Unusually – only London and New York share the virtue – Japan’s capital has two major airports – Narita and Haneda. It is almost certain, if you’re flying from the US or Europe, that you’ll arrive at the former but remember to check your ticket especially when you’re leaving the city. They are very (very, very) far from one another so, arrive at the wrong one, and you’ll be in trouble.

Narita may be accessible but Tokyo’s city centre is anything but from Narita. A little known gem of trivia is that the two are almost 2 hours apart (!); and a taxi (of any kind) is ruinously expensive (over £200). Important tip then: if you’re not a CEO, take the train. It’s quicker, infinitely cheaper and unsusceptible to the horrors of Tokyo traffic.

www.narita-airport.jp/en/
www.japan-guide.com/e/e2430.html

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Take the remarkable bullet train to Kyoto and sample the wonders of ancient Japan. Kyoto’s city centre may not seem like much, but you’ll be charmed by the extraordinarily preserved Buddhist temples and the warm, simple hospitality of the traditional ryokan (an old-school Japanese inn).

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Depending on where you are staying, it may actually take you longer to take the 'airport express' train than the coach. The coach takes from 70-90 minutes but saves you travelling to the train station (particularly during rush hour) and can often pick you up from the hotel.

Ask at your hotel

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Faced with the prospect of navigating a domestic train system in a foreign language could be a daunting task. However, taking the bullet train (shinkensen) is no where near as scary as it may first appear. Go to the tourist information centre in the main stations and you will be given a step by step process and timetable. Get yourself a seat reservation and buy your ticket at the machine or at the desk. Much quicker taking the train over distances up to several hours than trekking all the way to the airport.

www.japanrail.com/JR_shinkansen.html

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This has to be the best and cheapest way to travel around Japan, providing you go everywhere. It has to be purchased outside of Japan and then the invoice is exchanged for a pass at one of the stations (maybe the airport I can't quite remember). You cannot buy it within Japan as it is only for tourists.

The pass works on all national and local trains using the JR lines.

Don't forget to flash the pass as you walk pass the station guards.

I recommend you download the timetables too.

www.japanrailpass.net/

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