01SHIBUYA
Shibuya west / east
- Best for
- Scramble Crossing and Center-gai to the west; Hikarie and Aoyama direction to the east.
- Your clue
- Construction and vertical transfers mean the nearest numbered exit is not always the simplest route.
City guide TYO
Tokyo
Japan’s largest transport network, where JR, subway and private railway systems overlap.
Source facts checked
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TOKYO · ONE DAY AT A TIME
Build a Tokyo day around contrast, not distance.
A Tokyo-specific planner for choosing one station area, one everyday-culture lens and one fallback for weather or energy.
JMA · 7 DAY WEATHER
Weather in Tokyo
If the current forecast does not appear, open the official JMA forecast.
CITY 03 · ARRIVAL DECISIONS
Tokyo is a network of centres; match the neighbourhood, operator and side of each station.
Choose a district, identify the transport system, then confirm the arrival corridor. This is decision context—not a fixed fare, timetable or live route.
Official sources checked
02MARU
Tokyo Station: Marunouchi
- Best for
- Imperial Palace, red-brick station building and Marunouchi business district.
- Your clue
- Marunouchi is the west side of the station.
03YAESU
Tokyo Station: Yaesu
- Best for
- Highway buses, Nihonbashi, Ginza direction and large underground shopping areas.
- Your clue
- Yaesu is the east side; confirm whether a service is above ground or on an underground bus floor.
04EAST
Ueno / Asakusa
- Best for
- Museums and Ameyoko at Ueno; Sensoji, traditional streets and river access at Asakusa.
- Your clue
- JR Ueno, Keisei Ueno and several Asakusa stations are separate.
02 · SYSTEMS
One city, separate operators and gates.
Match the company, station name and destination together.
JR East and Shinkansen
Use JR for the Yamanote city loop, regional trains and Shinkansen; paid areas can be very large.
Open official sourceTokyo Metro and Toei Subway
They are separate networks. Through-services may continue onto private railways.
Open official sourceKeisei, Keikyu and airport services
Keisei serves Narita through Ueno-area stations; Keikyu serves Haneda through Shinagawa and Asakusa Line services.
Open official sourcePrivate railways and buses
Tokyu, Tobu, Seibu, Keio and Odakyu have separate gates and serve different regional corridors.
Open official source03 · ARRIVAL CORRIDORS
Enter the city from your first gateway.
Start with the first choice and next check instead of relying on a fixed journey time.
Narita → Ueno / eastern Tokyo
- Choose a Keisei or JR arrival according to your first district and ticket.
- At Ueno, confirm whether the transfer starts at Keisei Ueno or JR/Metro Ueno.
Haneda → central Tokyo
- Keikyu and Tokyo Monorail arrive at different city hubs.
- Choose the route that reduces the final operator or station transfer.
Tokyo Station → Ueno / Asakusa
- JR reaches Ueno; Asakusa requires a subway or other connection.
- For Sensoji, follow signs for Kaminarimon after reaching the correct Asakusa station.
05 · HOW THE CITY BECAME ITSELF
Edo is still under modern Tokyo
The city becomes easier to read when its rail hubs and business districts are seen as layers over an older castle town, road network and water city.
The shogunate settles in Edo
Tokugawa Ieyasu established the shogunate in Edo. The city grew into Japan’s political and cultural centre and exceeded one million residents by the mid-18th century.
Edo becomes Tokyo
After the Meiji Restoration, Edo was renamed Tokyo and the emperor moved from Kyoto. The former castle town became the centre of a rapidly modernising capital.
- 1923–1930
Disaster, violence and reconstruction reshape Tokyo
The Great Kanto Earthquake and fires killed and displaced people across the capital. False rumours were followed by the killing of Korean and other residents; reconstruction then used land readjustment, roads, parks and steel bridges to remake the centre.
The Games accelerate a transport transformation
Preparations for the 1964 Olympic Games accelerated roads and transport, including the Metropolitan Expressway, Tokyo Monorail, Hibiya subway line and Tokaido Shinkansen. The transformation shortened journeys but also imposed major construction on existing neighbourhoods.
LOCALIP · TEMPORARY
Dates, changes and cancellations
Time-bearing information comes from Localip. Use the organiser’s official page for road restrictions and temporary transport.
Setagaya Boro-Ichi (Flea Market)
A historic market event in Setagaya with over 440 years of tradition.
Official listing: 世田谷ボロ市 · 世田谷区 · 世田谷区世田谷1丁目 ボロ市通りと周辺
Checked by Localip: · localip:event:tokyo_01606
Read the city before you travel
- Use the station name and operator together.
- Tokyo Station and Shinjuku are different hubs.
- Airport routes split between Haneda and Narita.
07
Main gateways
08
Lines to understand
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Show this at the station
この行き先へ行きたいです。どの電車に乗ればいいですか？
I want to go to this destination. Which train should I take?