Job Discussion Forums

[mushroomyakuza]

Okay, I need some help.

I'm trying hard to understand the difference between the "metro" lines, the "subway" lines and the "rapid" and "local" trains.

I have two maps of the train system - one of which is more detailed and covers less space, detailing lots of lines and smaller stations. The other is on a larger scale, less detailed, and is labelled "JR EAST GROUP Railway Lines Network" in the corner.

Basically, can someone explain the difference to me? If I'm buying a ticket from Nippori to say Akihibara, do I need one for the "rapid" or "local" train? How do I know the difference? Or are the prices the same, and the method irrelevant, as long as you get to the same place? Please help.

To complicate matters further, someone has told me that the train system operates through different companies, each owning different lines and so forth. How does this factor in to buying tickets?

Any help would be very welcome here and much appreciated

Oh, one more thing: hyperdia is my friend and helps to tell me which train to get etc, and how much the fare is BUT is the fare for a return or a single journey? As far as I can tell, it doesn't specify that.

A very confused new resident to Tokyo. PS if it helps I'm currently staying in Nippori.

[Ryu Hayabusa]

Hyperdia quotes single journey prices if I'm not mistaken.

[mhard1]

Hey

Congrats on your move to Tokyo. I am considering the move myself some day soon.

Basically you picked the busiest place in Japan, and maybe one of the busiest places in the world to learn a train system

that being said, you basically can use a ticket for a one way fare. The return fare will most likely be the same price.

The differing prices for the same company relate to the speed of the train. A local train makes many more stops and anyone can ride it, so the price will be the cheapest. A rapid train will be the same cost, but will make much fewer stops.

I recommend you invest in a Pasmo or a Suica card. They are basically cards that you put money onto, and then you can just swipe at the gate and enter. The money is automatically deducted at your exit. The remaining balance will be displayed to you when you enter, exit, and recharge the card at the ticket machine or at the information desks.

Another good site I recommend to you is Jorudan. Google it, and in the top right corner of the page click on the English version if you are not automatically taken to it. That site will display the costs and all possible routes to your destination.

good luck.

[Apsara]

Nippori to Akihabara is all on the Yamanote line, which doesn't have rapids, so that's something you don't have to worry about. The Chuo line for example has different kinds of trains stopping at more or fewer stations, but other than the actual express trains which often depart from different platforms and look quite different to an ordinary commuter train, they all cost the same, so again, no worries.

If you buy a Suica (or Pasmo- they are interchangeable but only JR sells Suicas) you will never have to worry about buying tickets as the correct amount will be deducted from the card when you go through the ticket gates. All you have to do is charge the card from time to time and renew your commuter pass (built into the Suica) monthly or 3-monthly.

The Toei subway lines and Tokyo Metro all run mostly underground, and the JR and private lines (Keio, Odakyu etc) mostly overground. If you make a journey completely within one company's train lines you only have to go through ticket gates once at each end. If you have to make a transfer between companies (for example from subway to JR at Ueno), you have to go from one station to the other and so have to make a transfer. Then you are charged separately for each leg on the different lines. You can use the Suica for the entire journey though.

Sometimes the different companies have their stations all in one building, sometimes you have to walk down the road a bit, but they are almost always well sign-posted, in English as well as Japanese.

I have an idea that you will find quite detailed info on these topics on sites like www.japan-guide.com and others.

To start with, don't try to absorb the entire train system, nobody knows the whole thing. Just focus on the lines you will be using most and find out which transfers you will need to make and where, and which direction you will be heading on each line.

[Glenski]

http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2017.html
This will get you started on general orientation for trains and subways in Tokyo.

To buy tickets and get around, the most straightforward way is to buy a ticket at a station (subway or train; you can sometimes have a station for both in the same building but you obviously have to get on at a different type of platform; in such cases there will be fares on separate subway or train maps displayed above the ticket machines). Some ticket machines have an English mode. Just by the ticket for the cost on the map. Use the top figure of the two if there are 2 shown; that's for adults. About halfway down that link, there is some info on special tickets.

If you have to transfer to different lines, keep your ticket as you pass through the transfer turnstiles. It will come out the exit slot until you have reached the end of the line.

A little more info on the subway system.
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2375.html

Guide to using trains, including kanji for the various express types (good to keep a copy of them in your pocket).
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2016.html

Any more questions, just shout. And, don't be afraid if you get lost or don't know what to do. Ask a local; most are very helpful.

[mushroomyakuza]

Aspara

thank you so much for that info. And the rest of you. Very useful indeed. Aspara I wonder if I might ask another favour? I'll be living in Higashiurawa and commuting everyday to somewhere within the "higashi" district, as classified by Shane.

Obviously, it is hard to say where I'll be going to work as I don't know exactly yet. How easy is it to get a suica card with no Japanese? Could Shane help with this at all? They've told me all travel expenses are reimbursed. Do I need an Alien Registration card to get one? I can't get mine just yet - get some paperwork with Shane soon.

Would I be able to use a suica card to get from Higashiurawa to for example, Ginza, without having to worry? By that I mean, can I simply tap it onto the pad at each station I get off or change at? I think that's what you were telling me.

Finally, how do you put money onto the suica or pasmo cards?

[ShioriEigoKyoushi]

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[wayne432]

Also, if your passmo or suica is out of juice and won't let you in... just go up to any of the ticket machines and press the charge button (they also have machines just for charging where you drop the card into a slot), choose how much you want to charge it by (1000, 2000, etc) and you'll be fine.

If you can read Japanese, I recommend
http://transit.map.yahoo.co.jp/
Also http://www.jorudan.co.jp/english/norikae/e-norikeyin.html seems pretty good too.

If you have a cell phone, there are websites that you can look up trains on (I highly recommend). Almost all the sites will tell you how much trains cost, how many times you need to change train, etc... pretty straightforward. Not to mention, in most trains, there are signs that will show the upcoming stations, so you know you're not going the wrong way.

[kahilm]

http://www.jorudan.co.jp/english/norikae/

Put that on your keitai and you're all set

[Apsara]

You can even buy a Suica at Narita airport when you arrive- as above it just comes out of a vending machine, there is no residency requirement. You will need to know exactly where you will be working before you can add the commuter pass to it, but that's easy to do. Glenski suggests that the easiest thing to do is to buy a ticket, but these days it is far simpler to have the IC card (Suica or Pasmo)- no need to check the map for the price or anything in that case, just swipe as you go through, doesn't get any simpler than that. I haven't bought a paper ticket for a local journey in Tokyo for years.

Different companies have different names for their rapid trains- Shiori gave you the JR names above, but other companies have trains like junkyuu, kyuukou, kaisoku-kyuukou, kukanjunkyu etc- you will soon learn how to read the maps which show where each type of train stops, and you will occasionally make mistakes- I got onto a branch line train heading completely in the wrong direction a few weeks back when I had to go and sub a yoga class in an area I'd never been to (and I've lived in Tokyo almost 10 years!), but luckily I had given myself plenty of time so that I was able to get on a train back in the other direction and then make the correct transfer without being late.

It's important to always give yourself extra time when you're getting used to the system, so you have the leeway to get yourself sorted out if you initially get on the wrong train- it will probably happen to you plenty of times.

[ShioriEigoKyoushi]

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[Apsara]

Shiori, not as far as I know. I wish there was because I work in 3 or 4 different places one or two days a week each, so spend quite a lot on transportation. I have a commuter pass to the nearest of those places, because I pass through it en route to all the others, but that's about as cheap as I can make it.

You are right in that you have to go somewhere at least 4 times a week for a commuter pass to pay off.

[mushroomyakuza]

Sorry guys, this is really helpful, but I'm still really confused.

Taking Aspara's advice, right now I'm just going to focus on getting to Higashiurawa from, say, Nippori. On the map I have marked "JR EAST GROUP", it looks like I need to take the Keihin-Tohoku Line (light blue) north to Minamiurawam then change there onto the Musashino line, heading east for one stop.

However, I don't know if this is through the metro, subway or what. Please help with this. Even more confusing, when I go to hyperdia.com and try to plot a route from Nippori to Higashiurawa, it tells me to go to Ueno (south) on the Yamanote line, THEN to get off at Ueno and change for the Keihin-Tohoku line and head north to Minamiurawa. I don't understand the logic to this, as according to my map, the Keihin-Tohoku line calls at Nippori on the way of Minamiurawa anyway...and again, I don't know what part of this journey is on the metro, subway or what, and how many times I have to pay.

Also, looking at the third link Glenski provided, the trains are divided into 5 categories: local, rapid, express, limited express and shinkansen. I understand these call at different stations, but do they all count as Metro? And how do I know which trains call at which stops?

I feel like my head's going to explode.

[Glenski]

[ShioriEigoKyoushi]

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