A concise must-read guide for getting started with independent travel in Japan

Before departure, I was tortured by complicated information, especially about transportation. The more I read the information, the more I understood it. The more detailed the guide, the more I became confused. The various railway transportation, various cards and coupons were all incomprehensible.

I, who only know three sentences in Japanese ("Arigado", "Su Yi Marseille", "Qiudu Sack") and my friend who only knows one sentence in Japanese ("Arigado"), gave up on themselves before setting off and simply collected all the information. I stopped reading and flew to Osaka stupidly. Sure enough, I started to feel confused when I left Kansai Airport. I pressed randomly and used the machine in all Japanese to buy the right ticket. I took the bus from the airport to the Osaka subway station. I was still confused. I didn’t know where the hotel was. I dragged my suitcase at the subway station. Went back and forth several times. . .

11 days later, when we returned to Osaka from Tokyo, we were already confident. Although we still only knew three sentences in Japanese, looking at the confused travelers who had just arrived at Kansai Airport, we really wanted to share the detours we had taken and what we had learned. With this experience, I hope that my friends who visit Japan in the future can set foot on that country with confidence and ease.

say more than

When I arrived in Japan, when I got some travel information in Chinese from the info center or hotel, I really felt like I was suddenly enlightened. It would be great if I had such information in China! ! ! Maps, attraction tickets, shopping locations, everything! !

Since I don’t understand Japanese and I haven’t done any detailed research, everything in this article is subjective and not systematic. However, I believe that for friends who are tortured to the point of collapse by Japanese travel information, this post can help you easily do your best. Preparation. After reading this post, I believe you can sublimate your knowledge through other more profound posts! !

Not much to say about visas, just go to a travel agency on Taobao and pay attention to the following points:

1. Start applying for a visa one month in advance. We were only less than 20 days ahead of schedule, and during the Japanese public holiday, the embassy was closed for three days, which made me feel very nervous. But in the end, I got the single-entry visa on time.

2. If you are not confident in preparing the materials for your visa application, please consult several travel agencies. Because I applied late, the first travel agency I asked said that the time limit is too short and it will definitely not be able to apply. The second one said that a temporary residence permit is required, and the third one said that it can definitely be applied for and does not require a temporary residence permit. I didn't believe that the third company was so powerful at first, so I made great efforts to get the temporary accommodation and handed it over to the third travel agency, but they refused to accept it and said that you wouldn't use it even if you gave it. . . Sure enough, the visa was successfully issued without handing over the temporary residence permit.

3. When applying for a Japanese visa, you must provide proof of round-trip air tickets and hotel reservations for each night. Please note that when your visa is not issued, do not cancel the hotel reservation. You can pay 100 yuan (per person) to ask a travel agency to help you book it (you can cancel it later), or you can book it yourself (I used booking.com and found a few hotels that can be canceled).

The most important thing when booking a hotel is that it is close to transportation, especially rail transportation, and it is best to have elevators and escalators (I have struggled with this...). I’ll just talk about my experience in the 5 cities I’ve been to:

1. Osaka

Osaka Station

The hotel in Osaka Station is my favorite. There are many (relatively) high-end shopping malls, yodobashi (electronics mall) nearby, and Hep-five and the Sky Garden are very close (within walking distance). There are fewer tourists and more Japanese people. I usually go back to the hotel to buy clothes and clothes when I have nothing to do. Cosmetics and small appliances are very convenient. Moreover, the hotels are relatively new and comfortable to stay in. One more thing, there should not be too many Japanese beauties in the shopping malls near Osaka Station, the skin should not be too tender, and the makeup should not be too delicate. All of them should be dressed in Japanese style (clothing and makeup) from "Ruili" ) How's the girl? ! The sales girls in every shopping mall are super gentle and sweet! ! People can’t help but buy, buy, buy! ! ! I haven't seen such fashionable and Japanese beauties in Kyoto or Tokyo. . .

Yodoyabashi Station

It feels like it's surrounded by office buildings, so it's usually quite deserted. The hotel is old-fashioned and there's not much to do.

Esaka Station

The hotel I stayed in was very old, but it was close to the rail transit.

Shinsaibashi Station

(Passing by, not staying) There is a strong shopping atmosphere, and there are many Chinese people (I personally think Shinsaibashi and Dotonbori are boring)

2. Kyoto

For those who live near Kamogawa, Hanamikoji, Kiyomizu Temple and other attractions are all within walking distance (some are a slightly further walk, but they are not too far, and the distance between the farthest attractions is less than 2 kilometers). We all To walk, Fushimi Inari needs to take rail transit.

3. Fujikawaguchiko

I stayed in a Den’s Inn-like hotel, less than a 3-minute walk next to Lake Kawaguchi. After taking rail transit from other cities to Kawaguchiko Station, you need to take 17 bus stops (the only public transportation method, and it is very crowded) to get to Lake Kawaguchi to see Mount Fuji. So the best way is to live next to the lake. There are quite a few hotels and hostels around. Den’s Inn provided us with paid pick-up and drop-off services, which was very cool~

4. Kyoto

There is nothing special about living near Nipponbashi - because you need to use rail transit to go to various attractions, so the important thing is to be close to the station!

Finally, we talked about fellowship, ah, how refreshing it is! ! !

First, let me introduce all the apps I use in Japan:

Mustprepare is

1. google map (beats all other transportation apps)

2. Exchange rate (it is convenient to calculate the approximate price when buying, especially when the credit card needs to be settled in US dollars)

3. Weather

About transportation

First is the classification of transportation in Japan:

1. Rail transit

I divide them into Shinkansen, jr, and non-JR (including subways, various private railways, etc., everything that is unclear)

– The Shinkansen is mostly long-distance between cities (such as Osaka-Kyoto, Osaka-Nagoya, Osaka-Tokyo), and is also divided into express and individual stops (stops at every station)

– JR is mostly between cities. It is also divided into limited express, express, and various stops. It is cheaper than the Shinkansen and stops at more stations than the Shinkansen.

– Most subways are within the city

– Private trains, I don’t know when I have taken private trains (maybe I have), but it doesn’t matter. You don’t have to worry about paying extra and so on. It’s the same as buying tickets and riding on JR and subway. .

2. Public transportation

I have only ridden on the 17 stations at Mt. Fuji and never on the others, so I won’t go into details here.

Notice

The concept of Shinkansen, JR, and non-JR stations is different from domestic train stations and subway stations (not together). For example, at the same station, such as Shin-Osaka Station, there may be Shinkansen, JR and non-JR trains stopping at different platforms to carry passengers. They all have the same station name, but to change to different rail transit, you need to walk a certain distance in the station according to the signs to reach the designated platform. When you change to a different mode of transportation, you need to exit the station, punch in and settle, and buy a new ticket (more on this later).

Here are a few cases (from simple to complex) to tell you how to use Google Maps to take Japan's rail transit.

This is the route I need to search for by taking the subway from Umeda Shopping Center in Osaka (my hotel location) to Shinsaibashi.

Read the picture first

I have to walk 650 meters to Umeda Station. Then go towards Naka Mozu, take the Midosuji Line (stops at each stop) for 3 stops to Shinsaibashi, and get off there. The ticket cost for taking the train in this way is 240 yen (the price is different for different lines and different exchange methods). Two main points:

– Take a bus that “stops at each stop”, if you take an express or express train (trains with different speeds pass by the same platform, so check the electronic information board in the station to see when your bus will arrive), There may be no stops at Shinsaibashi Station

– The nearest train to me is at 9:59. You can click on the location of “Umeda” to see when the next train will arrive.

Then buy a ticket

– After entering the station, look for the words “Midosuji Line” and then follow the directions. The signs will guide you to the ticket machine (there is no manual ticket sales)

– When you see the ticket machine, there will be a route map for that line above the machine. Please look for the words "our station" on it ("our station" means Umeda Station), and then find "Shinsaibashi Station". At this time, the dot on Shinsaibashi Station will have a set of numbers (one large value, one small value), telling you how much it costs to take the bus from this station to Shinsaibashi Station. What should be displayed here is 240 yen (the same as the information provided by Google Maps). The higher number is the adult fare, the smaller number is the infant fare.

– Use the machine to buy tickets. Just buy a ticket for 240 yen (the ticket will only show the name of the station you enter, not the name of the destination station, but a fare instead). You can fully trust Japan's ticket purchasing machines, which are very responsive and don't have to worry about money swallowing up and not coming out. Even if you really buy the wrong ticket, there is usually a staff member at the place where you enter the station. Tell him that you bought the wrong ticket, and he will take away the wrong ticket and refund you in cash. Here is a technique for communicating with Japanese people: first say "wannabe Marseille~", and then directly show him this page on Google Maps. He can completely understand it, and then he will understand why you are looking for him. , and what tickets you should buy.

– After getting the ticket, find the ticket counter of the "Midosuji Line", vote and enter the station. Watch the driving direction and don’t sit backwards~~~~

– The ticket checking machine will take away the tickets when you leave the station, but I didn’t take them away at two stations in Tokyo, so I saved two ticket stubs as a souvenir~~~

(I couldn’t find the ticket for this line, so I found another picture to replace it, hehe):

After reading Case 1, you have learned to take rail transit from one place to another. Isn’t it very simple? ! ! Then let’s do a slightly more complicated one~~~

In the same way as reading the pictures and riding the above, it is worth noting the following points:

– This ride requires changing from “non-JR” to JR.

(You can use jr pass at this time - I will talk about the use of JR Pass in detail later)

– Google map shows that the fee is 250 yen, which is the total price of taking the Keihan Main Line and Osaka Loop Line

– Because there are two sections, after arriving at Kyobashi from Yodoyabashi, you need to exit the station, buy a new ticket, and change to JR (look for “Osaka Loop Line” in the station and follow the signs. When you arrive, you will find it, oh! It’s really JR~), I took JR to Osaka Castle Park. So you need to buy tickets twice, so at this time you need to look up at the picture above your head when buying tickets twice to understand the prices of the first and second journeys and buy tickets separately.

– Many posts mention express trains, such as “express train” and “express train”, which require additional “express train” fares, so a bunch of comparison tables are published that make people almost faint. But the good thing about Google Maps is that if the route it provides doesn’t mention adding an “emergency fee”, you don’t need to! Even if it is an "express" bus, you can get on the bus directly (I will attach a picture later to remind you to pay the "express fee") and just rush to the bus.

Okay, now you’ve learned how to change lines! ! ! Let’s take a look at the third, more complicated one~

This journey is from Fujikawaguchiko to my hotel in Tokyo by rail transit. Isn’t it annoying, confusing, dizzy, and expensive? fine! I have a JR Pass! ! (This will be discussed in detail later)

– First of all, enter Kawaguchiko Station to buy a ticket. It shows that you need to buy a "limited express" ticket, and it is a "limited express ticket." By clicking on the words "Kawaguchiko" to view the latest trains, you can learn that the Fujikyu Line has "limited express" trains and "each-stop" trains departing alternately every ten minutes, so if you don't want to pay the "extreme express fee", you can wait. In ten minutes, you can take the cheap "Kaishu" bus, but the "Express" has 4 stops, and the "Kaishu" can stop at 17 stops. Paying a few hundred yen more will save you a lot of trouble. It all depends on your personal choice~ When I arrived, the "separate parking" bus happened to be arriving at the station, so I didn't pay the fee and parked all the way until my heart broke.

– Arrive at Otsuki Station, exit the station, buy a new ticket, and transfer to the Chuo Line Limited Express

– If they are all JR, different lines may be on nearby platforms (no need to leave the station). For example, if Google Maps says “no need to transfer”, it is very likely that the next line is on the other side of the platform, so you need to add more pay attention to. Don't be too fast every time you jump on or off the bus. When you get on the bus, remember to compare it with the route map on the car to see if the line you are taking is correct. (The site names are all written in traditional Chinese, so there is no difficulty~)

– If the line goes back, or you pass the station - don’t worry, just like the Beijing subway, go upstairs, change direction, and sit back! !

Okay, now you have learned how to transfer freely! ! ! congratulations! ! graduated! ! !

Etiquette for taking rail transit

– Do not sit in seats reserved for the elderly, weak or disabled (green)

– Women can ride in the women-only carriages

– Try not to make phone calls

– No eating or drinking (although I have seen Japanese people eating and drinking)

Let’s talk about the confusing and cute JR PASS:

JR Pass can only be used by foreigners, so you can only buy a ticket abroad and then use that ticket in Japan to exchange it for the PASS in the picture.

JR Pass classification

I remember it was divided into 3 days, 7 days and 14 days. I traveled for 13 days, and I bought 7 days. It’s OK to focus on the 7 days when you need to travel long distances. After all, JR is basically not available in the city (there are a few in Tokyo).

Who needs to buy?

If you can circumvent the wall, use Google Maps to check the cost of commuting between your cities, and compare it with the price of a JR Pass. To give my own example, the route I took with the JR Pass was Osaka-Fuji Kawaguchiko, Fujikawaguchiko-Tokyo, Tokyo-Osaka, Osaka Station-Kansai Airport (Osaka's international airport), and the combined price has already exceeded The price of the JR Pass for 7 days saves a total of about 500 yuan.

how to buy?

Please go to Jack Ma’s dad website and search for “JR Pass”

How to redeem?

Bring the receipt purchased online from Jack Ma's father and you can exchange it immediately when you arrive at the airport in Japan. There are usually staff who can speak Chinese - for example, the second floor of JR Studio at Kansai Airport specifically provides Chinese services. When changing, you need to tell the staff the date you want to use this pass, and they will mark it on the Pass. You can use it as you like within the date you choose~~~

how to use?

Check Google Maps and you will see JR and Shinkansen lines (except nozomi and mizuho). You can ride without buying a ticket within the specified date. You only need to wave to the staff at the gate where you enter the station to swipe your card to vote. You can enter the station directly with your Pass!

By the way, the first time I took the Shinkansen, I accidentally boarded the "nozomi" train. I sat there for 20 minutes until the conductor came up to check the ticket, only to realize that I had boarded the wrong train. Then the conductor actually let me sit for one more stop, told me to get off, and then told me the train I needed to change, what time it was, and the platform number. I was not asked to make up my ticket, which is very touching. . . I can't afford it. . .

Let’s talk about various cards and coupons , such as watermelon cards:

First of all, don’t be confused by various cards. Don’t rush to buy various cards at the beginning for fear of missing the opportunity to enjoy the discounts.

Secondly, there is no need to rush to buy a card. You can make a decision and then buy it after arriving in Japan. I didn’t study these cards before traveling. I did look at them, but I was immediately confused.

How to calculate?

– After arriving at various places, first go to the info center (tourist service center) to get Chinese tourist information (you will also find it at the hotel front desk). The ticket prices for various attractions will usually be written on it (tickets for Japanese attractions are really very low! And absolutely There are no tickets for most attractions/shrines)

– For example, the Osaka Pass is divided into one-day and two-day, which includes the right to ride as many buses as you like for one or two days, as well as the ticket price covering most of the city’s attractions. It sounds like a good deal, right? ! ? But, do you really need to buy it? Not really! Please circle the attractions you plan to visit in these days (not all attractions need to be visited, right?), and then use Google Maps to roughly calculate the rail transportation costs you need. Added together, it may not be high. Regarding the cost of the Osaka Pass, you can decide whether you need to buy it at this time. (However, I should also mention here that the Osaka Pass cannot be bought everywhere. It has fixed locations. For example, there are some large stations at the airport. For example, when I was in Osaka, I stayed at Osaka Station, so it was in a hotel. After calculating the price, I decided whether to buy it or not, and then that morning I went directly to the place where the Osaka Pass was sold at Osaka Station - of course, based on my rough calculation, I didn’t need to buy the Osaka Pass.)

– There is a type of card, such as Xigua Card, which is a stored-value card, similar to Beijing’s bus card. There is no discount, and there is a set of refund methods that make people dizzy. Anyway, I didn’t buy it, but I used the ticket purchase machine to buy tickets every time. It’s very fun~ The machine is very fast and smart, and it doesn’t work at all. trouble!

– I only bought a coupon once. I bought the "Nara Ikaruga 1 day" from Kyoto to Nara. This coupon can be used from Osaka, Kyoto, Nara, the rail transit between the three cities, and within Nara and Ikaruga City. You can take any bus on the day. There will be instructions on the ticket, telling you the free travel range, which is very clear. I didn’t know about this coupon before departure. Why did I buy it? Because I was not familiar with Japanese transportation at the time, I bought the wrong ticket. Then I ran to the station office to refund the ticket. At the same time, I showed him the route on Google Map. He learned that I was going from Kyoto to Nara, so he recommended that I buy it. One day ticket. But in the end, I did the math myself and it was more cost-effective not to buy it.

Seems like that's about it?

Of course, according to the riding method I provided above, you will still encounter some times when you don’t understand the ride - I have encountered it. . Don't be impatient, grab a station employee, say "Wantful Marseille~", then show him the route searched on Google Maps, and then ask him "how?", he will tell you patiently!

This also applies to JR Pass. When you are not sure whether this route can be used with JR Pass, just ask the staff at the gate and he will indicate it to you.

A few lines:

1. Fuji Kawaguchiko is relatively close to Tokyo and can be reached in more than 3 hours.

2. It takes about 7 hours from Osaka to Fujikawaguchiko, and there are so many transfers that it makes you dizzy.

3. Kyoto is relatively close to Nara

Finally, a word about shopping, cosmetics at Kansai Airport are really cheap! ! ! (Some are cheaper than T3) Follow Kansai Airport’s WeChat account to get 15% off coupons! !