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[phoenixstorm]

Quick question: I am eager to be smack dab in the middle of Tokyo, but now I am thinking about the surrounding area and the quality of life and I am wondering with the Greater Tokyo Area in mind: Gunma, Tochigi, Ibaraki, Saitama, Chiba, and Kanagawa just how far are these areas from the Tokyo metropolitan area by subway?

Thanks for the info!

[Apsara]

There are both above ground trains and subways in Tokyo and the subways for the most part only run underground in central Tokyo, coming above ground once they reach the suburbs. The train network then continues out into all the areas you mention. Gunma, Ibaragi and Tochigi are the most outlying prefectures and I wouldn't consider them to be part of Greater Tokyo, just parts of the Kanto Region.

With Kanagawa, Saitama and Chiba it depends where exactly, as some parts of those prefectures are very rural and a very long commute into Tokyo, whereas other areas are right on the border and not far away at all.

If you are looking to be right in Tokyo then you probably don't want to be looking at Gunma, Tochigi or Ibaragi, northern Saitama or Chiba or southern Kanagawa. Bear in mind also that Tokyo is a long, thin prefecture and the western end is a long way out of the centre and fairly rural.

[Ookami.K]

I live in Shiki (South Saitama). It's only 300 yen and 20 minutes to get to Ikebukuro. From there, I can go anywhere in Tokyo pretty easily. Don't just look at the area, but look at which subway/train line will get you where you want to go. Hyperdia is good for that.

[southofreality]

Sorry, I'm going to go ahead and say that if you initially wanted to be "smack-dab in the middle of Tokyo", go with that. You don't necessarily have to be within the Yamanote loop, but close enough to a major hub will make you happy.

I recently moved into an apartment in Shibuya-ku within walking distance of Shinjuku Station, Shibuya Station (and even Shimokita - woohoo), and my rent isn't much different than it was in Kanagawa. My neighborhood is quiet, yet I can be in the middle of all the hustle and bustle in less then 7 minutes with a one-stop train ride, or I can just walk it. When I think of all that rushing I did for last trains, all the train transfers, all the bumping and pushing and shoving and general headaches after a 30-min ride in from Kanagawa, I can't believe I wasted the past few years not living downtown.