Getting Around Tokyo

Tokyo has one of the world's best public-transport systems, and once you grasp a few basics it is remarkably easy to use. This guide covers IC cards, the key train lines, and the simplest way to move around.

Start with an IC card (Suica or Pasmo)

The single most useful thing you can do on arrival is get a rechargeable IC card, either Suica or Pasmo. They are functionally identical: tap in and out on trains, subways, and buses, and use them to pay at convenience stores and vending machines too. As of March 2026, standard unregistered Suica and Pasmo cards are sold again, and tourist versions (Welcome Suica and Tourist Pasmo) remain available at the airports with no deposit. You can also add Suica or Pasmo to an iPhone or Apple Watch and top up directly from your phone.

The JR Yamanote Line is your backbone

The green JR Yamanote Line is a loop that connects almost every district you will want to visit, Tokyo Station, Ueno, Akihabara, Shinjuku, Harajuku, Shibuya, and more, with trains every two to four minutes. Picture it as a clock face and most of your trips become simple. Note that JR East raised fares slightly in March 2026, with the minimum base fare now 160 yen, but rides remain cheap by global standards.

Tokyo Metro & Toei subways fill in the gaps

Beneath the JR network run two subway systems, Tokyo Metro (9 lines) and Toei (4 lines), together covering over 280 stations. They reach places the Yamanote loop does not, such as Asakusa, Ginza, Roppongi, and Tsukiji. Lines are color-coded and stations are numbered (for example, G-09), which makes them easy to follow even without reading Japanese. A single navigation app handles all operators seamlessly.

Just use a maps app

Forget memorizing the spaghetti map. Google Maps (or a Japan-specific app like Japan Travel by Navitime) gives accurate, real-time directions including which platform, which car, the fare, and the next departures. Enter your destination, follow the steps, and tap your IC card through the gates. This is how most visitors, and many locals, navigate the city.

Taxis, buses & walking

Taxis are clean, safe, and metered but expensive; they are most useful late at night after the trains stop (roughly after midnight) or with luggage. Buses are handy in a few areas but trickier for non-Japanese speakers, so most visitors stick to trains. Crucially, Tokyo rewards walking: neighborhoods are dense and full of detail, and the gap between two stations is often a pleasant stroll past shops and shrines.

Getting in from the airport

From Narita, the Narita Express (N'EX), Keisei Skyliner, or an airport limousine bus all reach central Tokyo; the Skyliner is fastest to Ueno and the N'EX most convenient if you are headed to Shinjuku or Yokohama. From the closer Haneda, the Keikyu Line or Tokyo Monorail get you downtown in well under an hour. Buy or load an IC card at the airport before you head in so your first ride is effortless.

Quick recommendation

For almost every visitor the winning combination is simple: an IC card plus Google Maps. Skip the rail passes unless you are taking long-distance Shinkansen trips out of the city; for getting around Tokyo itself, pay-as-you-go on Suica or Pasmo is cheaper and far less hassle than juggling day tickets.