Ok, so we’re one week away from landing in Narita, and we’ve got to admit that we’re not prepared at all for this one. Actually, that’s not true. We’ve got our JR passes and hotels booked, but that’s all. I guess when we say “not prepared”, what we mean is “completely terrified of the Japanese rail system.” In Calgary, where we’re from, the train system couldn’t be any easier to navigate. And here in Singapore, there are five rail lines that are so easy to use, we often see 8 year old kids taking them on their own. Even in Bangkok, a city of 6.3 million people, has just 4 train lines (subway included), which even the most novice tourists can use. Then, there’s Tokyo…
Looking at Tokyo’s map terrifies us and just finding a station on it is like a Where’s Waldo book. It’s not the navigating around that’s daunting though. It’s the lack of English and the sheer number of people when we’re wandering around like lost puppies that makes us nervous. There’s nothing worse than a lost tourist getting in the way of people who clearly know what they’re doing. Normally, we’d just follow the herd of sheep, except that doesn’t work when there could be 5 rail lines connecting at just one station! And that’s just Tokyo…
We plan on taking the Shinkansen (bullet train) to Hiroshima, then slowly make our way back to Tokyo with stops in Osaka and Kyoto. We’re also hope to make some day trips out to Nara, Miyajima, and other places we can’t remember the names of. All by train!!
If you have any advice for riding the rails in Japan, let us have it. We need it!
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