By Bus.

There always seemed to be a negative stigma attached to buses in the US. There seemed to be no positive given to the fact that you were being green by using public transportation. But that's not the case here in Japan. Buses are a rather economical way to travel that's safe and practical in busy cities.

Company Bus

The bus that I use the most often is the one that takes me to and from work. Many companies offer this form of travel to ease up the morning and afternoon commute for everyone. In the morning there are buses between 6.45 until 7.25, leaving every 10 minutes. Almost all of the buses are packed full (buses hold upwards of 50 people depending on how many of the jump seats are full). Given that there are 5 buses, that's about 250 cars that aren't driving on the road every morning! 

Two TICO buses leaving (one for Takahama Plant, one for Kariya Plant)

City Bus (Kyoto, Gifu) 

The city bus was the one I was most worried about riding as it was made for locals who can read Japanese and know the general direction of where they need to go. The routes are numbered, as they usually are, and that's the most important thing to keep track of when you're trying to get somewhere - just make sure your stop is on that bus's route. Though daunting at first, with a map and a basic understanding of Kanji characters (or at least an ability to compare them!) it's really not that bad. Kyoto is a city where utilizing this bus system will help you visit all the different temples, shrines, and other landmarks. Because it is a tourist town, a lot of the words will be in English. If you figure out that you're going the wrong way, just hop off at the next stop, cross the street and wait for the bus to come the other direction. The buses generally run through every 5 to 10 minutes in populated cities so your wait isn't too long.

Inside a Kyoto city bus

Kyoto bus map. Full version here!

Me-guru Sightseeing Bus (Nagoya)

Unique to Nagoya, this very useful bus takes you to some of the most important tourist attractions in Nagoya that are not easily accessible by train like the Toyota Museum, Tokugawaen, Noritake Garden, and Nagoya Castle. As the slogan proclaims, "hop on the gold bus!" and you'll get where you need to go. The loop starts and ends at Nagoya station, and though it might be quicker to hop on the bus going back, the loop is not really so big that going around the long way is awful. Very useful and user friendly around Nagoya for tourists.

 

Me-guru bus stop signs.

Me-guru route. More information here!

Airport Express (Kariya to Chubu International Airport)

Back in the Twin Cities, we lived rather near the airport, which was great if one person in my family was traveling. If our whole family was leaving, we had to ask a friend to drop us off or splurge on a taxi. Columbus is about a 45 minute drive from Indy Airport which is a bit more out of the way. Unless you have some pretty awesome (and not too busy) friends, you might have to consider airport parking. For five days in the economy lot at Indy, you're going to be spending 45 dollars. A one way trip on the Chubu Airport express from Kariya Stn. to the airport is 1330 Y. For someone who lives near Kariya Eki (like me!) or any of the other stops on an Airport express route, the convenience level is completely worth the price. Even if not, asking someone to drop you off at a nearby station is often more doable than asking for an hour and a half of their time. 

Note: If there aren't bus times that are near your flight, you can always take the trains back to Kariya for about the same price, though a little less convenient. 

Expressway Buses (Nagoya to Kyoto)

Expressway buses are basically like Greyhounds, a more affordable way to travel long distances without taking the shinkansen or an airplane. There are regular buses to Kanazawa, Tokyo, Kyoto, Takayama, really all over. I took the Expressway from Nagoya Stn. to Kyoto Stn. just to see if it was worth the cost savings. If you're not in a hurry to go anywhere, I rather think it is. The journey took a little over two hours and it was rather smooth sailing once we got the expressway.

En route to Kyoto.

 

And that's all folks. Though it's rather not familiar at first, it's generally easy to get the hang of. I would definitely make use of it if you're ever in Japan!

Shinkansens, Denshas, and Chikatetsus (Oh My!)

Public transportation is one of the things that I am most excited by when I leave the United States. Though there are a few cities with effective mass transportation, the majority of the places I have spent time in require the use of a car for daily commutes. As such, I figured I’d write a short multi-part piece about transportation in Japan. 

I thought I would start with large scale and work my way down so I’m going to start with trains. There are three main types of trains for use here in Japan, shinkansens (bullet trains), denshas (overground electric trains), and chikatetsus (underground trains aka subways). 

Shinkansen Picture - in case you need a reminder!

Shinkansens are most beneficial used for long distance travel. The bullet trains only run through two of Japans four main islands, Honshu and Kyushu. There are many different shinkansen routes that stop at large cities like Tokyo, Nagoya, Kyoto, Osaka, and so on. According to japan-guide.com, the trains can reach a maximum speed of 320 kmph (200 mph).

graphic from japan-guide.com

Pros: Punctuality, Speed, Comfort, Ease of Use

Cons: Price

For locals and permanent residents, the shinkansen is a rather expensive investment. A one way ticket from Nagoya to Tokyo costs $110. The trip takes one hour and forty minutes but a shinkansen bound for Tokyo will leave every ten minutes.  With minimal traffic, driving to Tokyo takes about 4 hours. Add in the high price of gas and the toll roads and you’ll be spending a pretty penny to drive up by yourself. General rule is that if you fill up a car with people, it is cheaper to split the cost of driving. That being said, sitting in a comfortable train car with your friends and being able to chit-chat, snack, and play card games could be worth the price. For foreigners visiting Japan, it’s absolutely worth it to buy a Japan Rail Pass, information here. 

Denshas are the most common method of transportation for everyday transportation. People will often take trains to get to and from work to save themselves the hassle of morning traffic. With the ease of a prepaid Manaca card it takes just a second to jump on a train and get to where you need to be. If you only travel once in a while, you can buy a ticket from the kiosks in the train station, often available in both Japanese and English. 

Meitetsu Line as seen from my balcony

JR Line as seen from my balcony

In Nagoya there are three main rail companies, the JR (Japan Railways) company, the Meitetsu company, and the Kintetsu company. The JR Central network encompasses Nagoya and most of the surrounding areas, including Kariya. Nagoya Station is home to the JR Central Towers which is the headquarters of the Central JR Company. JR Tokaido, JR Chuo, JR Taketoyo are just a few of the lines that expand out of Nagoya. 

Rather close up shot of the JR Central Towers in Nagoya

Pros: Punctuality, Ease of Use

Cons: Crowded during peak hours

There is one other thing you have to keep in mind when taking the denshas - what type of train you want to get on: local, semi-rapid, rapid, new rapid, and special rapid. Local lines will stop at every station on the route, so they are slower, but they leave every fifteen minutes. From there the stops get less and less, to varying degrees. For example, going from Kariya to Kanayama (my most frequent densha ride) the semi-rapid and rapid trains will stop in Kyowa and Obu, the new rapid only stops at Obu, and the special rapid doesn't stop at either – straight to Kanayama. You want to make sure that your train stops at the station you need to go to before you get on it. 

Inside a Meitetsu line train

Chikatetsus, the last type of train I’m going to mention here, are ones I know the least. They only serve major city centers, like Nagoya, and won’t venture down far enough to hit Kariya. In Nagoya there are four major subway lines – Higashiyama, Meijo, Tsurumai and Sakura-dori (see map below). Depending on where in Nagoya you need to go to, you’ll need to manage your way between subway lines and transfer stations (stations where multiple subways lines connect). Often the distance between subway stations is the matter of a 10 or 15 city blocks, so if you get too confused, you can always try to walk to where you need to be. 

graphic from metromap.blogspot.com

Pros: Punctuality, Frequency

Cons: Often crowded, difficulty negotiating connections

Chikatetsus are most useful for getting in and around Nagoya. Many stations are connected specifically to important landmarks like Nagoya Port, the Nagoya Dome, Higashiyama Park, or the International Center. Trying to find parking in Nagoya city during busy hours is one of the hardest and often most expensive parts of the trip, so the chikatetsus give you the freedom to go out and enjoy the city. 

Inside a Meijo line subway

Inside of the Nagoya Dome subway station

And thus concludes my very simple explanations of trains in Japan.  There are a great many more details to uncover if you want to continue researching. Closing note, I mentioned punctuality as a pro for all of these three types of trains, which makes it more of an expectation rather than a novelty. Trains in Japan are absolutely some of the most punctual in the world. When a train says that it is arriving at 10.26, you’re more than like to hear the train pull in at 10.26.00, load passengers from 10.26.15 to 10.26.30 and pull out of the station before you hit 10.27. I’ve had only one significantly late train in my six months (and by significant, I do mean about five minutes late). It’s rather incredible.