Prior to 1868, Tokyo was known as Edo. A small castle town in the 16th century, Edo became Japan's political center in 1603 when Tokugawa Ieyasu established his feudal government there. A few decades later, Edo had grown into one of the world's most populous cities.
With the Meiji Restoration of 1868, the emperor and capital were moved from Kyoto to Edo, which was renamed Tokyo ("Eastern Capital"). Large parts of Tokyo were destroyed in the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923 and in the air raids of 1945.
How to get to Tokyo
By Air - Tokyo has two airports: the international Narita Airport is located 60 km outside of central Tokyo, and the domestic Haneda Airport located centrally of this metropolist.
By Shinkansen - Almost all 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.
Tips - Avoid Taxi due to it's very expensive cost.
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.
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.
Tokyo’s most prominent train line is the JR Yamanote Line, a circle 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 countless suburban train lines commence at one of the six major stations of the Yamanote Line (Tokyo, Ueno, Ikebukuro, Shinjuku, Shibuya and Shinagawa).
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 some trains on the Hibiya Subway Line continue to run on the tracks of the Tokyu Toyoko Line at Nakameguro 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.
Special Tickets
A whole variety of day passes is available for the Tokyo area. 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.
- 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.
- Toei and Tokyo Metro One-Day Economy Pass (1000 yen)
Unlimited use of all subway lines (Toei and Tokyo Metro) on one calendar day.
- 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. 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 at Narita 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.
- Tokunai Pass (730 yen)
Unlimited use of JR trains in the central Tokyo area on one calendar day.
- Holiday Pass (2300 yen)
Unlimited use of local and rapid JR trains in the greater Tokyo area (including Yokohama and Kamakura) on one calendar day. It can only be used on Saturdays, Sundays, public holidays and certain holiday seasons. Elsewhere on the site is a guide devoted to the Holiday Pass.
Prepaid cards don't give you any discounts, but they make the process of taking trains easier, as you do not always need to buy a ticket before riding a train.
- Suica and PASMO
Suica and PASMO are prepaid IC cards, that can be used interchangeably on most trains and buses in Greater Tokyo, including JR trains, subways and other non-JR trains. Elsewhere on the site is a guide devoted to Suica and PASMO.
The Japan Rail Pass is valid only on JR trains. It cannot be used on subways or any other non-JR train.
See also
Hotels in Tokyo
