I think it is fair to say that the Tokyo metropolitan area has arguably one of the most efficient public transportation systems on the planet. Between the bus, subway and trains, one can travel from almost any point to almost any other point, with astonishing efficiency at an incredibly reasonable price.
As someone who is used to British public transport, mainly in the North West of England, it is quite easy for me to be impressed by the stark contrast in difference between the two areas, where public transport is concerned. Yet, objectively, the public transport here (Tokyo), although often busy, is without a doubt, incredible!
Buses are frequent and trains are on time.
The last time I used a train in the UK, it was a 20 minute ride from my home town, into Manchester, one of the largest and busiest cities in the North West. The train was late, of course, and consisted of just two cars.. Not nearly enough for the volume of passengers.
In the Tokyo area, commuter trains are usually 11 cars long, and always on time, with few exceptions.
The bus constantly updates to the public webpage, it’s location and expected time of arrival at any searchable stop.
The IC card system makes paying the fare a real breeze!
IC Card System
The IC cards available and most commonly used in the Tokyo area are Suica and Pasmo. Not only do these cards allow for transportation payments, but also many shops and vending machines accept them as a form of payment. One simply tops up the IC card either by cash or debit/credit card, and the balance can be used to make payment for many things.
IC cards can also be added into Apple Pay digital wallet on an iPhone, making payments and top-ups even simpler! The system is fantastic and something that I have made ample use of so far during my time in Japan.
Simply touch the card or phone to the entry point at your departure station, and once again on the way out of your arrival station, and the fare is deducted automatically. Similarly, the bus operates on a single fare system. Touch when you get on, and simply walk off when you arrive, no need to touch on the way off. So simple!
Language
Here is where things can be a little inconsistent. I am not in Central Tokyo, rather I am currently in a city within the Tokyo Metropolitan area. Therefore things may be a little different in other cities within Tokyo. The buses where I am have large Japanese kanji above the front window, displaying the destination. Under the kanji, is smaller, but still perfectly readable romaji (English) reading of the destination. This makes buses super easy for non fluent Japanese speakers/readers who can read English letters. I have no problem with buses here.
However, the trains usually do not have English on the external screens. Once inside a train, the displays will eventually cycle through all the Japanese information and display the most essential bits in English. Yet, this doesn’t help one from the platform. The screens on most platforms are also absent of any English, however, the announcements are all repeated in English. So, you must listen to the announcements to know for sure that the train approaching is the correct one for your route. This is not really a problem, as all the lines on each platform are written in English and the trains always use the same platform for their respected line/route. Google Maps has very accurate and up-to-date information for each train and platform also..
It is quite easy, although perhaps a little overwhelming at first, to navigate the Tokyo Metropolitan public transport system solo, even for a non-Japanese speaker. It’s an adventure, you might get the wrong train at some point, but it’s ok.. 大丈夫 everything is alright! Just enjoy the adventure!
