Hi everyone. This is Lina. Welcome to my Life in Japan channel Why did the train not stop at that station? Do I have to go out first if I want to change train lines? What are local trains and rapid trains? Do you have similar experiences while taking trains in Tokyo? You will be able to understand the trains in Tokyo in 5 minutes with this video. There are several train companies with different systems and routes. It's what makes the trains in Tokyo so complicated. I will first introduce different train companies in Tokyo. Then explain different types of trains. Lastly some tips for you guys. I believe you will be able to understand the trains systems after this video. So you won't be lost next time. Let's start! There are 3 major companies in Tokyo. The first one is Japan Railway. These are usually running on ground. JR Yamanote line and Chuo lines might be more familiar. The second one is Tokyo Metro. The Tokyo subway. It's like the MRTs in Taiwan. There are 9 lines of Tokyo Metro. Including Marunouchi line Fukutoshin line, Chioda line, etc. The third one is Toei transportation, the Toei Subways. There are 4 Toei lines in Tokyo. Asakusa line, Oedo line, Mita line, and Shinjuku line. Other lines that might be familiar are Tokyo Monorail, and Keikyu lines, which connect to Haneda Airport. And also Keisei lines which lead to Narita Airport. the Yurikamome line which goes to Odaiba. And there are train companies as well. So how do you take trains? One important thing you have to remember is that You have to go out the gate if you're changing to different companies. Since you are paying money to different companies. So you have to go out the gate first, and enter the gate of the line you are changing to. You might think, so if it's the same company, I don't have to go out of the gate, right? That's not all the case. Some stations of Metro, you have to go out the gate even though they're all Tokyo Metro. I will explain later how you can change trains within Tokyo Metro. You might wonder why some trains skip some of the stations on the line. That's because some of the train lines are too long. If they stop at each stations, the salary men who live outside of Tokyo might break their legs. LOL That's why there are different types of trains. Depending on the types, the speed and trains they stop vary. Local, semi-express, express, special express, rapid, commuter express, limited express, rapid express Local trains stop at every stations. Like MRT in Taiwan. The faster the name sounds, the faster it actually runs. And the less stations they stop. If you're not in a hurry, and you fear you might mistaken trains, it's safest to take locals. In order to further understand the differences of these types, let's look at some examples. This is the train map for JR Tamanote line. Yamanote line stops at each station, and it's a circular line. So if you make sure the right direction, you will get to your destination. JR Chuo lines include local, rapid, commuter rapid, Chuo and Aoume rapids, and commuter express. The yellow Chuo Soby line stops at every station. The rapid trains stop at these stations with marks. Commuter rapid stops at these stations with marks. Chuo and Aoume express stops at these stations with marks. Commuter express stops at these stations with marks. Alright. So if we were to take the train from Tokyo to Mitaka, The Chuo rapid would be the fastest. Be careful not to take the commuter express! If you were going to Kichijoji, don't take the Chuo rapid and commuter express. Also, the platform from the yellow Sobu lines are different from the other Chuo lines. For Metro, only Tozai line and Fukutoshin line have different types of trains. Other Metro lines stop at every stations. Let's look at the train map of Tozai line. Commuter rapid trains stop at these stations (red marks). Rapid trains stop at these stations. Toyo rapid trains stop at these stations. Why is it called Toyo? Because some of the trains connect to the Toyo Raiway. For Toei Subway, only Asakusa line and Shinjuku have different types of trains. Sometimes you have to scan your card at the gate even within Metro lines. Changing lines within Metros, you have to go through the ORANGE gates. Like these ticket gates. It's for changing lines. If you go through other gates, the system will think that you are out of Metro stations. And you'll pay more than you have to. FYI, some lines connect other lines from other companies. Like what we just saw, some Tozai trains connect with the yellow Chuo Sobu line. And Toei Asakusa lines, connect with Keikyu line at one end, and Keisei line at the other end. But these trains are not frequent, so if you're aiming for those trains, check the schedule first! Or you'll have to wait a long time. So, I've shared my how to take trains in Tokyo today. I hope you have a deeper understanding of the train system in Tokyo. See you next time!
