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The Tokyo Subway Ticket is a visitor pass for unlimited rides on every Tokyo Metro and Toei Subway line for a set time. It comes in 24, 48 and 72-hour versions.
Which ticket for how many days
One day
24-hour
¥1,000
Two days
48-hour
¥1,500
−¥500 vs two 24-hour
Three days
72-hour
¥2,000
−¥1,000 vs three 24-hour
Adult fares from Tokyo Metro and the Bureau of Transportation. Child fares are ¥500, ¥750 and ¥1,000.
How many rides pay it off
-
Mostly JR day
The IC card is cheaper by ¥496
-
Main route, 5 rides
The IC card is cheaper by ¥5
-
With Akihabara, 6 rides
The ticket is cheaper by ¥173
-
Two-day route
The ticket is cheaper by ¥269
-
Three-day route
The ticket is cheaper by ¥187
Worked out from Tokyo Metro IC fares by distance (to 6 km ¥178, to 11 km ¥209, to 19 km ¥252). JR sections are left out because this ticket doesn't cover them.
| Route | Subway rides | IC total |
|---|---|---|
| Mostly JR day | Shinjuku ↔ Asakusa | ¥504 |
| Main route | Shinjuku → Asakusa → Ueno → Ginza → Shibuya → Shinjuku-sanchome | ¥995 |
| With Akihabara | Main route, with Ueno → Akihabara → Ginza | ¥1,173 |
| Day 2 | Shinjuku ↔ Tokyo Station, Shinjuku-sanchome ↔ Ikebukuro | ¥774 |
| Day 3 | Shinjuku ↔ Tokyo Station | ¥418 |
Lines covered
| Tokyo Metro, 9 lines | Main stations |
|---|---|
| Ginza Line (G) | Asakusa, Ueno, Ginza, Shibuya |
| Marunouchi Line (M) | Ikebukuro, Tokyo, Ginza, Shinjuku |
| Hibiya Line (H) | Ueno, Akihabara, Tsukiji, Roppongi |
| Tozai Line (T) | Takadanobaba, Otemachi, Nihombashi |
| Chiyoda Line (C) | Meiji-jingumae, Omotesando, Otemachi |
| Yurakucho Line (Y) | Ikebukuro, Yurakucho, Toyosu |
| Hanzomon Line (Z) | Shibuya, Omotesando, Otemachi, Oshiage |
| Namboku Line (N) | Meguro, Roppongi-itchome, Korakuen |
| Fukutoshin Line (F) | Ikebukuro, Shinjuku-sanchome, Shibuya |
| Toei Subway, 4 lines | Main stations |
|---|---|
| Asakusa Line (A) | Oshiage, Asakusa, Nihombashi, Shimbashi |
| Mita Line (I) | Meguro, Otemachi, Jimbocho, Sugamo |
| Shinjuku Line (S) | Shinjuku, Ichigaya, Jimbocho |
| Oedo Line (E) | Shinjuku, Roppongi, Tsukijishijo, Ryogoku |
| Not covered | Includes |
|---|---|
| JR | All lines, including the Yamanote Line |
| Private railways | Yurikamome, Odakyu, Keio, Keisei and others |
| Other Bureau of Transportation services | Toei Bus, Tokyo Sakura Tram, Nippori-Toneri Liner |
| Through trains | The section on another company’s tracks |
Trains between the city and Narita or Haneda Airport are not included. On a through train that continues onto another company’s line, the fare for that section is settled at the exit station on showing the ticket.
Where to buy
| Where | How |
|---|---|
| Online, paper ticket | Voucher exchanged at a subway station machine |
| Online, QR ticket | No exchange, entry by phone |
| Narita Airport Terminals 1 and 2, arrival lobbies | Over the counter |
| Haneda Airport Terminal 3, visitor information center | Over the counter |
| City tourist information centers, some BicCamera stores | Over the counter |
It is sold to foreign visitors on short-stay status and to people living outside the Kanto region. Counters ask for a passport or similar document. Online vouchers cannot be exchanged at JR station machines, and at subway stations only machines that read QR codes exchange them. Tickets booked together are all exchanged at once.
Using it at the gate
No exchange
QR ticket
¥1,000
No phone
Paper ticket
¥1,000
24-hour adult fare, the same for both. From Tokyo Metro and the Bureau of Transportation.
| Paper ticket | QR ticket | |
|---|---|---|
| At the gate | Inserted in the slot and collected | Screen scanned at a QR reader |
| Time starts | First pass through a gate | First pass after pressing Start Using |
| Time limit | Exchange within 90 days of purchase, use within 6 months of exchange | Use within 90 days of purchase |
| Stops working | Magnetic strip damaged by a magnet or phone | Screenshots, printouts or a broken phone |
A 72-hour ticket lasts 72 hours from the first pass, whatever the calendar date. A QR ticket needs one QR code per person. QR readers are on only some automatic gate lanes at each station, and with a broken phone a separate ticket is needed until the phone is working again.
| Stations with no QR reader | Line or gate |
|---|---|
| Shibuya | Hanzomon, Fukutoshin |
| Meguro | Mita, Namboku |
| Shinjuku | Toei Shinjuku |
| Oshiage | Toei Asakusa |
| Naka-meguro, Kita-senju South and North exits | Hibiya |
| Nakano, Nishi-funabashi | Tozai |
| Yoyogi-uehara | Chiyoda |
| Wakoshi | Yurakucho |
| Shin-okachimachi | Tsukuba Express transfer gate |
Another railway company runs these gates. Gate staff show a QR code there, and it is read with QR Scan on the ticket screen. At gates with no staff, the intercom calls them.
Sources
- Tokyo Metro: Tokyo Subway Ticket
- Tokyo Metro: where to buy on the spot
- Tokyo Metro: regular fares
- Bureau of Transportation: tickets for touring
- Bureau of Transportation: price change notice (Japanese)
- Wikipedia: Ginza, Marunouchi and Fukutoshin line station distances
- Tokyo Metro: QR ticket launch notice
- Tokyo Metro: QR ticket machines (Japanese)
- Bureau of Transportation: ticket types
- NAVITIME: Tokyo Subway Ticket user guide