Getting around Tokyo for first-time tourists can be confusing. Specifically, it can take a few days to get a handle on how the train system works. Now, a new smartphone app from Tokyo Metro aimed specifically at tourists from multiple countries aims to make life a little easier.
What makes getting around Tokyo hard
Japan’s train system is renowned for its convenience. However, many tourists who come here for the first time don’t realize how complicated it can be to navigate.
The major factor leading to confusion is the structure of the train system. It’s not a single unified system but an intricate, intertwined network operated by multiple private companies and government agencies.
The sprawling interconnection of multiple rail companies has made things a bit of a mess. Even locals find stations like Shinjuku and Shibuya, which grew organically as these individual companies grew, hard to navigate.
One frequent mistake we’ve seen our tour clients make is entering the wrong gate at a station. Most tourists new to Japan think there’s a single “train station,” and entering any gate will do.
In reality, the gates are specific to individual train companies. If you go to Shinjuku Station and enter the JR East gate when you need a train on the Keio Line, you’ll find yourself mightily confused.
Finally, signs in train stations can be unclear. I’ve personally had to help several tourists confirm whether they were on the right train platform for their intended destination.
Tokyo Metro for Tourists
To address these gaps, multiple companies are offering new smartphone-based solutions to make travel easier for tourists. I talked recently about JR East’s new Welcome Suica app, which makes it easy to purchase and use a virtual IC card for trains, buses, and taxis.
Now, Tokyo Metro joins the fray with a new navigation app aimed specifically at tourists. The company’s new Tokyo Metro for Tourists app for iOS and Android aims to make getting around on Tokyo Metro’s line a little easier.
The app is available in six languages – English, Chinese (Simplified/Traditional), Korean, Thai, French, and Spanish. Given that the majority of visitors to Japan are Korean, Chinese, or English speakers, this means the majority of visitors to Japan can use it to help plan their excursions around the city.
What’s in the app – and what’s missing
Once in the app, you register your preferred language, as well as what you want to do and see while in Tokyo. The app then presents you with several options for information about making your way around the city.
Tokyo Metro for Tourists provides some good and useful information about subjects such as leaving and returning to the airport. It also offers a lot of content for sightseeing at popular restaurants, driven by a partnership with travel information site Live Japan.
You can also find information about the specific lines that Tokyo Metro operates, including stations and route maps. These include popular lines such as the Ginza Line, the Hanzomon Line, and the Marunouchi Line. It also contains some handy information on subjects such as what station numbers mean, safety tips for riding the train, and other subjects.
Sadly, the Tokyo Metro for Tourists app is missing one key feature: actual routes! There’s no way to plug in a destination and get a list of what lines you need to ride to get there. Given the disjointed nature of Tokyo’s train system, this makes sense, as many locations you could route would be inaccessible using just Tokyo Metro lines. And Tokyo Metro doesn’t have much of a financial interest in promoting ridership on other company’s lines.
Additionally, some features don’t make any sense. For example, you can download a PDF of the Toky Metro subway system. I don’t know who in their right mind would bother doing that on a smartphone. But maybe that’s just me.
Other ways to get around Tokyo
Overall, the Tokyo Metro for Tourists app has some good information, particularly about escaping the airport. It also offers details about some good restaurants and attractions at the city’s popular tourist destinations. However, when it comes to actual routing from point A to point B, Google Maps or Apple Maps remain your best bets.
Besides trains and buses, you can also get around Tokyo easily by taxi. Hailing a taxi is easy. Many cabs now have software that enables smooth communication between passengers and the driver.
You can also call a licensed taxi via Uber. For a more local option, the Go Taxi app supports registering an account using your home country’s telephone number. Once registered, you can use the app to call a cab and even communicate with the driver, regardless of what language they speak.
If you want an easy way to get out of the airport, we personally recommend the white-glove taxi service from our friends at Inbound Platform. It costs a bit more than a regular cab ride. However, in exchange, you get door-to-door service, a luxury ride, and excellent customer service in English. Inbound Platform also offers luxury chauffeured rides to destinations such as festivals and concerns.
Finally, the Tokyo Metro for Tourists app is good for learning about the sites that everyone else is seeing. If you want a more individualized experience, contact Unseen Japan Tours. We’ll create a custom itinerary that exposes you to some truly “unseen” locations in Toyko and beyond. We can even serve as your on-scene interpreters, helping you get to know and understand the people who make Japan Japan.
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Sources
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ๆฑไบฌใกใใญใ่จชๆฅๅคๅฝไบบๆ ่ก่ ็จใขใใชใTokyo Metro For Touristsใใ้ ไฟก้ๅง. Nikkei
Tokyo Metro to release English version of “Tokyo Metro App” called “Tokyo Metro App for Tourists!” Tokyo Metro
