INTRODUCTION Why take the train? 7 Routes and costs 9 When to go 14 National holidays 16 - Festivals and events 17 PART 1: PLANNING YOUR TRIP Rail passes Japan Rail Pass 29 - Regional JR rail passes 31 Getting a rail pass 36 - Exchange orders 39 - How to use the rail pass 41 Suggested itineraries 41 Before you go Booking a flight 47 - Passports and visas 48 Tourist information 48 - Health and insurance 49 - What to take 49 Money 50 - Suggested reading 51 PART 2: JAPAN Facts about the country Geography 53 - History 54 Politics 58 - Economy 59 - Religion 59 - The people 60 - Sport 61 Culture 62 Practical information for visitors Arriving in Japan 64 Tourist information 65 - Getting around 65 - Accommodation 67 Where to eat 74 - Nightlife and entertainment 76 - Media 77 Electricity 78 - Time 78 - Banks and money matters 78 - Post and telecommunications 79 - Language 82 - Assistance 82 Shopping 84 - Museums and tourist attractions 85 - Activities 86 PART 3: THE RAIL NETWORK Railway history 88 The railway Japan Rail today 93 - The trains 95 - Timetables 98 Buying a ticket 99 - Making seat reservations 100 - Railway staff 101 - Station facilities 101 PART 4: TOKYO AND OSAKA Tokyo 103 Around Tokyo 133 Osaka 144 Side trips 155 PART 5: HONSHU Central Honshu Route guides Tokyo to Nagoya by shinkansen 161 - Tokyo to Kanazawa by shinkansen 177 - Nagano to Nagoya via Matsumoto 187 Toyama to Nagoya via Takayama 191 - Kanazawa to Kyoto, Osaka or Nagoya 195 City guides Nagoya 197 - Nagano 206 - Matsumoto 213 Takayama 218 - Kanazawa 226 PART 5: HONSHU (cont''d) Kansai Route guides Nagoya to Shin-Osaka by shinkansen 234 - Nagoya to Shin-Osaka via the Kii Peninsula 237 City guides Kyoto 250, Side trips 263 - Nara 265, Side trips 270 Western Honshu Route guides Shin-Osaka (Osaka) to Shin-Yamaguchi by shinkansen 272 - Shin-Yamaguchi to Masuda 282 - Masuda to Matsue 286 City guides Kobe 289 - Okayama 297 - Hiroshima 301 - Matsue 312 Tohoku (North-eastern Honshu) Route guides Tokyo to Shin-Aomori by shinkansen 320 - Aomori/ Shin-Aomori to Akita and Niigata 344 City guides Sendai 353 - Niigata 359 - Aomori 363 PART 6: HOKKAIDO Route guides Shin-Aomori to Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto/Hakodate 368 Hakodate/Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto to Sapporo 371 - Sapporo to Asahikawa & Abashiri 377 - Abashiri to Kushiro 382 - Kushiro to Sapporo (or Asahikawa) 388 City guides Hakodate 393 - Sapporo 399 - Asahikawa 407 PART 7: KYUSHU Route guides Shin-Yamaguchi to Hakata (Fukuoka) by shinkansen 414 - Hakata (Fukuoka) to Nagasaki 416 - Hakata (Fukuoka) to Kagoshima-chuo by shinkansen 421 - Kokura to Miyazaki 426 City guides Fukuoka 434 - Nagasaki 441 - Kumamoto 448 Kagoshima 455 PART 8: SHIKOKU Route guides Okayama to Takamatsu 464 - Takamatsu to Tokushima 466 - Tokushima to Kochi 466 - Kochi to Uwajima 473 Uwajima to Matsuyama 475 - Matsuyama to Okayama 477 City guides Takamatsu 480 - Tokushima 486 - Matsuyama 490 APPENDICES A: Glossary 496 B: Useful words and phrases 500 C: JR service summaries 504 MAP KEY 513 INDEX 514.