Public transportation is one of the easiest ways to get around Japan. It’s convenient and easy to use (after you become acquainted). Urban cities usually offer some English guidance whereas rural places won’t. However, don’t less this scare you!
Depending on your placement, you may rely on personal, public, or both types of transit to get around your area to neighboring schools.
Buses （バス）
Buses are the second most dominant mode of transit around Japan, after trains. They are widely used in suburban and rural areas that lack rail access. Most buses go to hubs at train stations.
For the most part, buses are usually 95% on time.
You should not have to worry about your bus running late unless there is an accident, breakdown or heavy traffic.
Buses always accept cash; however, drivers will not break large bills (10,000 or 5,000 yen notes)!
Always bring lots of 100, 50, and 10 yen coins. Bus fares are always calculated in denominations of tens and hundreds. You can always break a 1,000 yen note on board via the front payment machine.
There are many guides (Japan-guide dot com) and videos (NHK) on using buses. Many YouTubers out there also have informational videos.
If you have to ride the bus every day, you should look into a commuter pass called a “teikiken.” These passes can save you lots of money and allow you to use the bus as many times as you please between your home and final destination.
Highway buses (Kōsoku bus), on the other hand, require a seat reservation and pre-purchased ticket. The fares for highway buses are more expensive than local buses, but they offer an inexpensive way to travel around Japan.
Kōsoku buses travel all over Japan. There are even night buses that travel long distances, for example, between Osaka and Fukuoka. These buses are much larger than local buses and can carry luggage underneath.
Highway buses are awesome for anyone on a budget, but from my experience, I would not ride one for more than 3-4 hours. They can become uncomfortable depending on the location you are traveling to. If highway buses are not for you, then take the train or Shinkansen (bullet train).
Trains （電車）
Trains are the most popular form of transit in Japan, if you have access to one. Rural areas usually have limited access to trains or none at all. Do not expect a train station or subway line to be near a rural school you work at. On the other hand, some city ALTs get to use trains every day.
Trains in the countryside and rural cities are very short… short (1-2 cars). A lot of these trains run only once or twice an hour. Some train stations have no attendants or gates. You might have to pay on the train or grab a ticket and pay when you get off.
Trains are reliable; they won’t break down and will run even when the weather is rough. They are always on time unless an accident occurs. Trains typically won’t make you motion sick either.
The fare for rural trains, though, is more expensive than in big cities. Because there isn’t a high demand for riders, they aren’t as cheap to operate. A fare that would normally cost 400 yen in the city, might cost 600 yen for rural riders.
A quick guide to using trains:
Japan-guide.com offers some valuable, general information on using trains. However, this guide does not show how to use some rural trains.
Rural Stations:
Below is a rural station with one entrance/exit. The station is simple and mainly exists to accommodate locals. These stations sometimes have attendants working in the morning; however, they usually are not staffed later in the day.
At rural stations, you will deposit the ticket into a small box for exiting, or you will tap your train card to a card reader. Make sure to bring your ticket with you after purchasing it.
It can be challenging to know what fare to buy if you can’t read Japanese, but you shouldn’t worry. You can always pay the difference later on. Some places even offer a chart to guide you on the cost. Just find the name of the station you will get off at and the number will indicate how much you should pay.
Local trains are the easiest to use, in my opinion, because they only travel in two directions. It’s hard to get lost, but if you do, it may cost you time because they do not operate often.
One of the perks of local stations is cheap parking. Many stations only charge 100-400 yen a day to park a car at them. Most offer free bicycle and motorbike parking.
Subways (地下鉄)
Subway trains, known as chikatetsu or “underground trains,” are just what you would expect: they run underground. Some train lines turn into subway lines; some subway lines also turn back to train lines.
Only major metropolises have subways (Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Fukuoka, etc.). They operate similarly to trains with the same payment and ticketing methods.
Taxis (タクシー)
Another common form of (non)-public transportation in Japan are Taxis. Japanese cabs come in all sizes, shapes, and colors. Don’t be sad if you can’t find a yellow cab! The taxi system in Japan is regulated, so most cab services share similar prices. However, fancier cabs do cost more per Kilometer.
Cab fares are determined by the kilometers driven and time spent in the vechicle.
The base fare for most cabs starts between 400-600 yen for the first kiolmeter. The bigger the cab and the fancier the car, the higher the base and overall fare will be once arriving at your destination. It’s best to rideshare, if possible, to cut down on the cost.
Most cab drivers in Japan do not speak English, but they will help you no matter what, as long as you know your destination. Drivers usually know their designated area like the back of their hand.
Fare payment is usually conducted with cash, but some cab drivers will take debit or credit cards. Many cabs now take mobile phone or pre-loaded card tap-to-pay. The #1 form of payment is always cash! Cab drivers can break any size yen note. Lastly, do not tip. It is rude and is not a custom in Japan.
