Getting Around Tokyo

The one thing to do first: get an IC card

If you do only one thing before you start exploring Tokyo, make it this: get an IC card. Suica and PASMO are rechargeable tap-to-ride smart cards that work, with almost no exceptions, across every train, subway and bus you are likely to use — regardless of which company runs the line. You touch the card to the reader at the gate when you enter, touch it again when you leave, and the correct fare is deducted automatically. No working out fares, no buying paper tickets, no standing at a machine while a queue forms behind you. The same card also pays at convenience stores, vending machines, station lockers and a great many shops and cafés, so it quietly becomes your small-change wallet for the whole trip.

You can buy a physical card at the airport and at station machines, or — if your phone supports it — add a mobile Suica or PASMO to your phone's wallet and top it up by card, which means you never carry the plastic at all. The details of buying, topping up, the visitor versions and refunds are their own subject, covered in full in our dedicated IC-card guide; for getting around, the takeaway is simply that the card removes nearly all the friction from Tokyo transport.

Suica & PASMO in Tokyo

Everything about the IC card: physical vs mobile, buying and topping up, visitor versions, refunds and tap-to-pay.

Your mental map: the Yamanote loop

Tokyo has thousands of stations, but you do not need to hold the whole map in your head — you need one loop. The JR Yamanote line (山手線) is a circular line that runs a big ring around central Tokyo, and almost every place a visitor wants to reach is either on it or a short hop from it. Tokyo Station, Shinjuku, Shibuya, Harajuku, Ueno, Akihabara, Ikebukuro and Shinagawa are all stops on the loop. If you picture Tokyo as that green ring with neighbourhoods hanging off it, the city suddenly feels navigable: to get from one major district to another, you very often just ride the Yamanote round to the right stop.

Inside and across the ring run the subways and other JR lines that cut through the middle, so for many trips you ride the loop part of the way and switch to a subway for the last leg. You do not need to memorise any of this. Pick your start and end points, let a routing app draw the line, and use the Yamanote as the backbone you can always fall back on when you are unsure. It is also a pleasant orientation ride in its own right — a full loop is a moving introduction to the shape of the city.

Tokyo Trains & Metro Guide

Go deeper on JR, Tokyo Metro, Toei and the private lines — transfers, exits, rush hour and the mistakes to avoid.

The system in plain terms: JR, Metro, Toei and private lines

The thing that confuses newcomers is that Tokyo's rail map is not run by one organisation. JR East operates the Yamanote and other JR lines; the subway is split between two operators, Tokyo Metro and the Toei subway; and several private railways (Tokyu, Keio, Odakyu, Tobu, Seibu, Keisei, Keikyu and more) run lines out to the suburbs and day-trip destinations. This is why you sometimes change between systems mid-journey, and occasionally tap through a transfer gate — but with an IC card the fares are handled for you, and a routing app simply tells you which line and platform to take next.

In practice, you will mostly use the JR lines for the big loop and east–west trunk routes, and the Metro and Toei subways to weave between neighbourhoods in the centre. Private lines come into play heading out to places like Shibuya's suburbs, Asakusa, or day trips such as Hakone and Nikkō. You truly do not need to learn the corporate structure; you only need to know it exists so that an unexpected transfer or a separate ticket gate makes sense rather than alarming you.

Two apps make all of this effortless: a general maps app, or a dedicated Japan transit app, will give you door-to-door directions with the exact lines, platforms, transfer points and which exit to take. Trust the app, follow the platform numbers, and watch the colour-coded line signs — every Tokyo line has a colour and a letter-plus-number code for each station, which makes following directions easy even without reading Japanese.

• JR East: the Yamanote loop and trunk lines — your backbone across the city.
• Tokyo Metro + Toei: the two subway operators that weave between central neighbourhoods.
• Private railways (Tokyu, Keio, Odakyu, Tobu, Seibu, Keisei, Keikyu): suburbs and day trips.
• Every line has a colour and every station a letter-number code — follow those, not the Japanese.
• A routing app gives you the line, platform, transfers and exit; trust it and tap through with your IC card.

Tokyo Station Guide

The grand central hub for Shinkansen and day-trip departures — exits, lockers and food.

Shinjuku Station Guide

The world's busiest station, decoded — where multiple JR, Metro and private lines all meet.

Buses, taxis and walking

Trains will cover the vast majority of your trips, but the other modes have their place. City buses are useful in pockets where the train doesn't quite reach, and your IC card works on them too — though for visitors they are usually a secondary option, since the rail network is so dense. Taxis are clean, safe, metered and everywhere, and they come into their own after the last train, for short hops with luggage, or late at night; they are not cheap, so most people use them selectively rather than as a default.

And then there is walking, which is one of the great pleasures of Tokyo. The city is best understood at street level — the gap between two adjacent stations is often a lovely fifteen-minute walk through a neighbourhood you'd otherwise miss, and many districts (Shibuya to Harajuku, for instance, or wandering the backstreets of any area you like) reward being explored on foot. A good rule: ride the train to the district, then walk it.

• City buses fill the gaps the trains miss; your IC card works on them.
• Taxis are clean, safe and metered — best for after the last train, luggage runs and late nights, used selectively.
• Walk the neighbourhoods: ride to the district, then explore on foot — adjacent stations are often a short, scenic walk apart.

Tokyo Itineraries

How to string districts together day by day, with transport built in.

Pass or pay-as-you-go?

Because the network is shared between companies, no single pass covers everything, and for most visitors the simplest — and often cheapest — approach is to pay as you go with an IC card. You are not committing to anything, you ride whatever line the app suggests regardless of operator, and you only pay for the trips you actually take. For a typical sightseeing trip with a handful of rides a day, this comfortably beats juggling passes.

Passes can still make sense in specific situations. A Tokyo Subway Ticket (a 24/48/72-hour unlimited pass for the Tokyo Metro and Toei subways) can pay off on a day packed with subway-only hopping, but it excludes the JR lines you'll often want, including the Yamanote. The nationwide JR Pass is almost never worth buying for a Tokyo-only trip — it's designed for long-distance Shinkansen travel between cities, not for getting around within Tokyo. The honest default is: get an IC card, and only consider a pass if you can see a particular heavy-travel day that clearly justifies it. We compare the maths in the dedicated pass guides.

• Default: pay-as-you-go on an IC card — flexible, works across all operators, no commitment.
• A subway pass can win on a subway-heavy day but excludes JR lines like the Yamanote.
• The nationwide JR Pass is for inter-city Shinkansen travel, not for getting around Tokyo itself.

Tokyo Subway Pass Guide

When a 24/48/72-hour subway pass beats an IC card, what it covers and the JR exclusion.

Is the JR Pass Worth It for Tokyo?

Why the JR Pass is usually not a Tokyo-only buy, and when it can still matter.

Rush hour and the last train (終電 shūden)

Two timing facts shape a Tokyo day. The first is rush hour: the morning crush, roughly 7:30 to 9:30 on weekdays, is genuinely intense on the busiest lines, and a gentler evening peak follows after work. It is not dangerous, but it is packed, and with a stroller or large bags it's worth avoiding. Off-peak, the same trains are calm, frequent and famously punctual — so if your schedule is flexible, simply travel between the peaks and enjoy a far more pleasant ride.

The second, and the one that catches more visitors out, is that Tokyo's trains stop for the night. The last train — 終電 shūden — runs on most lines somewhere around midnight (the exact time depends on the line, the station and the direction, so always check yours), and there is then a gap until services resume in the early morning. Miss it and your options are a taxi, an all-night venue, or waiting it out — which is exactly why Tokyo's late-night culture and the humble taxi exist. Before any late dinner, bar or live show, glance at the last-train time for your route home; a routing app shows it for your specific journey. This single habit prevents the most common and most expensive Tokyo-evening mistake.

• Weekday morning crush is about 7:30–9:30; travel off-peak for calm, frequent, punctual trains.
• The last train (終電 shūden) runs around midnight — the exact time varies by line, station and direction, so check yours.
• Trains don't run overnight; after shūden it's a taxi, an all-night venue, or waiting until services resume.
• Always check your last-train time before a late night out — the routing app shows it for your route.

Tokyo Trains & Metro Guide

More on the lines, rush-hour strategy and the last-train cut-off, line by line.

Getting around Tokyo at a glance

Use this as your quick-reference card. The system and the smart habits below are evergreen; the volatile details — exact fares, pass prices and precise last-train times for your line — change and are best confirmed on the day, so treat the facts card and your routing app as the source of current numbers.

• Get an IC card first; it's your ticket across all operators and your tap-to-pay wallet.
• Use the Yamanote loop as your mental map and let a routing app handle the seams.
• Default to pay-as-you-go; consider a subway pass only for a clearly subway-heavy day.
• Walk the neighbourhoods, use taxis selectively, and remember buses take your IC card too.
• Travel off-peak when you can, and always check the last train (終電 shūden) before a late night.

What is the easiest way to get around Tokyo as a tourist?

Get an IC card (Suica or PASMO) the moment you arrive, then let a routing app do the thinking. The card works across almost every train, subway and bus regardless of which company runs the line — you tap in at the gate, tap out when you leave, and the correct fare is deducted automatically, with no paper tickets and no fare maths. A general maps app or a dedicated Japan transit app gives you door-to-door directions with the exact line, platform, transfers and which exit to take.

Treat the JR Yamanote loop as your mental map — it strings together Tokyo, Shinjuku, Shibuya, Ueno and most places you'll want to be — and use the subways to cut across the middle. With the card and the app, the network's multi-company complexity becomes invisible and you simply follow the directions.

Do I need a rail pass to get around Tokyo?

For most visitors, no. Paying as you go with an IC card is the simplest and often cheapest approach for a typical sightseeing trip — you only pay for the rides you take, across every operator, with no commitment. Passes win only in specific situations.

A Tokyo Subway Ticket (a 24/48/72-hour unlimited pass for the Metro and Toei subways) can pay off on a day packed with subway-only hopping, but it excludes the JR lines you'll often want, including the Yamanote. The nationwide JR Pass is almost never worth buying for a Tokyo-only trip — it's built for long-distance Shinkansen travel between cities, not for getting around within Tokyo. The honest default is an IC card, with a pass only if a clearly heavy-travel day justifies it.

What time does the last train run in Tokyo?

The last train — 終電 shūden — runs on most lines somewhere around midnight, but the exact time depends on the specific line, station and direction, so always check yours. After it, there is a gap until services resume in the early morning, and your options are a taxi, an all-night venue, or waiting it out.

The habit that saves you is to check the last-train time for your specific route home before any late dinner, bar or live show — a routing app shows it for your exact journey. The cut-off can be earlier than you'd guess once a transfer is involved, since the connecting last train at an interchange may leave well before midnight. This one check prevents the most common and most expensive Tokyo-evening mistake.

When is rush hour in Tokyo, and should I avoid it?

The weekday morning crush runs roughly 7:30 to 9:30 and is genuinely intense on the busiest lines, with a gentler evening peak after work. It is not dangerous, but it is packed — worth avoiding if you have a stroller or large bags.

Off-peak, the same trains are calm, frequent and famously punctual, so if your schedule is flexible, simply travel between the peaks for a far more pleasant ride. There's no need to plan your whole day around it, but nudging your longer journeys outside the morning window makes a real difference to comfort.