Transit Cheat Sheet
Quick reference for on-the-ground transit. For full strategy and Shinkansen booking, see Train & Pass Strategy.
IC Card (Suica / ICOCA)
Your all-purpose transit card. Buy at any station machine on arrival at HND.
| What it pays for | Yes / No |
|---|---|
| Subway trains | ✅ |
| JR local trains | ✅ |
| Private lines (Nankai, Kintetsu, Keikyu) | ✅ |
| Buses | ✅ most routes |
| Convenience stores (7-Eleven, Lawson, FamilyMart) | ✅ |
| Vending machines | ✅ most |
| Taxis | ❌ pay cash |
| Shinkansen (reserved seats) | ❌ use SmartEX |
Load at any station machine — accepts international Visa/Mastercard at most machines. Load ¥5,000–10,000 per person on arrival.
If balance runs low mid-trip: Tap the “charge” (チャージ) button at any gate-side machine or station window. You don’t need to exit — just add money and re-tap.
If you tap in and balance is too low: The gate will beep and reject you. Add money at the nearby machine, then tap again. No penalty.
Suica on iPhone/Android: Load Suica to Apple Wallet or Google Pay before the trip. Holds your card digitally. Can top up with a credit card on the phone.
From Osaka House (Kishinosato-Tamade)
Station: Kishinosato-Tamade (岸里玉出駅) — 1-min walk. Nankai Main Line.
| Destination | Route | Time | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Namba / Dotonbori | Nankai Main Line → Nankai Namba | 6 min | ¥180 |
| Shinsaibashi / Amerika-Mura | Nankai → Namba, walk or subway 1 stop | 12 min | ¥200 |
| Nipponbashi (Den Den Town) | Nankai → Namba, walk east 10 min | 15 min total | ¥180 |
| Shin-Osaka (Shinkansen) | Nankai → Namba → Midosuji Line north | 30 min | ¥400 |
| Universal Studios Japan | Nankai → Namba → JR Yumesaki Line → Universal City | 20 min | ¥380 |
| Kyoto (Kyoto Station) | → Shin-Osaka → Shinkansen Hikari/Sakura | 70 min | ¥2,730 |
For Kyoto day trips: Fastest is Namba → Kintetsu Kyoto Line → Kyoto Station (~50 min, ¥1,240) or Shin-Osaka → Shinkansen (~15 min, ¥2,730). Both work; Kintetsu is cheaper.
From Tokyo House (Ikebukuro Honcho)
Nearest stations: Tokiwadai (常盤台) Tobu Tojo Line — 4-min walk, or Itabashi (板橋) JR Saikyo Line — 8-min walk.
For most destinations, use Ikebukuro Station (10-min walk or 2 stops on Tobu Tojo Line) — biggest hub, all major lines.
| Destination | Route from Ikebukuro | Time | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shinjuku | JR Yamanote Line south | 10 min | ¥170 |
| Harajuku / Meiji Shrine | JR Yamanote → Harajuku | 15 min | ¥170 |
| Shibuya | JR Yamanote → Shibuya | 20 min | ¥200 |
| Akihabara | JR Yamanote → Akihabara | 25 min | ¥210 |
| Nakano Broadway | JR Chuo Line → Nakano | 8 min | ¥160 |
| Asakusa / Senso-ji | Marunouchi Line → Ginza, Ginza Line → Asakusa | 35 min | ¥300 |
| Odaiba / Gundam / TeamLab area | Yamanote → Hamamatsucho → Yurikamome | 45 min | ¥600 |
| Shimokitazawa | Seibu Ikebukuro Line → Shibuya → Keio Inokashira → Shimokitazawa | 30 min | ¥270 |
| Ginza (watch shops) | Marunouchi Line → Ginza | 25 min | ¥220 |
| Haneda Airport (HND) | Tobu Tojo → Ikebukuro → Yamanote → Hamamatsucho → Keikyu Monorail → HND | 70 min | ¥700 |
Airport Routes
Arrival: HND → Osaka House (Apr 8)
HND → Keikyu Airport Line → Shinagawa → Nozomi Shinkansen → Shin-Osaka → Nankai Namba → Kishinosato-Tamade
Full timing: see First 48 Hours
Departure: Tokyo House → HND (Apr 20)
Tokyo House → Ikebukuro → Yamanote Line → Hamamatsucho → Tokyo Monorail → HND International Terminal
- Transit: ~65–75 min
- Leave by 12:45 PM for a 3:15 PM flight (allows 2h30m buffer including check-in and security)
Full timing: see Last Day - April 20
Shinkansen (April 14 — Osaka → Tokyo)
| Detail | |
|---|---|
| Departure | Shin-Osaka (新大阪) |
| Arrival | Tokyo Station |
| Train | Nozomi |
| Class | Green Car (グリーン車) |
| Seats | A-side window (left/Fuji-facing) |
| Book/change | SmartEX app |
If you miss or need to rebook: SmartEX lets you change to a later train before the booked departure, no fee. Go to any Shinkansen gate staff if you have issues.
Common Situations
Wrong train / wrong direction:
- Get off at the next station. Don’t panic — just re-tap out and re-tap in on the correct platform.
- You may be charged a small extra fare for the correction; station staff can help adjust this.
Missed the last train:
- Last trains in Osaka and Tokyo run ~midnight–12:30 AM on major lines
- After that: taxi (expensive but straightforward — show the address on your phone) or night bus
- Keep ¥3,000–5,000 cash per person for this scenario
Gate won’t open (card issue):
- Press the intercom button on the gate or go to the station window
- Staff handle this constantly — they are helpful
- Have your IC card and a credit card ready
Reading station signs:
- Every station has English signage on platforms and in carriages
- Line colors are consistent — Yamanote is green, Midosuji is red, Marunouchi is red/pink
- Google Maps transit directions are reliable and real-time
Key Lines to Know
| Line | Color | Covers |
|---|---|---|
| Yamanote (JR) | Green loop | Tokyo inner loop — most tourist stops |
| Marunouchi (Tokyo Metro) | Red | Ikebukuro → Ginza → Tokyo Station |
| Nankai Main | Orange | Osaka base → Namba → Shin-Osaka via transfer |
| Midosuji (Osaka Metro) | Red | Osaka north-south spine |
| Keikyu Airport | Red | HND → Shinagawa |
| Tobu Tojo | Cream/blue | Tokyo House → Ikebukuro |