Tokyo has the busiest and most complex rail network in the world. Thirteen metro lines, multiple JR commuter lines, private railways, the Shinkansen bullet train, monorails, and trams all overlap in a web that serves 40 million daily journeys. For tourists arriving for the first time, it can feel genuinely overwhelming. It is not. This guide explains the system plainly, so you can navigate it with confidence from day one.
Forget individual tickets. Buy a Suica or Pasmo IC card at any major station and load it with cash. These reloadable smart cards work on the Tokyo Metro, Toei Subway, all JR lines within Tokyo, most buses, monorails, and even at convenience stores, vending machines and station restaurants. They are the single most useful thing a tourist in Japan can carry.
Suica is issued by JR East; Pasmo is issued by the Tokyo Metro and Toei. They are interchangeable across the entire network — buy whichever is available. Both cost ¥500 as a refundable deposit. Load ¥2,000–¥3,000 to start; you can top up at any station machine.
Since 2024, Suica and Pasmo can also be added to Apple Wallet or a Suica app on iPhone, which is particularly convenient as the phone automatically selects the card when tapped on the reader.
The Japan Rail Pass is a fixed-price unlimited pass for JR trains (Shinkansen, JR intercity, JR local lines) sold to foreign visitors before arrival. For touring multiple cities — Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Hiroshima — the pass pays for itself easily, since a Tokyo–Kyoto Shinkansen return alone costs around ¥28,000 (roughly £145).
For Tokyo only, the JR Pass is less useful. The Tokyo Metro and Toei Subway (which cover most tourist sites) are not JR services, so the pass does not apply. Within Tokyo, JR lines (the Yamanote loop line, the Chuo line, the Keihin-Tohoku line) are useful and included in the pass — but IC card prices are low enough that you would spend far less than the pass cost on a short city-only trip.
The verdict: buy the JR Pass if you are travelling around Japan. Skip it if you are spending your entire trip in Tokyo.
The Yamanote Line is a JR loop line that circles central Tokyo and connects almost every major tourist hub. It takes about 64 minutes to complete a full loop and stops at: Shinjuku (shopping and nightlife), Shibuya (the famous scramble crossing), Harajuku (Meiji Shrine, Takeshita Street), Ebisu, Osaki, Shinagawa (Shinkansen access), Tokyo (Tokyo Station, Imperial Palace), Akihabara (electronics and anime), Ueno (museums, zoo, Ameyoko market), and Ikebukuro — among others. Memorise this loop and the rest of Tokyo's geography makes sense.
Trains run every 2–3 minutes during the day and every 4–5 minutes late at night. No reservation required. Tap your IC card and board.
Tokyo has two separate subway operators running independent networks. The Tokyo Metro operates 9 lines (Ginza, Marunouchi, Hibiya, Tozai, Chiyoda, Yurakucho, Hanzomon, Namboku, Fukutoshin). The Toei Subway operates 4 lines (Asakusa, Mita, Shinjuku, Oedo).
For tourists, the practical implication is simple: both accept IC cards and single tickets, and fares are calculated separately if you transfer between operators without exiting through a barrier. If you tap out of the Tokyo Metro, walk above ground and tap into a Toei station, you pay a new fare. If you transfer through an interchange station without exiting, the system usually charges a through-fare. Follow the transfer signs (often marked in green and white) to stay within the fare gate.
A tourist combination pass — the Tokyo Metro 24/48/72-hour pass — covers unlimited Tokyo Metro travel (not Toei or JR) and costs ¥600/¥1,200/¥1,500. Worth it if you plan to make more than 4 Metro journeys a day.
← See the full Tokyo city guide with transit lines and stations
No. An IC card (Suica or Pasmo) is sufficient for all travel within Tokyo. The JR Pass is worth buying if you are also travelling to Kyoto, Osaka or other Japanese cities by Shinkansen, but for Tokyo alone it is unlikely to pay for itself.
The Narita Express (N'EX) runs from Narita Airport to Shinjuku, Shibuya and Tokyo Station in 60–90 minutes. A round-trip tourist ticket costs around ¥5,000. The Keisei Skyliner is faster to Ueno and Nippori (40 minutes) for ¥2,570 one-way. Buses are cheaper but much slower.
The Tokyo Monorail (IC card accepted) runs from Haneda to Hamamatsucho on the Yamanote Line in about 20 minutes. The Keikyu line connects Haneda to Shinagawa and Asakusa. Both options cost around ¥500–¥700.
The barrier will reject you with a red light and a beeping sound. Walk to any top-up machine in the station (they are always near the barriers), insert your card and add credit. Machines have an English language option at every major station.
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