rail pass

Next week, I'm heading back to Japan for just under a month. This is shortest trip I've taken there so far (hey, if you're going to fly 10+ hours, might as well make it count!). Since my trips in the past have been largely unplanned and quite long, I never bothered with the rail passes... but...

Some common queries regarding train travel in Japan have come up in this sub thread so I thought I would try to bring together some useful info on the subject. It's not meant to be the definitive guide and I don't profess to be an expert. But I've had two very excellent holidays in Japan...