Houseteks Guide To Tokyo

[PacificaYuki]

Hope this helps ^.^

Guide to Japanese Train Tickets



basic information

Below is a list of the various railway tickets available in Japan:

Regular Train Tickets


Regular tickets simply get you from A to B. Our page about regular train tickets provides an introduction to the various fares and fees, such as the base fare and limited express fee, and the rules for using tickets. Read more...


Rail Passes


Rail passes entitle their holders to unlimited usage of trains in a designated area. There is a variety of nationwide and regional rail passes available in Japan. The best of them all is the Japan Rail Pass, but other rail passes can be more suitable, depending on your itinerary. View a list of rail passes...


Tokaido Shinkansen Discount Offers


Japan's most important shinkansen line, the Tokaido Shinkansen connects Tokyo with Nagoya, Kyoto and Osaka. The following are some of the discount offers available on the Tokaido Shinkansen:
Hikari Hayatoku Kippu (about 10 percent discounted)
This ticket is available for trips between Tokyo or Yokohama and Nagoya, Kyoto, Osaka, Kobe, Himeji or some other minor stations. You have to use a reserved seat on a hikari train, and you have to purchase the ticket at least one week in advance of the departure date.

Hikari Kodama Jiyusekiyo Hayatoku Kippu (25 percent discounted)
This ticket is available for trips between Nagoya and Osaka. You have to use a non-reserved seat on a hikari or kodama train, and you have to purchase the ticket at least one week in advance of the departure date.

Puratto Kodama Economy Plan (about 25 percent discounted)
You have to use a reserved seat on the relatively slow kodama train, and you have to purchase this travel plan at least one day ahead of the departure date. You will get one can of beer, soft drink or a coffee as a free bonus.



City Passes


Passes for unlimited city travel on subways, trams, trains and buses on one calendar day and similar tickets are offered in many cities across Japan. Take a look at the "special ticket" section at the bottom of the following city pages:
Tokyo Osaka
Kyoto Kobe



Sets of Multiple JR Tickets


For any route, which covers 200 kilometers or less, it is possible to purchase eleven tickets (basic fare only) for the price of ten.
Between selected stations on some shinkansen and limited express routes, it is also possible to purchase sets of multiple tickets. They usually come in sets of four or six tickets and are discounted by about 5 to 10 percent.

Multiple tickets have to be used within a certain time frame, typically three months, and can be used in either direction.



Discounts on JR Roundtrip Tickets


On any route, which covers more than 600 kilometers one way, a round trip ticket (basic fare only) can be purchased at a 10 percent discount.
Between selected stations on some shinkansen and limited express routes, it is also possible to purchase round trip tickets, which are typically discounted by about 10 to 15 percent.



Tour Packages


Tour packages combine transportation and accommodation at big discounts to individual or group travelers. They are offered by travel agencies inside and outside of Japan, including the railway companies themselves. Much of the information, however, is available in Japanese only.


Discount Ticket Shops


Discount ticket shops purchase large amounts of discounted tickets and re-sell them to individual shoppers at prices which are typically 5 to 10 percent below the cost of regular tickets. Discount ticket shops can be found around major railway stations in large cities.

All these information can be found at:
Guide to Japanese train tickets and rail passes

[GhostBlade]

HouseTek, how and where do you find lockers in Tokyo or Japan to store your stuff? Are there any signs or things to look for when looking for lockers? Are the lockers big enough to store one small luggage bag? How much does it cost and how long can you keep your stuff in this locker? Please let me know!

[sparky]

Guest Houses are the #1 way to stay in Japan cheaply.

This guide was really good! Hats off!

I will add to this guide by posting a list of guest houses across Japan. Might be helpful for those that don't know where to look.

Guest House List

Cheers
Sparky

[Housetek]

Originally Posted by GhostBlade

HouseTek, how and where do you find lockers in Tokyo or Japan to store your stuff? Are there any signs or things to look for when looking for lockers? Are the lockers big enough to store one small luggage bag? How much does it cost and how long can you keep your stuff in this locker? Please let me know!

great rail guide thank you for your addition!

umm the lockers vary from size it can hold smaller suitcases in some.

you'll see them in some train stations, you just put 300 yen or so in and take the key with you.

[GhostBlade]

How long can you keep your stuff in the locker? Is there a day limit on how many days you can store your stuff in the locker? So you can open the locker as many times as you want to retrieve your stuff or do you have to pay 300 yen every time you open it? If there's no limit and you can open the locker as many times as you want then that seems like a decent deal since I can just carry everything I need for the day in a small bag and leave the rest in the locker until I need to retrieve more stuff.

[samurai007]

Originally Posted by GhostBlade

How long can you keep your stuff in the locker? Is there a day limit on how many days you can store your stuff in the locker? So you can open the locker as many times as you want to retrieve your stuff or do you have to pay 300 yen every time you open it? If there's no limit and you can open the locker as many times as you want then that seems like a decent deal since I can just carry everything I need for the day in a small bag and leave the rest in the locker until I need to retrieve more stuff.

Nope, it's 300 yen each time you open the door. But I don't think there's any time limit on how long you keep stuff in there. You have the key, and when you decide to use it, you can. I suppose that a station attendant might worry if the key is out for too long a time, though I don't know how long that'd be.

It's best to use it like this: Travel to an area. Put most of your belongings in a locker, take the key and your camera, guide book, etc with you. Sightsee all day. Return to the locker in the evening, get your stuff, check into a hotel room for the night. Set off again the next day. If you are staying in a hotel another night, just leave the stuff in your room.

[samokan]

the locker is per day. so if you extend, it will automatically compute your balance.

[GhostBlade]

Thanks for the help. I'm trying to find some info about working in a hostel in Tokyo and elsewhere in Japan but I'm not getting any information. Are foreigners usually given part-time work at a hostel to get a free room for the night or however long you're planning on staying there? I know it is done in other places and some have done it in Tokyo but I want to know if it's common and if most people are accepted for part-time work in exchange for a free stay if they ask. Even $20 a night at various hostels for over a month will add up so that's why I want to know.

[MMM]

Originally Posted by GhostBlade

Thanks for the help. I'm trying to find some info about working in a hostel in Tokyo and elsewhere in Japan but I'm not getting any information. Are foreigners usually given part-time work at a hostel to get a free room for the night or however long you're planning on staying there? I know it is done in other places and some have done it in Tokyo but I want to know if it's common and if most people are accepted for part-time work in exchange for a free stay if they ask. Even $20 a night at various hostels for over a month will add up so that's why I want to know.

If they did, I am not sure that would be legal, and places like hostels in Japan, which house a lot of foreigners, are careful about not bringing too much attention to themselves...most especially in the big cities. In smaller areas, I am not sure.

[GhostBlade]

Originally Posted by MMM

If they did, I am not sure that would be legal, and places like hostels in Japan, which house a lot of foreigners, are careful about not bringing too much attention to themselves...most especially in the big cities. In smaller areas, I am not sure.

Well, they're only providing a place to sleep and not money. I know someone who says he had to sign some kind of contract that he'd be staying working at the hostel in Tokyo for a month and he got free room and board because of this. The problem is that I want to move around Japan and not stay in one location for too long so I don't know how that will work out. Also, I don't know how common it is in Japan to do this. I'm looking around and can't find any info regarding this method in Japan but I've read that people have done this in hostels in other countries.