Field exercises • 3 days + a planned airport transfer

Tokyo: make the transfers work.

A flexible three-day programme and an airport module, built around JR, Metro, Toei and the journey from platform to street.

Prepare, then practise. Read the city railway guide for operator choices, useful stations and common transfer traps. These exercises turn that guidance into observations on the ground.

Read the city railway guide

Tokyo Station Marunouchi building illuminated after dark

MaedaAkihiko · CC BY-SA 4.0 · cropped for display

What you will learn.

Navigate multiple operators, allow realistic station walking time and choose exits by destination rather than by habit.

The working modules.

Exercise T1

Tokyo Station to the Keiyo Line

Tokyo Station → Keiyo Line platforms → Shiomi → a chosen street exit

Do: Begin at a clearly recorded Tokyo Station concourse or arrival gate. Follow Keiyo signs, take a service stopping at Shiomi and locate a specific street destination. Reverse the journey if useful.
Observe: Time the corridor walk separately from the train. Count level changes, identify a step-free alternative and note where someone might think they are already at the platform.
Check & bring back: Give a realistic transfer allowance based on your observation, labelled with the conditions of that visit. Do not treat the number as universal.

Exercise T2

Connect JR, Metro and Toei

Shiomi → Hatchobori → Ueno → Asakusa → Higashi-ginza → Hatchobori → Shiomi

Do: Use JR Keiyo to Hatchobori, Metro Hibiya to Ueno and Metro Ginza to Asakusa. Return via Toei Asakusa to Higashi-ginza, Metro Hibiya to Hatchobori and JR to Shiomi. Verify services and gate instructions on the day.
Observe: Compare the signed transfer with the route advice. Note whether gates, street walks or separate operators change the experience. A short Toei bus exercise can replace part of the day if you identify a useful current route.
Check & bring back: The Tokyo Subway Ticket does not cover the JR Keiyo sections. Record ticket coverage before travelling, not only after a gate rejects it.

Exercise T3

Read a major station, then recover calmly

Tokyo → Shinjuku by JR Chuo Rapid → Shibuya by JR Yamanote → a verified return route

Do: At Shinjuku, choose a real destination and its useful exit. Compare the street reached with the original instruction. Continue to Shibuya and plan the return using current signs and services.
Observe: Record where a large station name conceals a long walk. Look for lift queues, crowding, construction diversions and decision points that require more detail than “leave the station”.
Check & bring back: If you emerge at an unhelpful exit, stop somewhere safe, reorient and record the recovery. Do not deliberately create a problem at a crowded gate or platform.

Exercise T4

A controlled airport transfer

Shiomi → Tokyo → JR Hamamatsucho → Tokyo Monorail → the verified Haneda terminal

Do: Use a suitable JR service from Tokyo to Hamamatsucho and follow the Monorail connection. Choose the airport terminal from your current airline ticket. Compare a Keikyu alternative on paper before travelling.
Observe: Record luggage effort, the transfer walk and whether terminal names are clear. Separate the station arrival from the final airline check-in area.
Check & bring back: Finish experiments before a time-critical departure. Use a generous margin, the actual flight terminal and current airport instructions. A Terminal 3 hotel does not determine a flight’s terminal.

Your end-of-day record.

Bring back one verified route note, three observations that matter to a traveller, and one question to investigate. Keep original mistakes in the record when you retest a corrected instruction.

Exercise / date / conditions:
Start station, gate or street:
Destination and useful exit:
Operator / line / service / direction:
Advice recorded before travel:
Claim checked and authoritative source:
Walking / waiting / riding / transfer time:
Fare or ticket used (no private references):
What worked:
What caused uncertainty or effort:
Human observation a planner missed:
Correct / incorrect / still unverified:
Severity: critical / major / minor
Outcome: independent / clarification / external help
Correction and next question:

Download the field workbook

Check before you travel

Official references reviewed 5 October 2026. Platforms, stopping patterns and service conditions can change. Use the operator’s current journey planner and station displays on the day.