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Getting
Around Japan
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World Cup Venues:
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Getting to Niigata - Ireland v Cameroon - June 1, 2002 "The Joetsu Shinkansen"
The Joetsu Shinkansen operates
daily between Tokyo Station and Niigata Station. Service is
very frequent; at least 2 trains every hour in each
direction, and very quick; between 2 to 2.5 hours, one-way.
The shinkansen "bullet train" service concludes by
midnight and starts up as early 6:00 AM. There are also (2)
two different types of services available along this route:
ASAHI, and TANIGAWA. Double-decker MAX (Multi Amenity
Express) style trains, in both service types, are also
available several times a day.
Click here for Joetsu Shinkansen Timetable.
General Travel Information
There are flights to Japan from all over the world, usually to Tokyo but also to a number of other Japanese airports. Consider arriving elsewhere than in Tokyo's impersonal Narita airport - it can be an unpleasant and tedious introduction to Japan. Kansai international airport charges a US$25 departure tax, Tokyo's Narita airport US$20, while the other international airports charge no departure tax at all. There are a few sea transportation options between Japan and South Korea. The cheapest is the Shimonoseki-Pusan ferry which runs nightly across the Sea of Japan in both directions. Between Fukuoka and Pusan there's both an ultra-fast (3 hours) hydrofoil and a ferry (15 hours). To China, there are ferries connecting Shanghai to Osaka, Kobe and Nagasaki; there's also a weekly ferry from Kobe to Tanggu (near Tianjin). To Taiwan, a weekly ferry leaves from Okinawa. For travellers intending to take the Trans-Siberian Railway to Moscow, there's a weekly ferry service between Yokohama and the Russian port of Nakhoda near Vladivostok. Getting Around Flying is an efficient way to travel from the main islands to any of the small islands, and is often not much more expensive than going by rail. Check whether you qualify for discounts - there are some weird and wonderful ones (for example JAL offers discounts for three or more women travelling together, or for a husband and wife if their combined age totals 88 or more). Train is the way to travel in Japan. The trains are fast, frequent, clean, comfortable and often very expensive. Services range from small local lines to the shinkansen super-expresses, or 'bullet trains', which have become a symbol of modern Japan. Shinkansen reach speeds of up to 270km/h (167mi/h), are spookily efficient and can be travelled on with one of Japan's few travel bargains, the Rail Pass. Rail Passes must be pre-purchased overseas and are valid for almost all Japan Rail services. Intercity buses are generally slower than trains, but they are markedly cheaper. Also, unless you've got a sleeper, travelling overnight in a reclining bus seat can be preferable to sitting upright on the train. Driving in Japan is much more feasible than it's normally made out to be. You wouldn't want to get behind the wheel in Tokyo, but in other urban centres the roads are fairly well signposted in English, other drivers are mostly considerate and cautious, petrol is no more expensive than it is in Europe (which means it's about three times the price it is in the US), and parking is not as difficult to find as popular mythology suggests. Motorcycling can be a great way of getting around Japan; 50cc 'step-thrus' are often available for local sightseeing, and you don't need a motorbike licence to drive one. Traffic in Japan moves on the left. Exploring Japan by bicycle is perfectly feasible. The secret of enjoyable touring is to get off the busy main highways and onto the minor routes. Ferries are an excellent way of seeing parts of Japan you might otherwise miss. The densest network of ferry routes connects Kyushu, Shikoku and the southern coast of Western Honshu, across the waters of the Inland Sea. Ferries also connect the mainland islands with the many smaller islands off the coast and those dotted down to Okinawa and beyond to Taiwan. Local transport is generally efficient. The largest cities have subway systems, which are the fastest and most convenient way to get around. Almost every Japanese city will have a bus service, but many foreigners find buses difficult to use. Trams, which operate in a number of cities, are easier to negotiate. Taxis are convenient but expensive Enquiries to franknoc@yahoo.com |
Japan Embassy of Ireland Ireland House 5F, 2-10-7 Kojimachi, Chiyoda -ku, Tokyo1020083 Tel : ++81 3 32630695 Fax : ++81 3 32652275
Korea Embassy of Ireland Daehan Fire and Marine Insurance Building, 15th Floor, 51-1 Namchang-Dong, Chung-Ku, 100-778 Seoul Tel : ++ 82 2 7746455 Fax : ++ 82 2 7746458
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