Exiting the Train or Subway

Finding the right train and subway can be a challenge, but the next step of locating the right exit and walking out of the station can be just as tricky.  During busy hours of the day, you might find yourself in close quarters with people in one car of the train or subway.  No one speaks and people have their phone set to silent mode.  Almost everyone has ear buds on as you won't hear the constant "bing!" or anyone publicly speaking out loud on their phone.  In fact, you won't even see much conversation.  There is also no eating or drinking on the train or subway.

If you're not sure if you're on the right route during the ride, ask someone around you.  The extra reassurance will only alleviate the anxiety of using this mode of transportation.  A voice will also announce each stop as well as the stop that will be coming up next.  The name of the stop will appear above the door in Japanese characters as well as in English letters.  If you look out the window, you'll also see the train stop on the walls of the station along with an arrow in the direction that the train is headed with the name of the next stop. 

Once you've reached your destination,  step out into the station and the immediate question becomes, "Which way do we go?  Left or right?"  There may be signs on the wall pointing you in the right direction if you are headed towards a landmark.  We usually walk in the same direction as everyone else which is almost always the right call.  If you have trouble walking or climbing stairs, using the train and subway may be a challenge for you.  You will find yourself speed walking with the foot traffic of Tokyo businessmen and women.  Then, there may be flights of stairs ahead.  In some cases, there may be 4-5 sets of stairs which poses the question, "How far below ground was I?"

In Japan, you usually walk on the left side.

There are arrows that tell you which direction you walk while going up and down stairs. 

As you exit  the subways, there are elevators, but you'll find a line of elderly people or families with strollers waiting.  As you reach the street level, you may also feel disoriented as some of the exits take you straight into a busy street, far away from the main station.  If you are headed towards a certain landmark or area, read the website before you leave your hotel.  You can almost always read about the train access, which will give you the correct exit.  Exits in the stations are numbered (not in Japanese).  We also walked into stores and asked the sales associates to point us in the right direction.

In some stations, you can rest your legs by using escalators.  Stand to the left of the escalator if you're riding your way up.  The right side are for people who will walk, and sometimes run!  During the ride, we usually used our phones to make sure we knew what exit to take out of the station.
Thank you pocket Wifi!!!

Remember, you have to beep your pasmo card on the way out.  If you bought a ticket, you will need to insert the ticket into the gates as you leave the subway or JR train.  As you're speed walking with the traffic, it's important to be prepared to walk through the gates without stopping. You don't want to hold up the station traffic!