Page 43 - WDT Winter 2018 japan

TRANSPORTATION

apan’s transportation system is a wonder. It’s an eclectic mix of
old and new, with ancient trains, trams, and funiculars running in
the same cities as the most modern and efficient bullet trains. In
Jmajor cities like Tokyo, Yokohama, and Kyoto there’s a complex
maze of transportation that includes subways, local trains, and buses.
Again, we were amazed by the cleanliness of not only the airports,
train stations, and taxis, but the planes, trains, buses, and cars – not a
scrap of paper or litter. And no sign of dreaded graffiti anywhere.
We found the best way to explore Japan was by rail; it’s fast, com-
fortable and relatively affordable. For about $500 each, we purchased
a two-week JR rail pass that took care of most of our long-distance
and much of our intercity transport. JR stands for Japanese Rail
of course, but when I first saw it online, I thought it was a pass for
youngsters. Only visitors can get this pass, not the locals – you order
your passes online before you arrive and activate them when you ar-
rive in Japan at JR offices in most of the major train stations.

Light rail car and old main train station in Tokyo.

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