Train and Subway:

Mass transit in Tokyo is clean, safe, efficient and cheap. If you are new to the area, hopefully the following tips will make its use less confusing. Just remember that even Japanese themselves sometimes get lost in Shinjuku Station - one of the most busiest stations in Tokyo downtown.

Buying a Ticket:

Tickets are sold at the Kippu Uriba. Tickets for local trains are purchased from several ticket machines nearby. The fares from your station (usually marked with a red circle or square) to other stations are found on a fare map above these machines. If you cannot read the names of the stations in Japanese, you should try to carry with you a subway or train map in English. Otherwise, you can ask someone what the fare is or buy the cheapest ticket and pay the difference at the fare adjustment window (seisanjo) when you reach your destination.

Ticket machines are of two types - those which issue tickets of one fixed amount and those on which one presses a button for the fare one wants. Both will give you change automatically. Most machines only take ten, fifty, and one hundred yen coins (the coins acceptable are written next to the coin slot). Some take one-thousand yen bills and some take the five-hundred yen coins. If the machines only take coins, there is usually a money-changing machine nearby labeled (Ryogae) or (Senensatsu Ryogaeki) for converting one-thousand yen bills to one-hundred yen coins.

Although most machines are for stations on one train line or subway system, some sell through-tickets to stops on other lines. In this case, one has to be careful to press the button for the correct line. Buying a through-ticket is cheaper than buying two separate tickets when transferring between the private subway system (Eidan-sen) and the Tokyo municipal subway system (Toei-sen). Other through-tickets between the JR (Kokutetsu) and private train lines (Shitetsu) and between the subway (Chikatetsu) and train lines don't save you any money, but do save the time and effort of buying another ticket.

Ticket machines in service say (Hatsubai-chu) and those out of service say (Hatsubai-chushi). If the machine takes your money and doesn't give you a ticket, the easiest course is to press the button market (Torikeshi - Cancellation) and get your money back to tray on another machine. To buy an adult ticket, you should press the button marked (Otona).

Finding Your Train:

After you have bought your ticket, you will go to the boarding area (Noriba) where you will go through the ticket gate (Kaisatsuguchi) and find you way to the correct platform (home). The different tracks will be laveled Track No. 1, Track No. 2, etc. The direction of the trains will be indicated by station names with (~yuki), or (~homen). Trains running toward Tokyo or other major cities are referred to as (Nobori) while those going away from them are call (Kudari). Similarly, trains going on the outside, clockwise loop of the Yamanote line are called (Sotomawari) while those on the inside, counterclockwise loop are called (Uchimawari).

Another thing to look out for is whether the train stops at the particular station you want to go to. Local trains (Kakueki-teisha, Futsu-ressha) stops at every station. Limited expresses (Junkyu) stop at fewer stations, expresses (Kyuko) at fewer still, and special expresses (Tokkyu) at very few. As to Yamanote line, it stops at every station.

Of course, you also have to know when to get off the train. You can keep a watch on the platform signs showing the name of the station, the previous station, and the next station. The name of the station will also usually be found written in hiragana. The stations are also announced inside the train: Tsugi wa ~ de gozaimasu. (Next is ~). The side doors which would be opened may also be announced: Odeguchi wa hidarigawa/migigawa de gozaimasu (The next is on the left/right).

Useful sentences:
Sumimasen. Ginza e ikitai no desu ga. (Excuse me. I want to go to Ginza.)
Ginza made ikura desu ka? (How much is it to Ginza?)
Kono densha wa Shibuya e ikimasu ka? (Does this train go to Shibuya?)
Doko de norikaero no desu ka? (Where do I transfer?)
Tsugi wa Shinjuku desu ka? (Is the next station Shinjuku?)
Koko wa doko desu ka? (Where am I now?)
Orimasu. (I am getting off.)
Chikatetsuno eki wa doko desu ka? (Where is the subway station?)
Okane o ireta no desu ga kippu ga de masen. (I put in money, but no ticket came out!)