Getting around Tokyo

The JR East network is the backbone of central Tokyo. The Yamanote Line circles the centre, linking Tokyo, Shinagawa, Shibuya, Shinjuku, Ikebukuro and Ueno; a full loop takes about an hour. The orange Chuo Line cuts across the loop from Tokyo Station to Shinjuku and continues west, and the Keihin-Tohoku Line runs parallel to the eastern side of the loop towards Yokohama and Saitama.

JR lines are covered by the Japan Rail Pass. The Tokyo Monorail to Haneda is also JR-affiliated, and Shinkansen to all parts of Japan depart from Tokyo, Ueno and Shinagawa.

Two operators run Tokyo's subway. Tokyo Metro has nine lines, including the Ginza Line, opened in 1927 as the first subway in Asia, and the Marunouchi Line, whose red trains serve Tokyo Station, Ginza and Shinjuku. The Tokyo Metropolitan Government's Toei network adds four lines, among them the Oedo Line, which loops deep beneath the city, and the Asakusa Line, which runs through to the Keisei and Keikyu railways for Narita and Haneda airports.

Each line has a colour and a letter, and stations carry numbers, so directions such as 'take the Hibiya Line (H) to Roppongi (H 04)' are easy to follow. Transfers between Metro and Toei lines are common; IC cards calculate the combined fare automatically.

Private railways radiate from the JR hubs into the suburbs and to popular excursion areas. Most run through onto subway lines, so a train from the suburbs may continue across central Tokyo under a different company's name.

Suica (issued by JR East) and PASMO (issued by the private railways and subways) are interchangeable prepaid IC cards: they are touched on the reader at the gate when entering and leaving, and the fare is deducted automatically. They also work on buses, in convenience stores, vending machines and many shops, and throughout most of Japan. Visitors can use Welcome Suica or add Suica or PASMO to a smartphone wallet.

Paper tickets are still sold at machines with English menus, but an IC card saves working out fares across operators. Credit-card touch payment is being introduced on some lines.

A handful of giant stations tie the network together. They can be confusing, with several operators, dozens of exits and underground shopping streets, so it helps to know the exit name or number for the destination and follow the yellow exit signs.

Rush hours on weekday mornings and early evenings are extremely crowded; travelling outside them is much more comfortable, especially with luggage. Many lines have women-only cars during the morning rush, marked on the platform. Passengers queue at marked positions on the platform, let others off first, keep conversations quiet and do not talk on the phone.

Trains stop running around midnight and restart early in the morning; there is no regular all-night rail service, so late-night journeys mean taxis. Route-planning apps show platforms, the best car for transfers and exit numbers.