How to ride trains in Japan

Although I love travelling, getting on public transportation for the first time make me really nervous. Once I get on a couple of time, I feel comfortable.

This is a step by step guide to ride trains in Japan.

1. Have cash, travel IC card or mobile suica ready. Unless you are going long distance, you cannot use credit card to pay for the fare.
2. Buy ticket (if you have travel IC card or mobile suica, skip to 4.) Go to the station and look for the ticket vending machine.
3. Buy ticket using vending machine. First, look for the language and change the language setting. Then, look for “Buy ticket” and press the fare. If you do not know the fare, buy the cheapest ticket. (you can adjust the fare later→12)
4. Go to ticket gate. Go to gates that has ↑ for ticket/IC Card/mobile suica. If you have IC Card/mobile suica, you can also use the gates that says IC. If you have ticket, put the ticket in the slot in front of you and make sure to pick up at the other end. You will need the ticket at the destination, so please keep it until you get to the destination. If you have IC Card/mobile suica, please tap and walk through the gate.
5. Look for your line. They are usually color coded. Sometimes, platform is different depending on which way you are going. If that’s the case, you can either check with station number or major station close to your destination.
6. Go to the platform. Double check that this platform is going the correct way. You can check with signs on the platform.
7. Wait for the train. Nowadays, most of the stations have fense/gate on the platform for safety reasons. please wait around the gate. During the rush hour, people will wait on queue (you often see line on the floor for people to queue) then, please follow.
8. Wait behind yellow line. If you want to take photos, please take it from behind yellow lines. Otherwise, staion staffs would ask you to stay away from the trains.
9. Get on the train. When the train comes, please let people get out first and then get on. Once on the train, if it is crowded, it would be better not to stand in front of the door. Otherwise, you may have to get out of the train every time people are getting off.
10. Watch for the station to get off. On the train, there will be Japanese and English announcement and many trains also have electric signboard showing next stop. It will be helpful if you know the station number that you are getting off.
11. Find exit/ transfer information. Once you arrive at the station, before you make a move, first look for yellow signboard. That is exit/transfer information. The yellow board shows major destinations and its exit numbers. Some huge stations have more than 40 exits(!), so first check the correct ticket gate and exit number. (In some stations, if you don’t go out from the correct ticket gate, you cannot get to the exit you want to go.) If you can’t find your destination on the board, try to find major buildings/landmarks near your destination or ask station staffs.
12. Go to the ticket gate. Please have your ticket /IC Card/ mobile suica ready. If you didn’t know the fare and bouoght the cheapest ticket and/or the ticket gate closes or hear door bell sound, that means fare is not enough so you need to adjust the fare.
13. Adjust the fare (if necessary) Near every ticket gate to go out, there is always “Fare Adjusting Machine” Again, look for Language setting and chage. Put the ticket in the slot. The machine will tell you how much more you need to put money. You can only use cash on this machine. They won’t take credit cards. In case of physical IC Card, you can also charge (top up) on this machine. In case of ticket, adjusted ticket will be issued so please take that to ticket gate.
14. Go out the ticket gate. When going out of the ticket gate, if you have a ticket, please put the ticket in the slot but this time, the ticket will be collected in the machine, so it is not coming out. Just walk through. Sometimes, if you need to transfer, ticket may come out. In that case, please take it. (This will happen when you are coming out from Shinkansen at the Tokyo Station and change to conventional lines or if you are changing metro lines in some stations)
15. Look for the exit number that is closest to your destination. In many cases, there are maps in the station.

Hope this helps.