🚪Getting out fast: exits and transfers

How to Use / Getting out fast: exits and transfers

Stations in Japan’s major cities are big. Transfer corridors run hundreds of metres, and some take five to ten minutes just to walk.

That means which carriage you board and which exit you take can cost you several minutes. Check before you arrive and you won’t be wandering around when you get off.

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01 Opening station info

Tap a station, switch tabs

Tap a station on the home map and open the Station info tab. Platforms, boarding positions and exits are all on one screen.

Worth opening a few stops before you arrive.

02 Boarding: platform and carriage

Where to stand and which car to take

Large stations have multiple platforms. METOBEE shows which platform number serves which direction for each line.

One thing worth knowing: Japan labels direction by terminus station name, not inbound or outbound. Signs in the station read things like “for Oshiage” — so if you know the terminus in your direction, you can just follow the signs.

Found your platform? Check boarding position — it tells you which carriage puts you closest to your transfer or exit.

A ten-car train is about 200 metres long. Get off at car 1 and the stairs are right there; car 10 and you’re walking the full platform. Where you board makes a real difference. Carriage numbers are marked on the platform floor and pillars.

03 Arriving: choosing an exit

Your exit decides your walk

Japanese stations have a dozen exits, sometimes over twenty. Pick the wrong one and you’ll be walking once you surface. The Exits section shows:

• Nearby landmarks — what’s up there when you exit
• Facilities — stairs, escalator, lift
• Map view — where the exit actually is

If your destination is listed as a landmark, that’s your answer. If not, check the map and pick the closest.

Travelling with a suitcase or pram? Check the facilities. Many Japanese stations are old and plenty of exits have stairs only. Going slightly out of your way for a lift is often worth it.

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