and, for rail fans, how to get the most out of your trip…
In this article we will tell you why we think Japan is a Rail Enthusiasts Paradise and if you are a rail fan why you should visit Japan.
We will also explain how TS Japan Rail, as the “Japan Rail Experts” can help you see as much of what interests you (and more) and make your trip an outstanding success
Japan Railway Day – 14th October…
This year (2022) Japan is celebrating the 150th anniversary of the first passenger train service. It started on October 14th 1872 between Tokyo (near Shimbashi) and Yokohama (near Sakuragicho). October 14th is Railway Day in Japan.
Japan has everything from the very modern, modern to old and vintage…a rail enthusiasts paradise
Japan is well known for its high speed shinkansen (bullet) trains. The Shinkansen is well used and has a reputation for reliability and safety. The Tokaido Shinkansen was the world’s first high speed railway.
Today there is about 3,000 route kms of high speed train lines, covering much of the country. See our Shinkansen Page for more information on the Shinkansen.
Japan Railway Network is around 27,000 km (16,800 miles) both criss crossing the country and running along the coast lines.
Currently the worlds first long distance Maglev is being built to link Tokyo and Nagoya and eventually Osaka. When it opens, it will cut the 100 minute journey between Tokyo and Nagoya to 45 minutes.
Japan’s urban networks are also a symbol of safety and reliability. Tokyo’s Yamanote Line and Keihin Tohoku Line operate with just a few minutes headway during the rush hour. As well as the trains being modern, the control systems that allow these high frequency yet very reliable services to operate are also state of the art.
At the other end of the spectrum, Japan has many rural lines, many of which are operating decades old stock, but continue to provide vital transportation links. There are 17 cities in Japan that have tram networks, some like Hiroshima, Kagoshima, Koichi and Nagasaki being quite extensive.
Japan also has a number of other guided transportation systems, such as Monorail and other automated guideway systems.
Japan is a railway based Society…
Whereas in many countries the first choice for travel is car; in Japan (except where there are no trains) it is train.
Japan has and continues to invest in its infrastructure, not least its railway network. This means new trains, new lines, and new & updated facilities continue to be added. The railway industry and the government is continually researching new technologies and practices to improve safety & reliability and with staffing becoming a problem automation.
Ecology is also becoming more important and the railways have made a lot of developments in this area. Unfortunately this also means that the older less efficient and less ecological trains are being phased out gradually.
Lots of interesting trains…
Needless to say all this means that there are a lot of interesting trains in Japan
From Odakyu’s famous Romance Car trains, JR West’s 500 series shinkansen, the very luxurious cruising trains and many tourist trains, there is always a lot for the rail enthusiast to see.
There are also some Steam operated services, some operating for quite long distances.
And for those interest in freight, there is quite a lot to see as well. See our Freight Train Page
There are also around 160 railway companies which in itself leads to diversity of things to see especially as some of the smaller companies use old rolling stock sold or donated by the bigger rail companies.
Rail enthusiast friendly country…
Yes, another reason why Japan is a Rail Enthusiasts Paradise is that the railway companies recognize that rail fans are an important category of passenger, and they do a lot to encourage them, with special events and providing information on special train runs and supporting rail enthusiasts associations. We monitor the information that the railway companies are publishing on an almost daily basis. Japan must also be one of the few countries that makes its freight timetable publicly available, which the Rail freight Association started doing quite a few years ago realizing that there was a lot of interest from rail fans as well as customers.
many railway museums…
There are also a number of railway museums around the country, three of them, operated by affiliates of the regional JR companies in their region you could spend many hours if not all day in:
JR West’s Kyoto Railway Museum
JR East’s Railway Museum in Omiya
JR Tokai’s SCMaglev and Railway Park in Nagoya
At least one of the above should be on visiting rail enthusiasts list of things to do!
There are many more museums as well, such as the JR Kyushu Museum at Mojiko, Odakyu’s Romance Car Museum (Japanese site only) in Ebina and Tokyu’s Train and Bus Museum in Kawasaki.
So how can TS Japan Rail help the rail enthusiast Explore Japan’s Railways?
TS Japan Rail, The Japan Rail Experts aim to help both general tourists who want to Explore Japan by Train and rail enthusiasts who want to explore Japan’s Railways.
Our service covers providing clients with ideas, based on their interests, of what to see, and then to plan their trip whilst in Japan.
As the Japan Rail Experts we can give you travel ideas on the many different aspects of Japan’s railways and devise a plan so you can see and experience it all!
See more about how TS Japan Rail Can help you click here (redirects to our main site www.tsjapanrail.com)
Being based in Japan we have access to a lot of information much of which is in Japanese and also on subscription so we are getting regular updates. As well as timetable information (which includes freight trains) we also have rolling stock data (incl which lines / trains use which trains).
Our plans and itineraries are detailed, and for rail fans as well as covering which trains to travel on, where and how to change etc.. will also include what you might see when and where and other useful information for their trip. If there are any we can also advise on any special events or train runs that are taking place during their visit and to see those.
We will also advise on where to stay, and what are the best tickets to buy (including JR Japan Rail Passes, but also domestically available passes and tickets)
TSJR JR Rail Pass Guide
So as well as taking the stress out of your trip with our detailed itineraries we also add value with lots of extra & useful information, most of which is only available in Japanese.
And if you are travelling with a partner who is not so interested in Railways, we can help there as well, with alternative itineraries, or suggestions on might be mutually enjoyable, after all Exploring Japan by Train is also a good way to see and experience Japan!
You can get more information on our services on our main web site: (www.tsjapanrai.com)
Comments
List of comments （2）
This is great! I think the resources and consultation you offer would be especially helpful for Americans like me. Passenger trains are not familiar to many of us. Japan is designed for getting around by train.
Jim, thanks for your comment! Yes, you raise an interesting point, and one I see quite often, the idea of using public transport is alien to people from many countries, but here in Japan we have a very efficient and extensive rail network and I do not just mean the shinkansen. It is not only a great way to travel from A to B but also opens up all sorts of destinations and a great is a great way to see and experience Japan (and of course a lot for rail enthusiasts to see!). It is also good working with people like you with the ideas, information and activities in the destinations!