Japan by Rail: Includes Rail Route Guide and 30 City Guides

by Ramsey Zarifeh, Anna Udagawa

Japan is steeped inlegend and myth, perhaps the greatest of which is the popular misconceptionthat the country is simply too expensive to visit. The truth is that flights toJapan are cheaper than they've ever been, accommodation can be great value, whilethe warm hospitality which awaits every visitor costs nothing at all. The realsecret to travelling around the country on a budget, however, is the Japan RailPass. Use this comprehensive guide in conjunction with a rail pass to get themost out of a trip to Japan.
• Practical information – planning your trip; when to go; suggesteditineraries; what to take; festivals and events
• City guides and maps – where to stay, where to eat, what to see in30 towns and cities; historical and cultural background
• Kilometre-by-kilometre route guides – covering train journeys from the coast intothe mountains, from temple retreat to sprawling metropolis; 33 route maps
• Railway timetables and frequency charts – Bullet trains and main routes
• Customs , etiquette , Japanese words and phrases –with kanji
• Thisnew edition also now includes:
• kanji/hiragana/katakana for all place names mentioned inthe book so readers can point to the text when asking Japanese speakers fordirections.
• The extension of the shinkansen route from Nagano toKanazawa. This is now called the Hokuriku shinkansen.
• Additional side trips from Tokyo including to Kawaguchi-kofor magnificent views of Mt Fuji, and to Mito for Kairakuen, the only one ofthe three great landscape gardens in Japan not currently mentioned in the book.
• Expanded coverage of Nikko, Nagasaki, the side trip to Asosan, Beppu, and many places in the Kansai region
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Genres: Travel, Japan

528 pages, Paperback

Published September 7, 2016

Reviews

[Tasha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Has some good information, but I expected A LOT more rail maps from a book titled Japan by Rail.

[Francisco Azevedo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent resource for travel. There is almost too much information, but one doesn't have to read cover-to-cover to get the best of the book.
While this book lists some must-sees, I wouldn't advise it as your only means to plan a trip as it is too dense and forgoes some details. Read the introductions and general chapters and then go through the specific destinations for your itinerary to get the best of both worlds. There will be a lot of information like places to see, how to get there, ticket prices, where to eat and sleep (with prices too).

I don't give it five stars simply because of how it compares to other guides that are more specialised in helping the reader choose what to do. This book, on the other hand, provides information to facilitate just about any plans the reader might have already made, with a few suggestions along the way.

Highly recommended.