Public transport in Tokyo

[eoff]

Does anyone have experience of traveling around Tokyo? I'm planning a week long trip in November and it seems I'm spoiled by cities in Europe where you can get day/72h etc. passes on all forms of public transport.

With Tokyo it looks like there are

• JR rail lines (one looks like a useful circular line)
• Metro (two companies)
• Private lines (including monorail)

I'm staying in a locatoin near a monorail station (Hamamatsucho) but closest is a private rail line which gets me to Shimbashi in a couple of stops, slightly longer walk to Metro (Dalmon).

Some of these options offer passes for different time lengths.

I'm trying to work out if I should use passes or try to get a digital travel card (Suica/Passmo) on my iPhone (I have never used the wallet feature before).

One thing I don't understand is if there is any sort of through ticketing between operators so you don't have to pay per segment, for example, private/JR/metro.

Would welcome any thoughts. I would expect to make multipe trips per day.

 

[stuu]

It is, surprisingly, a bit of a mess. Ticketing is generally per leg, without daily caps or anything like that. There are passes available which cover the metro lines and some private railways, and there are passes which cover JR and some other lines, but AFAIK there is no single pass that covers everything. When I went there I had Japan Rail Pass and you can get to most of the main sights just using JR, and then the odd metro journey here and there where needed. Conversely the metro and private lines are also pretty comprehensive too - the Greater Tokyo pass give 5 days unlimited travel on those for £35 which is a bargain, I would probably go for that if I were going again, and then pay for any other journeys separately

 

[Route115?]

A Japan Rail Pass is valid on JR suburban services such as the Yamanote line, Narita Express and also on the Monorail to Haneda Airport. There are various tickets valid on the Tokyo Metro, Tokyo & Toei & other combinations. These are explained on the Japan Tourist Office website.

Useful Tickets in Tokyo - Japan National Tourism Organization

Learn about the different types of discounted train passes and tickets for use when travelling around Tokyo. Includes JR, Metro, Subway and more.

www.japan.travel

If you are in Japan for a few days a day looking at the local services around Tokyo is worthwhile. I am not aware of any ticket covering all private lines.

Also bear in mind that there are a number of interchanges which through running over the metals of several operators so a ticket valid for sat Tokyo Metro & Toei will not be valid for the whole line. Do your research beforehand! If you have excellent eyesight try this map:

https://www.reddit.com/r/MapPorn/comments/53yuxd/heres_a_full_railway_map_of_tokyo_and_suburbs/

 

[jmh59]

We're just back from Japan, not Tokyo though so can't comment on passes for there other than to say make sure you get your passport stamped 'temporary visitor' - by a human, the gates don't stamp. The reason is that some passes are available to foreign tourists only and you need that passport stamp... we got Kansai One passes (IC cards) which are tourist only and the passports were checked. YMMV.

 

[jfollows]

Public transport is so cheap in Japan, including Tokyo, that I simply paid for each trip separately when I was there last year.

 

[eldomtom2]

If you have excellent eyesight try this map:

https://www.reddit.com/r/MapPorn/comments/53yuxd/heres_a_full_railway_map_of_tokyo_and_suburbs/

The official maps of Tokyo's rail network tend to be a bit of a mess - these unofficial maps in a tube map-esque style are the best I've found: http://www.mukiryoku.com/railmap_e.html

Regarding tickets, my general impression is that everyone uses smart cards, which are compatible with nearly all operators and can be acquired very cheaply.

 

[jmh59]

Public transport is so cheap in Japan, including Tokyo, that I simply paid for each trip separately when I was there last year.

Yeah that's the thing with the passes, you need to do enough trips. We only had the IC card for convenience, didn't get any area passes as it would not have paid off.

 

[Lampshade]

I used Suica (via Apple Pay) when I was there.

 

[Beebman]

I also used Suica on my phone when I was there a couple of months ago. It was very convenient as I could track use in the app and top up via Apple Pay. I found it worked on the gates simply by briefly holding my phone (including with a blank display) about 0.5 cm above the pad, there was no need to actually contact it.

 

[eoff]

Thanks for the pointers so far. There will be another option in future (Welcome Suica Mobile) but that seems to be launching next year so too late for me.

I looked into the Welcome Suica Mobile app and it seems it will have some downsides, it appears to offer conveneice as you don't have to know about or work out how to setup the ApplePay?IC card integration, But it traps your money and expires after 180 days.
A physical welcome Suica or digitised version can be used in shops to drain any funds left over.

 

[Prime586]

You can still get physical 'Welcome Suica' cards, but only at very few places now (he JR East Travel Centre in Haneda Terminal 3 and the vending machine near the Terminal 3 monorail/subway station).. I was there laslt November and got mine from the vending machne (I was staying in Nihonbashi and the Keikyu Railway that serves the airport has trains that run onto the Tokyo Metro's Asakusa Line, so didn't have to change). The cards expire after 28 days, which is a bit of a shame.

I also had a JR Pass, so in Tokyo I tended to use the JR Yamanote Line whereever possible to get around as it wouldn't cost me anything, usually by taking a couple of stops on the Metro from my hotel to get to Akihabara.

 

[dutchflyer]

My 2 visits to JP-incl a longer stay in Tokyo for its local transit-is by now quite some time ago and yes, as above, every comp. has its own offers and specifics. At that time there was not even a Suica or the like yet. Cannot really confirm it to be ´cheap´ but nothing is/was cheap in JP then-probable also depends on to what one compares it. Stayed as bekpek that time at the YHA=hostel and they were quite helpful in how to handle it and how it works-people eager to learn /en/ and how those funny gway-lo (outlandish people) think/do and also how it would work in western countries.

 

[WideRanger]

• If you are using point to point tickets, journeys on a single operator will generally be a single fare, regardless of the number of different lines. At some stations you need to go out of ticket gates of one line to get to the other line - in which case, be careful to use the 'interchange' exit gates (generally orange) to ensure that the two parts of the journey are treated as one. If you can't pay by card or on your phone, you can still pay by cash, including the fare top-up machines if you have bought the wrong tickets. Cash fares are generally slightly more expensive than electronic fares.
• You can also use point to point fares between different operators (again using orange exit gates, or where the train runs through from one operator to the other). These are generally a bit more expensive than if the journey was on one operator.
• Don't use the JR rail pass for journeys within Tokyo, unless you have days on the pass that you need to use up. Unless you are going to be constantly on the train it will never be cheaper than buying a local pass or buying point to point fares.
• If you are only using JR, and you go at the right time of year, Seishun 18 kippu is much cheaper than JR rail pass (and much easier to buy). The restrictions on that ticket are generally irrelevant for travel within Tokyo.
• Private railway operators are often cheaper than JR, and often faster too.
• The local passes in Tokyo can be good value, but do think about how much you will actually use it in practice. If you are only taking a few trips in the centre (and if you are staying in Hamamatsucho, you are pretty close to the centre, with a lot of places quite walkable), then buying single tickets (either by card/phone or cash) will probably be cheaper.

gway-lo

You may be mixing up Chinese and Japanese...

 

[yoyothehobo]

I can second that you do not want to use a JR pass when in Tokyo. The cost of the metro and local lines is nowhere near what the day cost is for a JR Pass.

The best way is to use a Suica/Pasmo card for the journeys you are making and just top it up when necessary, its handy when you need a drink also to just get something from a vending machine.

Just be aware of anything private that wont take either.

 

[TommyL4]

It boils down to your specific destinations. For context, the circular JR line, the Yamanote line, is roughly the boundary of central Tokyo and covers the three major sub-city centers on its western side.

• The two metro companies offer the best coverage within central Tokyo, and I personally find the metro-only passes to be a good deal in this situation. The 72-hour pass valid on both companies sells for 1500 yen, cheaper than 9 single-journey base fares.
• JR offers connections to many outer suburbs, but there is only a single JR line (the Central, or Chuo line, with both stopping and rapid services) within the Yamanote line and your options to travel within central Tokyo are limited. A regional JR pass MAY be worth it if you make many trips to the covered suburbs based in Tokyo, and the national version is not worth it.
• A private railway company usually focuses on services along one commuting corridor only, and most do not operate within the Yamanote line; i.e., the city center.

And yes, be aware of through services that cross operator boundaries, and how your passes may be valid on one operator but not another. There are instances where a single through journey involves up to 4 different railway companies! If you use an IC card, you only need to tap in and tap out once for a through service, but the price charged will usually be higher than for a non-through service.

If you are only using JR, and you go at the right time of year, Seishun 18 kippu is much cheaper than JR rail pass (and much easier to buy). The restrictions on that ticket are generally irrelevant for travel within Tokyo.

OP mentioned they will be traveling in November when the Seishun 18 tickets are not available, so technically this is not an option.

 

[Beebman]

Just to add one other (non-transport related) thing - having a Suica allowed me to by-pass the long queue at the ticket office at Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden in Tokyo and go straight to the turnstile to tap in (the Garden is definitely worth a visit especially at cherry blossom time, admission price is 500 JPY).

 

[yoyothehobo]

Just to add one other (non-transport related) thing - having a Suica allowed me to by-pass the long queue at the ticket office at Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden in Tokyo and go straight to the turnstile to tap in (the Garden is definitely worth a visit especially at cherry blossom time, admission price is 500 JPY).

I second this.

Also if you can, go up the tokyo government building for a great view. Its in Shinjuku and you just need your ID.

 

[eldomtom2]

A private railway company usually focuses on services along one commuting corridor only, and most do not operate within the Yamanote line; i.e., the city center.

Well, most don't own track within the Yamanote line, but pretty much all through-run services onto Tokyo Metro/Toei Subway lines within it (and then usually onto a different private railway or JR line on the other side).

 

[Jamesrob637]

I second this.

Also if you can, go up the tokyo government building for a great view. Its in Shinjuku and you just need your ID.

Yes because I went to the Sumitomo Building observation deck, unfortunately closed since even before the pandemic. I had a rail pass because apparently one journey to Osaka and back would just about make it worth the cost.

 

[bkhtele]

I would probably pay as you go if you have cash there was also a 24 hour tickets that was excellent value if you can work it out on the machines!

 

[m_m]

I went about 9 years ago. To say it was fantastic would be an understatement!

We had suica cards, didn't pay much attention to the cost as the yen was weak and I believe it still is. We mainly used the JR loop line (yamanote) and the keihin-tohoku line, which follows the same path for a portion of the loop. The same card worked on the subway and on the train with rubber tyres that goes to odaiba.

Lots of English signs in Tokyo, less so in some other places.

I'm sure you already know this, but the system works really well. There are very few delays, but it can get very crowded at peak times.

Are you leaving Tokyo at all? If so, a JR pass might be worth getting for those days you travel further, but the pass isn't worth getting for travel on JR lines in Tokyo alone.

 

[eoff]

My plan (for November, so still working it out) is to stay in Tokyo but I'm thinking of one day trip on the Shinkansen but have not decided on that yet. I see that even the more local JR passes are pretty expensive. Thanks for the tips about multi-operator journeys, that is really useful.

 

[sprunt]

I visited Tokyo in June, and I got a physical Suica card at the JR ticket counter in Narita airport. As others have mentioned, they're a handy thing to have, as they can be used in shops and vending machines. The machines that are used to add value on them can be set to English language, so are easy to use.

In terms of maps, I used this one: https://www.jreast.co.jp/e/routemaps/pdf/RouteMap_majorrailsub.pdf

The scale and variety of the various trains going round Tokyo is really something to observe, and the big stations can initially be bewildering but there's a ton of information provided and once you get into the swing of it, it's fantastic.

Just to add one other (non-transport related) thing - having a Suica allowed me to by-pass the long queue at the ticket office at Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden in Tokyo and go straight to the turnstile to tap in (the Garden is definitely worth a visit especially at cherry blossom time, admission price is 500 JPY).

The Shinjuku garden was nice, but I actually preferred Korakuen Garden. At the prices though (Korakuen was 300 yen) there's no reason not to go to both. The low price of many tourist attractions (and other things) was a very pleasant surprise.

 

[yoyothehobo]

also, if you want some fun.

Mini Tokyo 3D

A real-time 3D digital map of Tokyo's public transport system. This data visualization was produced by Akihiko Kusanagi.

minitokyo3d.com

This is a live 3d viewer of all the rail (and some air) based transit in Tokyo

 

[Acfb]

I am going to Japan in September. I am flying Edinburgh-Heathrow-Haneda. It will be the sixth time I've been to Japan and I have been trying to learn Japanese since 2012. When I went there in 2019 with a relative we got the Keikyū Airport Line Rapid-Limited Express to near my hotel.

On the way back after travelling around Japan we stayed at the Mitsui garden hotel near Tokyo and then got the Monorail back to Haneda.

I have used the Yamanote line in 2018 and 2019 and been to Ginza and Ueno but I haven't used the wider subway network in Tokyo yet.

 

[hkstudent]

My plan (for November, so still working it out) is to stay in Tokyo but I'm thinking of one day trip on the Shinkansen but have not decided on that yet. I see that even the more local JR passes are pretty expensive. Thanks for the tips about multi-operator journeys, that is really useful.

Yeah. Though even a wider Tokyo Pass can cover as far as Karuizawa, Kawaguichiko or Nasushiobara which is like 90 minutes on Shinkansen, which is quite a journey.

I think op maybe better off for having a 48/72 hour metro-toei ticket for city travel and then any JR passes if have more than 2 days going away from Tokyo.

 

[tripleseis]

My plan (for November, so still working it out) is to stay in Tokyo but I'm thinking of one day trip on the Shinkansen but have not decided on that yet. I see that even the more local JR passes are pretty expensive. Thanks for the tips about multi-operator journeys, that is really useful.

If you're stretched for time you can ride the Shinkansen from Tokyo to Omiya (Saitama prefecture) where the National Rail Museum is. The museum is actually one stop away at Tetsudō-Hakubutsukan on the New Shuttle rubber-tyred line but you get to try out an interesting transport mode. The museum itself is one of the best transport museums in the world. Excellent viewing terrace for all kinds of passing trains.

​

 

[WideRanger]

If you're stretched for time you can ride the Shinkansen from Tokyo to Omiya (Saitama prefecture) where the National Rail Museum is. The museum is actually one stop away at Tetsudō-Hakubutsukan on the New Shuttle rubber-tyred line but you get to try out an interesting transport mode. The museum itself is one of the best transport museums in the world. Excellent viewing terrace for all kinds of passing trains.

​

But it is important to note that the Shinkansen does not get up to full speed between Tokyo and Omiya.

 

[Shinkansenfan]

I recommend the Mobile Suica over the physical Suica card. Why?

1) You can reload from your phone. No need to seek out a ticket machine to top up. This is useful if you're at a bus stop away from a railway or metro station.

2) You can reload fractional amounts down to a single yen, whereas the ticket machines require minimum of 500 or 1,000 yen paid in cash. Credit cards are not accepted for topping up Suica cards at machines.

3) You can fund Mobile Suica by credit card. Useful for those who like to earn airline miles.

4) Since Suica is accepted at some station retail stores or vending machines which do not accept credit cards (think station bakeries, eki bento sellers, etc.), this is a workaround to paying via credit card.

5) No waiting in lines to procure a physical Suica card.

__

If you are planning to ride many private railway lines in the greater Tokyo area, also consider the Greater Tokyo Pass. It is good on many of the private railways (not on JR) and is decent value for those taking excursions or covering trackage outside of Tokyo.

More details here: https://greater-tokyo-pass.jp/en/

The private railway lines are a joy to ride--especially when they operate limited express trains over a two track line and leapfrog over slower trains waiting on passing sidings at stations.

Consider riding in the front car. Many trains allow you to see through the driver's compartment to the tracks ahead.

__

Before leaving Haneda or Narita airports, be sure to check out combination discounted deals for that include the Tokyo Monorail + Tokyo Metro day passes. The Tokyo Monorail is a fun ride. Wait for limited express train that zooms by stations.