Page 45 - WDT Winter 2018 japan

there usually is a small luggage closet in the front or back of
the car with room for three or four suitcases. We discovered
a good place to store large bags was behind the last row of
seats in each car. Place smaller bags on racks above your
seat.
A better solution is to take advantage of wonderful
Japanese companies that forward luggage to a destination
– hotels, airports or home. It costs about $15 a bag and takes
one or two days to get there. It is so worth it. Our trip could
have been a nightmare dragging three large suitcases in and
out of cabs, up and down stairs, on trains for weeks. Instead,
we used the service to transfer two bags, traveling only with
two carry-on size suitcases. The arrangements are easy to
make; just ask the friendly desk clerks at your hotel, and
they will do the rest.
Municipal bus systems in most places we visited were ex-
tensive and cheap. We would not recommend them unless
you have a couple of weeks to master their ins and outs.
Trying to find the right bus at the right station at the right
stop can be maddening and a big waste of valuable time. It’s
much better to use a train or better yet, a taxi to get around
in the cities. Taxis are fairly reasonable, and the drivers are
professional and courteous. Plus tips are not expected. We
found in Kyoto that you could fit in visits to only one or two
venues a day; traveling to them by cab ended up costing
about the same as a bus day pass and with far less hair-
pulling hassles.
One often overlooked mode of transport when plan-
ning a trip to Japan, or anywhere for that matter, is walk-
ing. In Japan, you’re going to do a lot of it if you’re serious
about exploring the country. Even if you plan to take taxis or

Above photo courtesy Japan National Tourism Organization

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