Japan - Help Please

I see you have also posted your question in the Japan forum on TripAdvisor. That is a very helpful forum, and you should get some answers there. In the meantime, take a look at this page on Japan-guide.com, which is a very useful resource.

https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2016.html

Basically, while it sounds complicated, it doesn’t have to be. If you simply want to travel from Tokyo to Kyoto and back, it is pretty simple—don’t worry about SUICA or other preloaded cards. There are frequent shinkansen bullet trains, and you can buy tickets at the counter just ahead of travel. The signage in the stations is very good, and once on the platform there are markings for where to line up for which seats in your car. If you make a mistake, people will kindly help you; you won’t get scolded (or fined).

We went to Japan in 2017, and had little to no issues with the transportation. We purchased the Japan Pass ahead of time, via the jrpass website (jrpass.com) - but we were traveling to multiple places. You might not need that pass if you are just traveling Tokyo-Kyoto and back. Unless something has changed, you must purchase the pass ahead of time. You'll get a voucher that you then present at the JR center to get your actual pass. In 2017, the JR app was called Hyperdia and was excellent.

I did a little blog piece on it - http://www.usualandordinary.com/japan/2017/6/16/japan-transportation

We traveled from Tokyo to Hakone to Hiroshima to Kyoto and back to Tokyo, all on the train, with luggage. Things may be slightly different now, but hopefully this info will get you started. We also used the Japan Guide website for planning and information.

Prices for JR Pass are going up (if we haven't passed the date already). No longer quite the good deal it was even earlier in 2023.

Small luggage goes overhead like on a plane. (Open rack). Large luggage at end of car behind seats. https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2274.html

If you haven't already, download the Navitime and Jorudan apps for Japan travel. The transit searches are excellent. You will even be given platform and train car information.

The train situation is actually easier "on the ground" than reading about. I was also confused when reading all the info, despite years of Asian, Oceania, and European travel. I can empathize, but rest assured that once there, it's much more obvious! English is also spoken well enough that the basic train station questions are easy to get resolved if you miss a sign and get confused.

Thank you so much for everyone's responses! They have been extremely helpful and beneficial. This is a great group!

Thanks again,

Mike

We had a tour from Tokyo (from Tokyo Station) to Kyoto and Nara. We took the Bullet Train.

Mike, check out some of the other threads already posted, you will find more details, if you need more help, send me a message.
George

some extensive discussions of Kyoto here if you aren't already totally planned: https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/beyond-europe/japan-09eb8a6d-4d52-4af2-82cd-e1927db1b6e5

Please also read my trip report on Japan.

When on the bullet train from Kyoto to Fukuoka, I sent my large bags by courier one day in advance. This is how most locals transport their large bags.

If you don't mind sitting in a comfortable bus, I think there are some night buses that run between Tokyo and Kyoto, departing from Shinjuku.