Josh 
Three days in Kyoto works best when you stop treating the city as a checklist. Choose one main area each day, use trains for the longer journeys, and leave enough time for the walk after you leave the station. A short rail ride does not necessarily mean a short sightseeing day. This Kyoto itinerary groups … Read more
The most useful way to compare scenic train rides in Japan is to start with your itinerary, not a ranking. A short river-valley excursion near Kyoto and a five-hour coastal journey in northern Honshu can both be memorable, but they ask very different things of your trip. This guide compares five rides by departure area, … Read more
Two weeks in Japan with kids is enough time to enjoy Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka without packing up every morning. The key is to choose a few useful bases, give the Shinkansen its own travel day, and leave space for the ordinary parts of a family trip: breakfast, playgrounds, laundry and an early night. This … Read more
Kansai International Airport (KIX) is the main international gateway for Osaka, Kyoto and the wider Kansai region. The best way into the city depends largely on where you are staying. JR West’s HARUKA is especially convenient for Kyoto, Shin-Osaka and Tennoji, while Nankai’s Rapi:t and Airport Express are particularly useful for Namba and southern Osaka. … Read more
Haneda Airport is one of the easiest major airports in Japan for reaching central Tokyo. Depending on where your hotel is located, you can be in central Tokyo in around 15–30 minutes by train. The two main rail options are the Keikyu Line and the Tokyo Monorail. Keikyu is particularly convenient for Shinagawa and areas … Read more
Traveling from Osaka to Hiroshima by train is fast and straightforward thanks to the Sanyo Shinkansen. Direct Shinkansen trains run from Shin-Osaka Station to Hiroshima Station, with the fastest services completing the journey in around 1 hour 20 minutes. For most travelers, the main choice is between Nozomi, Mizuho and Sakura. All three can take … Read more
Traveling from Tokyo to Osaka by train is one of Japan’s most popular long-distance journeys, and the Tokaido Shinkansen makes the trip fast and straightforward. Shinkansen trains run directly from Tokyo Station and Shinagawa Station to Shin-Osaka Station, with the fastest Nozomi services completing the journey in about 2 hours 20 minutes. For most travelers, … Read more
The Kansai-Hiroshima Area Pass is one of the most useful JR West rail passes for travelers combining Osaka or Kyoto with destinations farther west such as Himeji, Okayama, Hiroshima and Miyajima. The pass is valid for 5 consecutive days and includes reserved-seat travel on the Sanyo Shinkansen between Shin-Osaka and Hiroshima, along with covered Limited … Read more
The Kansai WIDE Area Pass is one of the most useful regional rail passes for travelers who want to go beyond the usual Osaka–Kyoto–Nara circuit. It covers a much larger area than the standard Kansai Area Pass, including destinations such as Himeji, Okayama, Kurashiki, Kinosaki Onsen, Amanohashidate, Tottori, Shirahama and Takamatsu. The pass is valid … Read more
Traveling from Tokyo to Kyoto by train is one of the easiest and most popular long-distance journeys in Japan. The Tokaido Shinkansen connects Tokyo Station directly with Kyoto Station, with the fastest Nozomi trains completing the journey in about 2 hours 10 minutes. For most travelers, the main decision is simply whether to take the … Read more