Transportation In Japan

Above, a Tohoku Shinkansen.

Text and Photos by Armand Vaquer

Going to a country like Japan allows a visitor to experience different modes of transportation.

I'm from Los Angeles, where mass transit is rather limited. I was only a few years old when the last streetcars in L.A. were removed from service. It has been only recently that L.A. opened a subway system and limited train service.

Tokyo, of course, has its elaborate train and subway system. One really doesn't need to own a car in Tokyo as there's a subway station within walking distance virtually anywhere. Tokyo has their bus lines and taxis (I've made good use of the Tokyo taxis). The nice thing about Tokyo's subways is that they are relatively inexpensive to use.

Above, Tokyo Station.

I was able to experience streetcar riding in 2007 when I visited Nagasaki in Kyushu. Riding Nagasaki streetcars was fun and different. It is too bad that the L.A. streetcars are gone (the last was removed from service in 1963). In a way, for me, it was traveling back in time. Nagasaki had old streetcars as well as newer models.

Above, a Nagasaki streetcar.

Of course, no visit to Japan would be complete without a ride on the famous bullet trains (or Shinkansens). If one is going to do a lot of bullet train travel, it would be wise for the traveler to purchase the JR Rail Pass to save a lot of money. (The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan has the history of the bullet trains and detailed information on the JR Rail Pass).

Above, inside a bullet train car.

To date, I've ridden the Shinkansen from Tokyo to Atami, Tokyo to Sendai, Atami to Kyoto, Kyoto to Hiroshima and Tokyo to Fukuoka. The seats are a lot more comfortable than an airliner's. Plus, one gets to see the Japanese countryside along the way.

If one is a train buff, then riding Japan's rails would be an idea vacation destination.

One interesting trip was a flight G-TOUR took in 2004 from Osaka to Tokyo. One would think a short (about an hour) flight would be on a smaller commuter plane (such as Boeing 737), but this flight was on a big Boeing 747 from All Nippon Airways (ANA). It must be cost-effective as the plane had a full load of passengers.

Japan is also a land with many waterways, rivers and lakes. There are boats of all sizes and description in Japan. Since Japan is comprised of islands, large and small, boats and ships are a necessity. The one in the photo below was in Nagasaki.



Above, there are plenty of taxis in Tokyo. This shot in Asakusa contains four taxis.

As I mentioned, there are plenty of taxis in Tokyo as well as in other Japanese cities. There's no need to tip the cab driver when using a taxi in Japan. And, the drivers keep their taxi cars very clean. They even have doilies on the seats!

Whatever your transportation requirements are in Japan, there's a mode of transportation there to fill your needs.