Personally find this information very important because it can be confusing to some people. To be honest, I have no idea how I got around Japan by myself without realizing any of this the past few times. If you are planning to venture outside of Tokyo by train, read on:
Public transportation is convenient in Japan but also a pain in the ass. It's not about sanitation. Japan is one of the cleanest countries in the world (and most OCD). The country overall is just clean as a whistle. When buying train tickets, it's normal to buy 1 ticket to a destination, wether it's single or round trip. In Japan, 2 tickets are needed, to board and to reserve a seat. They are called a basic ticket (boarding) and a supplement ticket (seat reservation). Both priced differently.
When we started to plan a trip to Kawaguchiko 河口湖 for hot springs and Mt. Fuji, we found out about the new Fuji Excursion had started running from Shinjuku straight to Kawaguchiko without having to change train. Excited, my sister started to do research on how to book tickets, then we found out about multiple tickets requirement.
It takes about 1hr and 52 minutes for Fuji Excursion to travel from Shinjuku station to Kawaguchiko. (This was why we stayed at Hotel Gracery Shinjuku for the convenience.) There are other stations along the way too.
The route from Shinjuku to Kawaguchiko involved 2 railroad companies. From Shinjuku to Otsuki is the JR line (East Japanese Railway) and a JR pass will cover for this part of the fare; the next part of the rail road, Fujikyuko, belongs to a private company so the passengers need to pay a separate fare for this part of the trip. Full fare between Shinjuku and Kawaguchiko is 4130 yen, about $40 dollars. This is the basic ticket.
Now, for seat reservation, supplement ticket. It is highly recommended to reserve a seat ahead of time, especially before peak seasons in Japan. Fuji Excursion offers unreserved seat ticket and it's cheaper. It means passenger is allowed to temporary sit at an open seat till someone who pays for the reserve seat comes. How to know if a paying passenger is coming soon? There are 3 lights (red/yellow/green) above each seat. Red means vacant - open seat for now. Yellow means a paying passenger is coming. Green means occupy. Seats are quite spacious and clean, equipped with power outlets. There is overhead storage and limited luggage storage in some cars. If you prefer not risking giving up your seat midway, reserve ahead of time. I'd say a month or so prior to your trip.
Tickets can be picked up at Shinjuku Station's Travel Service centre on the ground floor, East Exit. They have English speaking staffs.
Useful Sites:
＊If you are taking a train to the airport, the same requirements apply to the Narita Express.
Besides hot springs and awesome view of Mt. Fuji, Kawaguchiko is one of the 5 lakes (富士五湖) around Mt. Fuji. Kawaguchi Station has bus tour to see all 5 lakes. If you only want to spend your trip around Kawaguchiko, Red Line drives around all main sightseeing spots and shops. We bought unlimited bus pass at the station's visitor desk by the gift shop. It was very painless to get them. Bus comes frequently, though sometimes may be packed with tourists. The pass also comes with free boat tour and free Panoramic Ropeway ride. It was a great bargain.
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