In Awe of the Tokyo, Japan Subway Map... Wandering the City
Want to ride the Subway and trains in Tokyo? So do I! Check out the sweet li'l map over here... But don't forget that there are TWO intertwined train systems! Is it any wonder that I feel a ridiculous sense of accomplishment whenever I arrive ANYWHERE successfully? Love it.
The Subways and trains of Tokyo are gorgeous, gliding snakes of efficiency. Nearly totally silent, and 99.99% Japanese... and yet no one even glances twice at the lone large American ogre that is me! How kind :)
A pleasure of traveling is figuring out the everyday, the ordinary, the needed. Morning broke in Yuki's apartment and I booted up her chubby Dell laptop to email my parents that I had arrived safely. Got into Yahoo Mail fine and dandy... when-- OH NO!-- one of my long, slender fingers jabbed a mystery key by accident that MADE EVERYTHING JAPANESE!
I banged in horror against the keyboard, screen, and air around the computer for half an hour straight until I accepted that no English writing would be accomplished on this morning, and thus my parents just had to telepathically trust that I was and am intact and happy. How lovely that they did, and I was.
The sidewalk, tra la la, strolling along to find breakfast when-- HOLY HEAVEN WHY ARE ALL THESE BICYCLES SHOOTING TOWARDS ME?!! Why??? Whyyy??? Ooohh yeah... in Japan they both drive and walk on the LEFT side of the road! Still gettin' used to this one.
Bought breakfast. Thought it was a soft rice ball with sweet azuki beans inside. CHOMPed right in and-- PUFFY WHITE FROSTING INSIDE WITH CHOCOLATE CHIPS AND CHOCOLATE COATING!!! Mmm... breakfast.
And... throwing out trash. I tell you-- I stared at these three trash cans (ALL trash is sorted meticulously, everywhere in Tokyo) for a straight 3 minutes, aching to deduce which pail was the true home for my yogurt container, newspaper, and plastic bag. Quick-- which one is it???
The author, Lillie Marshall, is a 6-foot-tall National Board Certified Teacher of English, fitness fan, and mother of two who has been a public school educator since 2003. She launched Around the World “L” Travel and Life Blog in 2009, and over 4.2 million readers have now visited this site. Lillie also runs TeachingTraveling.com and DrawingsOf.com. Subscribe to her monthly newsletter, and follow @WorldLillie on social media!
Tokyo's JR lines network looks like a spiderweb. I studied it very carefully before attempting to travel anywhere.
Still, I mistook the station Hikarigaoka for Hibarigaoka - the two sound almost identical, but they're two different places!
Tricky!
I loved Tokyo! Japan in general. Love! I often tell people how wonderful Tokyo's subway is. How you could leave your wallet on your lap, mobile phone on the seat next to you and fall asleep. In an hours time when you wake up, you would still have them. Awesome.
Love it! Are you speaking from personal experience?? :)
Lol, nah. I had everything attached to me. Just like I do now! It was just the feeling you know. That you could leave everything and it still be there. A friend of mine left his passport wallet with passport and a heap of money on the bullet train between Tokyo and Kyoto. He got off somewhere, realised he left it on the train. Went to the train dudes who promptly called the bullet train advising of the lost passport wallet. They brought it back. Must have hand delivered the passport between trains. How is that for Japan!
That is AMAZING. Even I would be tempted by a "heap of money" :)
I loved trying to figure out the Tokyo Subway maps...haha...though we did buy tickets for the wrong train system multiple times! It's part of the fun of traveling in Tokyo.
Hah! Love it!!! Luckily, I had friends to show me around. I really needed their help!
The subway maps in Japan remind me of those in Beijing, Shaihai, Hong Kong and Guangzhou. They are all complicated and since Japan is a really small country (three small islands) they have to recycle, recycle and recycle. This means more space for people and less space for dumps. They reuse everything and the trains during rush hour have lines to the doors, which means no bumping when getting into the train. :D Everything works very well and is organized. I wish America was like Japan in organization.
The map of the train in Tokyo seems a lot more complicated to read than the maps of trains in Boston.
Another reason to hate the trains in boston. The sound of the train coming into the station sometimes pops my eardrums. I'd love to live there I truly do just hate the unsanitary trains in new york.