Is The Japan Rail Pass Worth The Money?

Above, a couple of Japan Rail Passes I've used. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Is the Japan Rail Pass worth the money?

That question is often posed by tourists who plan to visit Japan who may or may not do some traveling outside of Tokyo.

Zooming Japan has an article that should answer that question.

They begin with:

A question I get almost on a daily basis is: Is the Japan Rail Pass worth it?

Short answer: Yes, for long distance travelling (e.g. a round trip from Tokyo to Kyoto). 

Ok, ok. You want the long answer, right? :)

Their long answer starts with:

In Japan the most convenient way to travel around is by train. 

Japan offers a huge variety of train passes that will allow you to save money. 

There are regional passes which make sense if you only stick to a certain region during your stay. 

There’s also the “Seishun 18 Kippu” which is great if you don’t have a lot of money, but a lot of time. 

The Japan Rail Pass is probably the ultimate budget pass if you use it wisely. 

With the Japan Rail Pass you can ride a huge variety of trains, some buses and ferries for FREE!! for either 7, 14 or even 21 consecutive days.

To read more, go here. 

Day Trips From Kyoto

Above, Miyajima (near Hiroshima) is 2 hours and 40 minutes away from Kyoto. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Often times, foreign visitors to Japan who are in Kyoto have seen pretty much everything in the city they wanted to see and wonder what else they can do.

Zooming Japan has an article different day trips that people can take from those two cities. They can get to other places and nearby prefectures by either commuter train, shinkansen, bus or car.

They begin with:

People always ask me about good day trips from Kyoto or Osaka.
Especially if you have allotted quite a bit of time for the Kyoto region and fear to get bored, it’s good to know what else you could do.
And if it’s your second or third trip to the region, then you might want to explore new things. 

There are the well-known day trips such as Kobe, Himeji and Nara, for example.
Apart from these, I want to show you a lot of different alternatives. 

Believe it or not, but there are so many lovely day trips you can easily do from Kyoto – and I bet there are many you haven’t heard of yet! 

Please note that the following travel time estimation is based on public transportation. It’s sometimes faster if you travel by car.

To see more, go here. 

Zooming Japan: Top 3 Night Views In Japan

Above, a view of Nagasaki out of my hotel room's window. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Here's another one of those lists of things to see and do in Japan.

This time, it is provided by Zooming Japan. It is the "Top Three Night Views In Japan."

They start it with:

Japan loves lists, so it’s not a surprise that you’ll find lists for almost everything.
For visitors this is perfect as it saves a lot of work! There are the “Top 3 Views of Japan“, “Top 3 Gardens in Japan” etc. 

Today, I want to introduce the best night views in Japan according to the “official list”. They’re called “Sandaiyakei” (三大夜景, Three Great Night Views).

To see what they are, go here. 

Zooming Japan's "19 Awesome Day Trips From Tokyo"

Above, the torii gate at Lake Ashino (a.k.a. Lake Ashi). Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Zooming Japan has a list of "19 awesome day trips from Tokyo" for potential Japan tourists to consider.

These are in prefectures nearby to Tokyo, so they are within easy reach.

The article begins with:

I know that Tokyo is a very exciting place, especially for first-time visitors, but I cannot emphasize it often enough: It’s important to get out and see other parts of Japan as well. If you cannot afford going all the way to Kyoto, Hiroshima or Fukuoka, then at least plan a few day trips from Tokyo. I’m sure you won’t regret it. In fact, there are million of options, so it might be hard to choose. Here are my recommendations for day trips from Tokyo.

To see the 19 day trips, go here.