Avoiding Getting Lost in Tokyo
Jan 13, 2015, 2:25 am
#76
Join Date: Jan 2006
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You will survive.
I am out of appendages on which to count for all the times I have gotten "lost" in Tokyo.
Although back in April 2014, I was actually lost in Yokohama. (The last Toyoku local train ran only to Yokohama. The J.R. had amazingly ceased running from Yokohama to Ishikawacho, so I couldn't ride that. What should have taken me 40 minutes to walk back to my hostel turned into a 120 minute stroll. But it was OK - just exasperating. Was not carrying much. My map book of Tokyo didn't have enough detail of Nishi Ward in Kanagawa.)
The next time I visit, I just might opt for the PASMO card.
But there are still some valuable deals on open tickets and special tickets. The reason you might not be familiar with them is because they are not sold by J.R. They are from the other private train operators.
I prefer to stay in central Yokohama. So a deal I like is sold at Keikyu ticket machines. It's the Tokyo One-Day Ticket. From Yokohama, it is ¥1,130. You get a round trip from Yokohama to Tokyo, and unlimited rides on the Toei subway lines {only those four lines}, but it also includes the Nippori-Toneri Liner, and the Toden Arakawa tram line.
For somebody who enjoys photographing trains, this has extra benefits.
A pamphlet I found in a Tokyo Metro station was called the "Navi". One of the elements it shows is (example) the yardmap of each Metro station (This is the Shinjuku-Sanchome station).
Jorudan was mentioned earlier in this thread. I know it. But I prefer the Hyperdia system (by Hitachi). If you have an idea of where you are going that day, add up your fares on this to see if using an open ticket will be less costly.
Kanagawa prefecture should have an English-language atlas similar to that sold for Tokyo. But it does not. I wound up buying this pocket-sized guide of Kanagawa as a stopgap. (I found it in a department store in Yokohama Vivre. But you can order it from Amazon.)
Although back in April 2014, I was actually lost in Yokohama. (The last Toyoku local train ran only to Yokohama. The J.R. had amazingly ceased running from Yokohama to Ishikawacho, so I couldn't ride that. What should have taken me 40 minutes to walk back to my hostel turned into a 120 minute stroll. But it was OK - just exasperating. Was not carrying much. My map book of Tokyo didn't have enough detail of Nishi Ward in Kanagawa.)
The next time I visit, I just might opt for the PASMO card.
But there are still some valuable deals on open tickets and special tickets. The reason you might not be familiar with them is because they are not sold by J.R. They are from the other private train operators.
I prefer to stay in central Yokohama. So a deal I like is sold at Keikyu ticket machines. It's the Tokyo One-Day Ticket. From Yokohama, it is ¥1,130. You get a round trip from Yokohama to Tokyo, and unlimited rides on the Toei subway lines {only those four lines}, but it also includes the Nippori-Toneri Liner, and the Toden Arakawa tram line.
For somebody who enjoys photographing trains, this has extra benefits.
A pamphlet I found in a Tokyo Metro station was called the "Navi". One of the elements it shows is (example) the yardmap of each Metro station (This is the Shinjuku-Sanchome station).
Jorudan was mentioned earlier in this thread. I know it. But I prefer the Hyperdia system (by Hitachi). If you have an idea of where you are going that day, add up your fares on this to see if using an open ticket will be less costly.
Kanagawa prefecture should have an English-language atlas similar to that sold for Tokyo. But it does not. I wound up buying this pocket-sized guide of Kanagawa as a stopgap. (I found it in a department store in Yokohama Vivre. But you can order it from Amazon.)
Jan 13, 2015, 9:15 pm
#77
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2011
Posts: 1,226
On another topic: on my return from Tokyo, I want to take the JR Narita Express (NEX) from Shinagawa station to Narita airport, Terminal 1.
Can I buy my ticket for the NEX at Shinagawa station from a machine (like I would a regular metro ticket)? Is it easy?
I'm reading some info online, and it only mentions buying tickets at Narita Airport and some other out of the way JR stations (I'm coming from Meguro). It's as if people only travel in one direction in Tokyo-- from the airport to the city. No one goes the other way. I must be the only one.
Can I buy my ticket for the NEX at Shinagawa station from a machine (like I would a regular metro ticket)? Is it easy?
I'm reading some info online, and it only mentions buying tickets at Narita Airport and some other out of the way JR stations (I'm coming from Meguro). It's as if people only travel in one direction in Tokyo-- from the airport to the city. No one goes the other way. I must be the only one.
Jan 13, 2015, 10:37 pm
#78
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Central California
Programs: Former UA Premex, now dirt
Posts: 6,531
Yes, you can do that. However, for someone who is so concerned about getting lost, you would be much better off to just drop in to the JR ticket office (midori-no-madoguchi or "green window") at Shinagawa and buy your ticket from one of the smiling, helpful, English-speaking agents.
Jan 13, 2015, 10:50 pm
#79
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2011
Posts: 1,226
Yes, you can do that. However, for someone who is so concerned about getting lost, you would be much better off to just drop in to the JR ticket office (midori-no-madoguchi or "green window") at Shinagawa and buy your ticket from one of the smiling, helpful, English-speaking agents.
Jan 13, 2015, 11:10 pm
#80
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Hilton, Hyatt House, Del Taco
Posts: 5,378
Just get your return NEx tix at the station of origin (ie, Meguro). Meguro has midori-no-madoguchi, too. You can reserve NEx and pay for it at any JR station midori....guchi.
Advnatages of doing this:
1). You'll be able to pay the fare from Meguro to NRT plus the NEx supplement together on one tix (although this is moot if you're using Suica to pay the fare).
2). JR tix office will probably be less busy in Meguro.
3). You'll reduce the chances of seats being sold out by not waiting till last minute to reserve seats in Shinagawa (although most of the time it won't sell out).
Better yet, just reserve your return NEx tix at the same time you purchase your inbound NEx tix upon arrival in NRT.
Advnatages of doing this:
1). You'll be able to pay the fare from Meguro to NRT plus the NEx supplement together on one tix (although this is moot if you're using Suica to pay the fare).
2). JR tix office will probably be less busy in Meguro.
3). You'll reduce the chances of seats being sold out by not waiting till last minute to reserve seats in Shinagawa (although most of the time it won't sell out).
Better yet, just reserve your return NEx tix at the same time you purchase your inbound NEx tix upon arrival in NRT.
Jan 14, 2015, 11:01 am
#81
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2011
Posts: 1,226
Just get your return NEx tix at the station of origin (ie, Meguro). Meguro has midori-no-madoguchi, too. You can reserve NEx and pay for it at any JR station midori....guchi.
Advnatages of doing this:
1). You'll be able to pay the fare from Meguro to NRT plus the NEx supplement together on one tix (although this is moot if you're using Suica to pay the fare).
2). JR tix office will probably be less busy in Meguro.
3). You'll reduce the chances of seats being sold out by not waiting till last minute to reserve seats in Shinagawa (although most of the time it won't sell out).
Better yet, just reserve your return NEx tix at the same time you purchase your inbound NEx tix upon arrival in NRT.
Advnatages of doing this:
1). You'll be able to pay the fare from Meguro to NRT plus the NEx supplement together on one tix (although this is moot if you're using Suica to pay the fare).
2). JR tix office will probably be less busy in Meguro.
3). You'll reduce the chances of seats being sold out by not waiting till last minute to reserve seats in Shinagawa (although most of the time it won't sell out).
Better yet, just reserve your return NEx tix at the same time you purchase your inbound NEx tix upon arrival in NRT.
Jan 14, 2015, 11:50 am
#82
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: SUV
Programs: UA *G MM
Posts: 7,018
The ticket machines are very easy to use with English menus. They also accept CC but you need to have a PIN. Most machines are for recharging Suica and local tickets. The machines that you want sell reserved and Shinkansen tickets. There should be something in English indicating this. If you are taking JR from Meguro then buy at the first station so that you can use it for your entire trip.
This is getting quite technical but if you have a Suica/Pasmo smart card with remaining value then you can use this card to enter the train system and you then you would just buy the reserved seat supplement from the machine, which is about half the total price. It asks if you only want this during the process. If your stored value is not enough then you can pay the remaining exit fare at Narita.
Also, if you are in a rush then you can get on the NEX without a reserved ticket and buy it from the conductor (or hide in the toilet :0). Similarly, you can take an earlier or later train. The seats never sell out in my experience -- usually half full trains. Exception might be around a big holiday.
p.s. If I were you then I would buy a Pasmo card from Keikyu when you arrive at Haneda.
This is getting quite technical but if you have a Suica/Pasmo smart card with remaining value then you can use this card to enter the train system and you then you would just buy the reserved seat supplement from the machine, which is about half the total price. It asks if you only want this during the process. If your stored value is not enough then you can pay the remaining exit fare at Narita.
Also, if you are in a rush then you can get on the NEX without a reserved ticket and buy it from the conductor (or hide in the toilet :0). Similarly, you can take an earlier or later train. The seats never sell out in my experience -- usually half full trains. Exception might be around a big holiday.
p.s. If I were you then I would buy a Pasmo card from Keikyu when you arrive at Haneda.
Last edited by gnaget; Jan 14, 2015 at 12:00 pm
Jan 16, 2015, 7:37 pm
#83
Moderator: Hawaii-based airlines & Hawai'i forums
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For the benefit of anyone reading this thread and has a similar question to the OP's, I'm going to post this from the point of view of someone who has traveled to Tokyo three times in the past 12 months and has a basic familiarity with the area and the transit system but does not read or speak Japanese. In my opinion, trying to navigate without the benefit of a smartphone and pocket WiFi is going to have its challenges. You may figure out the correct route to get from Point A to Point B and even the correct exit, but upon exiting a station or building, there are few landmarks that help you get your bearing and it's quite easy to get turned around or headed in the wrong direction. Some of the better restaurants and shops I have visited have been on side streets/alleys that are near impossible to find by street name alone. My wife will give me directions like "Use exit B6, head about block and look for the Dotour cafe and hang a right down the alley, followed by a left down the side street and look for the restaurant on the left about halfway down the block." You're not going to get that from a map or guidebook.
One thing that always gets me on the train and subway lines is that they, like car traffic, run in directions opposite of what a US citizen would expect. So, I will pick the right line, but get on the wrong platform and get on a train headed in the wrong direction. On the major lines, the recorded announcements are in Japanese and English, but if you get on some of the "lesser" lines, they are all in Japanese, so you need to listen carefully to the station names and read them when you pull into the station. Google Maps and other apps are helpful in pointing out which tracks in the station the line runs on and what direction train to take.
Navigating with a paper map or tourist guidebooks can be done, but with some challenges that are greatly reduced with a smartphone or handheld GPS.
One thing that always gets me on the train and subway lines is that they, like car traffic, run in directions opposite of what a US citizen would expect. So, I will pick the right line, but get on the wrong platform and get on a train headed in the wrong direction. On the major lines, the recorded announcements are in Japanese and English, but if you get on some of the "lesser" lines, they are all in Japanese, so you need to listen carefully to the station names and read them when you pull into the station. Google Maps and other apps are helpful in pointing out which tracks in the station the line runs on and what direction train to take.
Navigating with a paper map or tourist guidebooks can be done, but with some challenges that are greatly reduced with a smartphone or handheld GPS.
Last edited by FlyinHawaiian; Jan 16, 2015 at 7:48 pm
Jan 16, 2015, 7:51 pm
#84
Join Date: Jun 2001
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Posts: 1,109
Great list, downloading to my iPhone now. Will carry some extra battery chargers and should be golden. Thanks!