• Digital Nomad Resources
  • Train Travel
  • Urban Rail Transit
  • Where To Stay

Nomadic Notes

Travel blog and weekly travel newsletter

  • Blog
  • Travel Newsletter

Tokyo subway maps – A guide to finding high-resolution maps of every railway in Tokyo

January 12, 2023 By James Clark 3 Comments

Tokyo subway maps

The Tokyo subway system is one of the world’s largest mass transit networks. There is not an official name that represents all of the lines that serve Tokyo, though Tokyo Subway is often used to refer to all lines.

Technically, the Tokyo subway is just one part of the urban rail transit network. The Tokyo subway consists of the Tokyo Metro and the Toei Subway. The East Japan Railway Company (JR East) operates lines, as well as several other railway operators serving Greater Tokyo.

With so many operators running lines in Tokyo, there is no official website listing every line, and there is no official map. Maps are provided by the operators, and they are among the most complex subway maps in the world.

This guide lists all of the network maps issued by the operators, along with independent maps that show all lines.

All maps are the English version of high-resolution maps that can be downloaded. I have left out maps of operators that only show their own lines.

Official Tokyo subway maps

Tokyo Metro

Tokyo Subway Route Map
[View full map | PDF.]

Website: tokyometro.jp

Tokyo Metro has an online searchable map of the Metro lines.

The subway map is also downloadable as a PDF file. This includes Tokyo Metro and Toei Subway lines in bold, with other lines depicted with thinner lines.

Toei Subway

Toei Subway Route Map
[View full map | PDF.]

Website: kotsu.metro.tokyo.jp

Toei Subway uses the same “Tokyo Subway Route Map” as Tokyo Subway. The Toei Subway map shows all of the station names, while the Tokyo Subway has a map that shows numbers for some stations.

The map can be viewed on the Toei Subway map page and as a PDF Map.

JR East

JR East Tokyo
[View full map | PDF.]

Website: jreast.co.jp

East Japan Railway Company (JR East) operates commuter and long-haul trains throughout the Greater Tokyo area. JR East operates the Yamanote Line, which encircles central Tokyo and is a defining feature on many metro maps. The circle (which is not a circle in real life) forms a foundation upon which transit-style maps are drawn on.

The JR East Tokyo map (above) shows how extensive their network is, though it’s not much use from a passenger’s perspective without the subway lines.

JR East has a system map where their lines are shown in bold, with the subway lines shown as thinner lines.

JR East Tokyo System
[View full map | PDF.]

JR East also publish a full network map, which is labelled as Suica/PASMO Network Map. This map shows areas where Suica/PASMO (the stored-value cards) can be used. This is the most complex rail map of Tokyo.

Tokyo Suica/Pasmo Network Map
[Download full resolution map | PDF.]

Visit Tokyo Map

Go Tokyo Subway Map
[View full map | PDF.]

Go Tokyo is the official website of the Tokyo Convention & Visitors Bureau. While this is not a map by one of the railway companies, this is the official Tokyo travel guide so I will place it in this category of official maps. This map has shaded the area inside the Yamanote Line in light green, which helps you find your bearings on the map.

Independent Tokyo Subway Maps

This section includes independent maps from private companies and railway enthusiasts. The maps show all lines in the Greater Tokyo area.

Greater Tokyo Railway Network by Kzaral

Greater Tokyo Railway Network
[View full map | view on Flickr.]

The Greater Tokyo Railway Network by Kzaral shows every line equally, so it truly shows the entire network.

Tokyo Subway system by UrbanRail.Net

Tokyo Metro Map
[View full map.]

UrbanRail.Net has a map of all lines on one map, with details of each line.

Tokyo Subway Map by Sergio Mejia

Tokyo Subway Map by Sergio Mejia
[View full map.]

Tokyo Subway Map by Sergio Mejia was submitted to Transit Maps.

Filed Under: Urban Rail Transit Tagged With: japan, maps, tokyo

Comments

  1. Alistair Nicoll says

    January 13, 2023 at 7:15 am

    Wow how on earth does anyone plan and undertake their journey

    I assume all separate ticketing easy transfers?

    Reply
    • James Clark says

      January 13, 2023 at 8:52 am

      It looks scary but it is relatively easy to navigate at the station with clear signage. The ticketing is unified with two competing cards – Suica and PASMA. They basically offer the same thing so it doesn’t matter which one you use. This model gives me hope for Bangkok, because I can’t see Rabbit card giving up its gains to Mangmoom. It might be a case where the Bangkok system will have to live with two cards. As for transfers, it feels more like London with decades of layers of railways built on top of each other.

      Reply
  2. julian francis woods says

    March 12, 2023 at 1:54 am

    G’Day All

    I would like a copy of a Greater tokyo rail, Metro and Subway map in something like A3.

    The SUICA/PASMO one would be good if I could purchse that,. The Greater Tokyo Railway Network map might be another.

    If either of these would be suitable, could you advise me how/where to buy it/them?

    Regards Julian

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Weekly Travel Newsletter

Sign up for the weekly travel newsletter for the latest posts, and a roundup of best travel reads from around the web.
Subscribe For Free Here [No spam, unsubscribe anytime.]

About Nomadic Notes

James Clark from Nomadic Notes

Hi, I’m James Clark, and I've been travelling the world since 2003 while running a location independent travel business. Nomadic Notes is a travel blog featuring travel guides and notes from my travels.

More about me and Nomadic Notes.

Follow Nomadic Notes

Recent Posts

  • Don Muang Airport Train: Getting the train from DMK to Central Bangkok
  • Bangkok to Pattaya by train
  • Notes on Udon Thani
  • Where to stay in Singapore: The best areas and notable hotels (2023)
  • Ornamental street signs of Thailand
  • Where to stay in Georgetown, Penang – The best area to stay and the pick of the hotels (2023)
  • Notes on Nakhon Phanom: Down by the river, and hanging out at Uncle Ho’s House
  • Where to stay in Da Nang – the best areas and most notable hotels (2023)
  • Where to stay in Hanoi: The best areas for first-time visitors
  • Where to stay in Dubai: The best areas and most iconic hotels

European Rail Travel

Eurail Pass Travel Guide

Europe Rail News – The new newsletter for train travel in Europe

Southeast Asia Rail Travel

Southeast Asia current and proposed railways

A complete guide to train travel in Southeast Asia

Featured Posts

Top 200 Travel Books
How to find cheap flights
Best new banks for travellers, expats, and nomads

About Nomadic Notes

About
Advertise
Contact
Contribute
Press/Media Mentions
Where I've Been

Search Nomadic Notes

Travel Notes

Travel Notes

Travel Resources

Long-term Travel
Travel Blog Directory
Travel Gear
Travel Insurance
Travel Sites

Where To Stay In…

Bangkok
Chiang Mai
Da Nang
Ho Chi Minh City
Hong Kong
Jakarta
Kuala Lumpur
Macau
Penang
Singapore

Travel Newsletter

Sign up for the weekly travel newsletter for the latest posts and a roundup of best travel reads from around the web.

Copyright © 2023 Nomadic Notes · Site Map | Privacy · Log in