Avoiding Getting Lost in Tokyo
Jan 11, 2015, 11:39 am
#61
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: TYO
Programs: Tokyo Monorail Diamond-Encrusted-Platinum
Posts: 9,632
Many trains feed into subway lines from suburban railway lines (and vice versa) that are not on your map. Unless you plan to travel beyond central Tokyo, don't let it worry you.
Last edited by jib71; Jan 11, 2015 at 2:07 pm
Jan 11, 2015, 12:26 pm
#62
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2011
Posts: 1,224
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.
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.
Jan 11, 2015, 2:00 pm
#63
formerly known as Tad's Broiled Steaks
Join Date: Jun 2004
Posts: 6,412
I am carefully examining a Tokyo subway map, and I don't see how this is possible.
The F ((Fukutoshin line) originates at Shibuya on the South end, and terminates at Wakoshi at the North end.
Where does the F train diverge into another line to terminate at Kotesashi or Hanno? I can't even find these stations on the map.
The F ((Fukutoshin line) originates at Shibuya on the South end, and terminates at Wakoshi at the North end.
Where does the F train diverge into another line to terminate at Kotesashi or Hanno? I can't even find these stations on the map.
Jan 11, 2015, 10:56 pm
#64
Join Date: Aug 2008
Programs: united, Hilton, Amtrak
Posts: 1,192
I was just playing around on google maps. It's amazing. I searched for the shinjuku hilton. Then I zoomed in until I saw these pink areas on the map. I believe these are underground passages that connect subway stations to various buildings in the area. The Google map also shows exit labels such as B5 or N6. Assuming that I can locate the signs directing me to these exits, I would have a relatively easy time finding my way to the hotel.
I am planning on staying at the shinjuku hilton. There are multiple page threads directing others how to negotiate these passageways. Now that I have this Google map Rescource I have a visual to go with the directions.
I hope this helps the OP. I have not been to Tokyo, but I am confident of the accuracy of these maps.
I am planning on staying at the shinjuku hilton. There are multiple page threads directing others how to negotiate these passageways. Now that I have this Google map Rescource I have a visual to go with the directions.
I hope this helps the OP. I have not been to Tokyo, but I am confident of the accuracy of these maps.
Jan 12, 2015, 12:20 am
#65
Join Date: Nov 2006
Posts: 1,512
To put it in perspective I first travelled to Tokyo in 2000 with my 7 year old daughter, by the second day she was in charge of all subway navigation (deciding the lines we'd take to get from one place to another, navigating within the station when changing lines etc). It's a big system but the signage is excellent and easy to follow. As has been mentioned the key for navigating when you leave the station is to know your exit and one of the things I love about the Tokyo subway system is that the maps at the station you start your trip (for that line) will tell you what carriage is best for the exit at your destination station. Brilliant!
After my first trip to Japan I started travelling very regularly as I was racing cars at the time and it was much cheaper to fly to japan to buy parts and 'suitcase import' them back to australia. This meant travelling out to some pretty far flung places and I managed all of this with the kodansha atlas which has been recommended. No smartphones and GPS, just a good map and some common sense. It's really not hard.
In terms of directions the one bit of advice I give everyone these days is that if they are lost rather than asking someone it's best to stand there with a map in your hand looking confused. If you ask someone you'll get someone who can't understand you, who now has an obligation to help you and will flap about being useless for 30 minutes. Worse than that the person who can help you will see that you're being helped and not stop. By standing there looking hopeless within a couple of minutes someone will stop, ask if you need help and get you pointed in the right direction (or actually take you there, thats surprisingly common).
And finally it's tokyo, not the sahara. The worst thing that can happen is you might need to pay $10 for a cab to get you back to a station, maybe stopping off at an izakaya for a couple of beers and some food. You'll survive.
After my first trip to Japan I started travelling very regularly as I was racing cars at the time and it was much cheaper to fly to japan to buy parts and 'suitcase import' them back to australia. This meant travelling out to some pretty far flung places and I managed all of this with the kodansha atlas which has been recommended. No smartphones and GPS, just a good map and some common sense. It's really not hard.
In terms of directions the one bit of advice I give everyone these days is that if they are lost rather than asking someone it's best to stand there with a map in your hand looking confused. If you ask someone you'll get someone who can't understand you, who now has an obligation to help you and will flap about being useless for 30 minutes. Worse than that the person who can help you will see that you're being helped and not stop. By standing there looking hopeless within a couple of minutes someone will stop, ask if you need help and get you pointed in the right direction (or actually take you there, thats surprisingly common).
And finally it's tokyo, not the sahara. The worst thing that can happen is you might need to pay $10 for a cab to get you back to a station, maybe stopping off at an izakaya for a couple of beers and some food. You'll survive.
Jan 12, 2015, 12:59 am
#66
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2011
Posts: 1,224
To put it in perspective I first travelled to Tokyo in 2000 with my 7 year old daughter, by the second day she was in charge of all subway navigation (deciding the lines we'd take to get from one place to another, navigating within the station when changing lines etc). It's a big system but the signage is excellent and easy to follow. As has been mentioned the key for navigating when you leave the station is to know your exit and one of the things I love about the Tokyo subway system is that the maps at the station you start your trip (for that line) will tell you what carriage is best for the exit at your destination station. Brilliant!
After my first trip to Japan I started travelling very regularly as I was racing cars at the time and it was much cheaper to fly to japan to buy parts and 'suitcase import' them back to australia. This meant travelling out to some pretty far flung places and I managed all of this with the kodansha atlas which has been recommended. No smartphones and GPS, just a good map and some common sense. It's really not hard.
In terms of directions the one bit of advice I give everyone these days is that if they are lost rather than asking someone it's best to stand there with a map in your hand looking confused. If you ask someone you'll get someone who can't understand you, who now has an obligation to help you and will flap about being useless for 30 minutes. Worse than that the person who can help you will see that you're being helped and not stop. By standing there looking hopeless within a couple of minutes someone will stop, ask if you need help and get you pointed in the right direction (or actually take you there, thats surprisingly common).
And finally it's tokyo, not the sahara. The worst thing that can happen is you might need to pay $10 for a cab to get you back to a station, maybe stopping off at an izakaya for a couple of beers and some food. You'll survive.
After my first trip to Japan I started travelling very regularly as I was racing cars at the time and it was much cheaper to fly to japan to buy parts and 'suitcase import' them back to australia. This meant travelling out to some pretty far flung places and I managed all of this with the kodansha atlas which has been recommended. No smartphones and GPS, just a good map and some common sense. It's really not hard.
In terms of directions the one bit of advice I give everyone these days is that if they are lost rather than asking someone it's best to stand there with a map in your hand looking confused. If you ask someone you'll get someone who can't understand you, who now has an obligation to help you and will flap about being useless for 30 minutes. Worse than that the person who can help you will see that you're being helped and not stop. By standing there looking hopeless within a couple of minutes someone will stop, ask if you need help and get you pointed in the right direction (or actually take you there, thats surprisingly common).
And finally it's tokyo, not the sahara. The worst thing that can happen is you might need to pay $10 for a cab to get you back to a station, maybe stopping off at an izakaya for a couple of beers and some food. You'll survive.
I hate to sound like I am a naive newcomer to international travel. Far from it. I've been to 18 countries, some of which were very confusing and/or remote. I came out in one piece.
I guess the reason I am concerned is because Tokyo will be the only city I've ever been to whose streets have no names (most of them, anyway). This will definitely be a new experience for me.
By the way, I have a Borch street map of Tokyo that is fairly detailed. Not sure if you're familiar with it, but I'm wondering what advantages getting the Tokyo City Atlas: Bilingual Guide would have over this map (besides being bilingual) in terms of detailed illustrations of the streets and landmarks.
Last edited by joer1212; Jan 12, 2015 at 1:05 am
Jan 12, 2015, 1:23 am
#67
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: London
Posts: 18,404
Is this the map you mean?
http://eu.mapscompany.com/shop/maps-...p-tokyo-borch/
Kodansha atlas shows you each of the numbered blocks in each cho/district. It even shows you the numbers of many of the buildings, this allows you to pinpoint your destination, or at least make a decent guess.
The Borch map is extremely vague in comparison. I would neither use it myself nor recommend it.
In comparison, a sample of the Kodansha map:
And a sample address: Senshu University, 3-8 Kanda Jinbocho, Chiyoda, Tokyo 101-0051, Japan
The map shows the Kanda Jinbocho (3) area. Within this area are different blocks. Up at the top, between blocks 6 and 10 is block 8. (8th block of the 3rd area in Kanda Jinbocho)
http://eu.mapscompany.com/shop/maps-...p-tokyo-borch/
Kodansha atlas shows you each of the numbered blocks in each cho/district. It even shows you the numbers of many of the buildings, this allows you to pinpoint your destination, or at least make a decent guess.
The Borch map is extremely vague in comparison. I would neither use it myself nor recommend it.
In comparison, a sample of the Kodansha map:
And a sample address: Senshu University, 3-8 Kanda Jinbocho, Chiyoda, Tokyo 101-0051, Japan
The map shows the Kanda Jinbocho (3) area. Within this area are different blocks. Up at the top, between blocks 6 and 10 is block 8. (8th block of the 3rd area in Kanda Jinbocho)
Last edited by LapLap; Jan 12, 2015 at 1:33 am
Jan 12, 2015, 3:44 am
#69
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: TYO
Programs: Tokyo Monorail Diamond-Encrusted-Platinum
Posts: 9,632
For all the comforting reassurances in this thread, I think it's incumbent on me to mention one famous case of a family of foreigners who got lost in a godforsaken corner of Katsushika Ward. Nobody really knows what became of them, but there is some speculation that they got trapped in a labyrinth with no street names and were eaten by the minotaur. It's also possible that they fell into one of the snake filled pits that were installed by the Shogun to stymie invading armies. It's a wonder that nobody has dismantled those. I recommend carrying some wax as you travel around Tokyo. If you find yourself really stuck somewhere you can grab some feathers from the crows that are picking at the trash in the streets, and fashion yourself a pair of wings to soar above the city and escape.
Jan 12, 2015, 4:47 am
#70
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Terra Australis Cognita
Posts: 5,350
Jan 12, 2015, 9:38 am
#71
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: TYO
Programs: Tokyo Monorail Diamond-Encrusted-Platinum
Posts: 9,632
Jan 12, 2015, 12:07 pm
#72
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2011
Posts: 1,224
Is this the map you mean?
http://eu.mapscompany.com/shop/maps-...p-tokyo-borch/
Kodansha atlas shows you each of the numbered blocks in each cho/district. It even shows you the numbers of many of the buildings, this allows you to pinpoint your destination, or at least make a decent guess.
The Borch map is extremely vague in comparison. I would neither use it myself nor recommend it.
In comparison, a sample of the Kodansha map:
And a sample address: Senshu University, 3-8 Kanda Jinbocho, Chiyoda, Tokyo 101-0051, Japan
The map shows the Kanda Jinbocho (3) area. Within this area are different blocks. Up at the top, between blocks 6 and 10 is block 8. (8th block of the 3rd area in Kanda Jinbocho)
http://eu.mapscompany.com/shop/maps-...p-tokyo-borch/
Kodansha atlas shows you each of the numbered blocks in each cho/district. It even shows you the numbers of many of the buildings, this allows you to pinpoint your destination, or at least make a decent guess.
The Borch map is extremely vague in comparison. I would neither use it myself nor recommend it.
In comparison, a sample of the Kodansha map:
And a sample address: Senshu University, 3-8 Kanda Jinbocho, Chiyoda, Tokyo 101-0051, Japan
The map shows the Kanda Jinbocho (3) area. Within this area are different blocks. Up at the top, between blocks 6 and 10 is block 8. (8th block of the 3rd area in Kanda Jinbocho)
I will order the atlas right now. Hopefully, it will arrive before Sunday.
Jan 12, 2015, 4:52 pm
#74
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: MSP
Programs: AA Plat Pto, IHG Plat, HH Gold, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 2,536
Tokyo is probably the most English friendly city I have visited. signage and audio announcements are at worst equal occasionally seemed skewed more toward English. Beyond walking a few extra blocks as a consequence of choosing the wrong station exit, I got lost exactly once in my week there. It was a very enjoyable afternoon as I was willing to toss the planned schedule and let Tokyo happen. I highly encourge it.
I return this month, I still know very little Japanese, and fully plan on going out and about with just a map and guidebook.
I return this month, I still know very little Japanese, and fully plan on going out and about with just a map and guidebook.
Jan 12, 2015, 11:42 pm
#75
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2011
Posts: 1,224
Tokyo is probably the most English friendly city I have visited. signage and audio announcements are at worst equal occasionally seemed skewed more toward English. Beyond walking a few extra blocks as a consequence of choosing the wrong station exit, I got lost exactly once in my week there. It was a very enjoyable afternoon as I was willing to toss the planned schedule and let Tokyo happen. I highly encourge it.
I return this month, I still know very little Japanese, and fully plan on going out and about with just a map and guidebook.
I return this month, I still know very little Japanese, and fully plan on going out and about with just a map and guidebook.