Getting around / By train
The difference isn't knowing the map. It's knowing where to stand, which carriage to board and which exit to take. Five things locals do without thinking.
One card for every turnstile, bus, convenience store, and city bike in Japan. Set it up before you land and it works from the moment you step off the plane.
01.1Why you need it
No more queueing for tickets. Beyond every turnstile, your IC card works at convenience stores like 7-Eleven and Lawson, vending machines, taxis, fast food chains, drugstores, and karaoke bars. It also unlocks station coin lockers, and once you have registered it in the Docomo Bike Share app, it unlocks their bicycles with a single tap.
01.2Which card to get
Both work on every train, subway, bus, and at most shops. In practice, the difference is slim. At Narita and Haneda you will be sold a Welcome Suica, which needs no deposit but expires after 28 days; a regular Suica or PASMO you can keep is sold at station machines in the city. On an iPhone, skip all of it: set up a digital Suica before you land and it is ready the moment you arrive. An Android bought outside Japan cannot hold one, as it lacks the FeliCa chip.
01.3How to charge it
Top up at any ticket machine in any station, all with an English option. Bring cash: a physical card cannot be charged with a credit card at the machines, only at a Seven Bank ATM or through the app on your phone. If your balance hits zero mid-journey, the fare adjustment machine near any exit handles it before you leave.
Google Maps knows the entire Tokyo network: platform numbers, fare prices, transfer times, and walking distances included. Here is how to get the most out of it.
02.1Compare before you go
Google Maps gives you 2 to 4 route options for most journeys. Do not just pick the first one. Compare total time, number of transfers, walking distance, and fare. The fastest route is not always the simplest, and in summer a long walk between stations is a real factor worth considering.
02.2Read the detail
Tap on any route for the full breakdown: which line, which direction, which platform, and how many minutes at each step. On many lines, Google Maps also shows car boarding positions, telling you which car to board for the fastest exit at your destination. Worth checking before a busy transfer.
Every Tokyo station has the same information, the same signs, and the same logic. Once you know what to look for, even Shinjuku makes sense.
03.1The board that fixes everything
As you exit the car, look for the platform signpost. It shows a map of the entire station with exits, connecting lines, and bus connections, all in English. It tells you which direction to walk to reach your next line or exit. Stations like Shinjuku are built to feel complex. The signpost is your anchor.
Between the screens above the doors and the map on the platform, the system tells you exactly where to stand for the fastest exit. Most visitors never notice either. Use the waiting time well.
04.1Above the doors
Most trains display a station map above the doors with your current stop highlighted and upcoming stops visible. Two stops before your destination, check the screen for car position recommendations. It shows which door opens closest to your exit or transfer, saving you a long walk at the other end.
04.2On the platform
On the pillars along your origin platform, you will find a detailed map listing every station on the line with the recommended car and door for each exit or connecting line. Check it in the 30 seconds before your train arrives, board the right car, and step off exactly where you need to be.
04.3On the barrier
On the platform barrier beside each set of doors, you will see two numbers. The large one is the car number. The small one is the door number within that car. Find the pair that matches your target, queue at that door, and it opens directly in front of you when the train arrives.
The bus network covers gaps the subway does not reach. The rules are simple once you know them, and one rule is all you really need.
05.1Toei buses
You are on a Tokyo Metropolitan bus. Tap your IC card at the reader by the front door and pay a flat rate as you board. Exit through the rear door, no second tap required. If you are unsure which door to use, follow the passengers boarding around you.
05.2JR buses
On a JR bus line, the rear door opens first. Tap your IC card as you board: that records where you got on, and takes nothing yet. When you reach your stop, exit through the front door and tap again, and the distance fare comes off then. The tap on the way in is the one that matters: miss it and the driver sets your fare by hand, usually from the route's first stop.
05.3At the stop
If you are the only one waiting, position yourself right next to the bus stop sign. Drivers in Tokyo are precise. The correct door stops directly in front of you. This also tells you immediately whether it is a front-door or rear-door bus, no guessing needed.
Nobody living here has the network memorised. They carry a card that always works, trust an app that always knows, and keep a handful of habits that turn a transfer into a thirty-second walk. Those habits are the whole trick, and you have them now.
Questions
Five quick answers to the transit questions that come up every time.
Most subway and JR lines stop running between midnight and 1am and resume around 5am. Last train times are posted at every station entrance and visible on Google Maps. If you miss the last train, taxis are easy to find or you can wait at a manga cafe until the first service. Worth planning around on weekends.
Yes. There are no restrictions, but larger bags should go in the overhead rack or near the door area, not in the aisle. The busiest rush hour times are roughly 7 to 9am and 6 to 8pm, and those are worth avoiding with heavy luggage. For airport transfers, limited express services like the Narita Express have dedicated luggage space.
Most major stations have elevators, but not all exits at every station do. Google Maps lets you filter for wheelchair-accessible routes when planning a journey. Station staff can also assist, and most platforms have call buttons. It helps to identify the accessible exit in advance for larger stations.
Keep your voice low and phone calls off. Eating is generally fine on long-distance trains but not on local subway lines. Priority seats near the doors are for elderly, pregnant, and injured passengers. Queuing on the platform markings is standard and always observed. Headphones are expected if you are listening to anything.
You can tap out at any gate at your destination station without being charged extra, as long as you stay within the paid area. If you accidentally exit and re-enter, you will be charged a second fare. The fare adjustment machine near any exit gate handles underpayments before you leave, and station staff are always happy to help.
