How to get around Tokyo: metro, Suica and transport

The Suica (or its equivalent, the Pasmo) is a rechargeable IC card that works on all the metros, JR trains, buses and monorails of Tokyo and the region. You do not need to buy a ticket for each journey: you simply tap the card on the gate reader on entry and exit, and the exact amount is deducted automatically.

Besides transport, the Suica works as a payment method at konbini, vending machines, lockers, some restaurants and shops. It is the fastest way to pay in Japan without using cash.

You can buy one from the machines at any station, choose the Welcome Suica for tourists or carry it on your phone. What each option costs and how to top it up, in the Suica and Pasmo guide.

Tokyo's rail transport is run by several different companies. For a tourist, it is worth distinguishing three blocks:

• Tokyo Metro and Toei (the metro): the metro proper is 13 lines split between two operators: 9 Tokyo Metro lines and 4 lines of the municipal Toei metro. Between the two they cover the inside of the city and are what you will use for most tourist journeys.
• JR East (the surface trains): includes the famous Yamanote loop, a circular line connecting the most important stations (Shinjuku, Shibuya, Harajuku, Akihabara, Ueno, Ikebukuro, Tokyo Station) and going all the way round in about 60 minutes. It is the line you will use the most.
• Private lines (Keio, Odakyu, Tokyu, Keisei…): connect the centre with the suburbs and day trips such as the Kamakura day trip or a trip to see Mount Fuji from Tokyo, as well as Nikko. For tourism within the city you will hardly need them.

The good news: the Suica works on all these networks without distinction. You do not have to know which company the train belongs to in order to pay for it, just tap on entry and exit.

The JR Pass (the long-distance pass for tourists) only covers JR trains, not the Tokyo Metro or Toei metro. Within Tokyo the JR Pass is only useful for the Yamanote line and other JR lines; for everything else you will need the Suica anyway. That is why, to get around the city, the Suica is more flexible than relying on the JR Pass.

The system is simpler than it looks. These are the steps:

1. Open Google Maps (or the Citymapper app, which works perfectly in Tokyo) and enter your destination. The app tells you which line to take, in which direction and how many stops.
2. Enter through the gates tapping the Suica on the reader. The screen shows the remaining balance.
3. Go down to the correct platform. In the large stations there are screens in Japanese and English, and language is rarely a barrier for getting around Tokyo. The cars show the number of stops to the final destination.
4. Exit through the gates tapping the Suica again. The system deducts the exact amount according to the distance travelled.

If you take the wrong train, no problem: you exit and enter again. You only pay for what you actually travelled.

Rush hours

In Tokyo the rush hours are real: 7:30–9:30 and 17:30–20:00 on weekdays. The trains are completely packed. If you can, avoid those windows or accept it as a Japanese cultural experience.

You do not need to download any special Japanese transport app. These three cover everything:

• Google Maps: works perfectly in Tokyo for public transport routes. It shows real-time timetables, transfers and walking times. It is the most reliable option.
• Citymapper: an alternative to Google Maps with a slightly clearer interface for the metro. Very good for planning complex routes with several transfers.
• Suica app / Apple Wallet / Google Wallet: to manage the balance of your digital Suica directly from your phone.

There is no need to download apps in Japanese or buy special data cards for the metro: the 4G/5G signal reaches most platforms. If you'd rather bring your own data instead of relying on station wifi, check our guide to internet in Japan (pocket wifi or eSIM).

To decide how much you'll move around each day, it helps to first be clear on what you want to see: our guide to what to see in Japan helps prioritise neighbourhoods and sights before working out journeys.

There is a pass aimed only at foreign tourists, the Tokyo Subway Ticket, which allows unlimited trips on the Tokyo Metro and Toei lines (the two metro networks) for 24, 48 or 72 consecutive hours. It is sold at Narita and Haneda airports, at some tourist offices and at certain shops, on presentation of a passport.

• 24 hours: 1,000 ¥ (~5.4 €)
• 48 hours: 1,500 ¥ (~8.2 €)
• 72 hours: 2,000 ¥ (~10.9 €)

(The clock starts from first use, not at midnight; children aged 6 to 11 pay roughly half.)

The calculation is simple: as a single metro trip costs around 200 ¥ on average, the 24-hour pass pays off from about 5 trips a day, and the 48- and 72-hour ones from about 3–4 trips a day. If you are going to use the metro a lot and JR lines little, it works out.

The big "but": the Tokyo Subway Ticket does not cover the Yamanote line or any JR train, which are exactly the ones tourists use most to connect Shinjuku, Shibuya, Harajuku and Ueno. If your route depends on the Yamanote loop, the Suica is still more practical because it works for everything. A common strategy is to combine both: the metro pass for days with lots of museums and inner neighbourhoods, and the Suica for the rest — it all depends on how many days you'll spend in Tokyo and how you split up your visits.

Taxis in Tokyo are clean, punctual and honest — but expensive. The flag fall is around 500 ¥ (~2.7 €) for the first kilometre or so and rises quickly from there. They are useful late at night, when the metro is no longer running (it closes between 00:00 and 01:00), or when you have a lot of luggage. Uber works in Tokyo, but uses local taxis: the prices are similar.

Buses exist but are less intuitive for tourists because the stops do not always have information in English. The price is fixed (210–230 ¥) regardless of distance, which makes them useful for short trips away from the metro.

Bicycle rental (the Docomo Bike Share service, among others) is an excellent option for exploring street-level neighbourhoods — Asakusa, Ueno, Yanaka or Shimokitazawa are perfect for this. Price: ~150 ¥ per 30 minutes.