🚄 Transport Plan
🚫 Skip the JR Pass
After the 2023 price hike, your route costs ~$247/person in individual tickets vs ¥50,000+ for a 7-day pass. Individual tickets win.
| Route | Method | Time | Cost/Person |
|---|---|---|---|
| Haneda → DoubleTree Ariake (Tokyo Big Sight) | Limousine Bus | ~25-35 min | ¥1,000 / ~$7 |
| Tokyo → Hakone | Romancecar from Shinjuku | 80 min | ¥2,470 / ~$17 |
| Hakone (Odawara) → Nagoya | Shinkansen Hikari | ~1h 10m | ¥9,250 / ~$62 |
| Nagoya → Kyoto | Shinkansen Nozomi/Hikari | 35 min | ¥5,910 / ~$39 |
| Kyoto → Osaka | JR Kyoto Line Special Rapid | 29 min | ¥570 / ~$4 |
| Nagoya → Ghibli Park | Subway + Linimo | 46 min | ¥670 / ~$4 |
| Nagoya → Hamamatsu | Shinkansen Kodama | 45 min | ¥4,500 / ~$30 |
| Hamamatsu → Tokyo | Shinkansen Hikari | 90 min | ¥8,500 / ~$57 |
| Hotel → Haneda | Limousine Bus | 45 min | ¥1,400 / ~$9 |
💳 IC Card / Welcome Suica
Buy at JR East counter at Haneda on arrival. ¥1,500 / ~$10 loaded balance. Works on ALL trains, subways, buses across every city. If you have iPhone 8+, use Welcome Suica Mobile (180-day validity).
🚅 Shinkansen Booking
Shinkansen tickets open 1 month before departure at 10 AM JST. Book online via SmartEX (https://global.jr-central.co.jp/en/onlinebooking/) — no Japanese address required. Free app for iOS/Android.
Step-by-step:
1. Download the SmartEX app (https://smart-ex.jp/en/) and create a free account (works with non-Japanese credit cards)
2. On the booking open date (1 month before travel), search your route and reserve seats
3. At the station, pick up physical tickets at the purple SmartEX machines (or use your phone as a ticket with IC card linked)
4. Reserve window seats for scenic views — Seat D/E (right side) for Mt. Fuji views on Odawara→Nagoya route
🧳 Luggage Forwarding (Takkyubin)
Send luggage between hotels via Yamato Transport (~¥2,000/bag / ~$13). Available at any konbini or hotel desk. Send the day before you travel. Game changer — travel between cities with just a daypack.