Page 176 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Tokyo

174  SUR VIV AL GUIDE

Traveling Beyond Tokyo Private Railway Lines
Private train lines, which tend to
With roads often clogged with traffic, trains are the best be cheaper than JR, also operate
way of exploring Tokyo and the surrounding area. Japan’s express trains, some of which try
rail system leads the world in terms of safety, efficiency, and to rival the shinkansen for luxury.
comfort. The city and surrounding area are served by a The Odakyu Railway (from
bewildering complexity of lines. In addition to the Japan Shinjuku) runs the luxury
Romancecar service to the
Railways (JR) trains, there are many private railway companies tourist area of Hakone; it also
serving suburban areas. For many destinations, such as Nikko, has trains to Enoshima, on the
travelers have a choice of lines. Fares on private lines tend Shonan coast, close to Kamakura.
to be cheaper than on JR trains. Even in the most rural areas, Tobu Railway operates the
the names of stations are given in Roman script. fastest and cheapest route to
Nikko from Asakusa. Take the
Tokyu Railway (from Shibuya)
is legendary. There are five if you are going to Yokohama’s
shinkansen lines serving Tokyo. port area or the city’s Chinatown.
The Tokaido Line runs south Other private lines include
to Nagoya, Kyoto, and Osaka Seibu Railway (destinations
(continuing as the Sanyo Line include the mountainous area
to Hiroshima and Fukuoka). The of Chichibu), Keisei Railway (to
Tohoku Line runs north via Sendai Narita), and Keikyu (Yokohama
and Morioka to Aomori. The Joetsu and Yokosuka).
Line serves Niigata. In addition,
there are shinkansen lines to
Nagano and Yamagata. The old Station Signs and
Facilities
Nagano Line has been extended,
and passengers can now travel Tokyo’s Shinjuku Station (see
on the Hokuriku Shinkansen to p65) is the world’s busiest, and
Kanazawa as well. All shinkansen several others – including Tokyo
People buying tickets at Shinjuku JR Station services start from Tokyo Station. JR Station – are vast warrens
Many Tokaido Line trains can also built on several levels. Finding
The Railway Network be boarded at Shinagawa. Trains a particular line or exit during
The main operator in the country on the Tohoku, Joetsu, Hokuriku, rush hour can be intimidating
is the Japan Railways Group (JR), and Yamagata shinkansen for newcomers with heavy
which includes all the shinkansen lines stop briefly at Ueno. baggage. If you can, find out
super expresses (bullet trains) and Announcements in English and which named or numbered
a nation wide network of almost clear signs make the shinkansen exit is best for your destination
17,000 miles (27,350 km) of an appealing form of transporta- before arriving at one of the
tracks. JR is divided into regional tion, often more convenient major stations.
groups, and operations in Tokyo than flying, though there is Shinkansen lines are clearly
and the surrounding area are run little room for large suitcases. marked, and signs for other lines
by JR East. Many private railway It is advisable to reserve a are color-coded. The yellow
lines link smaller communities seat, especially during a holiday bobbled tracks on the floor
in more remote regions. period, as the non-reserved are intended to help visually
carriages can get very crowded. impaired people navigate,
The Shinkansen:
Bullet Train
The first “bullet train,” as the shin­
kansen was quickly nicknamed
by the media, drew out of Tokyo
Station in 1964, the year of the
Tokyo Olympics. Symbolic of
Japan’s economic recovery and
future drive, it became, and re -
mains, a source of national pride.
Shinkansen are no longer the
world’s fastest trains, but their
efficiency, as proved by the
punctuality of the long-distance
journeys (an average of within
six seconds of the scheduled
time was recorded in 2003), Aerodynamic nose of the fabled shinkansen, or “bullet train”

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