Terminology in Japanese Posts or What the Heck is a Prefecture

Shinkansen - bullet trains - super express - These are all names for Japans high speed trains.

Prefecture - province

City - The Japanese term that this is translated from includes the surrounding countryside, often more like counties than cities.

Castle - usually a reconstruction from the 50's or 60's of a group of fortified buildings from the 16th or 17th century. If you are interested in history, pay attention to which parts of what you are seeing are actually old and which ones are recent reconstructions.

If anyone has a question about what something means, send me a message or post a comment, and will explain here.

A Guide to Asian Trains

The focus is on telling the reader about the walkable area around train stations. Basically, I hope to give readers a sense of where stations are in relation to the places that give them their names. If I am lucky, in some cases the reader can gain a sense of what those places are like.

Each post starts with a list of information, and hopefully a picture. A full list includes places of interest, whether or not lodging is available in the station area, whether or not there is a tourist office, location of ATM's, and location of internet access. In some cases I may include information about whether a station is handicapped accessible and whether the restrooms are decent or not. Places of interest can include anything with half an hour walk from the station. Routes must be safe for pedestrians and easy to follow. Routes may be a little more complicated if maps are easily available in the station.

The body of each post should tell the reader where they can go by train from that station along with travel times. Some older posts may not include this information.

If you are interested in a particular piece of information that is missing, please leave a comment or send me a message. A link to my email is in my profile.

How to travel on a Korail Train

You need to go to the ticket counter to buy tickets. The machines only work for people who have a Korail membership which can be a little hard to get, especially for foreigners. Most people who work the ticket counters in major cities speak English. Usually the ticket agents in very small towns are also very helpful, the medium-sized places can be the hardest places to deal with.

There is a Korea Rail Pass for sale overseas to foreigners, but unless you are traveling a lot within a short period of time, it is not a good deal. Ticket prices are so reasonable that you can travel that you can travel the whole country for less than a single Shinkansen tickets. Train tickets are also cheaper than in the US. A trip on California's Capitol Corridor between San Jose and Sacramento costs $25-30. A similar distance on the Korean train can cost as little as $7-9. And that is assuming a bad exchange rate for the Korean won. (KTX trains are more expensive, as are some trains that serve rural areas.)

(The Capitol Corridor has almost the same kind of seats as the Saemaeul trains.)

Reservations are necessary on all Korail trains. Smart cards cannot be used for payment. If the train is not crowded, lots of people change seats. Some of the ticket attendants don't like it when people do this, but most of us just ignore them.

Basic Terminology for Korean Posts

KTX - Korea Train Express, Korea's bullet train, based on TGV technology. There are three classes of service: regular, first, and movie car. Standing tickets are sold last minute if a train is sold out. KTX trains sell out during rush hour and the beginning and end of holiday periods. A snack wagon moves around the train.

Saemaeul (New World) - Conventional express trains with two classes of service: regular and first. There is a snack car serving hot and cold food with bench seating. The car has four computers with internet, a music room, and a relaxation room, all for rented at reasonable rates.

Mugungwha (Rose of Sharon)- conventional trains with two classes of service: regular and standing. I think that standing tickets can only be bought the day of travel. These trains sell out frequently, even at non-peak times. Mugungwha trains have the same snack cars as Saemaeul trains.

Place Names

"-ju" Historically a place of great scholarship. A place to look for historic buildings, museums, and traditional culture.

"-san" Mountain. If part of a city name, expect a lot steep streets. If in a name for a subway stop, good hiking is probably within walking distance.

I will add more as I think of them.

"-do" Province.

"-si" Usually translated as city, but really means a county that includes an urban area. There is no word in Korean that directly corresponds to our word "city".

"-gun" A rural county

The province and county names should be in the tags for all station posts.

Directions

"dong" east

"seo" west

"nam" south

"bok" north

"jung" center

Fighting Climate Change - a good thing

Here is a short essay on why fighting climate change can make us all happier based on examples from my own life.

In other words, here are the good things that have happened to me after I decided to only travel by public transportation, especially the train.

1. I met my first Korean friend the first time that I got off the train here.

2. I discovered a direction for my writing. (I do most of my writing on the train.)

3. I discovered a really interesting historic site with a fort that is over a thousand years and a building called a hanggyo. I was curious as to the meaning of "hanggyo" so I wrote is down. Later I read an essay where hanggyo were explained, and I remembered what they were. Which is good because the explanations on the tourist markers are wrong.

4. On a trip to visit my parents, I saw a canyon in the Rockies that is only accessible by train and river raft.

5. By randomly taking a bus from an old job, I found a lake that none of my co-workers knew about.

6. I am less sensitive to cold and heat.

7. Which led to me having a fantastic trip by train to the Grand Canyon. No air conditioning. In summer. Actually, perfect. (The Grand Canyon is not Phoenix, however.)

8. I was one of the only people who didn't complain about the heat on a group trip to Hawaii. (By the way Waikiki is a fake beach. There are much nicer beaches on just about every island.)

9. I will eventually think of something else. (See below and Netflix Origami.)

I want to give a shout out to the Sanyo Electric Railway for turning off the lights during the day. There was so much sun that I was getting sunburned with sunscreen on (and I do know to reapply). Also, to the train that had fans instead of air conditioning. Especially since the passengers could turn them off. Which they did. It was cold in northern Japan this summer. I was freezing and then I would get on the train and the air conditioning would be on.

Update: Here is someone who thinks that Americans don't think of bicycles as a form of transportation because they are too much fun. Fun in the Snow

Blog Action Day 2009

Climate change is the topic for this year's Blog Action Day (October 15).

What is Blog Action Day? "Blog Action Day is an annual event that unites the world's bloggers in posting about the same issue on the same day on their own blogs with the aim of sparking discussion around an issue of global importance." Bloggers from previous years chose the topic, so if we all blog together this year, we can help choose the topic next year.

I have a topic for my other blog, but I still haven't decided what I should do for this one. Is anyone else blogging about this? If so, what are you going to write about? What would you like me to write about?

discount train tickets

Seshun 18 is available during school holdays. Only 11,500 yen buys five days of travel on all local and rapid trains. Travel does not need to be on consecutive days, and more than one person can use the pass. For example, five people can use one pass to travel one day.

Observations on Transport Quality

I have noticed that trains are popular in Japan, but that trains there are sometimes not very comfortable. Buses are heavily used in Korea, but many definitely are not comfortable.

I think that there are a couple of reasons for this.

First, a certain percentage of passengers use public transportation because they are environmentalists. These people will use gravitate towards the most common forms of public transportation.

But I don't think that is the most important reason.

When a form of transportation is not so popular, governments try to make it comfortable to attract people. Or at least justify operating it. So in Japan buses are comfortable even when they are slow and don't go where you need them to when. Aichi Prefecture's private trains are some of the most comfortable trains in Japan. Because buses don't fill in the gaps between the train lines very well, people realistically need cars. The area is relatively prosperous, so most can afford a car. So the trains have to constantly compete.

In Korea, bus ridership apparently will never drop below a certain level, no matter how awful the buses are. Trains are another matter. So trains are comfortable. (Unless they are overbooked.)

More Train Routes

That last post wasn't all the trains in Korea, was it. Doing this list is a little boring, but useful. It will get more interesting, I promise.

Next is another line that goes out of Cheongnyangni in western Seoul. Like most of the trains on this list, it is good line to take if you want to see mountains.

Jungang

Cheongnyangni (In Seoul), Doekso, Yangpyeong, Yongmun, Jipyeong, Seokbu, Gudun, Maeguk, Yangdong, Pandae, Ganhyeon, Wonju, Jecheon, Danyang, Huibangsa, Pungki, Yeongju (change for Taebaek line), Ongcheon, Andong, Uiseong, Tapri, Hwabon, Sinnyang, Yeongcheon, Seogyeongju, Gyeongju, Bulguksa, Hogye, Ulsan, Deokha, Namchang, Walnae, Jwacheon, Gijang, Songjang, Haeundae (in Busan), Dongnae (in Busan), Bujeon (in downtown Busan)

A branch of this line serves Pohang. Same from Bujeon (in Busan) to Hogye.

Angang, Hyoja, Pohang

Taebaek

Same as Gyeongbusan from Busan to Gimcheon.

Oksan, Cheongni, Sangju, Hamchang, Jeonchon, Yonggung, Gepo, Yecheon, Yeongju

Most trains end at Yeongju, but a daily train from Daegu takes an alternate route further into the mountains.

Dongdaegu, Hayang, Bokyeongcheon

Sinnyang to Yeongju same as the Jungang line.

Bonghwa, Chunyang, Imgi, Hyeondong, Buncheon, Yangwon, Seungbu, Seokpo, Cheolam, Tongri, Dogye, Singi, Donghae, Jeongdongjin, Gangneung

Yeongdongsan

Same as Jungang line from Cheongnyangni to Wonju.

Shinrim, Bongyang, Jecheon, Ssangyong, Yeongwon, Yemi, Jeungsan, Sabuk, Gohan, Taebaek, Mungak, Tongni

Same as Taebaek line from Dogye to Gangneung

A feeder line comes from Daejeon.

Daejeon, Sintanjin (in Daejeon), Jochiwon, Cheongju, Ogeumjang, Cheongjugonghang (Cheongju Airport), Jeungpyeong, Eumseong, Judeok, Dalcheon, Chungju, Dokhaeng, Samtan, Bongyang, Jecheon

Train Routes in Korea

There are nine train lines in Korea. The Gyeongbu and the Honam lines run both high speed (KTX) and regular speed trains. Here are a list of the all the rail lines that cover Korea. Please note that not all trains stop at all stations.

Gyeongbu Line

Haengshin (KTX only)

Seoul (KTX)

Gwangmyeong (in Seoul, KTX only), Yeongdeungpo (in Seoul), Anyang, Suwon,

Osan, Pyeongtaek, Cheonan (KTX trains stop at Cheonan-Asan station.), Jochiwon, Sintanjin (Daejeon), Daejeon (KTX), Okcheon,

Iwon, Yeongdong, Chupungryeong, Gimcheon, Gumi, Waegwan, Daegu, Dongdaegu(KTX), Gyeongsan, Chyeongdo, Miryang (KTX), Samrangjin, Mulgeum, Gupo (KTX) (Busan)

Busan (KTX)

Honam

Haengshin (KTX only)

Yongsan (in downtown Seoul, KTX)

Same as Gyeongbu line from here to Shintanjin except no stop at Anyang or Osan.

Seodaejeon (KTX), Gyeyreong (KTX), Yeonsan, Nonsan (KTX), Ganggyeong (Nonsan), Hamyeol,

Iksan (KTX), Gimje (KTX), Sintaein, Jeongeup (KTX),

Baekyangsa, Jangseong, Gwangju (KTX) (All trains for Mokpo stop at Gwangju Songjeong instead.)

Naju (KTX), Dasi, Hampyeong, Muan, Mongtan, Irro, Mokpo (KTX)

Janghang

Yongsan (in downtown Seoul)

Same as Gyeongbu line from here to Cheonan except no stop at Osan.

Asan (This is the same station as Cheonan-Asan KTX station.), Onyang-oncheon, Dogo-oncheon, Sillewon, Yesan, Sapgyo, Hongseong, Gwangcheon, Daecheon, Ungcheon, Pangyo, Seocheon, Janghang, Gunsan,

From Iksan same as Honam line to Seodaejeon Station.

Jeolla

Yongsan

Same as Honam to Iksan.

Samnye, Jeonju, Osu, Namwon, Guggyeong, Guryegu, Suncheon, Deokyang, Yecheon, Yeosu

Trains that run along the southern edge of Korea are also considered to be part of the Jeolla line. It starts same as the Homan line until Gwangju Sonjeong.

Seogwangju, Hycheon, Nampyeong, Hwasun, Neungju, Iyang, Myangbong, Boseong, Deukryang, Yedang, Joseong, Beolgyo, Suncheon, Gwangyang, Okkuk, Jinsang, Hadong, Huingcheon, Yangbo, Bukcheon, Wansa, Jinju, Gaeyang, Nammunsan, Galchon, Jinseong, Banseong, Jinjusumokwon, Pyeongchon, Wonbuk, Gunbuk, Haman, Jangri, Masan, Changwon, Jinyang, Nakdonggang, Samrangjin, Mulgeum, Hwamyeong (Busan), Gupo (Busan), Sasang (Busan), Bujeon (in Busan)

Gyeongchun

Cheongyangni (in Seoul), Seongbuk, Hwangrangdae, Twaegewon, Sareung, Geumgok,

Pyeongnaihopyeong, Maseok, Daeseongni, Cheongpyeong, Gapyeong, Gangchon, Gimyujeong,

Namchuncheon