Tips on cutting transportation costs in Japan

(Updated in October 2024)

Since the drastic price increase from October 2023, the nationwide JR pass is no longer cost effective for many travelers to Japan. The luggage regulations introduced from May 2020 also made traveling on the Shinkansen slightly more troublesome after the pandemic. Below are some alternatives and tips on cutting transportation costs when traveling in Japan:

1. Rental car

Renting a car is highly cost effective and convenient for two or more travelers when traveling outside of the cities.

During my Spring 2024 trip, I rented a car for 7 days, probably my 4th road trip in Japan. From Nagoya, we drove up in a clockwise direction around central Japan (Gifu, Fukui, Ishikawa and Toyama prefectures). We rented a hybrid with Toyota, costing 67738 yen after 10% member discount. Even though it is slightly more expensive to rent a hybrid, we saved much on petrol. We only pumped petrol three times, amounting to 8634 yen in total. 

We also paid another 11730 yen for the Central Nippon Expressway Pass (CEP) and Nagoya Expressway Pass (NEP) for 7 days. In the end, our total toll fee was 21420 yen, hence the passes helped us save 9690 yen. The total cost for the road trip was 88102 yen (excluding parking fees which are free or inexpensive outside of the cities).

There are a few expressway passes for the different regions, such as Hokkaido, Tohoku, Kyushu, etc. (There used to be a nationwide Japan Expressway Pass, but it is no longer available.) It is necessary to request for the passes at the car rental shop when collecting the car (not when booking online). Also, remember to bring along your driving license and International Driving Permit for renting a car.

Update: From October 2024, the prices of several expressway passes have been revised up significantly by 50% or more, and some passes (including CEP) are no longer available.

2. Regional train pass

There are also price increases for the regional JR passes, but not as much as the nationwide pass. As long as you are making a long-distance round-trip on the Shinkansen in one region within a few days, it is highly likely that the regional pass will still pay off. Of course, use a JR or Shinkansen Fare Calculator online to calculate the costs in advance to ensure that getting a pass is cheaper.

3. Local bus tours

For those interested in visiting famous spots outside of the cities but do not drive or are traveling alone, many foreign or local tour agencies, such as JTB, HIS, Klook and KKday, offer day tours by buses. There are also seasonal tours such as fruit picking. A one-day tour for one pax usually costs around 11000 yen, inclusive of lunch and admission fees.

4. Highway bus

Many cities are linked by highway buses run by companies such as JR and Willer Express. For traveling between Nagoya and Osaka, or between Nagoya and Tokyo, taking highway buses is highly recommended. It takes around 3 hours and costs 3000 yen to get from JR Nagoya station to JR Osaka station. This is about double the time but half the price of taking the Shinkansen. The bus stops once in the middle of the journey for a 15-minute break.

5. Domestic flight

For further distances, such as between Tokyo, Kyushu and Hokkaido, domestic flight will be the obvious choice. Besides JAL and ANA, there are other airlines such as Peach, Skymark and Solaseed. Book early or with the international flight to save costs.

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Cherry blossom viewing spots in central Japan (Nagoya, etc.)

2024 is a strange year for Hanami (花見) (cherry blossom viewing) in Japan. Cherry blossoms are generally much later than usual in southern Japan and earlier than usual in northern Japan. As such, instead of gradually blooming from south to north, Sakura in many parts of Japan reached full bloom together on around 10 April.

I had expected to miss full bloom in Nagoya (名古屋) by the time I reached Japan in early April, but surprisingly, Sakura there just started blooming. It would usually take about 5-10 days to reach full bloom. In any case, my focus for this trip was Hanami spots in other parts of the Chubu (中部) region, and it would be the first time I am "chasing" Sakura by car! Below are the places I covered this time, in order of prefecture:

1. Asahi Funagawa Spring Quartet (舟川四重奏) in Toyama prefecture (富山県)

This is actually the place I looked forward to most this trip, based on online photos. It did not disappoint, and I have added it to my list of impressive Hanami spots. Surprisingly, it is not in the top 100 spots chosen by Japanese Cherry Blossom Society, yet.

What makes this place special is being able to capture Sakura, canola flowers, tulips and snow-capped mountains together. It is also extremely spacious with no tall buildings around, similar to the flower fields in Hokkaido. Truly feels like paradise~ Entry and parking are actually free of charge!

2. Takaoka Castle Park (高岡城址公園) in Toyama prefecture

This is my second time here for Hanami, one of the top 100 spots in Japan. The Sakura trees and views here are not particularly impressive, but the premise is extremely spacious, comprising a small free entry zoo and a shrine, etc. 

3. Matsukawa Park (松川公園) in Toyama prefecture

This highly accessible place in Toyama city is also in the top 100. What makes this place special is the Hanami boat cruise, which is rather pricey at 2600 yen in 2024. Unfortunately, the views here are hindered by buildings at both sides and blue sheets covering up the grass here and there.

4. Kenrokuen (兼六園) in Ishikawa prefecture (石川県)

This is my third time to Kenrokuen (first time for Hanami), one of the top 3 Japanese landscape gardens, also in the top 100. It was extremely crowded as I went on a weekend. Nevertheless, the Sakura (many varieties) and the views here more than made up for it. I have added it to my list of impressive Hanami spots. Admission is free during the Hanami period.

5. Asuwa River Cherry Blossoms (足羽川桜並木) in Fukui prefecture (福井県)

Together with Asuwayama Park, it is one of the three places in Fukui prefecture in the top 100. The two rows of seemingly endless (2.2km to be exact) Somei Yoshino (染井吉野) trees are impressive. As the compound is huge, it did not feel crowded even though I went on a weekend. This place is highly accessible and festival vibes are strong here. 

6. Kamagatani Valley (霞間ヶ渓) in Gifu prefecture (岐阜県)

One of the three places in Gifu prefecture in the top 100, what is special about this spot is the valley views, and the variety of Sakura-- 1500 trees comprising not just Somei Yoshino, but also Yamazakura (山桜), Oyamazakura (オオヤマザクラ), Shidarezakura (枝垂れ桜), and even Shibazakura (芝桜) (moss phlox), which is rather uncommon. However, this place is quite inaccessible, even if you drive. 

7. Shinsakai Riverside Cherry Blossoms (新境川堤の桜並木) in Gifu prefecture 

Also one of the three places in Gifu prefecture in the top 100, the 1000 Somei Yoshino trees here are donated and named after a kabuki actor who was born here. Although the views are not particularly impressive, they are near the citizens' park, where local residents hang around with their children and dogs. The vibe here is very different from other places.

8. Iwakura Gojo River Cherry Blossoms (岩倉五条川の桜) in Aichi prefecture (愛知県)

For "row of cherry tree" (桜並木), this place is impressive as the 1300+ Somei Yoshino trees are dense enough to form a tunnel across the river, and the canola flowers provide some contrast. It is also possible to go down to the river and enjoy the views from below. Naturally, it is in the top 100, and should definitely be on the list for Hanami if in Aichi prefecture.

9. Okazaki Park (岡崎公園) in Aichi prefecture

Okazaki Park was structured around Okazaki Castle where Ieyasu Tokugawa, the first shogun of the Edo period, was born. As with many other castles, it is a good location for Hanami due to the Japanese architecture and old cherry trees (around 1000). It is less crowded than the more accessible Nagoya Castle and adjacent park, and more famous for cherry blossoms (in the top 100). 

10. Yamazaki River Cherry Blossoms (山崎川四季の道の桜) in Aichi prefecture 

Also in the top 100, I did not find the two rows of 720 Somei Yoshino trees here particularly impressive, but I liked how the place was quite empty, with some local residents strolling with their dogs.

11. Okuyamada's Weeping Cherry Tree (奥山田の枝垂れ桜) in Aichi prefecture 

The weeping cherry tree here was planted 1300 years ago and designated as a national treasure. It blooms much earlier than other cherry trees in the region, good for those who are in Japan in late March.

12. Nabana no Sato (なばなの里) in Mie prefecture (三重県)

This is the fourth time I visited this place, a paid flower park highly accessible from Nagoya. This time, due to the late cherry blossoms, I actually managed to see tulips, nemophila and Sakura together! It was not crowded when I went on a weekday. The panoramic views are spectacular~

Of course, for those who do not want to go out of the way to see Sakura, Nagoya Castle and Tsuruma Park (鶴舞公園) in Nagoya city would be the place to go (refer to post on Aichi prefecture). However, they are more crowded with tourists.

Related posts:

Ten Impressive Cherry Blossom Viewing Spots

Top Cherry Blossom Viewing Spots in Tokyo

Night-time Cherry Blossom Viewing

South Hokkaido for Cherry Blossoms

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7D Autumn Road Trip (Nagano, Niigata, etc.)

In Japan, October and November is the time for fall foliage, autumn food (chestnut, pacific saury, rice, etc.), the sea of clouds phenomenon and hot spring.

For my early November trip to Japan this year, I decided to do a road trip mainly covering the Koshin'etsu (Nagano and Niigata prefectures) and Southern Tohoku (Yamagata and Miyagi prefectures) regions, because the autumn colors at these regions would be at their peak.

We were thankful that the places we decided to go to were not affected by Typhoon Hagibis which struck 2 weeks before our trip. However, some of the mountain roads were undergoing works due to landslides, so traffic was slower due to the merging of lanes at some parts of the journey, especially in Nagano prefecture（長野県）.

We rented a car from Tokyo for 7 days and paid for the Japan Expressway Pass (20,400 yen). Considering that the toll fees incurred was around 35,000 yen, the pass provided around 40% savings.

Day 1: Haneda Airport to Shirahone Hot Spring（白骨温泉）

The first location on our list was Kamikochi in Nagano prefecture, as autumn colors here typically peak in late October, which meant that we were late. We drove for 4 hours to Shirahone Onsen nearby where we stayed for the night, stopping for lunch at Koufu（甲府）in Yamanashi prefecture（山梨県）on the way. The mountain roads leading to Shirahone Onsen were narrow. Enjoyed soaking in milky white hot spring in the cold weather! Awanoyu ryokan (Japanese inn) is famous for its outdoor bath with autumn colors.

Day 2: Kamikochi（上高地）and Hirugami Hot Spring（昼神温泉）

Kamikochi is a popular resort in the Northern Japan Alps. Shirahone Onsen is about 10 minutes-drive to Sawando bus terminal, the closest one can get to Kamikochi by private transportation, as private vehicles are not allowed to drive into Kamikochi. We left our car at the bus terminal and took a 20-minute bus to Taisho pond（大正池）in Kamikochi. 

From there, it was about 4 km walk to Kappabashi（河童橋）, which took 1-2 hours. This route is recommended for non-hikers or those pressed for time. We managed to enjoy beautiful autumn foliage although it was already November 1. Weather was good and the temperature was slightly above 10 degrees Celsius, comfortable for hiking in a jacket. I rarely hike, but surprisingly enjoyed Kamikochi very much. For hikers, it would be nice to visit Kamikochi together with nearby Norikura Kogen（乗鞍高原）in October.

After Kamikochi, we had delicious soba for lunch, specialty of Nagano prefecture. We then drove 2 hours southwards to our ryokan at Hirugami Onsen in the same prefecture, which was on the way to Nagoya city where we would be meeting our friends for lunch the next day.

Day 3: Heavens Sonohara, Nagoya city（名古屋市）and Shimosuwa Hot Spring（下諏訪温泉）

Hirugami Onsen is near Heavens Sonohara, one of the places to enjoy the sea of clouds phenomenon in Nagano prefecture. We were very thankful that we managed to see it the next morning, despite only having one chance. However, we were a little late and caught the sunrise in the gondola on the way up, instead of together with the sea of clouds at the peak. Did not foresee that we needed time to scrape ice off the windscreen and heat up the car. Unexpected drama early in the morning!

Another place in Nagano prefecture to enjoy the sea of clouds phenomenon is Sora Terrace, which is probably more convenient for those intending to focus on the Koshin'etsu region.

We drove 1.5 hours to Nagoya for lunch with friends, then drove back and further up to Shimosuwa Hot Spring (2.5 hours) in the middle of Nagano prefecture, which was on the way to our next destination-- Karuizawa. On hindsight, we should have booked a hotel instead of another ryokan, as a third consecutive night of kaiseki (Japanese multi-course) dinner was simply too much for me :P Still, the ryokan stay was really enjoyable, so no regrets~

Day 4: Karuizawa（軽井沢）

We drove to Karuizawa the next morning. Nagano is very mountainous, so driving from one town to another is more time-consuming than it looks on the map. Plus it was the Sunday of a long weekend, so the 1.5 hour-drive turned out to be 2.5 hours due to traffic congestion. The traffic at and near Karuizawa was horrendous. Judging from the car plates, it seemed that not just those living nearby but also Tokyoites flocked to Karuizawa to spend the long weekend.

It was my third time to Karuizawa, but the first time by car and during holidays. After visiting Shiraito Falls（白糸の滝）which was rather underwhelming, we queued for parking at a free area near Kumoba Pond（雲場池）and our lunch destination. The wait at our lunch venue was 90 minutes (!!), so we left our names and visited Kumoba Pond in the meantime. The autumn foliage here was stunning, enhanced by the reflection in the pond.

We covered the remaining places in Kyu-Karuizawa（旧軽井沢）on foot as all the roads were congested and finding parking was difficult. It seemed that taking public transport would not be much better, as the buses were packed and trapped in the jam as well. Bicycle rental might have been the best option, provided there was enough supply. I guess one thing I learnt was to avoid Karuizawa during holidays.

We left Karuizawa earlier than planned, yet reached our accommodation for the night later than expected. (Also because we accidentally spent too much time at the Yokokawa Service Area on the way, one of the best I have been to.) We drove for 2+ hours to a pension (Western-style family-run accommodation) in Minakami Kogen（水上高原）at the north of Gunma prefecture（群馬県）. The Western-style 4-course dinner with wine was a nice change from the kaiseki dinners on previous nights.

Day 5: Takaragawa Onsen Osenkaku（宝川温泉汪泉閣）, Dragondola, Kiyotsu Gorge（清津峡）and Yahiko Park（弥彦公園）

The next morning, we visited Takaragawa Onsen Osenkaku ryokan which has the largest outdoor bath（露天風呂）in Japan and is famous for autumn colors. I had wanted to stay there, but was attracted by the good reviews for the nearby pension, so decided to visit Takaragawa for day onsen instead. Entry is 2000 yen and comes with rental clothes for the mixed-gender outdoor bath. To welcome foreign guests, the ryokan has made it compulsory to wear the clothes provided.

(Google image)

It was an incredible experience, enjoying panoramic autumn foliage while soaking in hot spring in cold weather. My only issue was the cleanliness. As there are no showering facilities at the outdoor bath and the indoor and outdoor baths are not connected, many visitors enter the outdoor bath without showering. Heard that the mixed changing area was quite dirty and smelly too. Recommend showering at the indoor bath before and after enjoying the outdoor bath.

The plan for the rest of the day was to check out autumn foliage in Niigata prefecture（新潟県）, which was on the way to Yamadera in Yamagata prefecture. We first headed for Dragondola, the longest gondola in Japan. This gondola connecting 2 ski resorts is famous for its autumn views, but it does not seem to be that famous among locals (none of my Japanese friends have heard of it). 3000 yen for a round-trip was rather expensive for a gondola ride, but the seemingly endless autumn colors throughout the ride justified the cost. It was very cold (6 degrees Celsius) and photos were not great due to the downcast weather, but saw a double rainbow on the way down!

Next, we drove an hour to Kiyotsu Gorge, one of Japan's top 3 gorges. I was not impressed with the views there, but it was interesting how the Kiyotsu Gorge Tunnel combined art with natural scenery. The tunnel runs 750m through the gorge and has 4 viewpoints. It would be nice if there was no need to step into the water to see the view at the last viewpoint.

Our last stop for the day was Yahiko Park, 2 hour-drive northwards. By then, the sun had set (around 5 pm), which was just nice as the Maple Valley in the park would be lit up in the evening from late October to late November. It turned out to be rather disappointing, partially due to the lighting. Too few lights, yet the lighting was too strong. The photo below is after touch-up.

Our accommodation for the night was a business hotel in Niigata with free parking of course. For dinner, we went to an izakaya nearby recommended by the hotel staff. We ordered Niigata specialties (seafood, rice, sake) and the dinner was so good it made me want to return to Niigata for a fourth time~

Day 6: Yamadera（山寺）, Naruko Gorge（鳴子峡）, Ginzan Hot Spring（銀山温泉）

The next morning, we drove 3 hours to Yamadera in Yamagata prefecture（山形県）. Yamadera is a scenic temple located in the mountains northeast of Yamagata city. The temple grounds spread across a steep mountainside and it takes 1000 steps to reach the top for panoramic views. The climb was easier than I thought, but the view was also less impressive than expected. Still, it was an enjoyable experience and helped to burn some calories.

Next, we drove 1.5 hours to Naruko Gorge in northwestern Miyagi prefecture（宮城県）, famous for its autumn colors. The views were gorgeous!

That night, we stayed at Ginzan Hot Spring. Similar to Kamikochi, it does not allow private vehicles into the area. Thanks to that, the design of the ryokans and the compactness of the town, Ginzan Onsen retains the vibe and scenery from the Taisho era. It is very atmospheric and beautiful both in the day and night. There are also ashiyu (foot baths) along the street, but they are very hot!

Day 7: Back to Tokyo

The next morning, we checked out the area before embarking on the 5 hour journey back to Tokyo, stopping for lunch and short breaks on the way of course. We also dropped by Tendo Hot Spring Rest Area（道の駅天童温泉）and bought a lot of Tohoku souvenirs.

After returning the rental car, we stayed in Tokyo for another 3 days. The weather in Tokyo was more autumn-like, but we already started missing the scenery and spaciousness of rural Japan.

I suppose there may be better ways to arrange the destinations I covered, however, there was a need to consider the peak timings for autumn colors at the various places. Those who prefer to cover less may want to choose between the Koshin'etsu region and the Tohoku region. There are also regional expressway passes worth considering.

However, if the intention is to make use of the 7D nationwide JEP, long traveling distances is necessary to make it worth, just like the nationwide JR pass. Somehow the places I want to go at a particular time of the year always happen to spread across different parts of Japan, so going for the nationwide pass is usually easier and more cost-effective for me. Note that not all car rental shops provide the JEP option.

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