Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
have a pass (see box below), you cannot switch
mid-journey between the two sets of lines without
paying extra at the ticket barrier. Subways also
connect to overland train lines, such as the
Yamanote. A colour
map
of the subway system
appears at the back of this topic (see pp.300-301).
Tickets
are bought at the vending machines
beside the electronic ticket gates (ticket sales
windows are only found at major stations). Most
trips across central Tokyo cost no more than ¥190,
but if you're fazed by the wide range of price
buttons, buy the cheapest ticket (¥160) and sort
out the difference with the gatekeeper at the
other end. A useful alternative to buying individual
tickets is to get one of the many types of passes
(see box below).
Trains run daily from around 5am to just after
midnight, and during peak daytime hours as
frequently as every five minutes (and at least every
fifteen minutes at other times). Maps close to the
ticket barriers and on the platforms indicate where
the exits emerge, and strips of yellow tiles on the
floor mark the routes to the ticket barriers.
Odakyū, Tōbu, Seibu and Tōkyū. Spend any length
of time in the city and you'll become very familiar
with the JR
Yamanote train line
(shown in green
on network maps, and the trains have green
flashes) that loops around the city centre. Another
useful JR route is the
Chūō line
(orange on network
maps; the trains also have orange stripes), which
starts at Tokyo station and runs west to Shinjuku
and the suburbs beyond, to terminate beside the
mountains at Takao; the rapid services (look for
the red
kanji
characters on the side of the train, or
on the platform displays) miss out some stations.
JR's yellow
Sōbu line
goes from Chiba in the east
to Mitaka in the west, and runs parallel to the Chūō
line in the centre of Tokyo, doubling as a local
service stopping at all stations. The blue JR
Keihin
Tōhoku line
runs from Ōmiya in the north through
Tokyo station and on to Yokohama and beyond. It's
fine to transfer between JR lines on the same ticket.
The lowest
fare
on JR lines is ¥130. Like the
subways, JR offers prepaid cards and
kaisūken
(carnet) deals on tickets. One of the handiest is
the
Suica
, a stored-value card, which is available
from ticket machines in all JR stations (see box
below). Also a good deal is the one-day
Tokunai
Pass
(¥730), which gives unlimited travel on JR
trains within the Tokyo Metropolitan District Area.
If you're planning a lot of travel around Japan in
a short period of time by train, then the
Japan Rail
Pass
(
W
japanrailpass.net) can be a good deal.
By train
Japan Railways East (
W
jreast.co.jp), part of the
national rail network, runs the main overland
services in and around Tokyo, and there are also
several private railways, including lines run by
TOKYO TRANSPORT PASSES
If you're on a short visit and making minimal use of the subway or trains, you could buy
kaisūken
carnet-type tickets. Regular
kaisūken
give you eleven tickets of a specific value
for the price of ten; there are also off-peak
kaisūken
, twelve tickets for the price of ten, but
valid only between 10am and 4pm on weekdays; and Saturday/Sunday and public holiday
kaisūken
, fourteen weekend/holiday tickets for the price of ten.
Kaisūken
can be bought
using the special buttons, labelled in Japanese (
ճ݊
), on ticket machines at stations, or
from ticket o
ces.
Both Tokyo Metro and Toei have day tickets for use exclusively on their own subway systems
(¥710 and ¥700 respectively), the Toei pass also covering the city's buses. However, it's far more
convenient to get a one-day
economy pass
covering both systems for ¥1000. For day-use of
the city's subways, JR trains and buses there's the
Tokyo Free Ticket
(¥1580), but you'd really
have to be tearing all over town to get your money's worth.
Although they don't save you any money, the most convenient way to travel is to use a
PASMO
(
W
pasmo.co.jp) or a JR
Suica
stored-value card. Both can be used on all subways,
many buses and both JR and private trains in the wider Tokyo area. Tap the pass on the
electronic sensor as you go through the ticket barriers or board the bus and the appropriate
fare will be deducted. The card can be recharged at ticket machines and ticket To
ces. To get
either card, you have to spend a minimum of ¥2000, of which ¥500 is a deposit, which will be
returned to you, plus any remaining value (minus a small processing fee) when you cash in the
card before leaving Tokyo.
If you're in Tokyo for a month or more and will be travelling the same route most days, look
into getting a
teiki
(season ticket); these do provide a discount on the regular fare.
