Five Tips for Getting Around!
It is a task that might seem daunting at first but travelling on public transportation in a foreign country where you don’t speak the language can actually be fairly easy, if you do it right.
There are three main lines on the train and subway system in Tokyo, the JR East train lines, Tokyo Metro subway, and Toei subway. Not all lines service all stops. You need to figure out which line will take you to where you want to go or is the most convenient time-wise if multiple lines do stop at the stops you wish to use. The train system is very safe, well laid out, clean, and efficient. Follow these five tips and have an easy time on the transportation system:
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Plan
Using either the internet, an app, or your hotel concierge figure out which line is best and easiest for you to use. Choose a route, figure out which stop you are getting on and off at and where you need to transfer trains before you head out. It can seem like a lot to do before you leave the hotel but for hotel’s employee staff who speak English very well, this may not be the case at all train stops, so ask your questions to those who can answer them. Most lines are colour coded and stops are numbered with Japanese names and the English equivalent. Remember both as some stops have just the number posted on the pillars in the station.
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Guides
bring a map. Hotels have paper train system maps in English. Get one. Also get one in Japanese and have the hotel circle the stop nearest the hotel so if you get lost you can pull it out and point to it to anyone to get you back to the hotel. Apps are great too to load on your phone as you can track your voyage discreetly without giving away that you are a tourist. It doesn’t really work for me in Japan as I am blonde, blue eyed, and nearly six feet, I kind of stand out as a visitor. This can work in my favour as people notice me in the metro stations if I am struggling with an aspect of travel and are quick to help, especially if they speak English. Most apps are available offline and can be used in airplane mode so you will not incur roaming data charges. A good line of apps is the mxData Ltd series. They produced Tokyo Metro Subway App available on iTunes, please note it does not include the JR lines but it can be used offline. A street map from the hotel is also good to have to get to the stations.
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Tickets
you can buy a one way or two way fare, day passes, multiday passes or a Suica/Pasmo/IC card. The latter is a reusable card which name varies depending on which company you purchase it through. It is non-transferable as it is printed with your name on it. You can reload the card at the machines in ¥1000 increments easily by laying, tapping or inserting your card into the machines. The initial card purchase is at least ¥1000 plus a ¥500 deposit. It is easy and figures out the fares for you. Pasmo/Suica/IC cards are accepted on just about every line in the city and some trains going out of the city, as well as local busses. They take the calculating out of the fares and are best if you are going to do a fair amount of travel by trains over many lines. The cards are definitely the easiest of the fare options. You can purchase them with the attendant wickets or at ticket machines. You can point to them or get the hotel to write out what you would like to buy and show it to the attendant. When using the re-loadable card to enter the train areas simply tap them on the oval pad marked IC when entering and exiting. There isn’t any fare savings associated with the cards but the ease of skipping fare calculation is what draws traveller. Check out the website Japan-guide.com, all about the cards HERE.
If you choose to buy day passes some hotels sell them at the concierge desks. There are multi-line and single line passes buy whatever is going to suit you best. Single fare tickets can be purchased per leg or as a return. They are a very tiny ticket that is inserted in to the stalls when going in and leaving the stations. If you have loaded a return the ticket will be returned to you otherwise the gates will keep the stub at your destination. The ticket and fare can be calculated at the machines they range from a one hundred to a few hundred yen per segment. Above the fare windows there are maps with station names and numbers and a fare price from the station you are at. All machines have an English button on the touch screen system that when touched all information is displayed in English. You would then touch the fare button and chose the amount from the list that you should be paying. If you do not calculate correctly do not fret, you are not trapped in the station for eternity. Every station exit has white fare adjustment machines where you can pay the difference just before the exit gates. Keep your ticket safe as you will need to insert it in the gates to exit. Single fare is best suited for short trips or limited travel on one line. Japan-guide.com has an easy fare breakdown.
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Pay attention
The subway system has really been converted to an English tourist friendly transportation but if you don’t read the signs and keep an eye on where you are going any trouble you encounter will be your own doing. Follow the colour coded signs, and stay to the left when walking in the stations, using stairs, and standing on escalators. Everything is marked in English on overhead signs. Stations can be huge and seem overwhelming but if you look up for the exit signs and line info you will easily find your way. Know what the last and large stops on the line you are travelling are, as trains will state bound for those stops. Queue up whilst waiting for the trains. Japanese travel is very civilised but crowded. Before the train arrives everyone lines up behind markings on the ground as this allows people to easily exit the trains before embarking. You will be thankful of this feature if you travel during rush hour. The train cars are all equipped with maps and signs that list the next stop and announcements are usually made in Japanese and English upon approaching stations. You can also follow along with your paper map, app and the signs posted in stations as the train stops. Count the stops so you know how many you need before you need to get off. Take pictures of the maps, station names and line colours to remind yourself how to get back when travelling on your return to the hotel especially if transfers are needed. Try to travel at off peak times. Rush hour in Tokyo can be very entertaining to watch unless you are the proverbial salmon trying to swim upstream. In the stations navigating the hordes of local workers can be kind of like being part of a pinball game and riding the trains will give one a respect for personal space you never knew you needed. When rush hour is over the trains are less crowded and you do not have to navigate the streams of commuters in the stations.
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Grab a card before leaving the hotel with the hotel name and address written in Japanese on it
in case you need to find your hotel with help. You won’t need it though, as you will have planned, paid attention and conquered one of the busiest commuting travel networks in the world with ease.