Blog posts

JR East's Shiki-Shima cruise train costs from about ¥500,000 per person. See how the booking draw works, what's on board, and where it goes.

Meitetsu runs the only trains from Centrair Airport to Nagoya. Learn μSky fares, JR Pass coverage, IC cards, and easy day trips to Inuyama.

Ride Aomori's Tsugaru Railway Stove Train, where coal stoves heat vintage carriages, and attendants toast squid. See the season, fares, and how to get there.

Where can you still ride a Kiha 40? Find the JR and private lines keeping Japan's boxy diesel railcar alive, plus riding tips and JR Pass coverage.

The JR Pass does not cover Hankyu. Learn how to pay with ICOCA or Suica, what the Hankyu 1-day Pass costs, and when Hankyu beats JR in Kansai.

Ride Nankai's Rapi:t from Kansai Airport to Namba or take the Koyasan line to the mountain temples. Fares, travel times, and why the JR Pass doesn't cover it.

Where to take the famous Tadami Line bridge photo, how to ride around its sparse timetable, and which rail passes cover this scenic Fukushima line.

The Sanriku Railway came back after the 2011 tsunami. See how to reach the Rias Line, what the kotatsu train costs, and whether the JR Pass covers it.

The Spacia X isn't covered by the JR Pass. See seat classes from ¥3,340, the Cockpit Lounge and Suite, how to book, and how it compares with the JR route.

Toritetsu are Japan's train photographers. Meet the other -tetsu fan types, where they gather, and how to join in respectfully.