🚄 Transport Plan
🚫 Skip the JR Pass
After the 2023 price hike, your route costs ~$194/person in individual tickets vs ¥50,000+ for a 7-day pass. Individual tickets win by a mile.
🗺️ City-to-City Routes
| 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 (SmartEX) | ~1h 10m | ¥8,700 / ~$58 |
| Nagoya → Ghibli Park | Subway + Linimo | 46 min | ¥670 / ~$4 |
| Nagoya → Kyoto | Shinkansen Nozomi (SmartEX) | 35 min | ¥5,510 / ~$37 |
| Kyoto → Osaka | JR Kyoto Line Special Rapid | 29 min | ¥570 / ~$4 |
| Shin-Osaka → Tokyo | Shinkansen Nozomi (SmartEX) | ~2h 27m | ¥14,520 / ~$97 |
| Hotel → Haneda | Limousine Bus | 45 min | ¥1,000 / ~$7 |
💰 Estimated total transport (family of 3): ~¥102,420 / ~$683
🎫 Shinkansen Booking Windows
Tickets open exactly 1 month before departure at 10:00 AM JST. All 3 routes are now bookable.
| Route | Book Opens | Duration | Cost/Person |
|---|---|---|---|
| Odawara → Nagoya (Jul 14) | Jun 14 ✅ NOW OPEN | ~1h 10m | ¥8,700 / $58 |
| Nagoya → Kyoto (Jul 16) | Jun 16 ✅ NOW OPEN | ~35 min | ¥5,510 / $37 |
| Shin-Osaka → Tokyo (Jul 22) | Jun 22 ✅ NOW OPEN | ~2h 27m | ¥14,520 / $97 |
🚅 Total Shinkansen (family of 3): ¥86,190 / ~$575
💳 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 — no Japanese address required. Free app for iOS/Android.
SmartEX Membership ID: 6289557471
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.