Guide for Taking the Tokyo Subway

Tokyo subway is a necessary transportation mode that you will certainly use when traveling in Tokyo. However, the whole subway system of the city, with 13 lines operated by 2 different companies, is a little complicated, and many visitors may get lost or take the wrong train during their subway trips. So, you may need this detailed guide for taking the Tokyo subway.

Steps to Take the Tokyo Subway

Before taking the subway, you need to know that each line has its own representative color and letter, which will be shown in route maps, station signs, and platform signage.

Read more: Lines of Tokyo Subway

1. Find the Correct Station

Most of the time, you can find the targeted station easily. However, in some places in Tokyo, maybe two stations with the same name but operated by different companies stand. For example, there are two Asakusa Stations in Tokyo, one for the Tokyo Metro Ginza Line, the Toei Asakusa Line, and the Tobu Railway Skytree Line, and the other for the Tsukuba Express. Therefore, before entering the station, make sure that there is the signature of the line you plan to take outside the station.

2. Purchase Tickets and Enter the Ticket Gates

After finding the right station, follow the signs to the ticket gates for the line you plan to take. All ticket gates of Tokyo Metro and Toei Subway can be entered by the following ways:

(1) Scan IC cards like SUICA and PASMO. This is the most convenient method, and you don’t need to purchase tickets and confirm which company does the line belong to before each trip.
(2) Insert paper tickets. Near ticket gates, you will find ticket offices and ticket machine to buy paper tickets. Some ticket machines show only prices but no stations – at that time, you need to confirm the price for a ticket from your start station to your final station first according to the display board above the machines. As a reminder, the paper tickets sold by the two subway companies are not interchangeable.
(3) Insert your subway pass. Before using, you are recommended to confirm if the pass covers the lines you are going to take.

Ticket Gates of Tokyo Subway

3. Find the Right Platform and Board the Train

After passing the ticket gates, find the corresponding platform of the train you plan to take following the signs. Electronic screens at the platforms and on the trains will both show detailed information for trains, such as their types and final stops, which you are recommended to read carefully to avoid taking a wrong train.

All seats on the Tokyo subways are non-reserved, so you can sit freely after boarding.

Subway Platform

4. Get off the Train and Exit the Station

Both the broadcast and the electronic screen on the train can help you know what the next station is and when to get off. After arriving at the ticket gates for the exit you desired, scan your IC card or insert your ticket to leave the station.

How to Transfer on Tokyo Subway?

1. Transfer between Subways Operated by the Same Company

First, for those using paper tickets, you may want to know that as long as the two lines you plan to take belong to the same company, you can buy a through ticket. For example, for a trip from A to C that needs a transfer at B, a ticket from A to C can be bought directly at A. Then, as for the specific steps for riding and transferring:

(1) Most of the time, you don’t need to pass the ticket gates or exit the station at B after alighting from the first train, since the two platforms where you alight from your first train and board the second one are in the same station structure. Instead, you just need to find the platform of your second train according to the signs at the station and then wait for your train. Throughout the journey, you just need to scan your IC card or insert your ticket at A and C for entering and exiting.

(2) Sometimes, however, you have to pass the ticket gates and exit the station at B after alighting from the first train, since the two platforms where you alight from your first train and board the second are in two different station structures. In this situation, the transfer sign you see after you get off will also remind you of that: there will be an orange line above the name of the next line you plan to take on the sign.

When exiting the station at B, please remember to use the orange ticket gates, which are for transferring only. For passengers using paper tickets, the orange ticket gates will return the ticket that is still needed during your second leg of trip to you; while the ordinary ticket gates will not - using them means ending your whole subway journey. Besides, note that you need to complete your transfer within 60 minutes in case your ticket expires. For passengers using IC cards, you can continue your next journey successfully no matter which kind of ticket gate you use. However, you will spend more if you don’t use the orange ones – in this situation, your second leg of the trip will be charged starting from the base fare again.

For your reference, you may encounter such situation when you transfer from one line of Tokyo Metro to another at stations like Otemachi, Ikebukuro, Ueno, Shibuya, Shinjuku-sanchome, and Ginza during your trip.

2. Transfer between Subways Operated by the Different Companies

In reality, a transfer between subways operated by different companies involves two separate trips. For passengers using paper tickets, you need to purchase a separate ticket for each leg of the journey; while for passengers using IC cards, you need to scan your IC card to enter and exit for each leg of the journey.

Tips for Taking Subways in Tokyo

1. What is through service and how can I use this service?

If line A provides through service with B, it means that some trains of line A can take you directly to stations of line B. For example, some trains on the Toei Asakusa Line provide through service with the Keikyu Line, and thus can help passengers to get to Shinagawa Station and Haneda Airport on the Keikyu Line directly without transfer.

You can judge whether a train provides through service by its final stops. For example, trains on the Toei Asakusa Line providing through service with the Keikyu Line have the final stop of Haneda Airport, while normal trains on the line have the final station of Nishi-magome. When taking these trains, remember not to get off the train during the process.

2. Where can I store my luggage near subway stations?

There are usually lockers near Tokyo subway stations, and the larger ones can even accommodate a 28-inch suitcase. Prices vary depending on their size, typically from JPY500 to JPY1,000 (USD3.2-6.4) per day. They can be paid for with cash, IC cards, Apple Pay, and credit cards.

Lockers Near Tokyo Subway Stations