JAPAN BY RAIL | Trailblazer travel guide

travel guide

The go-to Japan guide for anyone planning to travel by train.

Japan is steeped in legend and myth, perhaps the greatest of which is the popular misconception that the country is simply too expensive to visit. The truth is that flights to Japan are cheaper than they've ever been, accommodation can be great value, while the warm hospitality which awaits every visitor costs nothing at all. The real secret to travelling around the country on a budget, however, is the Japan Rail Pass. Use this comprehensive guide in conjunction with a rail pass to get the most out of a trip to Japan.

* Practical information - planning your trip; when to go; suggested itineraries; what to take; festivals and events.

* City guides and maps - where to stay, where to eat, what to see in 30 towns and cities; historical and cultural background.

* Kilometre-by-kilometre route guides - covering train journeys from the coast into the mountains, from temple retreat to sprawling metropolis and from sulphurous volcano to windswept desert; 33 route maps.

* Japan Rail service schedules - Bullet trains and main routes in this guide.

* Customs, etiquette, Japanese words and phrases - with kanji/hiragana/katakana for all place name text - readers can point to the text when asking Japanese speakers for directions.

* Extended Highlights - extra colour sections make this book even more user-friendly and attractive.

What's new in this fully-updated 5th edition?

* New style Trailblazer guide with twin-colour layout and restyled maps

* Greater coverage of Tokyo with additional mapping following post-Olympic interest for the capital

* More hot-spring resorts added (including Kinosaki, Kinugawa and Nyuto)

* More information about areas off the beaten track including the wood-carving town of Inami, Yanagawa where you can ride in a 'gondola' along its canals, Tomioka Silk Mill (where silk production was first mechanised), Okunoshima island (notorious for its WWII poison gas factory)

* Expanded colour section with 'Best' lists to help plan a trip

* Fully updated post Covid outbreak