Transportation
in Fukushima
Traveling in a City
Taxi:
Taxis in Japan are clean, there is no tipping, and doors open and shut automatically.
However, when taking a taxi, you may need a map rather than just an address
as the address system in Japan is difficult to navigate. Only 4 passengers
are allowed in a taxi at one time (and the driver’s are strict on this rule).
If there is a red light in the front driver’s-side window, this means the taxi
is available. Taxis usually start at about 600 yen and always use the meter.
Daiko:
If you have driven your car and decide to drink, you should call Daiko. It
is a taxi service that sends two people to get you; one to drive you home and
one to drive your car home. Note: A lot of Daiko places close around 4am. Daiko
companies often give out point cards so you can collect stamps every time you
use a certain company. If you collect a certain number of stamps, you can get
a discount (of 500 yen or thereabouts). An added advantage of having these
stamp cards is that the phone number for the Daiko company is on them.
Local Bus:
To ride a local bus, grab a ticket from the machine when you get on. It will
have a number on it. There is a chart above the driver’s head with numbers
(one will be on your ticket) and corresponding fares. You pay by how far you
ride. Just drop the correct amount into the machine by the driver. If you need
change, most buses have a change machine that the bus driver will begrudgingly
help you use. Please note these machines do not accept 5000 yen or 10,000 yen
bills. Always try to have correct change. If you aren’t sure that you are on
the correct bus, before it leaves, ask the driver, “Sumimasen -eki de tomarimasu
ka?” which means “Excuse me, do you stop at -station?” You can also sit at
the front of the bus and ask the driver, “Eki ni tsuitara oshiete kudasai,”
which means “Please tell me when we get to the station.” Eki is station.
Highway/Overnight Bus:
Main Fukushima
Bus Website
Some buses require a reservation and payment in advance, while with others,
you can just hop on and pay at the end. All long distance buses stop along
the way for food/restroom breaks. The breaks are usually no longer than 15
minutes so watch the time. You can generally catch a highway/overnight bus
at larger cities such as Sendai, Koriyama, Iwaki, Aizuwakamatsu, and Fukushima.
Driving in Fukushima: see Guide
to Driving in Fukushima
Using local Train/Subway
Main JR Website
Schedules and fares:
At most train stations, you buy your tickets from a machine. First, find out
how much your trip will cost by looking at the map above the ticket machines.
Then, put your money into the machine and press the button for your price.
The machine will print your ticket and give you change. If you don’t know how
much your ticket is going to cost, buy the cheapest ticket and pay the difference
at a “fare adjustment” machine when you arrive. Important note: Once you have
your ticket, go through the entrance and DON’T FORGET to take your ticket out
of the slot at the end of the gate as you go through! You need it to exit.
The gate will keep your ticket. Another important note: the trains/subways
stop running fairly early so watch the time. Same goes for Tokyo!
Shinkansen:
This is the fastest, but most expensive way to travel. You can buy tickets
from a ticket window, a machine, or a travel agent. The gates for the shink
work about the same as the ones for the local trains. However, if you have
more than one ticket for your trip, you need to insert all of them (one on
top of the other) into the gate when you enter and exit. Reserved seats are
usually about 700 extra.
Rail Pass: http://japanrail.com/JR_japanrailpass.html
The Japan Rail Pass is a discount ticket allowing unlimited rail travel throughout
Japan over a 7, 14 or 21 consecutive day period. JETs are not eligible to use
this because you have to live outside Japan and be traveling as a tourist.
However, it is worth knowing about for any visitors you may have.
Traveling Outside of a City
Narita Bus:
This is one of the most convenient ways to get to Narita IF it matches up with
your flight time. It is also one of the cheapest ways.
Sakura Bus:
This is the cheapest way to get to Tokyo; however, it will not go directly
to the airport. It arrives at a bus terminal outside of Tokyo Station so
you have to transfer at Tokyo to another train. Fortunately, there are a
couple of trains that run from Tokyo directly to the airport. The Sakura
Bus requires booking in advance (at least a week ahead) as it tends to fill
up quickly. You can book online or by phone (with an additional 200 yen charge).
The website is completely in Japanese so you need 1) someone who can read
and write Japanese 2) a computer that can read and write Japanese characters.
JR Bus:
If neither the Narita Bus nor Sakura Bus are available, this is your next best
option. It is cheap and runs more often than the other two. However, it arrives
at Shinjuku Station. Again, you must take several trains to get to the airport.
