Getting to Tokyo
By plane - Tokyo is served by two airports: Narita International Airport, which handles mostly international flights (with few domestic routes) and is about 60 kilometers from the city center, and Haneda Airport, which handles mostly domestic flights.
By Shinkansen - Almost every Shinkansen line runs directly to Tokyo. For example, the trip from Osaka or Kyoto takes about 3 hours. There are also direct routes from Kyushu, Kanazawa, Niigata, and cities in the Tohoku region.
Getting Around Tokyo
Tokyo is covered by a dense network of trains and buses, operated by more than a dozen companies, that makes it easy to get around. The most convenient transport systems in the city are JR East and the subway.
The main railway line in Tokyo is the JR Yamanote Line, which connects several key hubs in Tokyo, including Tokyo, Ueno, Ikebukuro, Shinjuku, Shibuya, and Shinagawa. The subway has 13 lines in total, operated by 2 companies. They run much like the Yamanote Line, but with more stations, and also cover the Ginza and Shitamachi areas.
Tokyo train map
Main JR Lines in Central Tokyo
This map covers central Tokyo and 5 other JR lines.
1. Yamanote Line
Runs in a loop connecting Tokyo's main hubs: Tokyo, Ueno, Ikebukuro, Shinjuku, Shibuya, and Shinagawa Stations.
2. Keihin-Tohoku Line
Runs parallel to the Yamanote Line along the eastern half of the loop
3. Chuo/Sobu Line (local)
Cuts through the center of the Yamanote loop (a slow local train)
4. Chuo Line (rapid)
Cuts through the center of the Yamanote loop (a fast train), connecting Tokyo Station and Shinjuku Station
5. Saikyo Line
Runs parallel to the Yamanote Line along the western half of the loop. From Osaki Station, it runs together with the Rinkai Line to Odaiba
6. Shinkansen
The Tokaido Shinkansen stops at Tokyo Station and Shinagawa Station, while northbound Shinkansen lines stop at Tokyo Station and Ueno Station
Subway
Tokyo's subway is operated by 2 companies: Toei Subway, with 4 lines, and Tokyo Metro (formerly Eidan Subway), with 9 lines. These run inside the Yamanote Line loop, stopping at many stations, including Ginza and Shitamachi.
Note: at some terminal stations, subway lines continue onto other companies' lines as through services into the suburbs. For example, the Chiyoda Subway Line runs directly onto the Odakyu Line at Yoyogi-Uehara Station, and the Fukutoshin Subway Line continues onto the Tokyu Toyoko Line at Shibuya Station
Other Private Railway Companies
Besides JR East and the two subway companies, private railways from the suburbs and surrounding prefectures also run into central Tokyo. Their terminals are usually on the JR Yamanote Line, and most of these companies also run department stores at their stations.
1. Tokyu Railway
Runs southwest of Tokyo and to Kanagawa
2. Tobu Railway
Runs to Saitama and Tochigi, connecting to Nikko
3. Seibu Railways
Runs to the Tokyo Tama region and Saitama
4. Keio Railways
Runs to the Tokyo Tama region
5. Odakyu Railways
Runs to Kanagawa, connecting to Hakone
6. Keisei Railways
Runs to Chiba, connecting to Narita Airport
7. Keikyu Railways
Runs to Haneda Airport and Kanagawa
8. Tsukuba Express
Connects Akihabara with Tsukuba, in Ibaraki Prefecture.