Originally Posted by
joer1212
... One more thing. I just googled the atlas you recommend, and apparently not one seller has this book in stock, including Barnes & Noble, and it's too late to order it by mail....
Which are you looking at? The Kodansha Tokyo Atlas is available on Amazon for immediate purchase and 2-day shipment for a small extra fee. The 3rd edition, as I posted above is from 2012.
Really, you are making this much more difficult than it is. The main stations in Tokyo are all signed in English and staffed with many uniformed personnel who can direct you to the correct platform. Carry a brochure or card from your hotel. Even if everything goes to complete crap, just go to street level, hail a cab and show the driver the material from the hotel or tell him where you want to go and he will take you there. That shouldn't be necessary but will work if all else fails.