I honestly don’t remember the last time I used a taxi in central Tokyo. The extensive subway network is clean and efficient, and not only is it far cheaper than a cab, a lot of the time, it’s faster, too.
As if public transportation didn’t already have enough going for it, next month things are about to get even better, as over 100 Tokyo subway stations are about to start offering free Wi-Fi to foreign travelers.
As part of the lead-up to Tokyo hosting the 2020 Olympics and Paralympics, the city has been putting renewed efforts into conveniences for overseas visitors. Starting December 1, the newest perk is free Wi-Fi at selected stations along the Toei and Tokyo Metro subway lines, as well as on certain city-operated busses.
The service will be offered at 143 stations, selected due to the large number of foreign passengers that pass through them, on the Asakusa, Mita, Shinjuku, Oedo, Ginza, Marunouchi, Hibiya, Tozai, Chiyoda, Yurakucho, Hanzomon, Namboku, and Fukutoshin Lines. Users will need to download the free Japan Connected Free Wi-Fi app before they can access the network. Each session is valid for three hours of service, and there’s no limit on the number of sessions for a single user.
The complete list of stations is as follows:
- Asakusa Line
▼ Asakusa’s famous Kaminarimon or “Thunder Gate”
Daimon, Shimbashi, Higashi Ginza, Ningyocho, Higashi Nihombashi, Asakusa, and Asakusabashi Stations
- Mita Line
Hibiya, Otemachi, Jimbocho, Kasuga, and Sugamo Stations
- Shinjuku Line
▼ Bustling Shinjuku
Shinjuku Sanchome, Ichigaya, Kudanshita, Iwamotocho, and Bakuroyokoyama Stations
- Oedo Line
Shinjuku, Tochomae, Shinjuku Nishiguchi, Higashi Shinjuku, Iidabashi, Kasuga, Ueno Okachimachi, Kiyosumi Shirakawa, Monzen-Nakacho, Tsukishima, Tsukijishijo, Shiodome, Daimon, Azabu Juban, Roppongi, and Aoyama-itchome Stations
- Fukutoshin Line
Ikebukuro, Higashi Shinjuku, Shinjuku Sanchome, Kitasando, and Meiji Jingumae Stations
- Ginza Line
▼ Ginza: you’ll want to save all your pocket money before coming here!
Asakusa, Tawaramachi, Inaricho, Ueno, Ueno Hirokoji, Suehirocho, Kanda, Mitsukoshimae, Nihombashi, Kyobashi, Ginza, Shimbashi, Toranomon, Tameike Sanno, Akasake Mitsuke, Aoyama-itchome, Gaienmae, Omotesando, and Shibuya Stations
- Marunouchi Line
Ikebukuro, Korakuen, Otemachi, Tokyo, Ginza, Kasumegaseki, KokkaiGijidomae, AkasakaMitsuke, Yotsuya, YotsuyaSanchome, Shinjuku-gyoenmae, Shinjuku Sanchome, Shinjuku, and Nishi Shinjuku Stations
- Hibiya Line
▼ Beautiful Naka Meguro
Ueno, Naka-Okachimachi, Akihabara, Ningyocho, Kayabacho, Hatchobori, Tsukiji, Higashi Ginza, Ginza, Hibiya, Kasumigaseki, Kamiyacho, Roppongi, Hiroo, Ebisu, and Naka Meguro Stations
- Chiyoda Line
Otemachi, Nijubashimae, Hibiya, Kasumigaseki, KokkaiGijidomae, Akasaka, Nogizaka, Omotesando, Meiji Jingumae, and YoyogiUehara Stations
- Tozai Line
▼ Takadanobaba
Nakano, Takadanobaba, Iidabashi, Kudanshita, Takebashi, Otemachi, Nihombashi, Kayabacho, Monzen-Nakacho, Nishi Kasai, and Kasai Stations
- Yurakucho Line
Ikebukuro, HigashiIkebukuro, Iidabashi, Ichigaya, Kojimachi, Nagatacho, Yurakucho, Ginza-itchome, Tsukishima, Toyosu, Tatsumi, and Shin Kiba Stations
- Hanzomon Line
▼ Shibuya’s famous scramble intersection
Shibuya, Omotesando, Aoyama-itchome, Nagatacho, Hanzomon, Kudanshita, Jinbocho, Otemachi, Mitsukoshimae, Suitengumae, Kiyosumi Shirakawa, and Oshiage Stations
- Namboku Line
ShirokaneTakawa, AzabuJuban, Roppongi-itchome, TameikeSanno, Nagatacho, Yotsuya, Ichigaya, Iidabashi, and Korakuen Stations
The Japan Connected-free Wi-Fi app can be downloaded, free of charge, from Google Play and the Apple App Store, here and here, respectively. Happy sightseeing, folks!
Related: Japan Connected-free Wi-Fi
Sources: IT Media, NTT BP
Top image: NTT BP
Insert images: House Partner, Sina, Wikipedia/663highland, Seesaa, Sakura, KSD