Picking a route on the Tokyo transit system, or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the JR

(would ya look at that, after so many posts stealing the title format, Noah finally stopped pretending he was being original and made an overt reference to Dr. Strangelove)

Hi guys,

Tokyo has the best public transit system of any city I have ever visited.  Bar none.  Fast, efficient, reasonably cheap, and the joke that you can set your watch by the train arrivals is actually not much of an exaggeration

I try to make this blog, which is mostly about my life, a little interesting by making sure that each post also tells at least a little bit about Tokyo.  Or I guess I try to take this blog, which is about Tokyo, a little more personal by making sure that each post tells a little bit about me.  Or maybe it's a third option and the zebra is actually bright green but that's immaterial because it's completely covered with both black and white stripes.  I dunno . . .

Regardless, this piece is simultaneously my short novel on the tricks learned and troubles I've encountered as well as a description of my single crazy day on the Tokyo.  And by single crazy day I mean every Thursday.  Man it is exhausting.  Let me begin:

So first, when picking a route it's important to lay out the priorities.  In general, I rank them thusly:

1. The fastest route.  Not uncommonly my top priority, especially when I need to be somewhere at some ungodly hour of the morning (i.e. anything before like 2pm).  Usually this is the most direct route, although not always due to express trains that might take you a little out of your way but will ultimately get you there more quickly.  Usually this is the route with fewest transfers as well, although not always because sometimes it's faster to get off and cut a corner
2. The cheapest route.  When I have time flexibility, I will generally opt for the cheapest route possible.  A hundred yen here, a hundred yen there, and suddenly you just scored a free beer.  This is a little tricky, as in general fares are path independent.  Which is to say that your fare is calculated based only on your origin and destination stations (I have a rechargeable debit card that I just tap at each place and get it deducted automatically).  However, when changing between systems such as from Japan Railways trains to Tokyo Metro's subways or a few scattered private lines, a separate ticket must be purchased--this is almost always more expensive than taking only a single system
3. The most comfortable route.  Ahh yes, here is where a little bit artistry is required, some undefinable skill, the darkest of sourceries.  Knowing when to transfer, which trains at which times are more likely to have seats available during rush hour (or at least not as likely to be stuffed to the gills).  Fastest and cheapest can be calculated by any computer app, so this is where the true Tokyo transit veteran separates him or herself from the masses.  I don't claim that level of expertise, but I'm trying

Thus, here is my Thursday, which starts with a 6am wakeup (this is the most terrifying and awful thing that has ever happened in my life.  Truly disgusting).  Then it begins . . .

Leg one:  Nishikawaguchi to Osaki.  1 hour

• Keihin-Tohoku line to Tabata.  6 stops
• Transfer to Yamanote line to Osaki.  14 stops (there are many other place to transfer, but Tabata provides me with the best opportunity to grab a seat because of the large turnover two stops later at Ueno)

(Teach for an hour)

Leg two:  Osaki to Seijogakuenmae.  1 hour

• Saikyo line to Shinjuku.  7 stops although actually fewer because the Saikyo is an express
• Transfer to Odakyu line (private) to Seijogakuenmae.  13 stops, but I always take the express so it's only 4 (the Odakyu line is private, meaning I have to buy a separate ticket to take it, which is expensive and stupid)

(Teach for another hour)

Leg three:  Seijogakuenmae to Kashiwa-Tanaka.  Like 2 and a half hours.  This is the terrible one-I end up taking the long way around because I can't go very far on the private Tsukuba Express line without it costing me like 8 bucks.  This route is like half an hour longer at least but costs like 4 bucks less

• Odakyu line (private) to Shinjuku.  13 stops but skipping a bunch as discussed
• Transfer to Saikyo line to Akabane.  7 stops but skipping a bunch again, yay express trains!
• Transfer to Keihin-Tohoku line to Minami-Urawa.  4 stops (technically I could sit on the Saikyo all the way to Musashi-Urawa and transfer there, but this transfer cuts out 3 stops and like 10 minutes)
• Transfer to Musashino line to Minami-Nagareyama.  9 stops
• TTransfer to Tsukuba Express line (private) to Kashiwa-Tanaka.  4 stops (even just those few stops on the Tsukuba cost as much as the entire rest of the trip.  God I hate that line)

(Ok cool, this class is for two hours)

Leg three:  Kashiwa-Tanaka to Nishikawaguchi.  1 hour

• Tsukuba Express line (private) to Minami-Nagareyama.  4 stops
• Transfer to Musashino line to Minami-Urawa.  9 stops
• Transfer to Keihin-Tohuku line to Nishikawaguchi.  2 stops

And finally home!

That's my day, every single Thursday.  It's pretty awesome, I'm getting really good at it

However, for those of you that have actually made it all the way to the bottom (and wow, I'm impressed) . . . I have a confession:  I've been disingenuous with you all.  As foreshadowed above, the zebra is indeed bright green, and the entire and sole purpose of this blog post was just to brag.  Just like Simon Tam talking to the crew in the pilot episode, I needed to explain all of this so that you would understand the full meaning of my next statement:

Last week, I managed to do this entire trip, that is twelve train rides . . . without leaving my umbrella behind on a single one.  I mean, ok, I did leave it behind at the office where I taught my first class, but I totally remembered in time to go back and get it.  Yup.  I'm pretty awesome.  And, frankly, pretty surprised

God I lose so many umbrellas . . .

Noah out