Japan: Japanese Trains

Covereage of Japan would not be complete without a post dedicated to its trains – from the super speed Shinkansen trains going at 240–320 kmh (150–200 mph) to smaller regional trains and subways to even more antique looking mountain trains and cableways. Before coming to Japan, make sure you get the JR Pass, which entitles you to ride any of the JR operated lines, including all bullet Shinkansen lines, local lines, and even some ferries and subway lines. Totally invaluable! Japanese bullet trains are an incredible experience, whisking you from town to town at speeds up to 320 km/h (200 mph). Almost all Shinkansen train station are centrally located in major cities, making exploration easy and enjoyable. Besides riding Shinkansen along the major corridor from Kumamoto to Fukuoka to Hiroshima to Osaka to Kyoto and then on to Tokyo, we used local slower trains to explore around Kyushu and go to Beppu, ride around the Shikoku Island, and do a loop around Kyoto to Nara and around.