Navigating Tokyo Metro System

While Tokyo has a really good and comprehensive transportation system for those not used to how it operates or who like myself lack the ability to read Japanese it can at times be confusing.  One of the first things to look at with the metro system is the map of where the trains go.  This can be made difficult however by the fact that at some stations, such as the one at the famous fashion district Harajuku, there is no romanized names of the stops thus making it impossible to read unless you know some Japanese or Chinese.  In order to help with this I have taken pictures of the map both in the Western and Japanese writing systems so that you can look at them from your phone if you find yourself in a station somewhere wondering what to do.

Now that you have the map and know both how to read the map and where to go it is important to pay attention to the numbers under the place names.  This is because that is how much you will need to pay to reach your particular destination.  While the cost of a trip will shift depending on which station you start from the above maps will help you at least translate the maps found above the ticket machines and figure out how much to pay.

The machines themselves can seem daunting at first to anyone who can't read Japanese especially if you attempt your first time like myself around rush hour.  The trick to easily operating the machines is to first read the map and figure out how much money is required to get to your destination.  After that instead of messing with all the buttons just walk up to the machine and start putting money in. Here is a picture to show you what I am talking about.

At that point there will be a screen that shows a series of numbers simply put in the money for your fare and press the corresponding number.  At that point both your change and your ticket will come out and you can be on your way with no hassle or worry.  If you still have any questions go to the booth next to the turn styles and you will be able to ask questions to English speaking staff.