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Japan by Rail, 2nd: includes rail route guide and 29 city guides

Japan by Rail, 2nd: includes rail route guide and 29 city guides
By Ramsey Zarifeh

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Product Description

Fully revised second edition. 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 traveling around the country on a budget, however, is the Japan Rail Pass. With this pass you can travel on some of the fastest trains in the world as often as you like for as long as you please – and all for one bargain price. Use this comprehensive guide in conjunction with a rail pass to get the most out of your trip to Japan.

* Practical information – planning your trip; what to take; getting to Japan from Europe, North America and Australasia

* City guides and maps – where to stay (all budgets), where to eat, what to see in 29 towns and cities; historical and cultural background

* Kilometerkilometer route guides – covering train journeys from the coast into the mountains, from temple retreat to sprawling metropolis and from sulfurous volcano to windswept desert; 34 route maps

* Railway timetables – Bullet trains and all routes in this guidebook

* Plus – Customs, etiquette, Japanese phrases and 28 color photos

Product Details

  • Amazon Sales Rank: #97754 in Books
  • Published on: 2007-08-01
  • Original language: English
  • Number of items: 1
  • Binding: Paperback
  • 496 pages

Features

Editorial Reviews

Review

‘A find…Well researched.’
-- The Japan Times (Japan)

‘Trailblazer’s new guide is practical, highly interesting and should enable the visitor to save money and add to the enjoyment of Japan.’
-- National Railway Museum Journal (UK)

‘Japanophile train enthusiasts, it seems you’ve met your hero’.
-- The Daily Yomiuri (Japan

From the Back Cover

Fully revised second edition. 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. With this pass you can travel on some of the fastest trains in the world as often as you like for as long as you please – and all for one bargain price. Use this comprehensive guide in conjunction with a rail pass to get the most out of your trip to Japan.

* Practical information – planning your trip; what to take; getting to Japan from Europe, North America and Australasia

* City guides and maps – where to stay (all budgets), where to eat, what to see in 29 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; 34 route maps

* Railway timetables – Bullet trains and all routes in this guidebook

* Plus – Customs, etiquette, Japanese phrases and 28 colour photos

About the Author

Ramsey Zarifeh was born in Kent but has spent most of his working life outside the UK. In 1993 he took a year off to teach English in Germany before going up to Cambridge University, where he graduated in English. He then spent two years in Japan, teaching on the JET program. After a short spell at Reuters in London he returned to Japan to research this guide. Whilst there he was also a contributor to Up All Night on BBC Radio 5 Live and a correspondent for BBC Radio 2’s Steve Wright In the Afternoon. He currently lives in Switzerland where he is a journalist at swissinfo – Swiss Radio International.


Customer Reviews

Excellent comprehensive guidebook for Japan5
I browsed through this guidebook in the bookstore before I bought it and was really impressed with how it covered almost all areas of Japan, provided ample maps and photographs, and had lots of practical detail information, like on lodgings, cheap meals, and unique attractions. Once I bought the book and started reading/researching for my trip, I was even more pleased with it as I thought it was written in a casual and practical style, giving ample hints and pointers to the best of the best and more than a few offbeat and unusual things to see in Japan. I bought my Japan Rail Pass and airline ticket and with this guidebook in hand, I had the most fun, interesting, relaxing, remarkable and indeed amazing trip of my life through the magical land of Japan. In every city (at every rail stop) I consulted this book and felt fortunate to have experienced some of the wondrous not-to-be-missed sites and attractions thanks to this book. It was an excellent resource, and I highly recommend it.

If I had to mention any minor criticisms of the book, I'd just have to mention that the author's tastes/preferences in food differ a bit from mine, and I found some of his restaurant recommendations questionable. But that's a personal choice matter. Of course, his general recommendation to look for good eats near railway stations and in the basements of large department stores was absolutely true, and I found lots of great, delicious foods that I liked. Also, a large section of the book is devoted to railroad timetables and itineraries, and though it might be very useful to some people, I had a very enjoyable time being a more casual and free form traveler, just choosing whether to step onto a train or not on a whim. I personally found this section unnecessary. He mentions that there are 3 types of Shinkansen ("bullet trains"), the Kodoma, the Hikari and the Nozomi, but he doesn't really explain the difference between the trains. The Kodoma (meaning echo) is the slowest of the Shinkansen, stopping at every train station, hence represented by the "speed of sound". The Hikari (meaning shining light flash) is the intermediate speed Shinkansen that makes only limited stops in the biggest cities, hence represented by the "speed of light". The Nozomi (meaning hope) is the fastest of the Shinkansen and tend to go non-stop from one major destination to another i.e. Osaka to Tokyo, hence are represented by the "speed of thought". Finally, I had two particularly thrilling and entertaining special events on my trip. I attended a pro baseball game, and I witnessed the Hamamatsu Kite Festival. Though both are briefly mentioned in this book, the author does not convey how exciting, energetic, and moving these experiences are when witnessed firsthand. I've never seen anything like it! Japanese baseball fans are insane (yelling, singing, banging sticks for the whole game)! I thought perhaps because the author is a Brit that baseball was not really an interest. The Kite Festival was just beyond words (like a half million yelling, bugle blowing, drum beating Japanese in traditional costume flying giant kites in 60 man teams on this giant sand dune park, with a double row a quarter mile long of food, game, souvenir, and beer stands). And that's just the beginning of the revelry. It was truly interesting to see the Japanese people losing all their inhibitions and just going jubilantly wild at these events. All I'm saying is that the author should better emphasize that these Festivals and games are truly amazing in Japan.

This book is worth its weight in gold5
If you are going to Japan and plan on traveling around a bit you absolutely have to get this book. It will pay you back a hundred fold. Literally. There is so much to see and do in Japan and if you want to travel a bit you have got to use the rail system which criss-crosses the whole country and will get you wherever you want to go fast and on time.

Now here is the gold in this book. Japan has a very special deal for tourists where you can get an unlimited rail pass (free ride) practically anywhere for either a 1 week or 2 week period. The cost of the pass is less than a single train ride from Tokyo to Kyoto. Which is a ridiculous bargain. But the caveat is that you have to purchase a voucher for the pass out of the country! And then when you arrive in Japan you cash in the voucher for your rail pass. I did all of this and am so happy I did. I rode around, all over the place from city to city, for free. I can't tell you how much money this saved me. The rail pass gives you the freedom to see what you want to see, and where, without even considering the cost.
This is the focus of this book. It tells you exactly where and how to get the rail pass, where to cash in the voucher, and how to use the rail system to see the country. Loaded with lots of great information about the stunning tourist attractions in the country.
If you are going to japan and want to travel around a bit, maybe see Himeji castle, Kyoto, Mt. Fuji, Tokyo etc. then simply buy this book. There is no question that it is money well spent.

The train system for outsiders: The Japanese train system is very laid out, very organized, very disciplined and on-time. But it can be hard for a foreigner to understand. There are different types of trains and different train lines, you can reserve a seat etc. This book helps you figure all that out.

One caveat: The rail system in Japan is composed of the rails from several different companies so the Japan Rail Pass will not be good on every track and every train, or on the city subway systems but that doesn't matter much. It's good on the vast majority of rails and trains. So glad I got this book!

A Fantastic Companion to a JR Pass5
If you are planning on visiting Japan using a JR Pass you need this book. It is a fantastic collection of many venues available to those using a pass or just for those traveling by rail in Japan.