Hyperdia
Le nouveau train GSE 70 000
Wikipedia
As of April 2023, Hyperdia has stopped updating its timetable details on route search service, and is thus not the recommended app for train travel anymore.
With Hyperdia being unavailable, we now highly recommed you read our article about the Jorudan application, as practical and useful for traveling by train in Japan !
Alternative Application
One of the best alternative to Hyperdia is Jorudan. It is so far the most reliable websites and applications for looking up routes, fares and travel times. It is easy to use, especially good for those who are first-timers in Japan.
The navigating application is available on Android and Apple and has a web version. Jorudan offers its service in 13 different languages, including Japanese, English, French, German and Spanish and has two versions: a free version and a premium version. Both are available on the desktop and mobile versions, and both include a Japan Rail Pass option.
Yamanote wharf in Uguisudani
Jérôme Laborde
Hyperdia, what is it?
Initiated in 2008 by Japan Railways to make travel simple for foreign visitors, Hyperdia is a rail app that simulates your journey throughout Japan.
The fastest way to do Nagasaki - Kagoshima via Fukuoka? Cheapest train to Sendai from Nikko? Hyperdia provides schedules, train information, price and travel times.
- Read also: Take the train in Japan
Gathering information for each train online and stations circulating in the country, the application makes it possible to easily determine which path will be the fastest to connect point A to point B. But not only that, but Hyperdia also makes it possible to know the timetables of the trains at any time of the day and night, the travel time between each connection, and the fare of each simulated route. In short, it is one of most essential app to download for your trip to Japan!
This is why much Japanese use it daily!
How to use Hyperdia?
Although Hyperdia's database is as dense as the rail network it covers, the app is relatively easy to use.
You just need to fill in the "from" and "to" fields of the search tab using the names of the stations proposed by Hyperdia according to the letters typed, then to specify the dates and times of departure or arrival of the journey you wish to make.
Note that it is also possible to indicate the number of connections accepted per trip ("route outputs"), as well as the type of train you would like to use (express, local, Shinkansen, metro, etc.). Be careful though, if you have a Japan Rail Pass, don't forget to uncheck the "Nozomi / Mizuho" boxes in the transport categories! These trains cannot be used with the JR Pass!
- Read also: The Ekiben, the train bentô
L'application Hyperdia
Ph.L
Once the data is entered, all you have to do is look at the search results. These are classified by increasing times (from the earliest to the latest) by indicating at the top (facing Route x) the travel time, the number of connections, and the price of the journey (for the Shinkansen the price of the ticket and that of the reservation), and below the trip details (stations and timetables).
To go further, also know that it is possible to check the specific timetables at each station for a given train (by clicking on "Train timetable") as well as the plan of the surroundings of the latter (by clicking on "Map", to the right).
Le moteur de recherche de Hyperdia propose de sélectionner un billet de métro ou de train en fonction de nombreux critères
Hyperdia
To go further: Hyperdia Highway bus and Hyperdia mobile
Very practical and easy to use, Hyperdia is a huge success in Japan! This is why Hitachi System (the company behind the modeling of the application) has decided to push the limits of the application even further by also creating a database for long-haul buses!
Called Highway Bus Search, the bus version of Hyperdia takes the form of a small search tab placed just below the trains. It simulates a bus trip between two large Japanese cities, and its use is even simpler than that of the " classic" Hyperdia since it suffices to indicate the places of arrival and departure of the trip as well as the date of departure scheduled for the latter to generate all the trains that run that day between the two destinations.
In addition to the average price and the configuration of the seats (equipped with USB socket, integrated sleeper mode, etc.), the search results will also indicate here the various stops on the route, as well as the times at which they will potentially be reached (the bus being dependent on traffic let us not forget).
A Kyoto city bus
Wikimedia Commons
- Read also: Take the bus in town
If you are interested in Hyperdia (train or bus), finally know that the app is now available on iPhone and Android. Its use is free for 30 days , and a major advantage: its vocal mode ("Hyperdia by voice") allows it to be used by simply saying the name of the stations!
