Navigating Japans Trains Subways And Stations

Japan’s trains and subways are very easy to use, but there are a few tricks and tips that will really improve your experience. Give this a quick read before you arrive and you’ll navigate Japan’s public transport like a pro!

[Trains near Ochanomizu Station in Tokyo: Tan Yang Song / Shutterstock.com]

Subway

First, enter the subway station. You choose your ticket gate you enter according to how you pay. Use the IC card gate if you are using a Suica, Pasmo, Icoca etc.

[IC card ticket gate © Chris Rowthorn]

If you’re using a paper ticket, use the regular ticket gate.

[Regular ticket gate © Chris Rowthorn]

Note that some gates accept both regular tickets and IC cards (like the gate pictured above).

Next, find the way down to the platforms. They’ll usually be a sign above the steps or escalators showing where the subways stop in each direction. Sometimes, subways stop on both sides of the platform, other times, only on one side. Check the map carefully to be sure you board the train going in the right direction.

[Route board above steps to platform © Chris Rowthorn]

There will often be a map of the entire subway system somewhere on the platform, as well as up near the ticket machines.

[Network map © Chris Rowthorn]

If you’re mobility impaired or traveling with a stroller or heavy luggage, look for a detailed station info sign on the platform. That will show you where the stairs and escalators are located in the upcoming stations.

[Detailed station info sign © Chris Rowthorn]

In most of Japan’s subway systems, like the Tokyo system pictured here, you’ll find a screen above the doors which displays very useful information. It will usually cycle through various screens, both in English and Japanese. Here, the screen shows upcoming stops, as well as the time it will take to reach them.

[Arriving at sign © Chris Rowthorn]

Before you get to the next station, the screen will also display where the escalators and elevators are in the station.

[Exit info sign © Chris Rowthorn]

The screen will also show transfer information (ie, what subway lines and train lines you can transfer to at the next station).

[Transfer info © Chris Rowthorn]

If you can’t see the screen, you can always look out the train windows to find the station identification sign on a wall or pillar.

[Station identifier © Chris Rowthorn]

As soon as you get off, if you don’t know where you’re going, look for the exit information board. These will usually be in yellow and black. It’s really useful to exit via the closest exit to your destination, and getting there through the station is often much easier than doing so on street level. So, these info boards and maps are your friend.

[Exit info board © Chris Rowthorn]

Sometimes they’re just the yellow and black list of important buildings near exits.

[Exit info list © Chris Rowthorn]

Other times, they’ll also be a station map as well:

[Station map © Chris Rowthorn]

There may also be a street map with the station exits marked. This is often the most useful map for tourists. Just beware: north is not always at the top of the map (the maps are often orientated in what the designers feel is the most useful way).

[Exit street map © Chris Rowthorn]

Train

Train stations work roughly the same as subway stations, with a few added quirks. As soon as you pass through the ticket gates, look for signs indicating the platforms and the destinations they serve. Here’s an example from Tokyo Station. This sign indicates that the Tokaido Line stops at this platform and that trains on this line serve Yokohama, Odawara and Itami.

[Tokaido Line sign at Tokyo Station © Chris Rowthorn]

In cities like Tokyo and Osaka which have loop lines (the Yamanote and Kanjo lines, respectively), it’s very important to go to the correct platform and board in the correct destination. If you don’t, you’ll have to go the long way around to get to your destination. So, look for a sign showing the whole loop and the direction of travel. Here’s a sign for Tokyo’s Yamanote Line.

[Yamanote full loop sign © Chris Rowthorn]

Here’s a smaller section showing only the closer stations on the same line.

[Yamanote upcoming stations sign © Chris Rowthorn]

Another crucial sign to look out for is the sign showing which trains stop at which stations. Most Japanese train lines have express trains and local trains, often with several grades between these two (sub-expresses, commuter expresses etc). If you get on a local to go to a distant destination, your ride might be twice as long as if you take an express. Worse, if you board an express to get to a small local station, the train might not even stop there and you’ll have to backtrack. So, find this map and choose the best train for your destination. Here’s a Chuo Line map from Tokyo.

[Chuo Line service map © Chris Rowthorn]

Shinkansen Station

Shinkansen, or bullet trains, operate much like regular trains, but there are a few special features to note. After clearing the ticket gates, look up and you’ll see the departures board. This will show upcoming departures and the destinations they serve. Here’s the one you see as soon as you enter the main entrance of the Tokaido/Sanyo Shinkansen Line via the central entrance at Tokyo Station. Note that Nozomi trains are shown in yellow, Hikari in red and Kodama in blue.

[Tokaido/Sanyo Shinkansen Line departure board © Chris Rowthorn]

Below is a detail of the same sign. Note how the board shows the train number, departure time, departure track and which stations the train stops at. It also shows which cars are the non-reserved cars.

[Tokaido/Sanyo Shinkansen Line departure board detail © Chris Rowthorn]

Follow the signs to your train. You can get up to the platform by stairs, escalator or elevator. Once you get up to the platform, they’ll be another departure board, again using the same color coding for different train types.

[Platform departure board © Chris Rowthorn]

Once you determine which side of the platform you train will depart from, find the correct boarding position for your car. Boarding positions are shown with signs on the floor.

[Floor sign © Chris Rowthorn]

They’re also shown with overhead signs.

[Overhead signs © Chris Rowthorn]

They may also be shown by signs on the doors of the boarding gates.

[Door signs © Chris Rowthorn]

Finally, when the train pulls in, it will clearly have the train number, car number and car type displayed on the side of each car. This is a Green (first class) car on a Nozomi Shinkansen bound from Tokyo to Hakata (Fukuoka) in Kyushu.

[Train sign © Chris Rowthorn]

When you arrive at your destination, look over your head for signs indicating the exits. Most shinkansen platforms have at least three exits and you should try to exit the one most convenient to your transfer, hotel, destination etc. Here’s an exit sign on a Tokaido Shinkansen Line platform at Tokyo Station. Note that it indicates the train and subway lines to which you can transfer, as well as the exits close to the bottoms of the stairs and escalators.

[Exit sign © Chris Rowthorn]

More Information

• Tokyo Subways and Trains
• Kyoto Subways
• How to Make Japan Train Reservations

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