๐ What it’s like Taking the Train in Tokyo ๐ From Shinjuku Station
A walkthrough of taking the train in Tokyo, including the busiest station in the world, how to top up your Suica card and lots of tips!
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If it’s your first trip to Japan, taking the train can seem intimidating. In this video, I show you what it’s like taking the train – a complete walkthrough including what signs to look for, useful tips, the ticket gates, how to find your platform and what to do when the station’s busy. We take two journeys: Shinjuku Station to Nakano Station, then Nakano Station to Harajuku Station (changing at Shinjuku). The process of taking the Tokyo Metro is very similar. I’ll also how you how to top up your Suica card (or other IC card) with cash at the ticket machine.
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00:00 Shinjuku Station to Nakano Station
04:57 Arriving at Nakano
06:24 Topping up Suica card
08:25 Nakano Station to Harajuku Station
13:12 Arriving at Harajuku Station
#tokyo #japan #japantravel #japanesetrains
27 Comments
Stuff like this is great thank you ๐๐
Good evening Amy, how are you? I hope you're staying warm here in London, England ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ here! Thank you for sharing this video of Tokyo's transportation system here! โค๏ธ
Great video! I will be visiting Shinjuku in January and I can't wait. Thanks for the tips!
This is very helpful. I have taken metro trains and gone the wrong way. And they do intimidate me ๐ Seeing from the video it looks as though it was a right rather than a left. Is that typical that the train platforms are opposite of each other?
Great video. We bought a digital Suica card on our iPhones and just used our phones through the gates. It was very easy to add more money directly from the Apple wallet app. Also, when we had active JR Rail passes, we had to try and remember to use those when riding the JR owned lines. One time we used our Suica on a JR line and an attendant was able to help us "undo" the transition so we could use our JR rail pass ticket instead.
Thank you for sharing this video!! I'm leaving for Japan in 2 days and this made me way less nervous about the trains ๐
We are off in 2 weeks!! Great helpful video thank youuuuuuu xx
Another really helpful video. So much of my planning for my first trip next year has been covered by you two.
Really looking forward to my card decks, will definitely be a great addition to your guide book I got a couple of months back.
Keep the amazing info coming ๐
I must say its impressive how well you have planned out some of these videos. You have all this content still from March.
Hello!is that cold right now?? Thought it would be way warmer but you wearing a scarf. Arriving next week, thought I would just need a light jacket. Thank you
I have a trip planned next year and weโre staying near Shinjuku station so this content felt personally curated for me. ๐
hi , i see people with winter jackets , can i ask when was it filmed ?
Off next week, so the change for the Suica machine is very useful to know for breaking larger notes! Can't wait!
Love the POV walkthrough, almost like being there and brings back memories of getting lost in Shinjuku! I think it only works on iPhones (UK at least) but having a suica on Apple wallet and being able to top it up via Apple Pay was unbelievably convenient to me, even so far as when we went back to the airport on the last day, Google maps told me how much the fare would be so I could work out how much I was short by and top up by the exact amount to run it down to ยฅ0. Also the jingles that play at Japanese train stations are adorable!
Congratulations on getting the funding for your Kickstarter ๐. I can't wait to receive my cards and calendar ๐๐ซถ
Fear of making a mistake can put people off. But as Samuel Beckett writes, "Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better."
@4:18 chigaimashita means that "something was different/wrong", comes from chigai = difference, and chigau = to be different/wrong. A better verb for "i made a mistake" to use is machigaemashita, comes from machigaeru = to make a mistake.
But to be honest they would probably understand you either way, just saying
Great video, im getting ready to get lost in there as well ๐
Hi Amy and Phil. I've found that getting in and out of trains is easy in Japan. People are very civilized and let people off before boarding the trains. Same cannot be said about metrol travellers in Oslo, the capitol of Norway, the Oslo metro is always a mess, specially during rush hours. The cue system on the larger stations in Jajpan are very well organized, with color codes on the ground matching the color of the train company. A Suica Card or similar IC cards is the way to go when travelling on local trains all over Japan. I wouldn't bother buying individual tickets, to much work for only a small saving as local trains are fairly cheap in Japan. Yeah Osaka is different, in many ways ๐
Having stayed at hotels near Shinjuku Station multiple times, I feel like Iโm a โveteranโ navigating through it. But I still find myself getting lost at times. Shinjuku Station is a unique experience on its own, and I love how youโve conveyed how confusing it can be.
Love hearing the train station sounds — the birds sounds, the melodies, the announcements, even the beeping at the ticket gates. natsukashii!! One thing that you didn't mention was construction, there was lots of construction within at least one station on all of my visits. : )
I love that you kept in the mistakes! The real experience right there.
Thank you Amy for another great video ! I find that taking the train in Tokyo (even in Shinjuku) is quite easy, once you know on what to concentrate. Everything is so amazingly well sign posted. For me, the key thing is: dont get stressed out, dont "think", just follow the direction (like you did here for JR lines) you need to and ignore everything else. And then, you will be fine.
I'm a super anxious traveler and love to see other people doing the exact things I plan to do, step by step, because it really helps my anxiety when I know and can see exactly what to expect. So thank you for this video and all of your others as well! It's definitely helpful.
always love watching these good job yet again
Iโm confused. I saw you swipe your card twice. Are you getting charged twice to enter AND leave the station?? ๐
Google Maps is a lifesaver. the directions are specific and most useful for getting on the right platform. you can follow the instructions on the screen inside the metro train and it is verbalized in English. there is also a map that shows the progress from one stop to the next. definitely use Google Maps. it made things manageable. If you get lost at Shinjuju Station (very easy) you can always stop at at JR office and the staff will direct you. and…ask for help. I did at was rewarded by the kindness of others
Just got back and this video takes me right back there. Itโs not that difficult, lots of signs and know where you are going. Which colour and letter, which station, platform and station number.
Managed to help some lost Americans while I was at a station. I said they were in the the right place and pointed out the signs to follow