So cars are out unless you are rich. It's not the car that's the problem, it's the parking. At your own apartment, you will have to pay hundreds of dollars (Several 10,000's of yen) just for the elite privileged of parking the thing at your own house. Then, everywhere you go, it's pretty standard to pay 2-3,000 yen (20-30 dollars) for times as short as an hour. So...bummer.
If you don't have that kind of dough, welcome to the magical world of
And I'm not being sarcastic, it is magical. Can't you see the sparkles?
The Japanese have got it down to an art. It's amazing. You would think that such a crazy mess would turn out to be...well, a crazy mess. But it just works. I don't know how, but it does.
Let's start with trains. They're affordable, they're dependable, and they'll get you anywhere you need to go. Best of all, you need ZERO JAPANESE to navigate the system, all you need is a little know-how. And I'm going to give that to you. I was cruising the system like a boss a full month before we covered the transportation unit in my Japanese class.
So for starters, let's go on a train ride together, shall we?
So you will notice several things about Japanese trains right off the bat. First of all, those screens above the doors are great. They will save your life. The one on the left is kind of fun and shows ads and news clips (trains are big advertising mediums, as you can see by the posters throughout the car). The one on the right is the one you really need to pay attention to. It shows you everything you need to know (and more!) about the train you are on and current delays for other train lines, handy for connections.
There's a screen showing your current car and a map of the approaching platform, complete with locations of stairs/escalators, etc. It shows a map of the stops along the line, how long it will take to get to each stop, and any connecting lines those stations have (connecting lines are also announced verbally at each stop). It shows any delays and alerts from the Police Department. Don't worry about these. "High Alert" sounds scary, but I've never been a train where it WASN'T announced that the police department was on "high alert". It's kind of like an airport in that way. High security and all.
The best thing is that EVERY. SINGLE. SCREEN. is shown first in Japanese, and then in English. No Japanese needed. None. Zip. Zelch. If you can read English, you can ride a train. In fact, some of the airport lines have Korean and Chinese too. The announcements are also made first in Japanese, then English. In fact, trains have the best English I've heard in the country hands-down. They probably hired a native for that one. Good for them!
Not all trains have the two big screens, some just have a running LED strip, and even older ones will just have a printed map, but the information is the same. Even on the smallest, dinkiest local train ever, English will be there to save the day (although not always verbally). Just read. Seriously.
And did you hear that "Little Mermaid" ditty? Most stops have their own signature tune that plays when trains arrive and depart. Ooimachi just happens to like the "Little Mermaid". The best one I've ever heard is below. I was laughing about it all day. This was a limited-time only track played at Jiyugaoka in celebration of the release of a new movie. Guess which one.
So. Epic.
So that's the train. Etiquette mandates that you silence your phones and generally maintain a quiet atmosphere. This is good, otherwise rush-hour trains would be a deafness hazard. Keep to yourself in general - you're sometimes crammed together physically, which they compensate for by respecting your personal/emotional bubble. This means that your neighbor probably won't want to strike up a conversation with you. It's nothing personal, I promise. Also, there are usually seats reserved for the elderly, handicapped/injured, mothers with small children, and pregnant women. Yield your seat. Really. Don't be a jerk. Also, because Japanese business people are so busy and exhausted, sleeping on the train is common. You might get a head on your shoulder. Don't freak out if it happens.
So how do you get ON the train?
Let me walk you though it step-by-step. But first, an important note:
***This is an exhaustive guide because I'm bored and have the time to spell out everything. It looks like a lot of information. Maybe it is. Maybe I'm overly wordy. But do it once, and you'll have it down. It flows, and it's natural. Like I said, Japanese trains probably should be a helpless mess, but they run like clockwork. I promise it's not as scary as it sounds. If all else fails, train staff are everywhere and if you tell the name of your destination station, they can play charades with you. I have done this before and it works. Don't be hatin' on charades, I live by it.
STEP 1: Pre-plan
There are lots of ways to do this. The easiest is Google Maps. If you just type your destination in and select the train icon, it will show you lots of different routes. You can sort them by shortest time, cheapest fare, etc. This is a sample of how to get from Asakusa (a famous tourist spot) to Daiba (shopping island of infinite wonders extravaganza).
Then once you select an option you get all the details.
As you can see, this tells you everything you need to know from the fare to the platform you will need to be at to catch your train. Google does good work. There are other apps but I haven't found one as comprehensive as good ol' Google. In English, anyway.
If you don't do the smartphone or internet things, old-school maps work too.
DO NOT PANIC.
You're panicking aren't you? I told you not to do that.
***SCARY FACT: This is only the above-ground trains. The subways have a whole different map. Also...this is only one train company (Japan Railways or JR for short). There are others, like Tokyu, Keio, etc. Basically, this isn't even the whole picture. It's probably not even half of the picture.
So look, 99% of these stations you will never use, ever. Just find the closest station to you and look up what line it's on. Find your destination and what line it is on and play connect-the dots along the lines. If you change colors along your path, you have to change trains. It's no biggie. I change trains twice to get to church every week. But still, the fewer changes the better (and generally, the cheaper too).
And totally don't worry about departure times unless you absolutely need an express, which is approximately never. Just show up at the station. The magic of Tokyo is that your train, no matter what train it is, is departing every few minutes. I've never had to wait for a train more than 7 minutes or so, and most for most trains I only wait 3-4. Pay much more attention to the duration of your ride, which Google Maps also provides.
Once you have your route, complete with connections, you're set for step two.
STEP 2: Paying your fare
There are two ways to pay, old school at the ticket machine, or new school with a re-loadable card. Either way you have to stop at a ticket machine (to get the card at first, anyway). Every single ticket machine I have EVER seen in the WHOLE country no matter how old it is has a "language" button where you can select "English". Above the ticket machines there is a fare table. The rest is self-explanatory. Pay the machine and get your ticket. Alternatively, for a flat, one-time fee of 500 yen ($5), you can purchase a Suica or Passmo card. This card is yours forever and you just keep reloading money on it when you run out. Nifty.
Suica and Passmo function exactly the same way so it kind of doesn't matter which one you get. But Suica has a penguin on it so I like it more.
So you've paid for your trip. Now, here's where the most important points ever start to become important.
READ ALL THE SIGNS.
AND
DOUBLE CHECK THE SIGNS.
AND THEN
LOOK FOR MORE SIGNS AND DOUBLE CHECK THEM TOO.
Got it? Good. Everyone who has ever gotten on the wrong train or lost in a station has failed to do the above. You should be looking up at the signs at all times. If you're looking at the floor you will get lost. Keep your chin up, literally. It's just that simple.
Make SURE you are entering the gate for the right line. Double and triple and quadruple check. Directions are in English, I promise. You just have to look for them. If you enter the wrong gate, you sometimes have to pay money to get out.
When looking at the gates, pay attention to which directions those trains are going. Sometimes it doesn't matter, but sometimes holy cow it does. For example, the entrance to the Rinkai line trains going to Shin-kiba (north-ish) MAY be different than the Rinkai line trains going to Kawagoe (west-ish). This separation is especially common in small, local stations. So when you pick a train, you need to not only know the line, but the direction the train goes along that line. The direction is named for the station that marks the end-point of that line.
If the sign looks like this and your line is listed, you're safe to enter. You can worry about direction later. This gate, for instance, leads to several different lines. Look above you for more signs and continued directions. They will always have arrows pointing to which line's platform is where.
If the sign specifies a direction (for "x" station(s)), you best make sure that's the direction you want. These two entrances are on separate sides of the street, so it actually makes a BIG difference which gate you pick.
When you are positive you have selected the right gate, go through it. If you have a ticket, slide it in the slot and walk through. MAKE SURE TO PICK IT UP AT THE OTHER SIDE OF THE GATE. You need that ticket to get out so don't lose it! If you have a prepaid card, just tap it on the shiny blue portal of happiness magic. The screen will show your balance remaining on the card.
4) Double check, and board your train
From the inside of the gate, there are more signs and maps to help you. Read them.
The standard screen has departure times, type of train (local, rapid, or express), destination, and number of cars on the train. Delay information is also shown here. This is a good time to check that the approaching train is going in the right direction.
They also usually have maps specific to the line, with information on transfers, timetables, etc. If you are taking a rapid or express train, this is a good place to make sure they will stop at your station. That faster speed comes from stopping at fewer stations, so don't get a rapid or express if it doesn't stop at your station! Also, you sometimes have to pay more for an express (rapids are usually safe).
Also, trains run on military time.
Only a few rules for boarding the train. Let the people get off before you swarm in, and don't get in special reserved "green cars" (these are clearly marked). The "green-cars" are for people who are posh enough to shell out the dough to ensure that they can actually sit instead of standing like the common plebeian. This requires a special ticket and an inflated ego. If you have a medical reason to sit, that's what the reserved seats are for - they are there to be used so use them. If this doesn't apply to you, probably don't make a habit of sitting in those seats. Be a good person. There are sometimes women-only cars. These are not sexist - they exist as a protection because a lot of women were getting groped by men on crowded trains. (You only have to worry about women-only trains during rush hours, every other time they're just normal cars open to everyone.) Take a seat or grab a handle and enjoy the ride!
STEP 5: Transfers and disembarking
So get off at your station. If it's the end of your journey, follow signs for the exit. Sometimes a station has several exits, so use Google Maps to see which one will put you closest to your destination. At the gate, insert your ticket (it will not be returned this time), or tap your Suica/Passmo card. The screen will show how much your trip cost and your new balance. You usually save a few yen by using the card as opposed to a ticket, but the biggest discount I've ever gotten was 6 yen so don't feel too bad if you go old-school. Congrats! You did it!
If you are transferring, there are a few things to keep in mind.
Every time you enter a gate, you must pay more money. Sometimes you can transfer without going through a gate, just follow signs to the new line and be happy with life. That leg of the trip will be bundled into your total at your final destination. Sometimes you do have to exit through a gate and re-enter a new one. Usually this is when you're transferring from one company's train to another's, which makes sense. Gotta pay each company their separate dues, right? But remember, if you exit a gate, you have to pay to get back in. So make sure the line you want is outside that gate or you've just paid for a detour. This mistake is an easy was to double your fare. So signs are your friends. Read them twice. They will guide you.
You need a new ticket to get into the new gate, or just tap your card again. Repeat ad-nauseum, and welcome to commuting in Tokyo!
