By Air - Tokyo has two airports: Narita Airport, which handles the majority of international flights, is located 60 km outside of central Tokyo, while Haneda Airport is located more centrally.

By Shinkansen - Most shinkansen (bullet train) lines lead to Tokyo. The trip from Osaka/Kyoto takes about three hours. There are also direct bullet trains to/from Kyushu, Nagano, Niigata and various destinations in the Tohoku Region.

 
Basic Orientation

Tokyo is covered by a dense network of train, subway and bus lines, which are operated by about a dozen different companies. The train lines operated by JR East and the subway lines are most convenient for moving around central Tokyo.

Tokyo's most prominent train line is the JR Yamanote Line, a loop line which connects Tokyo's multiple city centers. The city's 13 subway lines are operated by two companies and run largely inside the Yamanote circle and the areas around Ginza and Shitamachi. Most of the many suburban train lines commence at one of the six major stations of the Yamanote Line (Tokyo, Ueno, Ikebukuro, Shinjuku, Shibuya and Shinagawa).

 
Major JR train lines in Central Tokyo

The map below shows Tokyo's major railway stations and the five JR lines that are most relevant to people who travel within central Tokyo.

Yamanote Line Circle line that connects all major city centers. Keihin-Tohoku Line Runs parallel to the Yamanote Line on the eastern half of the circle. Chuo/Sobu Line Runs across the Yamanote circle (local slow service). Chuo Line (Rapid) Runs across the Yamanote circle (rapid service). Connects Tokyo and Shinjuku. Saikyo/Rinkai Line Rapid service parallel to the Yamanote Line on the western half of the circle. Connects to Daiba. Shinkansen Tokaido Shinkansen trains stop at Tokyo and Shinagawa, while bullet trains to the north stop at Tokyo and Ueno.

 
Subways

Tokyo's subway network is operated by two companies, the Toei Subways with four lines, and Tokyo Metro (formerly known as Eidan Subways) with nine lines. Together, they densely cover central Tokyo, especially the area inside the Yamanote circle and the areas around Ginza and Shitamachi.

Note, that at their terminal stations, the trains of some subway lines continue to operate on the tracks of different companies on suburban train lines. For example, the Chiyoda Subway Line is directly connected with the suburban Odakyu Line at Yoyogi-Uehara Station, and trains on the Fukutoshin Subway Line continue to run on the tracks of the Tokyu Toyoko Line at Shibuya Station.

 
Other railway companies

Besides JR East and the two subway companies, most other railway companies connect Tokyo with the metropolis' outer regions and surrounding prefectures. Their lines typically start at one of the stations of the JR Yamanote Line. Many of the private railway companies also operate department stores usually at their train lines' major stations.

Tokyu Railways Serving southwestern Tokyo and Kanagawa. Tobu Railways Serving Saitama and Tochigi. Connection to Nikko. Seibu Railways Serving the Tokyo Tama Region and Saitama. Keio Railways Serving the Tokyo Tama Region. Odakyu Railways Serving Kanagawa. Connection to Hakone. Keisei Railways Serving Chiba. Connection to Narita Airport. Keikyu Railways Serving Haneda Airport and Kanagawa. Tsukuba Express Connecting Akihabara with Tsukuba City, Ibaraki.

 
Tickets

A whole variety of day passes is available for the Tokyo area, however, most of them are overpriced and/or not very practical because they do not cover all of Tokyo's train and subway lines. Consequently, single tickets or prepaid cards usually come cheaper, especially if you plan your city sightseeing in a geographically wise way.

Prepaid IC cards are generally the recommended way to get around Tokyo. Prepaid cards don't give you any discounts over single tickets, but they provide convenience as you can ride virtually any train or bus in Greater Tokyo (and many other major cities in Japan) with just a simple swipe over a card reader. They can also be used to make quick purchases at a constantly increasing number of shops in Tokyo (and across the country).

Two types of IC cards are available for purchase in Tokyo: Suica cards at JR stations and Pasmo cards at non-JR stations. Furthermore, eight IC cards from other major cities of Japan can also be used on the trains and buses of Tokyo, including Icoca, Kitaca, Toica, Manaca, Pitapa, Sugoca, Nimoca and Hayakaken.

Foreign tourists note that there are packages that combine a prepaid card with airport transportation:

	Suica & NEX (for foreign tourists arriving at Narita Airport)
	The Suica & NEX package combines a ticket for the Narita Express airport train with a Suica prepaid card at a heavily discounted cost. It is available as one way or round trip version and can be purchased at Narita Airport only by travelers who hold a non-Japanese passport.
	The one way version for 3500 yen (5000 yen for green car) consists of 1) a one way trip from Narita Airport to Tokyo (or Yokohama) by Narita Express and 2) a Suica card worth 2000 yen (500 yen refundable deposit plus 1500 yen worth of train fares).
	The round trip version for 5500 yen (8000 yen for green car) consists of 1) a round trip from Narita Airport to Tokyo (or Yokohama) and back to Narita Airport within a two week period and 2) a Suica card worth 2000 yen (500 yen refundable deposit plus 1500 yen worth of train fares).
	See also our Suica & NEX page for more details.
	Suica & Monorail (for foreign tourists arriving at Haneda Airport)
	The Suica & Monorail package combines a ticket for the Tokyo Monorail with a Suica prepaid card at a slightly discounted cost. It is available as one way or round trip version and can be purchased at Haneda Airport between 11:00 and 18:00 by travelers who hold a non-Japanese passport. Note that the ticket cannot be purchased during the hours when most intercontinental flights arrive at the airport!
	The one way version for 2400 yen consists of 1) a one way trip from Haneda Airport to Hamamatsucho Station in central Tokyo and 2) a Suica card worth 2000 yen (500 yen refundable deposit plus 1500 yen worth of train fares) at a discount of 70 yen.
	The round trip version for 2700 yen consists of 1) a round trip from Haneda Airport to Hamamatsucho Station and back to Haneda Airport within a 10 day period and 2) a Suica card worth 2000 yen (500 yen refundable deposit plus 1500 yen worth of train fares) at a discount of 240 yen.

Only on days when you use trains or subways a lot, can it make sense to consider one of Tokyo's day passes. Day passes are sold at train stations and vending machines and are valid from the first train in the morning until the last train in the evening rather than for a 24 hour period.

	Tokyo Free Kippu (1580 yen)
	Unlimited use of all subway lines (Toei and Tokyo Metro) and JR trains in the central Tokyo area on one calendar day. It is also valid on buses and streetcars operated by Toei. The pass is overpriced and will unlikely provide any savings over regular tickets or prepaid cards.
	Toei and Tokyo Metro One-Day Economy Pass (1000 yen)
	Unlimited use of all subway lines (Toei and Tokyo Metro) on one calendar day. The pass only pays off if you use the subways excessively. The pass is not valid on JR trains.
	Tokyo Metro Open Ticket (1-day: 600 or 710 yen; 2-day: 980 yen)
	Unlimited use of the nine Tokyo Metro subway lines, but not the four Toei subway lines and JR trains. A regular one day pass costs 710 yen, while a tourist version is available for 600 yen (one day) and 980 yen (two consecutive days). The tourist version is only available to foreign tourists at Narita Airport and Haneda Airport.
	Toei One-Day Economy Pass (700 yen)
	Unlimited use of the four Toei subway lines, buses and streetcars on one calendar day. It is not valid on the nine Tokyo Metro subway lines and JR trains.
	Tokunai Pass (730 yen)
	Unlimited use of JR trains in the central Tokyo area on one calendar day.

The Japan Rail Pass, JR East Pass and JR Kanto Area Pass are valid only on JR trains and the Tokyo Monorail. They cannot be used on subways or any other non-JR train.

Narita Airport
Haneda Airport

Prepaid IC Cards
Suica & NEX

JR Yamanote Line
JR Keihin-Tohoku Line
JR Chuo Line
JR Saikyo Line
JR Shonan Shinjuku Line
Tokyo Metro

Tokyo Water Bus

Railways
Taking trains
Shinkansen
Night trains
Domestic Air Travel
Buses
Highway Buses
Ferries
Taxis
Car Rental
Highways

Central Tokyo
Marunouchi
Ginza
Nihonbashi
Akihabara
Imperial Palace
Imperial East Gardens
Yasukuni Shrine
Tsukiji Market
Hama Rikyu
Tokyo Dome City
Koishikawa Korakuen
Tsukishima

Western Tokyo
Shinjuku
Shibuya
Harajuku
Shinjuku Gyoen
Yoyogi Park
Meiji Shrine
NHK Studiopark
Yebisu Garden Place

Northern Tokyo
Asakusa
Sensoji Temple
Kappabashi Street
Ueno Park
Ameyoko
Ryogoku
Rikugien Garden
Koishikawa Botanical Garden
Ikebukuro
Sugamo

Southern Tokyo
Odaiba
Shiodome
Kyu Shiba Rikyu
Roppongi
Akasaka Sacas
Tokyo Tower
Zojoji Temple
Shinagawa
Sengakuji Temple
Institute for Nature Study

Outlying Areas
Kiyosumi Garden
Kasai Rinkai Park
Makuhari Messe
Ghibli Museum
Todoroki Valley
Edo-Tokyo Open Air Museum
Mount Mitake
Mount Takao