Japan Travel

Looking to get out of Mie for awhile? See what others have done and recommend. The whole of Japan is open to you and is easily accessible by the country's amazing transportation network.

Transportation Options

Mie's proximity to both Nagoya and Osaka makes getting to other major areas of Japan rather convenient.

Bullet Train

The Japanese bullet train (新幹線 shinkansen) is not only uber-fast at 300kmph (~200mph), but is also officially the safest major transportation system in the world with an 100% safety record. The corridor between Tokyo and Osaka is the busiest high-speed rail line in the world, with 16-car trains running at mostly full capacity every 10-15 minutes. The bullet train is ideal for traveling between major metropolitan areas over, but is not as useful if you want to go all the way from Mie to the tips of the country; the shinkansen works great for getting to Tokyo or Hiroshima, but not so well for getting to Aomori or Kagoshima as your trip to these locations will not only take longer via bullet train than airplane but also cost more.

Unless you live in the northern or western extremities of Mie (aka, Kuwana or Nabari), when utilizing the shinkansen as an option it is generally a good idea to go out of Nagoya if heading east (Shizuoka, Yokohama, Tokyo, etc) and go out of Shin-Osaka if heading west (Okayama, Hiroshima, Hakata, etc). This approach is guaranteed to save you money, and possibly time as well. There are no standard limited express trains that parallel the bullet train, only regular local trains; the shinkansen can be anywhere from 3-6 times faster than taking regular trains.

Shinkansen Times and Prices
Depart	Arrive	Time	Unreserved	Reserved
Nagoya	Tokyo	1 hr, 40 min	¥10070	¥10980
Nagoya	Shinagawa	1 hr, 32 min	¥10070	¥10980
Nagoya	Shin-Yokohama	1 hr, 19 min	¥9440	¥10350
Nagoya	Shizuoka	58 min	¥5670	¥6380
Shin-Osaka	Okayama	46 min	¥5350	¥6260
Shin-Osaka	Fukuyama	1 hr, 04 min	¥7140	¥8050
Shin-Osaka	Hiroshima	1 hr, 22 min	¥9440	¥10350
Shin-Osaka	Shin-Yamaguchi	1 hr, 52 min	¥11760	¥12670
Shin-Osaka	Kokura	2 hr, 09 min	¥13240	¥14250
Shin-Osaka	Hakata	2 hr, 26 min	¥14080	¥15090
Shin-Osaka	Kumamoto	3 hr, 01 min	¥17510	¥18520
Shin-Osaka	Kagoshima-Chūō	3 hr, 47 min	¥20790	¥21800

Puratto Kodama

Purrato Kodama (ぷらっとこだま) is a discounted way of riding the bullet train line that runs between Osaka and Tokyo. For about 75% of the standard fare, you can ride a Kodama reserved seat; Kodama are the shinkansen variety that stop at every bullet train station and so it is a bit slower but still runs at bullet speed. Tickets typically must be purchased at travel agents or major JR stations and must be booked at least one day in advance of travel. Cancellations are basically impossible as well. Purrato Kodama can only be used when departing and arriving at the following stations: Shin-Osaka, Kyoto, Nagoya, Hamamatsu, Shizuoka, Shin-Yokohama, Shingawa, and Tokyo.

Purrato Kodama Times and Prices
Depart	Arrive	Time	Price
Nagoya	Hamamatsu	47 min	¥3500
Nagoya	Shizuoka	1 hr, 18 min	¥4500
Nagoya	Shin-Yokohama	2 hr, 31 min	¥7700
Nagoya	Shinagawa	2 hr, 41 min	¥7900
Nagoya	Tokyo	2 hr, 49 min	¥7900