Getting around Tokyo
Public transport is the best way to get around Tokyo as the city has the worlds largest rail network. The city’s rail networks are super reliable and efficient that makes it one of the most used systems in the world.
Like most Japanese cities Tokyo’s rail system is made up of a number of separate rail companies. This can be confusing to some new visitors to Tokyo as getting to where you want to go may require leaving the station you currently are in and walking across the road to the other networks station to continue your journey.
Fortunately 90% of the places most tourists would like to visit fall near JR’s Yamanote line. This line is a loop line that circles central Tokyo and has stations at many of the major city suburbs. So important to the city is the Yamanote line that most of the stations on the line have become more famous than the suburbs the serve.
It takes around one hour to do a full loop on the Yamanote line so it’s best to group your day’s activities at stations that are near each other. With a system as huge Tokyo’s rail system there are plenty of short cuts to get around too. From Shinjuku you can cut across the centre of the Yamanote loop on the Chuo Main line to Tokyo or the Chuo Sobu line to Akibahara.
There are also 2 extensive subway systems known as the Tokyo Metro and Toei Subway. These subways both have an extensive network inside and outside the Yamanote loop, if you cant get to it on the Yamanote line it most likely accessible available on these subway networks.
Other rail networks also exist in Tokyo with the most common you come across are the Yurikamome and TWR services that service the island of Odaiba. Keisei Electric Railway also operate lines in some outer suburbs of Tokyo, their Keisei Main Line connects Uneo to Narita airport in under an hour on express services.
Its best to be planned well ahead of where you want to go and perhaps carry a map of all the rail networks as you may not find competitors lines shown on the map at your station. There is often many ways to get from point A to point B. One example is a Tokyo tourism guide that shows 4 ways to get from Shinagawa to Disneyland that varies from 19 min to 29 min, and in price from 290 yen to 660 yen with the cheapest method being the fastest.
If you are in Tokyo for more than a few days you may find a pre paid ticket or card more convenient. JR’s prepaid reusable contactless card called Suica is an increasingly popular option that can also be used in some shops and vending machines instead of cash. The recently launched Pasmo card is similar to Suica but is sold in non JR stations. These two systems are interchangeable on most lines and will possibly able to be used in other parts of Japan in the future.
Also on Happy Jappy
Keisei Electric Railway
JR Yamanote Line
JR Chuo Line
JR Keihin Tohoku Line
Ginza Metro Line
More local Train and Subway info
JR Shinkansen bullet train
Japan Rail Pass
