The Ginza Line is the oldest subway in Japan and it's possible that stations haven't changed much since 1927! According to this map there should be a way to go from the Ginza Line platform to the elevator at Exit 1 without using stairs but my train may have arrived at Platform 1 with no direct access to this route. I asked a station employee who confirmed I had to walk up stairs.

Having left my bags in a locker outside the exit barrier 4, I tried to get back there but wan't sure how. I asked a station employee by another ticket barrier and was told to go up the stairs and cross the street. I did and 3 minutes later I was back where I started! What he didn't tell me was to turn left at the top of the stairs first.

Exits may be numbered on the map but not necessarily on the street level at the top of the staircase. I walked the whole length of the Asakusa Line Asakusa station on the street level before finding an entrance with signs telling me that an entrance with an elevator is xx meters away. These were the only signs I could find showing which entrance has an elevator and where it is located.

Not only the stations are badly planned they are not easily accessible. I only had a couple of bags which I could just about manage up and down stairs (since this was Japan nobody offered to help) but if you are in a wheelchair or with a pushchair the whole area is very difficult to navigate. This map makes it look as if there are other elevators but I could not find them and due to some construction work some may not have been in use.