Japan by rail

Japan by Rail

3 colour, 7 regional & 33 B&W rail maps & 31 town plans
70 colour photos, 10 B&W photos & illustrations

Japan is steeped in legend and myth, perhaps the greatest of which is the popular misconception that the country is simply too expensive to visit. The truth is that flights to Japan are cheaper than they’ve ever been, accommodation can be great value, while the warm hospitality which awaits every visitor costs nothing at all. The real secret to travelling around the country on a budget, however, is the Japan Rail Pass. Use this comprehensive guide with a rail pass to get the most out of a trip to Japan.

- Practical information – planning; rail pass options; when to go; festivals & events; suggested itineraries
- City guides and maps – where to stay, where to eat, what to see and do in 27 towns and cities
- Kilometre-by-kilometre route guides and maps – covering train journeys from the coast into the mountains, from temple retreat to sprawling metropolis; 33 route maps
- Japan Rail service schedules – Bullet trains and main routes in this guide
- Customs, etiquette, Japanese words & phrases – with kanji
- Supported by social media – The book is well supported by authors active on social media. Facebook: JapanByRail. Anna Udagawa has been running this Facebook page with daily postings for the last 8 years and this has led to a considerable rise in sales. Website: japanbyrail.com. We will be publicising the book on the Trailblazer twitter feed and with review copies to appropriate rail and general press media outlets.
- Published in advance of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics (24 July – 9 August)

What’s new in this fully-updated 5th edition?
- Greater coverage of Tokyo with additional mapping for the capital
- More hot-spring resorts added (including Kinosaki, Kinugawa and Nyuto)
- More information about areas off the beaten track including the wood-carving town of Inami, Yanagawa where you can ride in a ‘gondola’ along its canals, Tomioka Silk Mill (where silk production was first mechanised), Okunoshima island (notorious for its WWII poison gas factory)
- Expanded colour section with ‘Best’ lists to help plan a trip
- Kanji and katakana are now included for all place names