GETTING AROUND JAPAN BY PLANE
Japan has 98 commercial airports.
The five major international airports are Narita Airport and Haneda Airport serving Tokyo, Kansai Airport and Itami Airport serving Osaka, and Chubu Centrair Airport serving Nagoya.
Other important regional airports are New Chitose Airport serving Sapporo, Sendai Airport, Niigata Airport, Komatsu Airport, Kobe Airport, Okayama Airport, Hiroshima Airport, Yamaguchi Ube Airport, Fukuoka Airport, Kumamoto Airport, Kagoshima Airport and Naha Airport.
There are four domestic carriers operating in Japan, two full-service carriers: Japan Airlines and All Nippon Airways, and two low-cost carriers: Peach and Jetstar Japan.
For more information about travelling by plane, please read our Flights Guide in Japan.
GETTING AROUND JAPAN BY TRAIN
Japan has 27,268 kilometres of railway network, which includes 2,764 kilometres of Shinkansen lines.
Shinkansen is the high-speed railway service operated by Japan Railways (JR) with trains running at a maximum speed of 240–320 km/h.
Given the limited coverage of the Shinkansen network, passengers may need to use conventional trains to reach certain regions of Japan. Japan Railways (JR) and other private railway companies operate many regional lines with trains running on conventional rail at a maximum speed of 130-160 km/h.
The major railway stations are Tokyo Station and Ueno Station serving Tokyo, Kyoto Station serving Kyoto, Shin-Osaka Station serving Osaka and Hakata Station serving Fukuoka.
Rail services in Japan are operated by Japan Railways (JR) as well as private railway companies.
Japan Railways (JR) consists of several independent companies that carry on the operations of the former national railway operator JNR. In the present, JR Group is divided in six companies dedicated to provide passenger train services in different regions of Japan: JR Hokkaido, JR East, JR Central, JR West, JR Shikoku and JR Kyushu.
Other important private railway companies in Japan are Tobu Railway, Odakyu Railway, Nankai Railway and Hankyu Railway.
For more information about travelling by train, please read our Train Guide in Japan.
GETTING AROUND JAPAN BY BUS
Travelling by bus in Japan is an affordable way to reach the popular tourist destinations out of the railway network or inaccessible by plane. Bus tickets are inexpensive compared to train or airplane, while most bus operators use modern buses that guarantee a comfortable journey.
The most common models of buses in Japan are single-deck coaches equipped with reclining seats arranged in 3 or 4 seats per row and capacity for 30 to 40 passengers.
The major bus stations are Tokyo Station Yaesu South Bus Terminal and Shinjuku Expressway Bus Terminal in Tokyo, Meitetsu Bus Center in Nagoya, Kanazawa Station, Kyoto Station, and Namba OCAT Bus Terminal and Hankyu Sanban Gai Bus Terminal in Osaka.
Road transportation in Japan is carried out by highway buses.
The bus companies Alpico Kotsu Bus, Fujikyu Bus, Gifu Bus, Hokutetsu Bus, Iruka Kotsu Bus, Kaetsunou Bus, Kintetsu Bus, Meitetsu Bus, Nohi Bus, Limon Bus, Osaka Bus and Tokyu Bus operate modern fleets of vehicles equipped with air-conditioning.
For more information about travelling by bus, please read our Bus Guide in Japan.