A Yen for Tokyo

Subway | Walking
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Subway

The most efficient means of getting around Tokyo is by subway. The Tokyo subway system is highly efficient and politically the most complex system in the world (I wager). How do the politics and economics of a subway system affect you? You have three major players, and they all have different subway lines, and some you can buy ticket upgrades for when transferring from one company line to another and sometimes not. And then there are the smaller, independently owned lines. Headache inducing? Can be. But you’ll likely be using the main JR lines and some of the Toei lines, so I wouldn’t worry too much.

A day pass is the only thing I can suggest if you plan on travelling a lot in one day – but remember that a day pass is only good for that company’s lines, not all lines. So plan your trip accordingly and you may find it cheaper just to pay as you travel. I usually used the subway only twice in one day – on rare occasions, four times. You will walk a lot and Tokyo is the greatest stair climber in the world. You will lose weight and you will be fitter than when you arrived.

Each trip on the subway will cost you about ¥150 to ¥190, depending on the distance. The process is fairly simple. You go to the subway, look at a map and determine your price, pay the machine and receive a ticket. You head to your platform, using the ticket in the turn style to give you access – take your ticket with you! You do not relinquish your ticket until you leave on the other end. And yes, you’ll need your ticket to get out of the station. Don’t lose it.

The rush hour for the subway is from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m., and 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. If you have a disability where you need to be seated, do not ride the subway during these times. The seats are raised to accommodate more passengers during rush hour.

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Walking

Mostly, you’ll be walking. But take care where you walk. Bicycles have the right of way and they travel on the sidewalks. If you hear a bell, scoot off to the side and let the bicycle pass.

Simply follow the crowds and go with the flow. Tokyo is a “stand left, walk right” culture so bear that in mind when on escalators.

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