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.
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