Take our user survey and make your voice heard.
Although Japan is relatively cheap for some things, one thing that isn’t cheap is travel. Even a simple trip to a neighboring town can soon make it feel like your ¥1,000 notes are dollar bills.
Luckily, for people who want to see everything that Japan offers but don’t want to empty their accounts, there are easy ways to save little bits of money that soon add up.
Save on the shinkansen with an EX-IC card
With its quick, easy, and convenient service, the bullet train (shinkansen) is easily the best way to get between the major cities in Japan. However, this convenience comes at a cost and regularly riding the shinkansen is a sure way to break the bank. In many cases, flying is cheaper than riding there by bullet train.
The easiest way to save on shinkansen costs is with an EX-IC card. You pay a deposit to get issued the card. Then, you download the EX App to your phone. Now, you can buy shinkansen tickets online using the app at discounts of ¥1,000-¥4,000.
The card has further benefits as it allows you to bypass the lines at the shinkansen entrances. To use your card, simply press the EX-IC card on the glass panels at the entrance, and your ticket will come out with the number of your train and the seat reservation number listed. Then, use the shinkansen number to look up the platform, and you are ready to go.
Savings vary. There is an annual fee of ¥1,100 to use the card.
www.expy.jp/product/card/ (Japanese only)
Available for purchase online.
Best for those who use the shinkansen more than a few times a year
Highway discounts with ETC card
Driving is one of the most expensive ways to get around Japan. One of the reasons for this is that as well as gas and renting/maintaining the car itself, drivers also have to pay for highway tolls. As many areas, especially the smaller islands, can only be accessed via the highways, the prices soon increase.
Therefore, drivers are advised to get an ETC card to save on these constant expenses. This card is placed in a location where it can be read by the scanners at the toll booths—look for the special ETC card lanes on the highway entrances and exits—and the money is automatically downloaded from your account. Considering the hassle of getting money out and giving it to the person manning the tollbooth, this allows you to drive on the highway with less hassle. The best thing is that the card is transferable, so you can use it in a friend’s car or a rent-a-car.
Discounts apply every time you use it.
www.c-nexco.co.jp/en/inbound-en/etc/etc_guide/start/
Available for purchase online.
Best for those who are driving a lot in Japan.
Kintetsu points scheme
Click here to read more.
- External Link
- https://gaijinpot.com/
4 Comments
Login to comment
japancat
Walk everwhere ! Lol !
Nemo
For our friends outside of Japan (because it can only be purchased outside of Japan), I would highly recommend a 2 week JR Pass. Basically, you can ride JR lines as much as you want for a set price that is (as I recall but my memory is a bit fuzzy so please do your due dilligence) about the same price as 2 round trips on the Bullet train.
I did this the final time my father came to visit Japan in 15 and it worked out well.
A couple of things to keep in mind:
You buy the pass overseas and then enable it at a big rail station in Japan (In our case JR Ueno station).
You cannot ride private railways on it (Tokyo metro subways, etc.) but some buses do qualify.
You cannot ride the top-level bullet trains so no Nozomi. This usually necessitates a change of trains on any trip farther than Tokyo to Osaka.
BIGGEST THING! It is (at least was) a physical pass that cannot be re-issued in case of loss. When they tell you this, they are not kidding!
Dad dropped his in Kanazawa on the way back and had to pay out of pocket for the last segment of his trip. So be extra careful to keep it safe!
vendingmachinemusic
Find rich Japanese friends, and propose to go on trips together to fare aways places by their car.
JeffLee
Some good tips in this article.
Tell me about it. My wife has twice forgotten to grab her passes while exiting the kaisatsu-guchi. In both cases, no refund, no dice. Rules are rules in Japan. We ended up spending more money than if we had bought regular tickets.