Homepages of the major airlines in Japan:

• JAL: English - Japanese (Japan Airlines)
• JAS: English - Japanese (Japan Air Systems)
• ANA: English - Japanese (All Nippon Airlines)

Train

Japan's railways began to be constructed shortly after the Meiji Restoration and the opening of the country to foreign ideas and technology. A proliferation of private companies followed, which were nationalised in the early 1900s. Crisis after the war lead to the creation of Japan Railways (JR) as a unitary company, which was split up into regional operators on privatization in 1987. Presently, the various JR companies are the main providers of train services, but there are several other private companies (notably the Meitetsu Company in the Nagoya/Chubu area, and Kintetsu in the Osaka/Kansai area). The subway/underground in Tokyo consists of several competing companies, but the stations are all connected or shared so generally it is easy to change from one to another. The same is true for the rest of the country where several companies run trains in a particular area.

The punctuality and speed of Japan's trains is legendary. From local trains, high-speed shinkansen (or bullet trains), to subways, trains are swift, on time and frequent. Delays are almost unheard of, and usually caused by unforeseen incidents such as suicides or incredibly bad weather in the typhoon season. Otherwise, you can rest assured that your train will almost always be there on time. In terms of speed, the shinkansen is always jostling for the world record with France's TGV. There are various trains, with the fastest (Nozomi on the Tokaido Shinkansen line from Tokyo to Fukuoka) stopping at just a couple of stations and travelling at an average of near 250 km per hour. Slower trains make more stops and are slightly cheaper, but still manage a respectable 200 km per hour.

Bus

There is also an efficient system of buses around the country. This is one of the cheapest ways to get around Japan. It is slower than taking the shinkansen or flying, but the price is often half that of a shinkansen ticket. There are also a fair number of overnight buses, so, for example, you can board around midnight in Tokyo and be in Osaka for the early morning. JR (Japan Railways) runs a fleet of highway buses that generally ply between two major stations (e.g. Tokyo and Nagoya) during the day and stop at various locations along the highway. These highway buses are cheap, but have the disadvantage that you then have to take a local bus from the highway to your final destination as the highway generally skirts around towns.

The JR buses and also other companies' buses are in the Japanese cyberstation link provided in the train section (or click here). As mentioned before, this is only in Japanese and you need to enter locations in hiragana or kanji, not the roman alphabet.

There are several types of bus in Japan. The highway buses require a ticket, which you buy at the station or office where the bus departs. Local (city) buses are divided into two types: pay-as-you-board, and pay-as-you-leave.

Pay-as-you-board

These have a fixed fare (usually written on the side of the bus as you get on) for all destinations, and you enter by the driver, paying by dropping the correct change into the meter. If there are two prices, then the lower one is for children (usually under the age of 15).

Pay-as-you-leave

The other types of bus is pay-as-you-leave. You board these buses at the back or the middle, and take a small paper ticket as you board. At the front of the bus will be a board with a series of prices. When you get on and the bus pulls out, yours will be the cheapest fare. As you pass each stop, then another fare will enter below yours and your fare will increase. Keep watching your fare and pay that amount when you get off. If in doubt, show the driver the slip of paper and they will tell you how much it is. Don't lose the slip of paper you take when you board the bus.

Both types of bus have two types of meter. Meters generally have two slots, one for the correct fare and one for getting change. If you have the exact fare, put it into the slot (usually with the paper ticket for pay-as-you-leave buses). If not, then there is usually a smaller slot for 500 yen coins and a slot for 1000 yen notes only. Put in a coin or a banknote and you will be given change. One type of meter will deduct your fare from the change; older machines will not and you then have to enter the correct amount in the other slot.

It sounds complicated, but do it once and you will work it out. Watch the person in front if you are not sure. If you cannot work out what to do, just show a 500 yen coin or 1000 yen note to the driver and they will point to the right place to put it. Remember that you may not be able to get change for 5000 yen or 10000 yen notes on buses but 1000 yen notes are usually no problem.

Cars and motorbikes

Despite the excellent Japanese public transport system, it is sometimes useful to have your own car. This can make trips in groups a little cheaper, as shinkansen tickets can quickly get expensive. To rent a car in Japan, you need to have an International driving license, your passport and a credit card.

If you want to get a Japanese license, you can do so without taking a test provided you come from a country that drives on the left of the road. If not, or if you have less than 3 months driving experience in your home country, you have to take the full driving test again. There are plenty of testing centres around the country - ask your school for information or check the local yellow pages. If you need the test, we recommend having one or two lessons to familiarize yourself with the Japanese road system and expectations of the examiners. If you are a beginner, getting your license in Japan will cost you 200,000 to 300,000 yen in tuition fees. You will also need an eye test (available at the centre).

If you want to drive a scooter/small motorbike, the procedure is fairly simple. If you have an international driving license, you can already drive anything up to 50 cc and there is no need for any special insurance. Make sure that you do have an insurance policy to cover you in case of accidents - accidents in Japan can be very expensive. If you don't have the international license, you can easily get a Japanese one by taking a brief written test (available in English and several other languages besides Japanese) and then a brief demonstration that you can use the bike without being a danger to yourself and the public. The test costs about 7,000 to 8,000 yen. Second-hand scooters cost from 30,000 yen depending on make and age.

Sea

There are a lot of ferries running around the coast of Japan, including the following routes. If you live near the sea, ask if there are any ferries that stop near you. This is another way of travelling long distances in Japan that can prove fairly cost-effective.

• Otaru (Hokkaido) - Maidzuru (North coast, near Kyoto)
• Otaru (Hokkaido) - Tsuruka (North coast, near Kyoto)
• Otaru (Hokkaido) - Niigata
• Tomakomai (Hokkaido) - Akita - Niigata - Tsuruka
• Tomakomai (Hokkaido) - Yaenosato (northern Honshu)
• Tomakomai (Hokkaido) - Sendai - Nagoya
• Tomakomai (Hokkaido) - Ooarai (just north of Tokyo)
• Tomakomai (Hokkaido) - Tokyo
• Muroran (Hokkaido) - Ooarai (just north of Tokyo)
• Tokyo - Nachikatsuura (near Mie) - Kouchi (Shikoku)
• Tokyo - Tokushima (Shikoku) - Kitakyushu (Kyushu)
• Oppama - Omaezaki (near Shizuoka) - Karita (Kyushu)
• Kawazaki (Tokyo) - Miyazaki (Kyushu) or Hinatawada (Kyushu)
• Osaka - Miyazaki (Kyushu)
• Osaka - Kobe - Matsuyama (Shikoku) - Beppu (Kyushu)
• Osaka - Shibushi
• Kobe - Matsuyama (Shikoku) - Imahari - Ooita (Kyushu)
• Shinmoji (Kyushu) - Izumiootsu (Near Osaka)
• Shinmoji - Kobe
• Shinmoji - Osaka
• Okinawa - Tokyo
• Okinawa - Osaka
• Okinawa - Kobe
• Okinawa - Hakata
• Okinawa - Kagoshima

There are also plenty of local ferries around the coast, and particularly in the area between Kyushu - Shikoku - Honshu which is filled with dozens of small islands. If you have time, take the ferry from Tokyo, Osaka or other ports to Okinawa - about 2 days from Tokyo for a pleasant cruise to tropical beaches and swaying palm trees in the sun with crystal blue waters lapping over coral reefs...