Expat Japan Guide

How to Use Trains in Japan: A Foreigner's Guide

Japan’s train network is the best in the world — and also one of the most confusing to figure out the first time. Wrong ticket, wrong line, wrong exit: it happens to everyone. Read this once and you’ll navigate it like a local. First Thing: Get an IC Card Before you do anything else, get an IC card. This is the rechargeable card you tap on the gates to pay for trains automatically. You don’t need to buy a ticket every single time. ...

May 25, 2026 · 4 min · Expat Japan Team