Navigating Tokyo's Subway and Rail Network

How to use the Tokyo subway starts with one idea: separate companies share one map, and a single IC card pays across all of them.¹² You do not need to memorize the map. You need an IC card, a route app, and the Yamanote loop as your anchor.

Confirm current details with official sources

Fees, rules, and requirements can change. Confirm current details at Tokyo Metro, Toei Transportation, JR East, and JNTO official pages.

Overview

Tokyo rail looks dense because it overlays several networks in one diagram. Tokyo Metro runs 9 lines over 195 km between 180 stations, and Toei Subway runs 4 lines across 106 stations.¹ JR East adds the Yamanote loop plus the Chuo and Sobu corridors, and private railways feed in from the suburbs.¹³

Daily scale explains the frequency. Tokyo Metro carries almost 6.84 million passengers per day and Toei about 2.64 million per day, both averaged over FY2024.¹ On the Yamanote loop trains come every 2 to 4 minutes, and subways mark every station with a color-circled line letter and number, so visitors navigate by line color, station number, and exit number rather than by timetable.⁴⁵

This guide covers the Tokyo network only. Osaka, Kansai, and other cities run on different operators and maps, so do not carry Tokyo rules elsewhere.¹³ Card purchase and top-up detail lives in IC Cards for Visitors: Suica, Pasmo, ICOCA, and the 2023 Compatibility Changes; this article covers riding, transferring, and timing.²

Why the Map Looks Harder Than It Is

The map stacks separate fare systems in shared colors. Once you name the companies, each ride becomes one line at a time.

The operators behind the colors

Tokyo Metro and Toei Subway together form the 13-line subway with more than 280 stations.¹⁶ Tokyo Metro is the larger subway operator. Toei is run by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government and covers the Asakusa, Mita, Shinjuku, and Oedo lines.¹

The green Yamanote loop plus the Chuo and Sobu lines belong to JR East and run mostly above ground as a third fare system.¹⁴ Private railways such as Keio toward Mt. Takao and Odakyu toward Hakone connect into the subway at through-service points.¹³

A Japan Rail Pass does not work on either subway company. It covers JR lines only.¹ The reverse boundary also holds: a subway pass does not cover JR.

One IC card across separate companies

A 交通系ICカード (kotsukei IC kado, "transportation IC card") is a contactless stored-value card. You tap at the gate on entry and exit, and the system deducts the correct fare automatically.²

One card spans Metro, Toei, JR, buses, monorails, and shops displaying the mark.²¹³ A standard Suica includes a 500-yen deposit returned on surrender at a JR East station (as of 2026-09; confirm current figures with JR East).²

Top-ups use cash only at machines, in 500 through 10,000 yen increments up to a 20,000-yen ceiling (as of 2026-09).² Refunds deduct a 220-yen handling fee from the balance while the deposit still returns in full (as of 2026-09).² A card unused for 10 years becomes invalid, with balance transfer or refund available.²

Paper tickets work differently. They are sold per ride from multilingual machines, and a Tokyo Metro paper ticket does not carry onto Toei or vice versa because the companies are separate.¹ A card cannot cross a regional boundary in one tap either, such as Tokyo area to Sendai area, so long cross-area rides need advance tickets.²

Start with an IC card instead of paper tickets

Paper tickets force you to calculate fares and split operators manually. An IC card joins Metro, Toei, and JR legs into one tap flow and removes the most common first-day error.²¹

Navigate by App, Anchor on the Yamanote Loop

Do not study the full map. Let the app route and let the loop orient you.

Route planning apps over memorizing the map

Open the app and type the destination station or attraction. It returns the line, direction, transfer point, fare estimate, and exit number.¹³

GO TOKYO points visitors to Tokyo Metro For Tourists for route search across trains, buses, taxis, and shared bicycles, including car-crowding and train-position displays.¹ Japan Travel Trip, Transit and Rail (Navitime) is the comprehensive alternative that also shows which tickets a route needs.¹ JNTO lists Japan Transit Planner (Jorudan) and NAVITIME as fare and timetable search tools.³

App comparison depth belongs elsewhere. Here the rule is simple: follow one line at a time, confirm the terminus direction, and save the exit number before boarding.

The Yamanote loop as mental model

The 山手線 (Yamanote-sen, "Yamanote Line") is a JR East loop circling central Tokyo and linking nearly every hub visitors know by name.⁴ Treat it as the ring road and the subways as the streets inside it.

A full loop takes approximately one hour across 30 stations, with trains every 2 to 4 minutes in each direction.⁴ Key stops include Shinjuku, Harajuku, Shibuya, Ebisu, Shinagawa, Hamamatsucho, Shimbashi, Tokyo, Akihabara, Ueno, Nippori, Ikebukuro, and Shin-Okubo.⁴ Takanawa Gateway, opened in 2020, is the newest station on the loop.⁴

The practical pattern is ring plus spokes. Ride the loop to the nearest big hub, then take one short subway leg to inner districts such as Asakusa, Ginza, Roppongi, or Tsukiji.¹⁴ Hamamatsucho connects to the Tokyo Monorail for Haneda Airport, and Nippori connects to Keisei trains for Narita Airport.⁴

Transfers Between Operators

Transfers are where visitors lose money or time. The distinction is whether you stay inside the gates or exit and re-enter.

The diagram above captures the transfer decision: same-operator continuity versus cross-operator fare split, and IC flow versus paper flow. Cite figures appear in prose below, not inside the block.

In-station versus exit-and-re-enter transfers

Some Metro-to-Metro transfers require exiting through orange ticket gates and re-entering within 60 minutes.⁷ Other stations allow transfer without passing any gate.⁷

Posted orange-gate points include Ueno, Mitsukoshimae, Otemachi, Ikebukuro, Iidabashi, Hibiya, Awajicho and Shin-ochanomizu, Ueno-hirokoji and Naka-okachimachi, Shibuya, Shinjuku-sanchome, Ningyocho and Suitengumae, Tsukiji and Shintomicho, Ginza and Ginza-itchome, and Toranomon and Toranomon Hills.⁷

Paper tickets become invalid upon exiting the gate.⁷ If the paper fare falls short of the distance traveled, pay the difference at the destination. Overpaid paper fares are not refunded.⁷

What transfers cost in fare and time

Fares follow distance, not route or station name.¹⁷ Tokyo Metro paper fares run 180, 210, 260, 300, and 330 yen across five distance bands, while IC fares run 178, 209, 252, 293, and 324 yen in the same bands (as of 2026-09; confirm current figures with Tokyo Metro).⁷

Distance	Paper ticket	IC card	As of	Source
1 to 6 km	180 yen	178 yen	2026-09	7
7 to 11 km	210 yen	209 yen	2026-09	7
12 to 19 km	260 yen	252 yen	2026-09	7
20 to 27 km	300 yen	293 yen	2026-09	7
28 to 40 km	330 yen	324 yen	2026-09	7

Figures in this table reflect Tokyo Metro current distance bands including the 10-yen adult barrier-free fee (as of 2026-09).⁷ Child paper fares are roughly half the adult fare after adding that fee (as of 2026-09).⁷ Toei one-way fares range 180 to 430 yen by distance, higher than Metro on longer rides (as of 2026-09).¹

Subway-to-JR transfers always start a fresh JR fare. IC cards handle both legs automatically but do not merge them into one fare.¹ Allow extra minutes inside mega stations such as Shinjuku, Tokyo, Shibuya, and Otemachi, where the underground walk between operators can exceed the in-train time.¹

Crossing operators on paper means two tickets

A single paper ticket bought on Tokyo Metro will not carry onto Toei. Buy per-operator tickets or tap an IC card instead of forcing one ticket through two systems.¹⁷

Rush Hour Reality

Crowding is real, orderly, and avoidable with timing.

The 7:30 to 9:30 AM inbound crush

Weekday mornings from about 7:30 to 9:30 pack inbound trains, with evenings from about 17:30 to 19:30 as the second peak.¹ Mornings are the tighter squeeze.¹

GO TOKYO advises traveling outside the peaks when carrying large luggage.¹ White-gloved station staff assist at doors on the busiest stretches to keep departures on time.¹

On platforms, line up at the marked spots and let passengers alight before boarding.¹ Keep backpacks in front or between legs and move toward the car center so others can board.¹ Eating, drinking, and voice calls on trains are generally frowned upon.¹ Priority seats go first to passengers who are pregnant, elderly, or living with disabilities.¹

Last Train Cutoff

Tokyo rail does not run all night. The 終電 (shuden, "last train") is the final departure for a given line and direction, and it varies by station.

The diagram above captures the night-out planning flow: confirm the direction-specific last train first, then decide whether to ride, leave early, or wait. No citation markers sit inside the block.

No overnight service, plan the return

Last trains generally fall between 23:30 and 00:30 the next day, depending on line, station, and direction.¹ First trains start around 5:00.¹ Service windows, not per-line times, are the planning unit for visitors.

GO TOKYO advises confirming the specific route through Navitime or online before a late night.¹ JR East runs the timetable portal for line-specific first and last times when precision matters.⁸

Missing the last train leaves a taxi or waiting until morning. Set the app destination to the station you actually exit at and allow time for the underground walk to the exit.

Check tonight's last train before going out

Daytime frequency tells you nothing about the final departure. Confirm the last train for your direction before dinner, not at midnight.¹⁸

Good to know

Paper tickets split what an IC card joins

Metro and Toei sell separate paper tickets because they are separate companies.¹ An IC card taps across Metro, Toei, JR, buses, and shops without per-ride fare math.²¹ Paper is fine for a single short hop. It becomes slow and costly once a day crosses operators.

A subway pass does not cover JR, and a JR pass does not cover subways

Subway lines are not operated by JR, so a JR Pass cannot ride them.¹ The reverse also holds for subway-only passes on JR legs. Operator-confirmed day options include a Tokyo Metro 24-hour ticket at 700 yen for Metro lines only, a common Metro plus Toei 1-day ticket at 1,100 yen, and a Tokyo Combination Ticket at 1,720 yen covering Metro, Toei, trams, buses, the Nippori-Toneri Liner, and JR lines inside the wards (as of 2026-09; confirm current figures with Tokyo Metro).⁹

Mega-station walks count as trip time

Shinjuku, Tokyo, Shibuya, and Otemachi involve long underground walks between operators and dozens of numbered exits.¹ Color-coded maps and multilingual signs help with direction but do not shorten the walk.¹ Save the exit number from the app before tapping out.

Check tonight's last train before going out

Last departures sit inside the 23:30 to 00:30 window but differ by line, station, and direction.¹ Confirm the exact service for the night, especially from Roppongi, Shibuya, or Shinjuku after a late dinner.¹⁸ If the return falls past the window, decide early between an earlier train, a taxi, or waiting for the first trains around 5:00.¹

See also

• Mobile and Contactless Payment Options for Visitors
• ATMs That Accept Foreign Cards in Japan
• Japan Trip Checklist: What to Sort Out Before You Fly
• Navigating Osaka and Kansai-Area Transit

References

Footnotes

1. Tokyo Convention and Visitors Bureau (GO TOKYO). "How to use the Tokyo subway system - with map." Updated 2026-09-01. https://www.gotokyo.org/en/plan/getting-around/subways/index.html ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹ ↩¹⁰ ↩¹¹ ↩¹² ↩¹³ ↩¹⁴ ↩¹⁵ ↩¹⁶ ↩¹⁷ ↩¹⁸ ↩¹⁹ ↩²⁰ ↩²¹ ↩²² ↩²³ ↩²⁴ ↩²⁵ ↩²⁶ ↩²⁷ ↩²⁸ ↩²⁹ ↩³⁰ ↩³¹ ↩³² ↩³³ ↩³⁴ ↩³⁵ ↩³⁶ ↩³⁷ ↩³⁸ ↩³⁹ ↩⁴⁰ ↩⁴¹ ↩⁴²

2. East Japan Railway Company (JR East). "Suica." https://www.jreast.co.jp/multi/en/pass/suica.html ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹ ↩¹⁰ ↩¹¹

3. Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO). "Traveling by Rail." https://www.japan.travel/en/guide/traveling-by-rail/ ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶

4. japan-guide.com. "JR Yamanote Line." Page last updated 2025-05-01. https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2370.html ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸

5. Tokyo Metro Co., Ltd. "Subway Map." https://www.tokyometro.jp/en/subwaymap/index.html (linked via JNTO rail guide) ↩

6. Tokyo Metropolitan Bureau of Transportation (Toei). "Toei Subway Route Map." https://www.kotsu.metro.tokyo.jp/eng/maps/ (linked via JNTO rail guide; direct page fetch blocked by bot check, content via GO TOKYO summary) ↩

7. Tokyo Metro Co., Ltd. "Regular Tickets." https://www.tokyometro.jp/en/ticket/regular/ ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹ ↩¹⁰ ↩¹¹ ↩¹² ↩¹³ ↩¹⁴ ↩¹⁵

8. East Japan Railway Company (JR East). "JR-EAST Top / Timetables portal." https://www.jreast.co.jp/multi/en/ and https://www.jreast-timetable.jp/en/ ↩ ↩² ↩³

9. Tokyo Metro Co., Ltd. "1-Day Open Tickets." https://www.tokyometro.jp/en/ticket/1day/ ↩