Subways of Tokyo, Japan
The train system in Tokyo may seem overwhelming to most but it is actually pretty easy and well-run. While I was holidaying in Tokyo, I had came across many incidents whereby most tourists opted for the easier coach back to the hotel that they are staying route rather than trying the fun and almost exciting bullet train ride back to Tokyo station and finding their way back from there.
To start, Tokyo has a range of different train lines from private to municipal inner-city subway lines to private suburban lines. This also means that tourists or commuters would have to switch between different lines in order to get to where they desire. For me, there was a very good free application available on the Apple App Store called MetrO. If you do not have an iPhone, it is still pretty easy as there are well placed signs in English and Japanese everywhere in the station to point you to the correct direction. To be honest, the signs are mostly placed in the direction of the inner pillars of the platform where you will only see it if you are facing the platform itself. All these are not too daunting, I hope. Anyway, just like our own MRT system, there will be electronic signs installed within the trains to let you know the name of the next station and also an announcer just before each stop saying it in English and Japanese.
We always look out for express trains called tokkyu and kyuko which would stop only at limited stations and bring us to our destination in the least amount of time. There are also sights which might be interesting to you as Tokyo’s trains have women only carriages during peak hours on weekdays and on weekend nights. Boys over the age of 12 are also not permitted. At the same time, carriages which have a milder air conditioning temperature are spotted as well. More spacious “Green” carriages are available at a higher price which can be bought at any train station.
I mostly took the Japan Railway (JR) Lines or the Metro lines as I stayed in Shinjuku. If possible, get your transport card just after you alight at Narita Airport as it is often cheaper. And since you need a Suica + NEX package anyway, why not?
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