If you are planning a trip with the Japan Rail Pass, better be prepared! You will be riding Japanese trains quite often.

In Japan, railroads are the primary mode of passenger transportation, and they have been ever since the first passenger steam locomotives debuted in Japan during the Meiji Restoration in 1872.

There is 30,625 km of rail lines all over Japan and they carry more than 9 billion passengers per year. Due to the country’s extensive use of its rail system, 46 of the top 50 busiest stations in the world are located in Japan.

Most Japanese rail lines have a unique name, normally taken from one of the cities or regions along the route, which means that the system is incredibly easy to navigate (the line names are even indicated on the tickets!).

Even so, figuring out how to manage the Japanese transportation system might be somewhat of a challenge for some. With that in mind, we’ve created this complete guide to the train system in Japan to help solve any doubts regarding riding the densha (how you say train in Japanese!).

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