Where am I ? Who am I? Even Japanese people get lost in underground mazes in Tokyo.

Tokyo,Shibuya and Shinjuku! Each downtown area in Tokyo is getting bigger and the stations too.Tokyo metro-subway-lines are complicated enough, besides, some different JR lines and other kinds of railways…Each line is connected to the other operator’s line.It is like a labyrinth.There also are many exits as abundant as stars. Wan-kun complained to me “It’s too difficult to find the right exit! I often get lost underground…!”You can say that again,Wan-kun. Nyapan agrees with you!

Then I checked the downtown area around Tokyo station,Yurakucho, Hibiya, and Ginza.These stations around the area are on following lines.JR and Marunouchi line”Tokyo station”, JR and Yurakucho line” Yurakucho

station”, Chiyoda line, Hibiya line and Toei Mita line”Hibiya station”, Ginza

line,Marunouchi line and Hibiya line”Ginza station”,Hibiya line,Toei Asakusa

line”Higashi-Ginza station”. They are different stations, but actually this is all

within walking distance. And each station is connected by an underground passageway from station to station.So,this is supposed to make your journey to walk even on rainy days or windy days. But, this is a maze!

I’ll show you an example. JR Keiyo line,which is located in the southmost place of the huge”Tokyo station”. One of the gates is under the land tower “Tokyo International

Forum”.You get off at Tokyo station and go up the ground from the exit,straight up. You can see another station,JR”Yurakucho station” in front of you! “Tokyo Disney Land”is located in Maihama station on the JR Keiyo line.

When you go there from the Tokyo district, you have to take a the JR Keiyo line in Tokyo station. If you use another JR line to change to the JR Keiyo line, keep in mind, the platform of the Keiyo Line is really far from the other lines. So, I suggest you get off at “Yurakucho station” just before the stop from Tokyo station and exit from

”Kyobashi-guchi(near Bic Camera). If you ask the station staff ”I want to change to the Keiyo line”, they will give you a ticket and you can board the JR Keiyo line. Walk across the street heading toward the Tokyo International Forum. In about four minutes, you’ll reach the entrance to the JR Keiyo Line in Tokyo station.This is a tip of a short cut so that you don’t have to walk a long way and run through Tokyo station!

And now, Akadama Japan tried to walk from Tokyo station on JR Keiyo line to

Kabuki-za theatre(the nearest station is Higashi-Ginaza) only walking in the

underground passageway.It’s not necessary to start from the JR Keiyo line, you can also start from Tokyo station on the Marunouchi line or a gate of Yaesu -Kitaguchi(north) in Tokyo station.While I was walking through the underground passageway, I checked the exit signs.I found a series of exits “D”(every sign has number after the alphabet ) in Yurakucho area, and a series of exits”A” were shown in Hibiya area.When I was close to Ginza,

the exit signs were changed to ”C” and “B”. And I found exits”A” again in Ginza 4 cho-me area! whew..

Then, I walked to Higashi-Ginza from Ginza 4 cho-me, the exit signs are shown as only a number without an alphabet.There are yellow direction boards in each exit and they are also written in English, the letters are small though,so pay attention please. Having said that,Akadama Japan went

back and forth to find the right exit…It might be easier if I check a land mark,which is a close to my destination, and then go up from the underground!?If you are lost there, you should go to the Ginza station’s information center in the underground ,close to Mitshukoshi department store.You can get a multilingual map.

Akadama Japan took between 30~40 minutes from Tokyo station to the goal,Kabuki-za theatre in Higashi-Ginza station, on foot.I had a very good, and also cold sweat.It made my metabolism boost!

Since I was in the underground for a while, I took a deep breath of fresh air…when I went up outside. I felt like a deep‐sea fish out of water.

The easiest way is to take a taxi from Higashi-Ginza station to Tokyo station.It takes about 10 minutes unless there is a traffic jam.

But I think it’ll be fun to conquer the underground maze,which gives your feeling of an accomplishment. It might also one of the memories of traveling.

After the walking exercise, how about extending your journey to Tsukiji, the next station to Higashi-Ginza? You can enjoy Sushi in Tsukiji!