Japan - Get Around

Whizz through the country on the speedy Shinkansen (bullet) train or see the country on two wheels.

Japan consists of four main islands – populous Honshu in the centre, verdant Hokkaido to the north-east, Kyushu to the south-west with its natural springs and little villages, and rural Shikoku, south of Honshu – as well as thousands of small islands.

Many visitors don't leave Honshu, the largest and most built-up island, where Tokyo, Kyoto and Nara are located. Travelling to Hokkaido reveals the culture of the indigenous Ainu people, while in the far south, the Ryukyu islanders of Okinawa and Amami are totally laid-back.

Experience the ultra-efficient train service – don't miss gliding from Tokyo to Kyoto past mythic Mount Fuji on the super-fast Shinkansen (bullet train). It's worth investing in a JR (Japan Rail) Pass before arriving in Japan, which needs to be validated on arrival at any major station.

Buses are the best way of getting around smaller cities and to remote places in the countryside. On most services, you will need to take a numbered ticket upon boarding the bus. Just before disembarking, find your number and the corresponding fare on the display board at the front of the bus.

Cycling is popular in Japan: pedal the Shimanami Kaido cycle route connecting the islands of Honshu and Shikoku via a system of bridges with views over the Seto Nai-kai (Inland Sea).

The four main islands of Japan are connected by bridge, but ferries run to the smaller outlying islands. Take the 12-hour ferry ride from Kagoshima, on southern Kyushu, to the subtropical island of Amami Oshima for pristine white beaches and dense forest.

With excellent public transport facilities, there is little need for visitors to drive except to visit out-of-the-way locations. If you do decide to hire a car, drive on the left.

If time is limited, flying is the only sensible way of getting from Tokyo to far-flung places like Okinawa in the south.

Pick up onigiri (rice balls filled with fish, pickled plum or seaweed) or a bento box containing rice, meat or fish and vegetables at rail stations: they make tasty stomach fillers.

Japan Railways Group website

Go back in time at a ryokan (traditional inn) to swan about in a cotton kimono, sleep in a traditional room with tatami flooring and sliding doors, and bathe in hot springs before being served fresh sashimi (raw fish). Fast-forward to the future on man-made Odaiba Island in Tokyo, with its space-age architecture.