If this is your first time staying Tokyo and would like to learn about transportation, here is a suggestion of orientation sample model course. This course will cover both JR and subway so you know both.
Before going to the station
Please make sure to have some cash with you. Especially if you are travelling by ticket, please have about 2000 yen with you. If you don’t have any cash with you, please get some at seven bank atm using credit card.
Start from your nearest station
If you are close to JR station, you can start with JR. If you are close to metro station, you can start from metro. For example, we will start from Ikebukuro Station and use Tokyo metro first.
In big stations such as Ikebukuro, Shinjuku, Shibuya and Tokyo has several lines inside one station. In this example, Ikebukuro Station has JR lines, 3 Tokyo Metro lines and 2 other private lines (Tobu and Seibu) Let’s take metro line first and go to Asakusa. Find a line that go to Ginza first. In this example, from Ikebukuro, Tokyo Metro (Subway) Marunouchi line goes to Ginza. Check the line color (in this example, it’s red circle with M) and Station numbers (in this example, Ikebukuro Station is M25 and Ginza Station is M16)
Buying Ticket.
If you have Travel IC card such as Suica or mobile suica, skip this part.
If you don’t have travel IC card or mobile suica, first thing to do is to buy a ticket. There are ticket vending machines near every entrance. They only take cash, so please have some cash with you. You can use bills and coins (except for 1 yen and 5 yen coins)
Train fares change depending on distance. In case you are not sure how much fare is (if you cannot find English fare table), you can simply buy the cheapest ticket and adjust fare before you go out the ticket gate.
Vending machine has language button somewhere. Change the language setting to English and buy ticket. Let’s buy cheapest ticket for now.
Go through Ticket Gate
After you get ticket, (or if you already have IC Card or mobile suica) we will go through ticket gate. Find the gate with arrow to go through. If you have IC card or mobile suica, you can also use the gate with IC.
In case of ticket, put the ticket in the slot and make sure to pick up the ticket at the other end. You will need the ticket to go out, so keep the ticket until the destination.
In case of IC card/ mobile suica, simply tap where it says IC and walk through. you will need to tap at the gate again when you get out. Some times, if the reader doesn’t read it correctly, it may change to red and gate closes. in that case, stand back and try again. If that doesn’t work, go to a gate with staff.
Look for the platform
Now look for the right platform. (In this example, Marunouchi line, look for Red circle with M) and make sure the train goes to right direction. How to tell it is the right one? Usually, there is a list of major station written on signs such as “For Ginza” Other ways to check is there are sign board on the platform that shows which direction the train is going.
Wait for the train
If it is rush hour or if people are queing, please follow other people. When the train arrives. let people getting off first and then get on. New trains have panesl showing what is the next stop is so you can check. They will also make announcement in Japanese and English. It will help if you know the station number of the stop you are getting off.
Transfer (Changing trains)
Once you get off the train, first thing to do is to look for yellow sign board. That is exit/transfer information. In this example, when you arrive in Ginza, you will change to Ginza Line to go to Asakusa. Ginza line symbol is orange circle with G. So check which way you should go to Ginza Line. Follow the sign to the Ginza Line platform. You may take escalator. In Tokyo people stand on left side and people in a hurry will walk up the right hand side. (It’s opposite in Osaka) Once you arrive in Ginza Line Platform, make sure to go to right direction (in this example, for Asakusa)
Arriving in Asakusa
Once you arrived in destination, get off and again look for the yellow signboard to see which exit is close to your destination. Then, proceed to ticket gate.
Adjusting Fare
We bought the cheapest tickets, so let’s look for fare adjustment machines. You can find them right before the ticket gates. Change the language setting to English and insert the ticket. If it is not necessary to adjust, the same ticket will come out. If you need to adjust, it will tell on the screen, so please put money (cash only)
For IC Card, you can also charge (top up) using cash. (credit card is not accepted)
Going out the ticket gate and find Exit
In case of ticket, put the ticket in the slot and this time, ticket will not come out and collected in the machine, so please just walk through
In case of IC card/ mobile suica, simply tap where it says IC and walk through. Some times, if the reader doesn’t read it correctly, it may change to red and gate closes. in that case, stand back and try again. If that doesn’t work, go to a gate with staff.
Now look for the right Exit number to go to the destination. In this example, we want to go to Sensoji, so please go out from Exit 1. Enjoy Asakusa!
Going back
You may go back different way. If your next destination is on JR Yamanote Line (such as Akihabara, Shinjuku, Shibuya, Tokyo) you can try Yamanote Line. If you knwo how to take subway and JR Yamanote Line, you can go to almost anywhere in central Tokyo.
To take JR Yamanote line from Asakusa, you need to go to Ueno station (That is the closest Yamanote Line station) First, buy ticket to Ueno. Take Ginza Line from Asakusa (G19) to Ueno (G16) When you get off at Ueno Station, find the yellow information board and go to JR. At JR, you buy ticket to your next destination (again, if you are not sure, you can buy minimum fare).
Big JR stations often has more than 1 line. To look for Yamaote Line, look for lime green line. As it is a loop line and goes clockwise and counter-clockwise, make sure you are going to right direction. Yamanote Line also has station number so either you remember your next station number or look for major stations (Tokyo, Ueno, Akihabara, Ikebukuro, Shinjuku, Shibuya, Shinagawa) near the destinations. Rest is same as Tokyo Metro.
After this, you will be able to go any place in central Tokyo!
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