Trailblazer Guide Books

Worth watching out for.
 - John Cleare

ROUTE OPTIONS

So you know you're going to Japan: the next step is to work out what you want to see and how much ground you want to cover once you've arrived. This guide shows you how travelling around Japan by rail is the best way of seeing as much as possible in a short space of time. Travelling by air may be quicker but only by rail can you see the country close up and in full colour. And there are few places in the world where the trains virtually always run on time, travelling at speeds of up to 190mph (300kph); where smartly dressed conductors doff their caps and bow to the whole carriage before checking tickets, and where it really can be as much fun to travel as it is to arrive. Welcome to Japan by rail.

Japan Rail (JR) boasts that its network covers every corner of the four major Japanese islands. If you looked at the maps in JR's timetable you'd see what appears to be a close approximation to a bowl of spaghetti. The choice of routes is, if not infinite, at the very least overwhelming.

To simplify travel planning and to reassure the first-time visitor that a qualification in orienteering is not needed to negotiate your way round the country, this guide splits Japan into: Central Honshu (see pp125-92); Western Honshu (pp233-78); Northern Honshu/Tohoku (pp278-326); the Kansai region (pp192-232) which includes the cities of Kyoto, Nara and Osaka; Hokkaido (pp327-70); K yushu (pp371-415); and Shikoku (pp416-48). To help plan a trip, sample itineraries are provided (see pp21-7) as well as information on using the route guides (see p449).

COSTS

Contrary to popular belief, a visit to Japan doesn't have to be expensive but it is important to plan your budget as it is an easy country to spend money in.

Package tours which include travel by rail (see pp17-20) rarely offer better value than organizing an independent trip. From the UK you'd be unlikely to pay anything less than £1700 for a 14-day tour including return flights, rail travel, accommodation in basic Japanese inns, some meals and the services of a tour guide. This may be an option if you prefer to let someone else do all the planning and route selecting but given the price of a 14-day rail pass (�187/US$371) it would certainly be more cost effective (as well as more fun!) to organize your own trip.

Though the initial cost of a Japan Rail pass (see box p13) may seem a lot, bear in mind that a return ticket on the shinkansen between Tokyo and Kyoto costs ¥26,840; since a one-week rail pass costs ¥28,300 the pass almost pays for itself from this one trip. Take just one additional journey and the pass really begins to save you money. The return fare from Tokyo to Hiroshima by shinkansen is ¥36,500, well over the cost of a one-week pass. A return journey to Sapporo in Hokkaido from Tokyo by a combination of shinkansen and limited express works out at ¥46,360, more than the cost of a two-week pass.

So, a rail pass turns travelling around the country into a real bargain but what about all the other costs? One couple boast on the web that they live in Japan on ¥500 (£2/$4) a day, though their tips for survival include ‘pot noodle’, ‘hide in the toilets on long-distance trains’ to avoid buying a ticket, and for accommodation ‘cardboard boxes and newspaper make really good insulation’. This is definitely not recommended. For a better idea of what you're likely to be spending per day, see the box below. Alternatively, check: www.pricechecktokyo.com, where you'll find lists of up-to-date prices for everything from beer to butter, toothpaste to toilet paper in Tokyo, though the prices seem applicable for the country as a whole.

WHEN TO GO

In general, Japan has a mild climate, though it's difficult to talk at all genera lly about a country which stretches for some 3000km north to south. It can be below freezing and snowing in Hokkaido, while southern Kyushu is enjoying sunshine and mild temperatures. April and May are often considered the best months to visit, when the worst of the Hokkaido winter is over and the rest of Japan is not yet sweltering in humidity. Cherry-blossom viewing takes place March to May.

The rainy season in June/July (with occasional typhoons) marks the change from spring to summer but the squalls and showers soon dry up to be replaced by heat and humidity. Humidity is high throughout the summer months so carry bottled water if you are planning long days of sightseeing at this, the hottest, time of the year. Hokkaido is by far the coolest and least humid place in summer but this also makes it one of the busiest. The high temperatures and – particularly in the south – sweltering heat can last well into September and often there is a lot of rain then but things usually cool down and dry up by the beginning of October.

Autumn is another pleasant season, though October/November are the ‘leaves’ viewing months, when people flock to see temple grounds covered in fallen leaves. The main areas for skiing are central Japan and Hokkaido. If you don't mind the cold, late autumn/early winter can be a peaceful time to visit.

Try to avoid Japan's national holidays, in particular Golden Week (April 29th-May 5th), when it seems as if the entire country is on the move; hotels and trains are booked out and prices rise to meet demand. The school holiday season in August is another busy time, particularly around mid-August during the obon festival when people head back to their home towns.

For further information visit the Japan Meteorological Agency's website: www.jma.go.jp/jma/indexe.html.