Below are some useful links for planning your trip to Japan.

• Trailblazer Publications, publisher of Japan by Rail.

• Japan National Tourist Organization.

• Japan Rail Pass.

Japan by rail on the Internet
www.bijapan.com/cgi-bin/expwww/exp.cgi
Input your origin and destination points for anywhere on Japan¹s rail network and this site will come up with an itinerary, including transfers, journey time and fare.

www.geocities.com/TheTropics/Cove/5750/tips.html
One of the best resources on the web, run by a rail enthusiast with regularly updated information on rail travel in Japan with maps and travel advice pages.

www.h2.dion.ne.jp/~dajf/byunbyun/index.htm
Anything you could ever want to know about the shinkansen, written by a rail enthusiast.

www.jnto.go.jp/db/traffic/
JNTO's page devoted to rail and air travel around Japan includes an on-line train timetable and colour diagrams showing the layout of major JR stations.

All the companies in the JR Group have a presence on the web:
Http://JR Hokkaido: www.jrhokkaido.co.jp (Japanese only).
Http://JR East: www.jreast.co.jp/e/ Excellent source of information in English,
including fares and details about JR East rail passes (see p14).
JR Central: www.jr-central.co.jp Corporate information only is available in
English.
JR West: http://www.westjr.co.jp/english/ Good English information on JR West's network and rail passes (see p14).
JR Shikoku: www.jr-shikoku.co.jp (Japanese only).
JR Kyushu: www.jrkyushu.co.jp (Japanese only).
JR Group: www.japanrail.com The office (US % 212-332 8686, 2 332
8690, : info@japanrail.com, Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm) provides rail-related
information but does not sell tickets/rail passes. The address is: One
Rockefeller Plaza, Suite 1622, New York, NY10020, USA.