Platform and onboard announcements are made in English as well as Japanese. When you travel by shinkansen, you actually have to pay for the ticket and a surcharge, usually meaning that you have two 'tickets'. As the trains sometimes run at over 200 percent of capacity, the shitei-seki is a good idea if you can afford it. If you have a Rail Pass, you just have to get a ticket to confirm your seat reservation. The Green Rail Pass also entitles you to a seat in the Green Car , a kind of first-class section.
Tickets are available one month before the departure date.
If you're looking to save on transport costs and aren't pressed for time, local trains can be a cheap alternative for longer trips. JR has several types of dicount and excursion tickets. The main drawback with these tickets is that they are seasonal and so not always available. There is an extensive bus network throughout the country. If you don't have the Rail Pass, busses do offer a cheap alternative, costing about the same as the regular trains.