Blog posts

Can You Use ICOCA - Kansai's popular IC card - in Tokyo? And can you use a Suica card in Osaka? Find out the answers and more in our latest guide.

Eki stamps are one of Japan's most endearing travel customs and you can find out all about them in our latest guide.

Planning a trip to Japan at the end of October and wondering whether there are any special Halloween-themed trains for transport that's efficient, fast, and spooky? Read on for more.

Shisa kanko is one visible piece of a much larger culture of precision on Japan's railways. Find out what it is in our latest guide.

Our latest guide covers what the Kintetsu Rail Pass includes and how it varies to the Japan Rail Pass, how versions compare, where it shines, and whether it is worth adding to your itinerary.

Are you allowed to drink a cold beer with your ekiben on a Japanese train? Find out in our latest guide.

Japan's railway history began in 1872, with the country's first line connecting Shimbashi and Yokohama. More than 150 years later, the country is famous for is lightning fast, super safe, and exceptionally efficient 'bullet trains' and rail network.

Anyone who drives a rental car in Japan or boards a train notices something familiar: both keep to the left. It's not a coincidence. Japan's trains have run on the left since the country built its first railways in the 1870s, but why? Find out here.

Is it true that Japan's trains are so efficient and reliable that in the rare circumstances they are even a few seconds late, commuters are given a special certificate? It is - and you can find out more here.

Japan's love affair with sleeper trains might be about to resume. Read on for the latest news about a proposed sleeper train running from Tokyo to Aomori from 2027.