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Japan by Rail

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

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