Your first trip to Japan: Don't try too hard. BE a tourist. 

I totally get it too ... I never cared about trains at all, but one visit to Japan has turned me into a train nerd.

Same!

@@WayneLLC Thank you! Yes it was a very awkward moment to say the least...😅

True, just be a tourist. Enjoy Japan!

I just use copyright free music from RU-vid's library 😆

Thank you fellow MGS fan😆

It's really down to your personal preferences. Kyoto's cultural legacy and overall atmosphere resonate with me more. Osaka & Tokyo are just...big cities. Not to say that they are not great, but to me Kyoto is just a tad more unique.

@@Will_Zhao Thank you! You Rock

It's the jidai matsuri. Yeah the trip was recent but not THAT recent.😁

@@Will_Zhao ohh, gotcha! fair enough haha. well in that case, we might've been in town at the same time! that's pretty funny

@@bloodpine666 we actually might have, that's pretty cool!

If you give an example I could help a bit. If it is the same train crossing the boundary of your pass you can in most cases continue on and adjust the fare at the destination. If you intend to take a limited express train with reserved seating that crosses the pass boundary I recommend reserving your seat at a manned ticket office. If you are are changing trains at the same station your pass ends I recommend exiting the station and buying a new ticket before reentering. If the train has a conductor and checks your pass in a section where it is not valid they may ask you to buy a ticket on the spot, carry enough cash.

Thanks for your response ! Here is an example for you The Tokyo wide area pass only covers the shinkansen to sakudaira However if I want to continue to nagano do I have to get out of the train and board a seperate shinkansen or can I continue in the same train and pay the excess fee

@@amithvikram5329 Good example, here are a couple of ways to do it. You can go to a manned ticket office before you travel and reserve a seat all the way to Nagano. Show your pass and pay the difference and you can travel without any interruption. At the exit you may may need to insert/show your pass, the reserved seat ticket, and the additional base fare ticket sold to you at the manned ticket office. Or you can just travel in an unreserved car all the way to Nagano, get off and show your pass at the manned exit gate. You will pay the additional fare then. If you reserve a seat using a ticket machine you can only do so up until Sakudaira. At that point you need to move to an unreserved car or you will be asked for your ticket. If you do move to an unreserved car you exit via the manned gate showing your pass where you pay the additional fare.

Again thanks a lot ! My whole point of this detour is to simply see the matsumoto Jo castle Do let me know if there is any cheap ways of getting there I saw one where I would have to switch trains in shinonoi for around 2000 yen

@@amithvikram5329 Well if using the Tokyo Wide Pass via Shinkansen you need to pay 2860 between Sakudaira and Nagano, then pay 1170 (local) or 2370 (limited express) from Nagano to Matsumoto. Total at least 4030 each way in addition to the pass. The best way if trying to save money is probably to go go via Kobuchizawa (limit of the Tokyo Wide Pass) which departs from Shinjuku. The fare difference there from Kobuchizawa to Matsumoto is only 2190 each way. Reserve that seat before travelling for best convenience. About 2.5 hours from Shinjuku without needing to transfer. You still need to calculate whether the Tokyo Wide Pass will save you money depending on the other trips you are taking. The normal fare from Shinjuku to Matsumoto is 6620 each way, but the Tokyo wide pass is 15000 for 3 days. If you are doing another long trip from Tokyo it will save you money.

It's strange that you need to take a limited express train. I'm not sure which train you are taking but if you are sure that's the correct transfer for you, this is what I know: You can just use your IC card for the local train, when you arrive at Otsuki, you'll want to exit the gates and buy tickets for the limited express train at a ticket machine or a ticket counter inside the station. When you have your ticket, just go to the platform on your ticket and that's it.

@@Will_Zhao thank you so much. I put the route on google maps and it give me that... local train from Kawagushiko to Otsuki and then limited express from Otsuki to Shinjuko. I have the bus but I'm going at 8h and don't want to be stuck in the traffic... and can't take the fuji express train because he doesn't ride from Kawaguchiko at that hour. I only have 15/20 min between trains, I'm thinking of buying the limited express ticket at Kawagushiko station.

​@@joanafigueira4548 Again, not sure which limited express train you are taking but you should know that Kawaguchiko Station is a Station for Fujikyu, a private rail company, if your limited express train is from JR, you might not be able to buy the tickets there, they are two different companies. However, I know that the JR Chuo line connects Otsuki to Tokyo so if you couldn't catch the limited express tain, you can probably still take the regular train that departs every 30 min or so.

last winter