Flights are also more expensive, as all discounts are suspended during peak seasons. Trains Japan has highly efficient and frequent trains servicing all regions. Tickets are expensive, especially for the fastest trains, though various discount tickets are available. Japan Rail Passes Japan rail passes can be bought only outside of Japan. Rail passes are not economical for just one long-distance journey, in which case another discount ticket may be cheaper.
Rail passes are good for several long journeys with side trips and for flexibility.
The Shinkansen is punctual to the second, smooth and reliable. All of the six Shinkansen lines start at either Tokyo or Ueno stations in Tokyo. System JAL offers the Welcome to Japan System, which offers flights anywhere in Japan at discount prices. It is not necessary to fly JAL to Japan in order to use this system. As a comparison of costs, the night bus from Tokyo to Kyoto costs about Y8,000 and takes about eight hours, while the Shinkansen costs about Y13,000 and takes about two hours and forty minutes.