'Fantastically detailed and well-presented.'
— Backpack magazine
Japan by Rail
Excerpt:
Contents
Contents | Introduction | Routes and costs; When to go | Rail Passes | Sample route guide: Tokyo to Nagoya by shinkansen | Side trip to Miyajima | Off the beaten track sightseeing
INTRODUCTION
Why take the train? 7 Routes and costs 9
When to go 14 National holidays 16 – Festivals and events 17
PART 1: PLANNING YOUR TRIP
Rail passes Japan Rail Pass 29 – Regional JR rail passes 31
Getting a rail pass 36 – Exchange orders 39 – How to use the rail
pass 41
Suggested itineraries 41
Before you go Booking a flight 47 – Passports and visas 48
Tourist information 48 – Health and insurance 49 – What to take 49
Money 50 – Suggested reading 51
PART 2: JAPAN
Facts about the country Geography 53 – History 54
Politics 58 – Economy 59 – Religion 59 – The people 60 – Sport 61
Culture 62
Practical information for visitors Arriving in Japan 64
Tourist information 65 – Getting around 65 – Accommodation 67
Where to eat 74 – Nightlife and entertainment 76 – Media 77
Electricity 78 – Time 78 – Banks and money matters 78 – Post and
telecommunications 79 – Language 82 – Assistance 82
Shopping 84 – Museums and tourist attractions 85 – Activities 86
PART 3: THE RAIL NETWORK
Railway history 88
The railway Japan Rail today 93 – The trains 95 – Timetables 98
Buying a ticket 99 – Making seat reservations 100 – Railway
staff 101 – Station facilities 101
PART 4: TOKYO AND OSAKA
Tokyo 103 Around Tokyo 133 Osaka 144 Side trips 155
PART 5: HONSHU
Central Honshu
Route guides Tokyo to Nagoya by shinkansen 161 – Tokyo to
Kanazawa by shinkansen 177 – Nagano to Nagoya via Matsumoto 187
Toyama to Nagoya via Takayama 191 – Kanazawa to Kyoto, Osaka or Nagoya 195
City guides Nagoya 197 – Nagano 206 – Matsumoto 213
Takayama 218 – Kanazawa 226
Kansai
Route guides Nagoya to Shin-Osaka by shinkansen 234 – Nagoya
to Shin-Osaka via the Kii Peninsula 237
City guides Kyoto 250, Side trips 263 – Nara 265, Side trips 270
Western Honshu
Route guides Shin-Osaka (Osaka) to Shin-Yamaguchi by
shinkansen 272 – Shin-Yamaguchi to Masuda 282 – Masuda to
Matsue 286
City guides Kobe 289 – Okayama 297 – Hiroshima 301 – Matsue 312
Tohoku (North-eastern Honshu)
Route guides Tokyo to Shin-Aomori by shinkansen 320 – Aomori/
Shin-Aomori to Akita and Niigata 344
City guides Sendai 353 – Niigata 359 – Aomori 363
PART 6: HOKKAIDO
Route guides Shin-Aomori to Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto/Hakodate 368
Hakodate/Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto to Sapporo 371 – Sapporo to
Asahikawa & Abashiri 377 – Abashiri to Kushiro 382 – Kushiro to
Sapporo (or Asahikawa) 388
City guides Hakodate 393 – Sapporo 399 – Asahikawa 407
PART 7: KYUSHU
Route guides Shin-Yamaguchi to Hakata (Fukuoka) by
shinkansen 414 – Hakata (Fukuoka) to Nagasaki 416 – Hakata
(Fukuoka) to Kagoshima-chuo by shinkansen 421 – Kokura to
Miyazaki 426
City guides Fukuoka 434 – Nagasaki 441 – Kumamoto 448
Kagoshima 455
PART 8: SHIKOKU
Route guides Okayama to Takamatsu 464 – Takamatsu to
Tokushima 466 – Tokushima to Kochi 466 – Kochi to Uwajima 473
Uwajima to Matsuyama 475 – Matsuyama to Okayama 477
City guides Takamatsu 480 – Tokushima 486 – Matsuyama 490
APPENDICES
A: Glossary 496
B: Useful words and phrases 500
C: JR service summaries 504
MAP KEY 513
INDEX 514
Japan by Rail
Excerpts:
- Contents
- Introduction
- Routes and costs; When to go
- Rail Passes
- Sample route guide: Tokyo to Nagoya by shinkansen
- Side trip to Miyajima
- Off the beaten track sightseeing
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