INTRODUCTIONPART 1: PLANNING YOUR TRIP Routes and costs 8 When to go 10 Rail passes Japan Rail Pass 11, Regional JR rail passes 13, Getting a rail pass 15, Exchange orders 18, How to use the rail pass 19 Suggested itineraries 20 Before you go Booking a flight 25, Passports and visas 27, Tourist information 27, Health and insurance 28, What to take 28, Money 29, Suggested reading 29PART 2: JAPAN Facts about the country Geography 31, History 32, Politics 36, Economy 36, Religion 37, The people 38, Sport 38, Culture 39 Practical information for visitors Arriving in Japan 42, Tourist information 43, Getting around 43, Accommodation 45, Where to eat 52, Nightlife and entertainment 55, Media 56, Electricity 56, Time 56, Banks and money matters 56, Post and telecommunications 57, Language 59, Assistance 60, Shopping 62, Museums and tourist attractions 63, National holidays 64, Festivals and events 65, Activities 66PART 3: THE RAIL NETWORK Railway history 68 The railway Japan Rail today 74, The trains 75, Timetables 78, Alternatives to a Japan Rail Pass 79, Buying a ticket 79, Making seat reservations 80, Railway staff 81, Station facilities 82PART 4: GATEWAY CITIES Tokyo 83 Osaka 113Part 5: HONSHU Central Honshu Route guides Tokyo to Nagoya by shinkansen 126 - Tokyo to Nagano by shinkansen 138 - Nagano to Nagoya via Matsumoto 141 Nagano to Nagoya via Toyama and Takayama 144 - Toyama and Kanazawa to Nagoya, Kyoto or Osaka 151 Central Honshu (cont'd) City guides Nagoya 155 - Nagano 163 - Matsumoto 169 - Takayama 174 Kanazawa 180 Kansai Route guides Nagoya to Shin-Osaka by shinkansen 188 - Nagoya to Shin-Osaka via the Kii Peninsula 190 City guides Kyoto 198 - Nara 215 - Side trip to Koya-san 223 Western Honshu Route guides Osaka to Shin-Yamaguchi by shinkansen 226 Shin-Yamaguchi to Masuda 234 - Masuda to Matsue 238 City guides Kobe 241 - Okayama 247 - Hiroshima 252 - Matsue 261 Tohoku (North-eastern Honshu) Route guides Tokyo to Shin-Aomori 268 - Shin-Aomori/Aomori to Akita & Niigata 289 City guides Sendai 300 - Niigata 306 - Aomori 312PART 6: Hokkaido Route guides Shin-Aomori/Aomori to Hakodate 318 - Hakodate to Sapporo 321 - Sapporo to Asahikawa & Abashiri 327 - Abashiri to Kushiro 331 - Kushiro to Sapporo or Asahikawa 337 City guides Hakodate 342 - Sapporo 348 - Asahikawa 357PART 7: Kyushu Route guides Shin-Yamaguchi to Hakata/Fukuoka by shinkansen 362 Hakata/Fukuoka to Nagasaki 366 - Hakata/Fukuoka to Kagoshima-chuo by shinkansen 369 - Kokura to Miyazaki 374 City guides Fukuoka/Hakata 381 - Nagasaki 389 - Kumamoto 397 Kagoshima 404PART 8: Shikoku Route guides Okayama to Takamatsu 414 - Takamatsu to Tokushima 415 - Takamatsu to Kochi 416 - Kochi to Uwajima 421 Uwajima to Matsuyama 423 - Matsuyama to Okayama 425 City guides Takamatsu 428 - Tokushima 435 - Matsuyama 439MAP KEY 445APPENDICES A: Glossary 446 B: Useful words and phrases 450 C: Timetables 454INDEX 471.