Rail Passes
You’ve read about Japan’s amazing network of trains, and you’ll undoubtedly ride them. The Japan Rail is the most well known for foreign travelers and if you plan on seeing a lot of the countryside (which here at Uncharted Japan, we recommend), then a JR Pass is a good bet. However, if you’re only going to stay around the Tokyo/Nara/Yokohama or Osaka/Kyoto areas. Then you might be better off purchasing tickets as needed in those areas. There are countless ticket packages for various areas throughout Japan including those around Tokyo that offer great discounts not only for rail travel but often include discounts to museums and popular sights.
But if you’re going to be traveling throughout the country, then the JR Pass is your ticket to ride. You can purchase them in 7, 14 and 21 day increments, but they MUST BE PURCHASED BEFORE YOU ARRIVE IN JAPAN. Make sure you purchase your ticket before you leave home! Depending on the vendor you use for your ticket purchase (there are numerous resellers and then there is the official Japanrailpass.net site), you will receive a ticket voucher in the mail (from a reseller) which you will then exchange upon arrival for the actual JR Pass. Additionally, the ticket voucher must be exchanged within 90 days of the purchase, so don’t order it too early. But if you purchase via the Japanrailpass.net site, you will not get a voucher in the mail, but instead just pick up your ticket upon arrival in Japan.
The passes come in two classes of seating: “Ordinary” and “Green car”. The Ordinary Cars typically have 20 rows of seats in a 2+3 configuration, meaning two seats on one side of the aisle and three on the other side. The floor surfaces are a linoleum type and the restrooms are always clean and a little larger than what you’d find on a major airline. Ordinary cars tend to fill up and often have more families, meaning they can be noisier.
But if you want to go in style for a little more, then the Green Car is the way to go, and that’s how we always travel. The benefits are there are typically only 16 rows of seats in a 2+2 configuration, meaning only two seats on both sides of the aisle. This means you have much wider seats, typically with powered let extensions and footrests as well as more sumptuous padding and finishes. Imagine business class on an airline. The restrooms tend to be larger and a little more upscale, and the floors in Green Cars are carpeted and thus even more quiet than the already quiet Ordinary Cars. The other real plus for foreign travelers is that with 36 fewer seats, yet the same amount of overhead storage, you can more easily store your carry on bags.
Taxis
Now a couple of things about taxi etiquette. You should almost NEVER touch the left rear passenger door. Nearly every taxi has a remote rear door mechanism which the driver uses to open and close the door. For your first time or two, you’ll have to fight the temptation to grab the door handle, but DON’T! The only door you might have need to open and close will be the front passenger door, but only when you have too many people to fit in the back seat.. And remember that once you’ve reached your destination, do not touch the back door until the driver opens it. The driver won’t typically open it until you’ve paid. Reaching for the door might send the signal that you’re about to make a run for it.
Another thing to remember is to always enter the taxi from the left side of the vehicle. If you’re hailing a taxi from the sidewalk don’t ever walk around to the other side on which traffic is flowing. Just let the driver open the left rear door, then you and your friends slide in across the back seat. Of course, if this is in a taxi que at a station or hotel, then its fine to walk around to the other side.
When you have luggage, every driver will pop the trunk and will load your luggage for you. I know you may want to help and be courteous, but believe me, more often than not, they prefer to do this themselves. They know the size of the trunk and will quickly analyze how best to fit your bags into the trunk. Just say thank you many times, and that will be fine.
Once you’re seated, you’ll need to tell the driver where to go. This is where Google maps comes in handy. Don’t expect every driver to know every little watering hole or hotel, or even major tourist site in the city. For a city the size of Tokyo, no driver will know every destination. Most of them don’t follow Instagram or Youtube trendsetters. Therefore, don’t simply say we want to get fluffy pancakes at Gram in Ginza. You may have found twenty videos and hundreds of reviews about Gram, but the driver won’t have a clue. So pull out your Google Maps, show him the map and Japanese address, and more importantly the phone number, and he’ll plug it into the GPS. NOTE: if you should ever rent a car, you won’t plug in an address to the GPS, but rather a phone number.
The taxi fare will be shown on a screen to the left of the driver. Just follow it, and as you’re nearing your destination (and you’ll know you are because you’ll be following it on your Google Maps app), get your money ready. Some taxis take credit cards, but only about a third. Therefore, make sure you have yen ready for payment, and when its time, just place the money in the tray between you and the driver. He’ll make the necessary change and will offer you a receipt. Then DON’T touch the door! Let him open it, and off you go.
A final word about taxis. Don’t be insulted or surprised if you’re trying to hail a taxi, and the driver ignores you. First of all, if the red light in the front windshield is off, it means that taxi is already occupied or on its way to pick up a customer. If the red light is on, then its available. However, because so many foreigners don’t know the proper etiquette, some drivers may blow right by you. Or if one is at a traffic light, and you’re right there on the curb, you may notice the driver move the car slightly forward to avoid making eye contact. This is changing, but you’ll still sometimes experience this sort of thing. All the more reason to know what to do and to be polite when entering and exiting the vehicle.