Self Travel in Japan – Part 2 : “Lost in Translation”? – no more, and at 500 yens a day

In Part 1 of this blog, I talked about general self travel in Japan using just your mobile phone apps.  Let’s put this into practice in Tokyo first- a rather daunting and complicated system of public transport.  It’s not easy at start for people like me who’s not familiar with Japanese writing nor the fact it’s run by several different companies; but at the end of this blog, I’m sure you can ride it as confident as a pro – without any route map!

When Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson met in “Lost in Translation” (named 迷失東京 in Hong Kong) back in this 2003 Coppola directed film, I’m sure they were lost in love rather in lost in Tokyo; however, getting lost or spending unnecessary time in finding yourself around Tokyo is easy as Tokyo’s subway system is in fact one of the more challenging ones.  While Tokyo’s subway is not the longest (Shanghai’s the top with 538 km), the one with most stations (New York’s teh top with 431 stations), nor with most ridership (Beijing tops at 3.5 billion each year), it’s still rather complicated.  As of 2013, the combined subway network of the Tokyo and Toei metros comprises 290 stations and 13 lines; and that’s excluding the popular (with tourists) Yamanote Line (it’s an above ground JR railway), the Tokyo Waterfront Area Rapid Transit, and the Saitama Rapid Railway Line.  Now knowing these background would normally be unnecessary for tourists; however, if you want to travel on these lines efficiently and at minimum costs, they need to be distinguished.

How I traveled around Tokyo recently spending only 500 yens a day?  That’s the best value – by getting a 3 days Tokyo Metro Pass!  The subway conductor would tell you that there’s no such thing, only a 1 day pass at 600 yen, but don’t listen to him.  Go straight to any Bic Camera Store (plenty around bigger stations like Ikebukuro) and you can get one (a magnetic card valid for 3 days starting from your first trip using it) at 1,500 yens (and if you want discounted Skyliner trips to Narita, add another 2,000) – you need to show your passport.  There are other options and passes, visit here to find out, you can also buy them at the airports.  Now, here’s where you need to know there is a difference between the lines operated by different companies.  This pass only allows free travel along the Tokyo Metro subway lines (which has 179 stations in 13 lines) and does not work for e.g. the Yamanote Line.  But I can assure you, that the Metro should get you anywhere within Tokyo within reasonable walking distance, and wherever there’s a Yamanote station, there is one or two Metro station near to it – so no problem ditching the Yamanote Line which many tourists used so often!  The above is a Tokyo Subway Route Map showing all Tokyo Stations including all the lines, the 9 Tokyo Metro and the 4 Toei Subway Lines (total 13) are the  more colorful ones (with the non-metro ones in the bottom of the legend).  The Metro Lines are the 9 on the Rightest side of the legend.

Now to get around via Tokyo Metro only, you just need the app I mentioned in Part 1 – the tokyosubway (Android, iPhone) which shows only stations on this Metro – so you won’t get extra charges when travelling them (you can still travel along other lines, but you won’t able to get out unless you pay extra charges at the side conductor window).  In the App, you just enter your start and finish stations and you’d be given a diagram on the route listing all the necessary interchanges.  So no more fumbling with large subway maps to find the stations with unfamiliar spellings or Japanese characters, all you need to do is to remember the station codes for the interchanges and destination.  Station codes consist of a letter representing the subway line (1st letter of the line name – e.g. G for Ginza) and a number for the station, they are circled with a color that represents the subway line.  Remembering the few codes of that particular journey is useful as then you can quickly see which platform you’d be going while at the interchanging stations- just look above while going down/up stairs to see the line map showing all the serving stations and codes.  E.g. going from Ikebukuro to Komagome, the Apps will tell you it costs 200 yen with 1 Transfer, then a diagram (as above) showing red circled M25 to M22, then N11 to N14.  Red circle means Marunochi Line and 25 is Ikebukuro, M22 or N11 is Korakuen – the interchange statins (the green circled N nos. are for the Namboku Line), N14 is Komagome – the destination.  So it tells you to interchange at M22, 3 stops from M25, and while getting down the stairs, you will see the Marunochi Line with these station codes, typically those less then 25 is at the left hand side platform, and the the stations M23 and more on the right. Similarly, if you remember N11 and N14, then you know Namboku Line is what you need to find at the interchange, and which platform to go for N14 – the destination! Simple, right, or at least simpler than remember the station names and line names.

If all goes amiss or you’re in a hurry (or lazy), then just find a train conductor or a friendly-looking guy and ask – 路在口边!.

Credit – the first diagram at the top downloaded from the internet was drawn by Lilian Liem to convey the initial bombardment of confusion she felt while traveling to Tokyo for the first time.