with twin-colour layout and restyled maps
Expanded colour section with ‘Best’ lists to help plan a trip
Greater coverage of Tokyo with additional mapping following post-Olympic interest in the capital and the country
Kanji and katakana are now included for all place names
More information about areas off the beaten track
Updated post Covid outbreak

INTERVIEWS WITH THE AUTHOR

Japan by Rail author, Ramsey Zarifeh, on travelling in Japan.

1) 'Steve Wright in the Afternoon', BBC Radio 2, UK, on 20 July 2016

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0421mq5

2) National Geographic Radio, USA

http://bit.ly/Yg6eaW

JAPAN NATIONAL TOURISM ORGANIZATION, LONDON, BLOG: MAKING USE OF THE JAPAN RAIL PASS, MAY 2023

We are delighted to share a blog about making use of the Japan Rail Pass that JNTO London has included in their monthly newsletter and which will stay on their website. It's in the middle of the 'Get to know Japan' section, here's a link,

https://www.japan.travel/en/uk/