Lonely PlanetJul 15Taking the train in Japan - all you need to knowFind your way around Japan by train with this guide to the rail network, with info on tickets and JR Passes, routes and services, and on-board facilities.offers Shiokaze train24 things in this storyShinkansenPlacebullet train, fastest way to travel across JapanLimited ExpressPlacetrains with limited stops, run between cities and rural areasJoyful TrainsPlacespecial tourist trains operated on weekends/holidaysKoshino Shu’KuraPlacesake-themed Joyful Train with tastingsJR Kyushu A TrainPlacejazz-themed Joyful TrainJR SL GunmaPlaceJoyful Train pulled by a vintage steam engineJapan Rail PassPlacevalid across the JR network, good for first tripHokuriku Arch PassPlaceuseful for traveling between Tokyo and OsakaIC cardPlaceprepaid contactless cards for public transitSuica cardPlaceJR East's prepaid cardYamatoPlaceluggage shipping serviceJR HokkaidoPlaceoffers Okhotsk/Taisetsu trainOkhotsk/TaisetsuPlacetrain from Sapporo/Asahikawa to AbashiriJR ShikokuPlaceoffers Shiokaze trainShiokazeRestauranttrain from Okayama to MatsuyamaGreat Seto BridgeSightcrossed by the Shiokaze trainKyūshūNeighborhoodarea with local lines, particularly around NagasakiNagasakiSightarea with local train linesSenmo LinePlaceruns through Kushiro marshlandsHida trainPlaceInaho trainPlaceElsewhereTokyo StationSightTokyo, Japantransfer point for Shinkansen to Nagoya, Kyoto, OsakaICOCA cardPlaceOsaka, Japanprepaid card from the Osaka regionPasmo cardPlaceTokyo, Japanprepaid card from TokyoRead the full piece at Lonely Planet →