FUMI TOURSJAPAN JOURNEYS & RAILWAY GUIDES
Osaka Station platforms beneath the great roof at sunset

Fumi Railway Discovery Journeys

See more of Japan.
Learn the railways
as you go.

Wonderful places. Clear connections. The confidence to travel independently.

Choose your journeyHow it works

Alberge204 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · cropped for display

A good holiday. A useful new skill.

Your first journey
can take you further.

You do not need to understand the whole Japanese railway system before you arrive. Start with one train and a clear destination. We help you build from there.

These are self-guided holidays with a closely planned route and detailed written guidance. Travel independently, book your own stays and trains, and use Fumi’s guides at each new connection. There is no accompanying tour leader or fixed group departure.

01 / Before you go

Make the journey yours

Choose your dates, reserve the main stays and intercity trains, and save the maps you will use.

02 / On the day

Follow the next step

Open the day’s instructions. Check the operator, direction, stop, ticket and exit.

03 / Along the way

Enjoy the discovery

Leave time for a meal, a neighbourhood walk and a place you did not expect to love.

Take your pick

Two ways to find your feet.

Both start gently in Kansai. Choose the shorter eastbound route or take more time for mountain temples and southern Japan.

Osaka Station platforms beneath the great roof at sunsetDiscovery 01

12 days · 11 nights · Self-guided

Kansai to TokyoYour First Rail Adventure

Begin with a simple airport train, find your feet in Osaka, discover Kyoto and Nara, then follow the Shinkansen to the coast and Tokyo. Each day adds one useful skill to a wonderful Japanese holiday.

  • Osaka’s neighbourhoods
  • Kyoto & Nara day trips
  • Two nights beside the sea
  • Tokyo, with a clear airport finish

The gentler introduction. A first visit to Japan, a manageable introduction to different operators, and time to learn without moving hotels every day.

Explore the journey →

Alberge204 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · cropped for display

Stone memorials beneath tall cedars at Okunoin, KoyasanDiscovery 02

21 days · 20 nights · Self-guided

Kansai to KyushuThe Southern Rail Adventure

Build confidence in Osaka, climb into Koyasan’s temple forests and follow the railway through Nara and Himeji to southern Kyushu. Finish with four nights in Kyoto and a new understanding of Japan by rail.

  • Temple nights in Koyasan
  • Nara & Himeji Castle
  • Kagoshima & Fukuoka
  • Four-night Kyoto finale

More variety, with time to settle. A first-timer who wants a longer adventure and is comfortable with several transfers, a mountain stay and two substantial intercity travel days.

Explore the journey →

Josep M. Gracia · CC BY-SA 4.0 · cropped for display

Get a feel for the railway

Stations worth looking up for.

Osaka Station platforms beneath the great roof at sunset
Osaka · the great station roof

The public station district is a rewarding stop in its own right.

Alberge204 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · cropped for display
The soaring central concourse of Kyoto Station
Kyoto · the soaring concourse

Find your line first, then take a moment to enjoy the architecture.

MaedaAkihiko · CC0 1.0 · cropped for display
Tokyo Station Marunouchi building illuminated after dark
Tokyo · the Marunouchi frontage

Marunouchi and Yaesu are different sides: choose your exit before leaving.

MaedaAkihiko · CC BY-SA 4.0 · cropped for display

Your travelling companion

Keep the good guidance close.

Read the next day before you leave. Save your maps, carry your reservations and use the workbook for the little details that make tomorrow easier.