Japan is steeped in legend and myth, perhaps the greatest of which is
the popular misconception that the country is simply too expensive to
visit.
The truth is that flights to Japan are cheaper than they've ever
been, accommodation can be a great value, while the warm hospitality
which awaits every visitor costs nothing at all.
The real secret to
traveling around the country on a budget, however, is the Japan Rail
Pass. With this pass you can travel on some of the fastest trains in
the world as often as you like for as long as you please - and all for
one bargain price. Use this comprehensive guide in conjunction with a
rail pass to get the most out of your trip to Japan.
Inside you'll
find: practical information on planning your trip, what to take,
getting to Japan from Europe, North America and Australia; city guides
and maps - where to stay (all budgets), where to eat, what to see in 29
towns and cities, historical and cultural background;
kilometer-by-kilometer route guides covering train journeys form the
coast into the mountains, from temple retreat to sprawling metropolis
and from sulphurous volcano to windswept desert, 39 route maps; railway
timetables plus customs, etiquette, Japanese phrases and 28 color
photos.
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Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION (1) PART 1: PLANNING YOUR TRIP Routes and costs, When to go, Rail passes, Suggested itineraries, Getting to Japan (From the UK, From continental Europe, From North America, From Asia, From South Africa, From Australasia), Before you go (Passports and visas, Health and insurance, What to take, Money, Suggested reading) (2) PART 2: JAPAN Facts about the country (Geography, History, Politics, Economy, Religion, The people, Sport, Culture), Practical information for the visitor (Arriving in Japan, Tourist information, Getting around, Accommodation, Where to eat, Nightlife and entertainment, Media, Electricity, Time, Banks and money matters, Post and telecommunications, Museums and tourist attractions, National holidays, Festivals, Language, Assistance, Shopping, Activities (3) PART 3: THE RAIL NETWORK Railway history (Pioneering early days, Nationalization and expansion, Arrival of the ‘bullet’ train, Maglev: the future?, Steam railways), The railway (Japan Rail today, The trains, Alternatives to a Japan Rail Pass, Buying a ticket, Timetables, Making seat reservations, Railway staff, Station facilities, Bicycles, Using the route guides (4) PART 4: GATEWAYS – TOKYO AND OSAKA (5) PART 5: HONSHU Central Honshu Route guide (Tokyo to Nagoya by shinkansen, Tokyo to Nagano by shinkansen, Nagano to Nagoya via Matsumoto, Nagano to Nagoya via Toyama/Takayama, Nagano to Nagoya/Osaka via Toyama and Kanazawa) Central Honshu city guides (Shizuoka, Nagoya, Nagano, Matsumoto, Takayama, Kanazawa) Kansai Route guide (Tokyo/Nagoya to Osaka by shinkansen, Nagoya to Osaka via the Kii Peninsula) Kansai city guides (Kyoto, Nara), Western Honshu Route guide(Osaka to Ogori by shinkansen, Ogori to Masuda, Masuda to Matsue, Matsue back to Kyoto/Osaka) Western Honshu City guides (Kobe, Okayama, Hiroshima, Matsue) Tohoku (Northern Honshu) Route guide (Tokyo to Aomori, Aomori to Tokyo via Akita and Niigata), Tohoku city guides (Sendai, Aomori, Niigata), (6) PART 6: HOKKAIDO Route guide (Aomori to Hakodate, Hakodate to Sapporo, Sapporo to Asahikawa, Asahikawa to Abashiri, Abashiri to Kushiro, Kushiro to (Sapporo and) Asahikawa) Hokkaido city guides (Hakodate, Sapporo, Asahikawa) (7) PART 7: KYUSHU Route guide (Ogori to Hakata by shinkansen, Hakata to Nagasaki, Hakata to Kagoshima via Kumamoto, Hakata/Kokura to Miyazaki, Side trip from Kumamoto or Oita to Mt Aso) Kyushu city guides (Fukuoka (Hakata), Nagasaki, Kumamoto, Kagoshima) (8) PART 8: SHIKOKU Route guide (Okayama to Takamatsu, Takamatsu to Kochi, Kochi to Uwajima, Uwajima to Matsuyama, Matsuyama to Okayama), Shikoku city guides (Takamatsu, Kochi, Matsuyama) (9) APPENDICES Glossary, Useful words and phrases, Timetables, (10) INDEX