Getting Around Japan via Metro

Tokyo, possibly one of the most fascinating and bizarre cities in the world! It is also the largest metropolitan area in the world where space is limited, thus you can expect to be literally rubbing shoulders with many, many people here. When I first starting planning my trip in Tokyo and Osaka I knew that is was going to be a challenge. Mainly because the subway map looked like this:

But don't worry, I'm here to help you figure it out. The first thing you must know is that Tokyo trains are made up of many operators. Example, JR Line, Private Railways, Metro (coloured) lines, and Toei (coloured) lines. 

Unless you're planning on travelling to the outskirts of the city, you can totally ignore JR and Private Railway lines, because not only are those more expensive, I was told that they were more frequently used by the locals somehow, thus where heavy crowds will be especially during peak hours. With that said, you have just crossed out the thick and thin black lines of the map! That leaves you with this:

The Tokyo Metro and Toei lines are operated by the government, and although they do not have as many stations as the Private and JR lines, they will still be able to get you around Tokyo with extreme efficiency. So here's the smartest thing to do, get a tourist Tokyo Subway Ticket that looks like this: 

You can only get it Tokyo Airports, and is only sold to tourists on presentation of their passports. Some travel agencies and Bic Camera outlets provide them as well. The price of these tickets are:

Tokyo Subway 1-Day Ticket – Adult: 800 yen, Child: 400 yen

Tokyo Subway 2-Day Ticket – Adult: 1,200 yen, Child: 600 yen

Tokyo Subway 3-Day Ticket – Adult: 1,500 yen, Child: 750 yen

Talk about a steal! The average price of a single ticket going just one station away is 170 yen, so you can do the math. You can plan and calculate the costs of your journeys here. Every station has a unique Line symbol (alphabet) and station number. For example, G16, G17, G18. It's circled with a colour that represents the subway line, making it easy to find your station. You can read this for a clearer picture. To top it off, all of Tokyo's metro stations have free WiFi, so in case you get lost, just hop off at any station and google it!