Rail travel

2 guides

The Cheap Alternative to the Japan Rail Pass: Riding the Old Tokaido Line Slowly

JR sells a seasonal ticket giving three consecutive days of unlimited travel on local and rapid trains for under ¥8,000 — no bullet trains, no reservations, and no requirement to be a tourist. Here is how it works, the Tokyo-to-Shizuoka route worth using it on, and where to stay beside each station.

6 picks · Updated 2026-09-01

Where to stay

Tokyo to Osaka Without a Bullet Train: The 10-Hour Local Train Run, and Where to Give Up

It is possible to cross the 550km from Tokyo to Osaka on local trains alone, for a fraction of the shinkansen fare, in about ten hours and eight changes. Here is how the day actually goes, the two sections that break people, and the station hotels to stop at when you decide you have had enough.

6 picks · Updated 2026-09-06