Getting Around Japan: JR Pass, Shinkansen & IC Cards
Japan's trains are the best argument for public transport on Earth — clean, silent, and reliably on time. The Shinkansen (bullet train) links Tokyo-Kyoto-Osaka in under 3 hours each way. The 7-day Japan Rail Pass costs roughly $330 (¥50,000) since a 2023 price hike, so it's no longer an automatic yes: for a Tokyo-Kyoto-Osaka-only trip, individual tickets are often cheaper; add Hiroshima or more legs and the pass usually wins.
Japan's train system isn't just a way to get around — it's one of the country's genuine highlights, and a real culture shock for anyone used to unreliable transit back home. But the once-automatic advice to 'just get the JR Pass' stopped being universally true in 2023, when the price jumped hard. Here's the actual math, not just the old conventional wisdom.
How the Shinkansen works
The Shinkansen (bullet train) network connects Japan's major cities at speeds up to 200mph / 320km/h, with a punctuality that's become a genuine national point of pride — delays measured in seconds get apologized for on the platform announcement. Tokyo to Kyoto takes about 2 hours 15 minutes on the fastest Nozomi service; Tokyo to Osaka is similar, around 2.5 hours.
| Route | Approx. time | One-way cost (no pass) |
|---|---|---|
| Tokyo ↔ Kyoto | ~2h 15min (Nozomi) | ~$100 |
| Tokyo ↔ Osaka | ~2h 30min (Nozomi) | ~$100 |
| Kyoto ↔ Osaka | ~15 min | ~$15 |
| Osaka ↔ Hiroshima | ~1h 30min | ~$80 |
Is the Japan Rail Pass worth it?
The 7-day ordinary Japan Rail Pass costs roughly $330 (¥50,000) as of the October 2023 price revision — a significant jump from what it used to cost, and enough that it's genuinely worth doing the math for your specific route before buying.
| Your itinerary | Verdict |
|---|---|
| Tokyo → Kyoto → Osaka → Tokyo only | Individual tickets are usually cheaper — roughly $200–230 total versus $330 for the pass |
| Add Hiroshima, or multiple day trips using the Shinkansen | The pass usually wins — extra legs add up fast |
| Mostly staying in one city with local transit only | Skip the pass entirely — use an IC card instead |
Regional passes are often the smarter buy for a Tokyo-Kyoto-Osaka trip — the JR Kansai Area Pass, for example, covers Kyoto-Osaka-Kobe-Nara travel for a fraction of the national pass's price. Check whether a regional pass covers your actual route before defaulting to the full national one.
IC cards — Suica, Pasmo, ICOCA
These rechargeable tap-to-pay cards work on nearly every train, subway, and bus nationwide, plus most convenience stores and vending machines — genuinely essential for day-to-day movement, rail pass or not. If your phone supports Apple Wallet or Google Wallet, adding Suica digitally is the easiest route and skips any physical card purchase or queue.
Driving in Japan — the permit rule that trips people up
Japan only accepts International Driving Permits issued under the 1949 Geneva Convention. A number of European countries (including Germany and France) issue 1968 Vienna Convention permits instead by default, which Japan does not recognize — driving on one is treated as driving without a valid license, a genuine legal problem, not a technicality. Confirm your IDP's convention year before booking a rental car.
Local transit inside cities
Tokyo and Osaka both have extensive subway and JR local-line networks that an IC card covers seamlessly — you rarely need a taxi for point-to-point travel within either city. Kyoto's subway is more limited; buses fill the gap but move slower through traffic, so budget extra time.
Train etiquette worth knowing
- Phone calls on trains are considered genuinely rude — keep your phone on silent and take calls off the platform, not on board.
- Priority seating near train doors is for elderly, pregnant, injured, or disabled passengers — don't sit there even if it looks empty during a quiet stretch.
- Eating on local commuter trains is frowned upon (it's fine on long-distance Shinkansen journeys, where the bento-box meal is practically part of the experience).