The transport system in Japan is one of the most advanced in the world, annually it serves more than 100 million people. Today it is the most organized and effective among advanced states. Thanks to this journey through the Land of the Rising Sun is a great pleasure.
What kinds of transports are developed in Japan?
The island state owns modern samples of water, air and land transport. Thanks to the developed railway network and 1.2 million kilometers of motorways to get anywhere in the country is accessible to everyone.
Photo trains and river trams in Japan cause surprise among the inhabitants of the globe. It seems that this technique is from the future, but not real. It is here that you can see the latest models of railway and water equipment, mostly domestic developments. At the sight of all this, many tourists wonder: what kind of transport is the least developed in Japan? The answer is simple: there is no such thing.
But it is worth mentioning that there is a kind of transport that is completely absent - inland waterway. There is simply no need for it.
How did Japan solve the problem of transport communication of the islands?
Japan consists of four large and 6848 small islands. With this geographical position, the question arises of the transport connection between all the settlements of the country. The decision was served by ferries, which today regularly run between Tokyo , Osaka and Kobe . They are located in the southern part of the archipelago. The main ports of the islands are Hokkaido and Kyushu. Other islands are connected by tunnels and bridges.
Buses of Japan
Buses are a key component of Japan's road transport. In each city the network of this public transport is organized at a high level. The local population is perfectly oriented in it, but tourists should know a few key points:
- All routes are open from 7:00 to 21:00. Flights serving remote areas operate on a different schedule - from 5:30 to 23:00.
- At each stop there is a bus schedule with the indication of flights and numbers of routes. But only in most cases this information is given in Japanese.
- Another difficulty is the lack of a route number on buses. The Japanese government is confident that the name of the flight on the bus, executed by hieroglyphs, is enough.
- For many Europeans, buses may seem uncomfortable: narrow seats and low ceilings. But the Japanese themselves feel quite comfortable.
- You have to pay for the fare on the way out.
- In Tokyo, the fare is fixed, that is, the price does not change depending on the number of stops that you will pass. In other cities - on the contrary. The ticket indicates the number of the stop on which you sat down, and at the end of the road the board lights up how much you have to pay.
Intercity buses are distinguished by their comfort: wide seats, reclining backs and the ability to stretch their legs. Therefore, tourists who want to save money on the hotel, buy a ticket for a night flight to another city, and already wake up in the new place in the morning.
Railway transport
Railway transport is very popular in Japan, as it allows you to move freely between almost all the cities of the country. The main intercity routes run along the southern and northern coasts of Honshu Island. Additions to the main railway network are roads on the major islands of Kyushu, Hokkaido and Shikoku. To date, all major routes are duplicated by roads, so tourists always have a choice on how to get to this or that city.
Many commuter trains in Japan are high-speed trains, as they move by magnetic suspension. This is an example of the development of high-speed railways. On electrified highways the speed of trains reaches 200-300 km / h. Traveling on such a train will be fast, and if you want to get within a few hours from one part of the country to another, this is an excellent option.
Looking at the map of the geography of transport in Japan, you can see that all the railway lines are painted in a certain color. And in order for passengers to be even easier to navigate, all trains are painted in the color of the line on which they follow. The price of the train ticket to Tokyo is $ 1.45, the fare for the other directions can be learned before departure at the station. On each of them there is a scoreboard, where the price of the ticket in the national currency is indicated.
As for trams, for tourists it is the most suitable type of public transport in Japan. The cost of one trip is $ 1.30, while it's easier to figure out where the station and what route you need, than with a bus. But there is a significant minus - trams are only in Nagasaki , Kumamoto and the islands of Kyushu, Shikoku and Hokkaido.
In Tokyo, there is also a subway , which today ranks first in the world for annual passenger traffic, namely 3.217 billion people. Metropolitan Metro consists of 13 lines and 285 stations. The total length of the tracks is 286.2 km. The fare in the subway is about $ 1.50.
Among other things, in Japan there is a train on a magnetic cushion or a "flying train", which does not apply to classical rail transport, since it does not go on rails. The advantages of this modern mode of transport is that it can reach speeds of up to 500 km / h. To date, such trains are not designed for passenger traffic. Presumably, "flying trains" will take the route only in 2027.
Monorail transport
In Tokyo, there is also a kind of transport, the lines of which do not intersect with the subway and the railway. Monorail has 16 of its stations. Compositions are found only on them. The rail can be located both above the train and under it.
The first monorail transport appeared in 1957. Trains are fully automated, that is, none of them have a machinist. The fare in this transport is from $ 1.35.
Car rent
Among all types of automobile transport in Japan , the car rental service is the least popular. In order to hire a car, you need to have an international driver's license and Japanese insurance (JCI). Besides, it's quite difficult to drive a car in Japan, as the left-hand traffic operates in the country. Add to this the ignorance of the language and road signs, some of which can only be found here. There are constant traffic jams on the roads, and parking spaces are a real deficit, so it's extremely difficult to get pleasure from driving here.
Taxi in Japan
Tokyo taxi - one of the most expensive in the world, so if you are looking for the cheapest type of transport in Japan, then the taxi should be immediately ruled out. For every 280 meters, you will have to pay $ 0.82, and add $ 0.80 for every 2 minutes and 15 seconds. Given the congestion of roads, any trip will last at least 15-20 minutes, so passengers will have to pay out a large sum.
It is important to know several features of this type of transport in Japan:
- To get into the car follows only from the left side, since the right is locked.
- All doors are automated.
- At night, the taxi driver has the right to refuse to take the passenger without explaining the reason.
- If a yellow light is on the car, then the taxi is on a phone call and it's pointless to stop it.
Air transport in Japan
Aircraft in the country perform domestic and international transportation. The largest airports are Haneda , Narita in Tokyo and Kansai in Osaka. Haneda is the busiest airport in the world. But even this was not enough for a densely populated Japan, so more recently a new takeoff and landing station was built. Thanks to this, the number of passengers increased by almost 420 thousand. There are also 15 helicopter stations in the country.
Until 2000, the prices for air tickets were set by the government, but for more than 15 years private airlines have been doing this. At the same time, do not be afraid that the cost of tickets is sky-high, as the government of the country has reserved the right to veto prices, if they are overstated.
Water transport in Japan
In Japan, sea transport is used only to hit small islands located in southern Japan. Also with the help of ferries you can get to Russia, South Korea, China and Taiwan. To date, there are 108 ferry routes in Japan. The length of the routes varies from 25 minutes to 2 hours and 45 minutes. On the ferries you can take bicycles, motorcycles and cars. At the same time, the fare will increase in proportion to the weight of the cargo.