Michael Lambe

Hi there, This appears to be the nearest Yamato service center to Shinjuku Station: https://www.e-map.ne.jp/p/yamato01/dtl/132310/?&cond21=1&cond22=1&&his=ar,nm It's about a ten minute walk from the station. Here's a map of the location: https://goo.gl/maps/eYibeasRxU82 Alternatively, you could have your luggage sent directly to your hotel. I hope that helps! Best wishes, Michael

Hello there, The cost of sending baggage from Kyoto Station to a hotel in Kyoto is 1,000 yen per item. You can find more details here: https://handsfree-japan.com/en/service/carry/ To find the baggage room at Kyoto Station check this article (it's towards the end of the article): https://www.kyotostation.com/kyoto-station-lockers-luggage-storage/ I hope that helps. Best wishes, Michael

Hello there, Yes, you are right that the 区 designates a station that is a destination or starting point within the 23 special wards of Tokyo. The 山 designates any station within the Yamanote Line area (東京山手線内). Of course Tokyo Station is also on the Yamanote Line as well as on the Chuo Line. However, there are also Chuo Line stations that are not on the Yamanote Line itself, but because they are within the Yamanote loop they are also included in this area. I hope that helps. Very best wishes, Michael

Hello there, You can actually leave your luggage at the Kyoto Station baggage room for up to 15 days. Here is the information on their official website: http://carry-s.com/wp/?page_id=74 For a guide to finding the baggage room check our article: https://www.kyotostation.com/kyoto-station-lockers-luggage-storage/ I hope that helps! Best wishes, Michael

Yes, that's right (though your diagrams indicate the opposite). The train bound for Osaka/Kyobashi joins the Osaka Loop Line at Tennoji then continues on to Osaka Station before terminating at Kyobashi. The train bound for the Osaka Loop Line joins the Osaka Loop Line at Tennoji and then traverses the entire line in a complete loop, stopping at Osaka and Kyobashi on the way, before returning to its final destination at Tennoji. I hope that helps. Best wishes, Michael

Hello there, Thank you for asking as we now need to update that information! The footbath at Keifuku Arashiyama Station now costs 200 yen. If you have a One Day Randen Pass the footbath at Keifuku Arashiyama Station is no longer free, but it will be discounted to 150 yen. The One Day Pass still costs 500 yen. Best wishes and I hope you enjoy your trip, Michael

Hello there, I'm afraid that you cannot send luggage to Kyoto Station Carry Service. Your best option would be to send your luggage directly to your hotel in Kyoto using the Yamato Transport Company mentioned above. You might actually be able to do that directly from your hotel in Kanazawa, as some hotels do include that service. Here are the links for Yamato Transport: http://www.kuronekoyamato.co.jp/en/hands-freetravel/index.html http://www.kuronekoyamato.co.jp/en/tourist/hotel/ And here is their office in Kanazawa: http://www.kuronekoyamato.co.jp/en/hands-freetravel/chubu/index.html#ishikawa_wrap I hope that helps. Best wishes, Michael

Hello there, JR Horyuji is a small station, so it won't have a luggage storage room, but it does have some lockers. There are two large lockers priced at 600 yen each, three medium sized lockers priced at 400 yen each, and 15 small lockers priced at 300 yen each. Attached is an image of the lockers to give you an idea of the size. I hope that helps. Best wishes, Michael

Hi there, Thank you for your questions. There is a "Kyoto City Bus & Kyoto Bus One-Day Pass" which costs 500 yen. I don't know of any similar passes to this, so probably the "one day pass" and "all day pass" you mention are the same. You can find information about this pass here: https://www2.city.kyoto.lg.jp/kotsu/webguide/en/ticket/regular_1day_card_bus.html This pass only covers buses inside the flat fare zone of central Kyoto. If you want to go outside this flat fare zone (if you want to go to Ohara for example) you will have to pay extra. However, the Kyoto Sightseeing Pass covers buses outside the flat fare zone too. That's why it costs a little bit extra. You can find more detailed information at these links: http://www2.city.kyoto.lg.jp/koho/eng/access/img/pdf/ENG150321(map)0309.pdf http://www2.city.kyoto.lg.jp/koho/eng/access/img/pdf/ENG150321(omote)0309.pdf I hope that helps! Best wishes, Michael

Hello again, I'm afraid you can only pay for the Kyoto sightseeing passes with cash. The age range for children's sightseeing passes is elementary school age (6 -11). Best wishes, Michael

Hello there, I'm afraid you can only pay cash for the Nara One Day Pass. Best wishes, Michael

Hello there, I think it is unlikely that you will be able to do route searches with just the alphanumeric codes. Because the various private rail companies and the JR lines that operate in Tokyo (and the rest of Japan) are not integrated, they wouldn't recognize each other's codes. I don't know what online route finders you have been using, but we generally recommend Hyperdia and Jorudan. For both of these you will need to input the station name. In the case of Hyperdia, after you have typed a few letters the route finder will automatically bring up a list of suggestions from you to choose from, so you rarely need to type out the full name. Hyperdia also allows you to narrow down your search terms to different types of train, JR or private etc... I hope that helps! Best wishes, Michael

Hello there, The San-In Line is operated by JR West so it is completely covered by the Japan Rail Pass. However, the Super Hakuto runs along the private Chizu Line for part of its journey and so that train is jointly run by JR West and the Chizu Express Company. This means that the Super Hakuto is not completely covered by the Japan Rail Pass and you would have to pay a supplementary fee of 1,300 yen. Best wishes, Michael

Hi Rachel, You are very welcome! Have a good trip! Best wishes, Michael

Hello Rachel, Sorry about the confusion. I just had a look at the Japanese version of the Blue Symphony website, and they have a schedule on there that isn't on the English website. They have a special schedule in April and unfortunately the Blue Symphony isn't running on April 22nd. Dates available in April are from the 3rd to the 21st, the 24th and 25th, and then the 27th - 30th. If you click on the following link and scroll down the page you can see the calendar for April. http://www.kintetsu.co.jp/senden/blue_symphony/timetable.html The pink dots between the 3rd and 21st mean there is a special timetable during the cherry blossom season. Where the dates are colored blue the train is running normally, and where the dates are white the train isn't running. I hope you can find an alternative date to ride this train! Best wishes, Michael

Hello there, It might be possible to take your luggage on a bus, but I wouldn't recommend it. Kyoto City Buses are quite narrow, and can get very crowded. Also they don't have any luggage space, so you will feel very uncomfortable with luggage I think. If you take a taxi from Kyoto Station it shouldn't cost too much. Maybe around 1,000 yen. I'm not sure where your hotel is, but if it is near Tambaguchi Station, you could take the JR Sagano Line there from Kyoto Station and it would only cost you 140 yen. If it is not close to that station then I would recommend a taxi. I hope that helps! Best wishes, Michael

Hello there, If you want to go directly from Kansai International Airport to Tokyo, taking a domestic flight is probably the best way. You can get cheap domestic flights from Kansai International Airport to both Haneda and Narita airports in Tokyo. Airlines like Vanilla Air, Spring Japan, Peach, and Jetstar, operate flights to Narita that take about 1 hour and 25 minutes. Airlines like Starflyer, JAL, and ANA operate flights to Haneda that take about 1 hour and 10 minutes. The price ranges from around 3,000 yen to around 10,000 yen depending on when you book the flight. If you wish to take the train, you can take the Haruka Airport Express to Shin-Osaka Station (50 minutes for 2,330 yen) and then take the shinkansen bullet train to Tokyo Station. A non-reserved shinkansen ticket to Tokyo costs 13,620 yen and if you want to reserve it, it will probably cost about 510 yen more. Shinkansen travel times vary according to the type of train, so it could take between 2 hours and 30 minutes or 3 hours. For more details please check our article on the Tokaido Shinkansen. For more information about transport between Osaka and Tokyo please see this link: https://www.osakastation.com/traveling-from-osaka-to-tokyo/ I hope that helps! Best wishes, Michael

Hi there, I'm afraid you can't leave baggage in station luggage rooms for that length of time. A hotel might agree to keep it for you as a favor, but you should probably ask them that in advance. There are also baggage storage facilities at airports that you might be able to use. At Kansai Airport large items cost 1,030 yen a day: http://www.kansai-airport.or.jp/en/service/baggage/ I hope that helps! Best wishes, Michael

Hello there, You can buy tickets for the Haruka at ticket machines or ticket offices, but buying at the office might be easier. JR Tennoji Station's ticket office opens at 5.30 in the morning, but you can always buy the ticket in advance from any JR station. The first Haruka train doesn't leave Tennoji until 6.37 on weekdays or 6.38 on Saturdays and Sundays, but will arrive at the airport at 7.11, which is plenty of time for your flight at 10.00. I recommend using the JR West Timetable and Fare Finder to plan your journey from Tennoji. You can also buy tickets for the Rap:it at a ticket machine or ticket office. On weekdays the ticket office at Nankai Namba Station is open from 5.30, and on weekends and holidays it is open from 6.00. The first Rapi:t train departs from Namba at 6.00 with the next one at 7.00 on weekdays, or 6.30 at weekends. These trains take between 35 - 38 minutes, so if you need to check in for your flight at 8.00, you have plenty of time. You can view the timetables online. Regardless of which train you take, for your own piece of mind I recommend booking your ticket at least one day before you travel. I also recommend booking at an office instead of a machine, as the machines can be a little complicated. Ticket office staff should have enough English ability to help you make your booking without any confusion. I hope that helps! Best wishes, Michael

Hello Monika, Unfortunately you can't book shinkansen tickets online with JR West. However, it is possible to book tickets for a fee via Japanese travel agencies that have overseas offices. JTB is the best known of these. I just did a quick Google search and also came up with this website that seems to offer the services you need at a reasonable price: https://shinkansen-ticket.com/collections/from-kyoto/products/shinkansenticket-kyoto-tokyo However, that website is quite new, so I don't know how reliable they are. I think you would probably be ok booking your tickets a couple of days in advance at Kyoto Station's ticket office, but again I can't guarantee it. As for your luggage, there is no check in service so you will have to carry it on and off the train yourself. However, they do have dedicated luggage space on the train. I hope that helps! Best wishes, Michael

Hello Dave, I'm not quite sure I understand your question. Are you saying you want to travel from Osakako Station to Kyoto? You would have to buy separate tickets at your transfer points. You can buy a subway ticket for the Chuo Line at Oskako and then when you transfer at Bentencho you can buy a JR ticket as far as Osaka Station, or as far as Kyoto Station if you want to travel to Kyoto via Osaka Station. Your best option from Osaka Station to Kyoto is to take the Special Rapid service on the JR Kyoto Line: https://www.osakastation.com/jr-kyoto-line-for-shin-osaka-and-kyoto/ How you travel to Kyoto depends a lot on where you are traveling from. We have a full list of travel options written up here: https://www.osakastation.com/traveling-from-osaka-to-kyoto/ I recommend the Jorudan transit planner for finding the best route: https://world.jorudan.co.jp/mln/en/ I hope that helps! Michael

Hello there, Of the cities you mentioned the closest city to Miki is Kobe. Miki is connected to Kobe by a private local railway line called "Kobe Electric Railway" or "Kobe Dentetsu" (sometimes it is also called "Shintetsu"). Most trains take at least an hour to get to Kobe. As this local rail line is operated by a private company it is not covered by any of the JR rail passes. Instead you can get a Kansai Thru Pass which covers many of the private railways, subways, and buses in this region. It also includes your local Kobe Electric Railway. From Kobe you can use other private railways (such as Hankyu or Hanshin) to get to Osaka, and you can use Hankyu or Keihan railways to get from Osaka to Kyoto. All of these railways are covered by the Kansai Thru Pass. You can find out more details here: http://www.surutto.com/tickets/kansai_thru_english.html I hope that helps! Best wishes, Michael

Hi there, You can get a direct Rapid Limited Express from Haneda Airport to Asakusa on the Keikyu Line. It costs 660 yen. You do not need to get off or transfer at Sengakuji station. Once you get to Asakusa you can transfer to the subway. I recommend using Hyperdia to look up your train times and routes: http://www.hyperdia.com/en/ I hope that helps! Best wishes, Michael

Hello there, Taking the train is definitely the best way to travel between Kyoto and Osaka. Which train you take depends where you travel from in Kyoto. If you want to travel from Kyoto Station then the Special Rapid service on the JR Kyoto Line will get you directly to Osaka Station in 28 minutes for 560 yen. However, this train tends to be very crowded and doesn't have any luggage space, so I think it will be uncomfortable for you. You can reserve seats on a Shinkansen bullet train between Kyoto Station and Shin-Osaka Station but this will cost 1420 yen. If you travel from the center of Kyoto, you have other options: the Keihan or Hankyu private rail lines. On the Keihan line you can go from Gion-Shijo Station in central Kyoto to Yodoyabashi Station in Osaka in 49 minutes for 410 yen. On the Hankyu line you can travel from either Kawaramachi Station or Karasuma Station in central Kyoto and get to Hankyu Umeda Station (right beside Osaka Station) in around 40 minutes. The Hankyu train is the cheapest option at only 400 yen. These two private lines are generally not as crowded, so they may be a better option if your hotel is in the town center. For more details, you can find a complete guide to traveling between Kyoto and Osaka here: https://www.kyotostation.com/traveling-from-kyoto-to-osaka/ About travel passes, unfortunately there isn't a travel pass that will cover bus services in both Kyoto and Osaka. Also the Osaka Wonderloop is a special tour bus service, so it isn't covered by regular Osaka discount bus passes. The Raku bus is however run by Kyoto City Bus, so you can use the same pass in Kyoto. In Kyoto you can choose either a Kyoto City Bus & Kyoto Bus One-Day Pass or a Kyoto Sightseeing Pass. About these: The Kyoto City Bus & Kyoto Bus One-Day Pass is 500 yen for adults and 250 yen for children. This gives you one day’s unlimited travel on Kyoto City Bus and Kyoto Bus routes within the designated flat fare zone. The Kyoto Sightseeing Pass – This covers all Kyoto City buses, all Kyoto Municipal Subway trains and most buses run by the Kyoto Bus company. There is a one day pass for 1200 yen or 600 yen for children and a two day pass for 2000 yen or 1000 yen for children. You can find more details on taking buses in Kyoto in this article: https://www.kyotostation.com/taking-a-bus-in-kyoto/ I hope that helps! Best wishes, Michael

Hello there, I think you are talking about the 72 hour Tokyo Subway Ticket? This ticket only covers Tokyo Metro and Toei Subway lines and you cannot use these lines from Haneda Airport, so it doesn't seem like a good choice for your route. I'm not sure how long you plan to be in Tokyo but if you buy a SUICA or PASMO card it will cost you 500 yen just to buy the card. So if you aren't staying for quite a long period it may be simpler just to pay the separate fees for each line. You can take the Tokyo Monorail from Haneda to Hamamatsucho Station and then take the JR Yamanote Line to Ueno and it will cost you just 660 yen for a 41 minute journey. I recommend this site for planning your journey: https://world.jorudan.co.jp/norikae/cgi-bin/engkeyin.cgi I hope that helps. Best wishes, Michael