These link cities and towns via an extensive local railway network. In many large cities, subways are also available for easy intra-city transportation. While most local private lines are designed with commuters in mind, some lines do offer quick, convenient routes to well-known regional tourist highlights, such as Nikko, Hakone, Nara and Toba. Please note that the Japan Rail Pass is honored only on JR lines, and not on these other private lines. In big cities, local and civic mass transit systems can operate trains every 2 to 10 minutes, and trains run from early in the morning until late at night.
Visitors can economically and efficiently reach every tourist attraction within the city.
For short-distance trains, tickets can be purchased only from ticket vending machines. To learn more about local and regional train lines around Tokyo and Kyoto, click on the appropriate link, below. Japan National Tourist Organization Site Map For Web site issues, contact the Web master .