As we were preparing this newsletter the Noto Peninsular Earthquake and the accident at Haneda Airport occurred. As a local company we would like to extend our sympathies to all those effected by these two events. 

TS Japan Rail would like to wish all our clients, prospective clients, followers and partners a Happy, Prosperous and Healthy 2024..and we hope to see you in Japan (for those of you who are not here already).

We have recently been busy renewing our website, making it easier to use, but at the same time providing lots of information and ideas.

In 2023, we were privileged to be involved in the planning and organization of the Locomotive Club of Great Britain's 2023 Japan Tour. We would like to express our gratitude to the LCGB for selecting us, as well as Eighty Days who we partnered with to make all the arrangements.

We were also fortunate to assist other visitors in organizing their travel plans in Japan and were delighted to receive your positive feedback regarding our services.

Earlier in late 2022 and early 2023 we were featured by Japan's no 1 and no 2 (by circulation) national daily newspapers - The Yomiuri Shimbun and the Asahi Shimbun. Japan is a country where the rail network is important and people are interested in our efforts to attract overseas visitors to travel by train and visit some of the many "off the beaten track" but interesting places.

For 2024 we have many travel ideas and will also be researching more. Keep watching our website and social media.

If you are planning to visit Japan and want to explore Japan by train or Explore Japan's Railways, organising a rail tour of Japan or any of its regions or a rail enthusiasts tour we can, with our extensive local knowledge, greatly enhance your or your clients experience. We are also happy to help clients who are not so familiar with public transport in their home countries take full advantage of Japan's superb rail system!

Stephen Turner

In June, Stephen Turner was interviewed by Miyuki Seguchi for one of her Japan Experts Podcasts (we highly recommend listening to Miyuki's very informative podcasts) on Rail Travel in Japan. 

To find out more and to listen to the podcast and read the accompanying blog you can find the links on the below TSJR Post link:

We have recently been enhancing our main website to make it more user-friendly while also providing a wealth of information, which can be a challenging combination.

We hope that you will like the new design. The button below will take to our site (www.tsjapanrail.com) It is also the easiest way to contact us if you have any questions or want us to help plan your trip to Japan.

In October 2023 the two "All Japan" JR Rail Passes were subject to a massive cost increase. Most regional JR Rail Passes also increased in price, but by less.

Are the JR Rail Passes still good value? We think yes for those who want to explore by Japan or its regions, which is what these passes were originally designed for.

For most "Golden Route" tourists, they will probably not be worthwhile, but we stress in all cases it does depend on your itinerary. The good news is that for many tourists buying ordinary tickets for their trip will probably cost much the same as the old cost of the JR Rail Pass and will give you more flexibility. (do not believe all you read on social media).

[As part of our planning services we look into what are the best tickets / passes for your trip both from a cost and convenience perspectives and will show you our calculations and reasoning for our recommendations]

Read more in our JR Rail Pass post, which also includes a downloadable guide to all the JR Rail Passes: 

Although Tohoku  is not on as many foreign tourist's itineraries as it should be, one popular place is Aizu Wakamatsu in Fukushima Prefecture.

Although most people get there from Tokyo by shinkansen via Koriyama, we would suggest a much more interesting route using several of Japan's most scenic routes...

From high speed trains to steam locomotives and a lot in between...highly intensive urban networks to rural lines...

Yes, there is a lot for rail enthusiasts to see in Japan...

TS Japan planned and organised the UK's Locomotive Club of Great Britain Japan tour in 2023, spending time in the Kanto region, Osaka, Hiroshima and Kyushu. The trip included riding on 5 steam locomotive hauled trains, shinkansen, 3 tram systems and visiting 3 railway museums...and more. Read more here (from LCGB website)

Whether you are an individual, small group, a railway enthusiasts association or a travel agent specialising in rail tours for enthusiasts, TS Japan Rail can help you plan and organise your tour.  With our local knowledge and expertise we can certainly add value to your tour!

find out more by clicking here:

We also have our rail fan dedicated website to give you some ideas: www.railfan.tsjapanrail.net

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