Basic Transportation Options in Japan

Transportation
Japan has many transportation alternatives.  The most popular ones are trains and bicycles.  Motor scooters and motorcycles are also everywhere you look, and everyone is riding them.  Cars are popular, but they're inconvenient and costly (in many respects).  We live in the city of Yokahama within a few minutes of a busy train station.  We can easily walk to several markets, a department store, a gym, three electronics stores, two bookstores, bakeries, restaurants, and much more.  There is a bus depot at the train station.  Between the two, we can access the entire Tokyo area (and all of Japan, in fact).  If we buy something really big or heavy, stores will deliver.  We do just fine with our feet and, recently, a bike.

Trains: I'm not going to go into detail about trains in Japan.  I wouldn't be doing any justice at all to the subject.  Here in the Tokyo area, train lines form an irregular grid blanketing the entire city.  Life here is organized around train stations, and distance is counted in minutes (walking usually, or by bus) from the nearest train station.  Housing prices fall as you move further from the station (and for good reason, I might add).  If you live in Japan, I hope that you'll be using the trains a lot.  They're a great thing.

Having said all of this, there are two things to add.  First, trains in Japan are not cheap.  A two hour trip (across town, in Tokyo) may cost 2500 Yen (about $20) or more.  Second, using the train system is a challenge for visitors here, and even for locals sometimes.  Just buying a ticket from a machine is intimidating enough.  On top of that, you have express trains (that only stop at a few stations), local trains (that stop at every station), trains that stop and wait, and trains that diverge or go out of service at certain stops.  It's best to have a local show you around if you can, or at least learn as much about traveling by train as possible before arrival.

Be sure to try Hyperdia. This is a free service, in English, that helps you plan train travel between any two stations in Japan.  The service automatically gives various routes with the cost and time for each option, and it helps you time your trips to ride express trains (or limited express, etc).

Buses: I almost left out buses!  I've never ridden a bus in Japan.  We live near a train station specifically in the hope that we'll never have to.  Buses are great, though.  I suppose.  On the other hand, they get stuck in traffic, unlike trains.  There you go.

Cars: You can own a car in Japan, but there are factors to consider.  Parking is expensive in the city.  So is gas, and you will travel on mostly toll roads whenever you leave your local area.   On top of that, Japan has a tax structure for automobiles that levies progressively higher taxes each year.  Most people sell their cars for very little after about three years of driving, because the taxes are so high that they prefer to simply replace their car a new one.  Most of those slightly used cars seem to make their way to New Zealand, where it's said that you can buy them cheaply.  Of course, being  from the USA (and Southern California, the car capital itself), we miss driving.  But unless you live in the country or far from transportation, it's mainly an issue of convenience and habit.

Bikes: It seems that everyone owns a bicycle in Japan, from young children to old ladies. I've seen well-dressed business women in stiletto heels and skirts carefully pedaling down the sidewalk, men in dark suits, school children by the hundreds, and old men and women in their seventies (or more)  laboring up or zipping down steep hills.  Most people are not particular about how their bikes look and even how well they work.  They are simply transportation.  Some young people ride mountain bikes, but they are not the majority.  Men usually ride simple, dark colored functional bikes that take them to the train station and back.  Women ride bikes with baskets for shopping and child carriers.  Sometimes men pass by with a basket or child carrier, but they are rare. 

You can buy a new bicycle in Japan for a reasonable price, especially if you go for basic function.  However, if you are taller than about 5' 10" feet tall, then you'll have trouble finding a frame in your size.  Here's a tip.  If you're tall, consider bringing a bike with you from the USA.  Most airlines will let you bring a bike on the plane (but you have to read their regulations and perhaps pay an extra charge).  Any costs you incur will probably be less than the cost importing a bike or buying a new one in your size.  However, if you want to buy a bike in Japan, there are some stores that carry foreign size models.  One is the REI store at Minami-Machida (on the Denentoshi train line).  You can find a selection of nice bikes there ranging from about $300 on up. 

You can park bicycles almost anywhere you go (in designated areas), and they are secured usually with a small lock, or no lock at all.  Just about all apartment buildings have free bicycle parking.

Scooters: Scooters are popular, and many foreigners want one after seeing young people flying by or parking them on sidewalks.  They are easy on the gas, too.  Just this evening, I saw two ladies who seemed to be in their sixties pulling up on scooters. 

Location: Having said that, here is some advice: Plan carefully where you will live.  You will find that rents get lower the further you are from a train station.  You may find a great deal on a "big" place, but the price is low because it's so inconvenient to move around.  You may have to buy a car and use it often, which will eat up all the rent savings and more.  Our rent may be a bit higher since we are just three minutes from our station, but it's well worth it.  And actually we found a great deal.