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TRANSPORTATION
TOURISM
PHOTO GALLERY:
Transportation
Tokyo
Tokyo
Taking a train
Rush hour
Bus
Railway
Taxi
Car
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The most practical way to get around in Tokyo is to use the trains and subways.
 The Yama(no)te Line is a circle line of the JR East that connects all the large satellite downtowns of Tokyo. It is one of the busiest and most important lines.
Within the Yamanote circle exists a dense subway system of two major subway companies.
From the large Yamanote stations several lines lead to the outer regions of the city and the suburbs. The lines are owned by many private railway companies. Some of these companies belong to a department store chain like Tobu, Seibu or Tokyu.
Every company has it's own fare system. The largest company, the privatized JR East is usually slightly more expensive than the other companies.
The city of Tokyo does not have one downtown but a few of them. Accordingly there are many major stations throughout the city. The most important ones are:
- Tokyo station:
Besides many regional lines, the Shinkansen high speed trains (bullet trains) leave from Tokyo station to the North and West of Japan.
- Shinjuku station:
Many lines leave from this large station to the west of Tokyo prefecture and the North into Saitama prefecture. Around and above the station one can find many department stores, shopping areas, a big entertainment district, restaurants, and fashion hotels (love hotels).
- Ueno station:
Large station with lines leaving for Chiba and Ibaraki prefectures in the East and Saitama prefecture in the North. The shinkansen trains heading for Northern Japan also stop at Ueno station.
- Ikebukuro station:
Large station from which lines leave to the Western parts of Tokyo prefecture and Saitama prefecture in the North.
- Shibuya station:
Large station in the shopping and entertainment area of Shibuya-Harajuku.
- Shinagawa station:
Large station with connections to Kanagawa prefecture in the South, especially Yokohama which can be reached in only about 15 minutes.
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