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Rating: 
Summary: Nice but limited guide to Japan
Review: Another in a rather extensive list of rail-oriented books from UK's Trailblazer Guides series, this one centers around Japan, and budget travelers who use the Japan Rail Pass. While fairly complete, it has some obvious structural drawbacks that require supplementing with a more extensive guide. I'd give it 4 stars, with 1 star knocked off for the following deficits.* It's pretty much exclusively centered on Japan Rail lines. Considering that Japan is criss-crossed with the so-called "private lines" (Japan Rail was once a government railroad), this leads to some obvious gaps in coverage. * Very little food & dining information. Tokyo, for example, gets only a few paragraphs. * NO kanji (Chinese characters) or kana (Japanese syllabary) versions of destination signs. This is perhaps its biggest sin, since English-language platform signs and maps are the exception rather than the rule outside of the Tokyo metropolitan area. Unless you can already read kana or kanji, you WILL be confused trying to work out the signs.
Rating: 
Summary: Too Techinal
Review: Another in uh rather extensive list o' rail-oriented books from UK'sTrailblazer Guides series, dis here one centers around Japan, an' budget travelers who use da Japan Rail Pass. While fairly complete, it has some obvious structural drawbacks dat require supplementing wiff uh mo' extensive guide. I'd give it 4 stars, wiff 1 star knocked off fo' da following deficits.
* It'sfine ass much exclusively centered on Japan Rail lines. Considering dat Japan iz criss-crossed wiff da so-called "private lines" (Japan Rail wuz once uh da system railroad), dis here leads ta some obvious gaps in coverage.
* Very little chickn n` corn bread 'n cornbread & dining 411. Tokyo, fo' example, gets only uh few paragraphs.
* NO kanji (Chinese characters) or kana (Japanese syllabary) versions o' destination signs. This iz perhaps its biggest sin, since English-language platform signs an' maps iz da exception rather than da rule outside o' da Tokyo metropolitan area. Unless ya can already read kana or kanji, ya WILL be confused trying ta werk out da signs.
Don't make me come ovah there
Rating: 
Summary: If You Buy a Japan Rail Pass, Buy This Book! I Wish I Had!
Review: I was planning for my month in Japan - mainly in Tokyo but I knew I'd be doing some traveling so I bought a JR pass for 21 days. I went to every bookstore I could find and spent hours looking through the various guides - frommers, lonely planet, rough guide, insight guides, national geographic, and more. Oh, how I wish those bookstores had stocked this book! I ended up buying a few of those books, but when I got to Japan, I found this in a bookstore and bought it immediately - for about 3 times the cost as what you'd pay in the States. The other guidebooks were retired and now this is the book I use. It helps me figure out where I should go to enjoy my time in Japan, given that I am travelling by rail. It gives hotel, attraction, and meal information, plus great itineraries and a sense of the best places to go on the rail lines. Just because there's a stop doesn't mean it worth going to, in terms of your precious travel days. This book helps you figure out where to go and why.
Rating:
Summary: If You Buy a Japan Rail Pass, Buy This Book! I Wish I Had!
Review: I was planning for my month in Japan - mainly in Tokyo but I knew I'd be doing some traveling so I bought a JR pass for 21 days. I went to every bookstore I could find and spent hours looking through the various guides - frommers, lonely planet, rough guide, insight guides, national geographic, and more. Oh, how I wish those bookstores had stocked this book! I ended up buying a few of those books, but when I got to Japan, I found this in a bookstore and bought it immediately - for about 3 times the cost as what you'd pay in the States. The other guidebooks were retired and now this is the book I use. It helps me figure out where I should go to enjoy my time in Japan, given that I am travelling by rail. It gives hotel, attraction, and meal information, plus great itineraries and a sense of the best places to go on the rail lines. Just because there's a stop doesn't mean it worth going to, in terms of your precious travel days. This book helps you figure out where to go and why.
Rating:
Summary: Please enjoy the journey using the Japanese trains
Review: It is the truth known in Japan that Japan is the most developing train counry. Foreign countries of car society may be a little curisoue when think about the truth. Japanese use train by many condition: commutation, journey etc. To the contrary, if Japanese do not use train, they can not go many place. That is not too much to say.
especially railways is developing in big towns. If you use the ways very well, you will use the limited time efficently.
On the other hand, high speed express like Shinkansen run among big cities. The speed is over 200km/h, thefore the cost time is not different to inter country air line.
Generally Japanese trains are small compared to foreing trains. For that some foreigner may be uncomfortable.
But there are special trains in Japan too: special night train that have individual rooms and dining car(recommend Sanrise Sanin, Twilight Express especially). Such night trains will cost many times compared to Sinkansen etc. But I think that we can get better things than time.
Japanese train have unique things without foreign country: Ekiben(box lunch set sold in many train station). In Japan Ekiben is one of Japanese tradition. In each town, the Ekiben that include the foods got in the town only is sold. For instance, Unagi(eel) Bentou in Hmamatsu town, Makunouchi Bentou in Tokyo, Sasazusi Bentou in Toyama town.
Thank you for reading the poo writing.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent guide book !
Review: The best way to travel around Japan is by rail and this book has detail information about it.
This book include not only train information, but also accommodation, eating place and etc (these are quite useful).
If you are planning to travel Japan, I definitely recommend this one.
Rating:
Summary: Worth it
Review: This book explains the ins and outs of travel by rail in Japan. It not only manages that but provides a good source of information for seeing the important sites. It gives the quick and easy way to get to the towns and how to get to the places you will want to see. It may need to be fleshed out with a more comprehensive guidebook but this should be a place to start.
Rating:
Summary: Worth it
Review: This book explains the ins and outs of travel by rail in Japan. It not only manages that but provides a good source of information for seeing the important sites. It gives the quick and easy way to get to the towns and how to get to the places you will want to see. It may need to be fleshed out with a more comprehensive guidebook but this should be a place to start.
Rating:
Summary: Very comprehensive
Review: This book is a must if you intend to make long-distance travelling using trains in Japan. Very comprehensive and practically written.
Rating:
Summary: indispensable for JR pass holders
Review: Train is the best way to travel around Japan and this book include detail of the train information.
Also good recommendation for sightseeing and accommodations.
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