Japan Guide
Getting around
Birthplace of the Shinkansen, or "Bullet Train", Japan is one of the world's great railway countries, though you shouldn't automatically assume that the train is the only option. Tunnels and bridges now link all four of the main islands, but to reach hundreds of others you have no choice but to board a ferry or a plane. The length of the country also makes flying – say, from Tokyo to Sapporo in the north or Kagoshima in the south – well worth considering, especially since the difference in cost compared to the fastest trains is negligible.
The main domestic travel agencies – JTB and NTA – can handle bookings for all types of transport and are also useful sources for checking travel schedules. The staff in these agencies have access to the jikokuhyō timetable, an incredible source of information, updated monthly, on virtually every form of public transport in Japan. There's always a jikokuhyō available for consultation at stations, and most hotels have a copy too. If you're going to travel around Japan a lot, and especially if you're planning an adventurous trek through rural areas, having your own timetable can be invaluable. Pocket versions are available cheaply from most bookstores, and train stations often give out free mini train timetables for the areas they serve. Although they're all in Japanese, once you've decoded the relevant kanji characters they're simple to use. Easiest of all, especially if you have a rail pass, is to get hold of a JR English timetable for all the Shinkansen and many major express train services, available from JNTO offices in Japan and abroad and major trains stations. Also incredibly useful is the Hypedia Timetable ( 
www.hyperdia.com/cgi-english/hyperWeb.cgi ) an online resource maintained by Hitachi Information Systems, which will provide a whole range of travel options, including transfers by air, bus, train and ferry between almost any two points in Japan.