Getting Around Tokyo

Walking and the subway are the preferred means for getting around Tokyo. The subway system is amazing. Grandma Kato's house is close to three stations, and there are subways stops every few blocks. The trains are clean and air conditioned, and so far, we've never had to wait more than five minutes for a train.

The subway system can be a little challenging if you don't speak Japanese or understand the system. First of all, it turns out that there are several companies that manage the system and prepaid tickets don't work on all of them. Second, at most stations, there is only a partial map of the system, and that map is sometimes only in Japanese. The map is a work of art, rendered in about a dozen colors, but I thank goodness Maki is with us to navigate the system.

Here's a link to a Tokyo subway map:
http://www.bento.com/subtop5.html

Third, like most subway stations, there are several entrances/exits. Problem is this: these entrances can be blocks apart, which means exiting at the wrong place can put you blocks away from your destination. Every time we get off a train, we have to get our bearings, study the signs and exit numbers, study the map of the neighborhood, then get going.

We haven't seen a pusher yet; pushers are people whose job it is to "push" or pack people into the trains during rush hour. They are always in uniform and wear white gloves and they apparently push people into the trains, then block others from trying to rush in when the train is full. You got to love Japan!