Tokyo Travel —Knowing about Yamanote Line 山手線

Video 1. How to Ride Subway & Trains in Tokyo (YouTube link)

Before embarking on your Tokyo adventure, take a moment to watch this informative video from Yellow Productions. Packed with 35 essential tips, this comprehensive guide will equip you with the knowledge and confidence to navigate Tokyo's extensive public transportation system with ease. From understanding the ticket purchasing process to planning your journey and mastering the etiquette of train travel, this video covers all the bases, ensuring a smooth and enjoyable experience.

JR Yamanote Line (山手線) 

1) Is Tokyo's most important train line (above-ground)
○ Departures about 2-4 minutes in each direction
○ Circles central Tokyo and trains are colored light green
○ Connects Tokyo Station with such other major Tokyo stations 

• Hamamatsucho (for Haneda Airport)
• Shinagawa, 
• Shibuya, 
• Shinjuku, 
• Ikebukuro, 
• Nishi-Nippori, 
• Nippori, 
• Ueno, 
• Akihabara 
• Kanda Run by East Japan Railway Company (JR East)

○ Notorious for its crowdedness in the rush hours

2) Japan Rail Pass can be used

Dashboards and Signs

At Shinjuku Station (新宿駅) and head for Ikebukuro Station (池袋駅) and Ueno Station (上野駅)

At Tokyo Station (東京) now and next station is Yurakucho Station (有楽町)

Now (ただいま) at Shinjuku Station (新宿駅)

Connection Guidance (のりかえご案内) at Shinjuku Station (新宿駅)

At Shinjuku Station (新宿駅), you can connect to different train lines from JR Yamanote Line (see above picture):
○ Chuo Line (中央線)

• JR Chuo-Sobu Line
• JR Chuo Main Line

○ JR Saikyo Line
○ JR Shonan-Shinjuku Line
○ Odakyu Line
○ Keio Line
○ Tokyo Metro Marunouchi Line
○ Toei Line (都営線)

• Toei Oedo Line
• Toei Shinjuku Line

Shinagawa Station (品川駅)

Connection Guidance (のりかえご案内) at Shinagawa Station (品川駅)

At Shinagawa Station (品川駅), you can connect to different train lines from JR Yamanote Line:

	Yamanote Line Inner Tracks for Tokyo, Ueno		Tokaido Line
	Yamanote Line Outer Tracks for Shibuya, Shinjuku		Yokosuka Line, Sobu Line for Tokyo, Chiba (Rapid-service Train)
	Keihin-Tohoku Line for Omiya		"Narita Express"
	Keihin-Tohoku Line for Ofuna		Yokosuka Line, Sobu Line
	Tokaido Line, Ueno Tokyo Line		"Narita Express"
	Ueno Tokyo Line(Limited Express)		Yokosuka Line for Kurihama (Rapid-service Train)
	Ueno Tokyo Line		Tokaido,San-yo Shinkansen
	Tokaido Line, Ueno Tokyo Line		Tokaido,San-yo Shinkansen

Video 2.  【品川駅】Shinagawa Station (YouTube link)

How Stations Are Numbered

Each train station is numbered based on individual subway line in this way:

• The alphabet letter represents the subway line name.
• In the subway route map, the station number is shown according to subway line.
• Station numbers are circled with a color that represents the subway line.

See below diagram for a sample list of Japanese train lines and their corresponding colors.  

Bike Ride Along Tokyo's Yamanote Line

In below video, Kyde and Eric rode bikes along Yamanote Line on the street level, which they have provides insightful information at each station along the line.

Video 3.  Bike Ride Along Tokyo's Yamanote Line (YouTube link)

Odaiba: A Day in Tokyo's Futuristic District

MORI Building Digital Art Museum: EPSON teamLab Borderless (YouTube link)

Video 2.  Brand New Tokyo Digital Art Museum: teamLab Planets in Odaiba (YouTube link)

Without much ado, I'll recommend you to read a great article written by Raina Ong who has started her trip in Asakusa and taken the water bus down to Odaiba (お台場)⭐.

Places to Visit

• MORI Building Digital Art Museum: EPSON teamLab Borderless (森ビル デジタルアート ミュージアム：エプソン チームラボ ボーダレス)
• Watch above videos for introduction
• Hours: typically 10:00 to 22:00
• Hours of business may change with prior notice on the ticket purchase page.
• Admissions: 
• You can buy tickets on line here
• If advanced tickets have sold out, there will be no same day tickets
• To order online, you may want to plan it about 3 weeks in advance in high season.
• Once ticket is bought, the general rule is that you cannot change or cancel it
• Observation Vista Points
• Fuji TV Building
• Hours: 10:00 to 18:00
• Closed: Mondays (or Tuesday if Monday is a national holiday).
• Admission: Free (observation deck: 550 yen)
• Telecom Center
• Observation Deck:
• 15:00 to 21:00 (weekdays)
• 11:00 to 21:00 (weekends and national holidays)
• Closed: Mondays (following day if Monday is a holiday)
• Admission: 500 yen
• PALETTE TOWN Giant Sky Wheel
• Hours: 10:00 to 22:00 (until 23:00 on most Fridays, Saturdays)
• Closed: No closing days
• Admission: 920 yen (entire cabin: 3080 yen)
• Landmarks
• Rainbow Bridge
• Odaiba Statue of Liberty
• Showrooms
• Toyota Mega Web
• Hours: 11:00 to 21:00 (some attractions end 1-3 hours earlier)
• Closed: Small number of irregular closing days
• Admission: Free (test rides: 300 yen)
• Panasonic Center
• Hours: 10:00 to 18:00 (entry to Risupia until 17:00)
• Closed: Mondays (or Tuesday if Monday is a holiday), New Year holidays
• Admission: Free (Risupia: 500 yen)

Video 3.  Top 10 Things to DO in ODAIBA Tokyo (YouTube link)

Restaurants

Some restaurants are recommended below.  But you can find more restaurants using Tabelog web site which has an English version.

Hibiki (響 お台場店)

• Categories: Dining bar, Japanese food (other), Bar
• Location: アクアシティお台場 6F
• Hours: 
  • Weekdays 11: 00-15: 00, 17: 00-23: 00
  • Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays 11: 00 ~ 16: 00, 17: 00 ~ 23: 00

OCEAN CLUB BUFFET (オーシャンクラブビュッフェ デックス東京ビーチ店)

• Categories: Buffet style
• Location: デックス東京ビーチ シーサイドモール 5F
• Hours: 
• 11: 00 ~ 23: 00 until arrival at 21:30
• Lunch from 11: 00 to 16: 00
• Dinner from 16: 00-23: 00

Gen Chan Aqua City Odaiba (築地食堂源ちゃん アクアシティお台場店)

• Categories: Seafood
• Location: デックス東京ビーチ シーサイドモール 5F
• Located in AQUA CiTY ODAIBA
• Hours: 
• 11: 00 ~ 23: 00 (L.O.: 22:00)

Video 4.  Visiting Asakusa from Odaiba via Water Bus (YouTube link)

Transportation

Tokyo Bay Shuttle Bus

Tokyo Bay Shuttle Bus runs in Odaiba Rinkai area, connecting numbers of tourist attractions in the area, including a museum, shopping malls and some hotels. It runs approx every 20 mins from 11:30 am to 19:30 pm.  See the map below (labels in Japanese):

Yurikamome Line

New Transit Yurikamome, formally the Tokyo Waterfront New Transit Waterfront Line, is an automated guideway transit service operated by the Tokyo Waterfront New Transit Corporation, connecting Shimbashi to Toyosu, via the artificial island of Odaiba in Tokyo, Japan, a market in which it competes with the Rinkai Line.

Rinkai Line

The Rinkai Line (りんかい線 Rinkai-sen) is a railway line in Tokyo, Japan. It is the only line operated by the third-sector company Tokyo Waterfront Area Rapid Transit. It connects central Tokyo to the artificial islands of Aomi and Odaiba. The line is served by some trains on the East Japan Railway Company (JR East) Saikyō Line which continue on to Shinjuku, Ikebukuro, Ōmiya, and Kawagoe.

References

1. New Transit Yurikamome: Railway Map (English)
2. Rinkai Line Route Map

Tokyo Travel—Visiting Asakusa Area via Water Bus (海上バス)

Tokyo Street Food Asakusa (YouTube link)

Places to Visit

• Asakusa
• One of Tokyo's districts, where an atmosphere of the Tokyo of past decades survives.
• Kaminarimon (Kaminari Gate)
• Hours: Always open
• Admission: Free
• Sensoji temple
• Asakusa's main attraction which is a very popular Buddhist temple
• Hours: 6:00 to 17:00 (from 6:30 October to March)
• Admission: Free
• Nakamise Shopping Street
• Hours depend on the individual shops; typically daily from 9:00 to 18:00
• Marugoto Nippon
• A large four-story building that features made-in-Japan products from all across the country
  
• Hours: 10:00 to 20:00 (3rd floor until 21:00)
• Restaurant floor: 11:00 to 23:00
• Sumida Park (隅田公園)
• The park stretches for a few hundred meters along both sides of Sumida River with views of the Tokyo Sky Tree. 
• Sumida River Cruise
• Tokyo Water Bus operates sightseeing ships every 30 to 60 minutes from Asakusa Pier via Hama Rikyu Garden to Hinode Pier, where you can transfer to a ship to Odaiba. 
• Tokyo Sky Tree
• However, it's also a tourist's trap (video)
• Hours: 8:00 to 22:00 (entry until 21:00; Always Open)

Visiting Asakusa ⭐⭐from Odaiba via Water Bus (YouTube link)

How to Access via Water Bus

Timetable and Fees

Most of the water buses are operated by the Tokyo Cruise Ship Company. The Asakusa-Odaiba Direct Line (50 minutes, 1560 yen, 2-4 boats per day) is one of the most popular routes because of its boldly designed Himiko boats with panoramic windows. The boats do not run on the second Tuesday and Wednesday of each month (except for August).

The Sumida River Line runs from Asakusa to Hama Rikyu garden (35 minutes, 980 yen, 1-2 boats per hour). The dock at Hama Rikyu is located within the garden's paid grounds, and admission to the garden is included in the price of the boat ticket. After Hamariku, the boats then travel a further five minutes to the Hinode Pier (40 minutes, 780 yen from Asakusa), where a transfer can be made to boats bound for Odaiba. Note that Hama Rikyu is not served by boats in direction of Asakusa.

The Odaiba Line travels from Hinode to Odaiba Seaside Park (20 minutes, 480 yen, about two boats per hour). The Tokyo Big Sight-Palette Town Line travels to both the Tokyo Big Sight and Palette town attractions (about 25 minutes, 410 yen, 5 boats per day), but it does not operate on Mondays and Tuesdays (except in the case of national holidays).

View from Musashi

Restaurants

Some restaurants are recommended below.  But you can find more restaurants using Tabelog web site which has an English version.

Musashi (武藏)

• Categories: Buffet style, Dining bar, Bar
• Location: 浅草ビューホテル 26F
• Hours: 
• Breakfast: 7:00～10:00 (L.O. 9:30)
• Lunch: 11:30～15:00《90分制》 (L.O. 14:00)
• Dinner: 17:30～21:45《120分制》(L.O. 20:30)
• Bar: 21:00～24:00 (L.O. 23:30)
• L.O. —Last Order

wafuukafedaininguhatabata (和風カフェ＆ダイニング 畑々)

• Categories: Izakaya, Japanese food, Nihonshu (Japanese sake)
• Location: Marugoto Nippon (まるごとにっぽん) 4F
• Hours: 11:00～23:00 (Open on Sunday except Japan's Holidays)

Asakusa Street Food

• Watch the video above

Tokyo Travel—Visiting Omote-sando (表参道) Area

Amazing forest in the middle of Tokyo: Meiji Shrine (YouTube link)

Places to Visit

• Nezu Museum
• Hours: 10:00 to 17:00 (entry until 16:30)
• Closed: Mondays (or following day if Mon is a holiday), New Year holidays
• Admission: 1100 yen (regular), 1300 yen (special exhibitions)
• Meiji Gingu
• Meiji Shrine (明治神宮, Meiji Jingū) is a shrine dedicated to the deified spirits of Emperor Meiji and his consort, Empress Shoken. 
• Meiji Shrine and the adjacent Yoyogi Park make up a large forested area within the densely built-up city. The spacious shrine grounds offer walking paths that are great for a relaxing stroll.
• Hours: Sunrise to sunset
• Closed: No closing days
• Admission: Free
• Japan National Stadium
• The stadium will feature in the upcoming Olympic Games held in Tokyo in 2020.  It will also serve as a setting for the opening and closing ceremonies of the games, as well as space for athleletic events.
• Yoyogi Park
• Large, public city park with lakes, fountains & forested areas with mature trees.
• Takeshita Street
• This popular pedestrian street features trendy independent & chain shops, along with eateries.

Real Japanese Gardens presents: The Nezu Museum in Tokyo (YouTube link)

Restaurants

Some restaurants are recommended below.  But you can find more restaurants using Tabelog web site which has an English version.

JEAN FRANCOIS (ジャン・フランソワ Echika表参道)

• Categories: Bread, Cafe, Sandwich
• Location: Omote-sando Station
• Hours: 8:00～21:00 (Open all year round)

Maguronomiseden (まぐろの店田)

• Categories: Seafood
• Location: Near Omote-sando Station (see Google map; in basement)
• Hours: 17:00～23:00  (Closed on Sunday and Holidays)

barubakkoa (バルバッコア 青山本店)

• Categories: Brazil Cuisine, Buffet
• Location: Near Omote-sando Station (see Google map)
• Hours:
• Monday - Friday]
• 11: 30 ~ 15: 00 (L.O.14: 00) 
• 17: 30 ~ 23: 00 (L.O.22: 00)
• Sarturday
• 11: 30 ~ 16: 00 (L.O.15: 00)
• 17: 30 ~ 23: 00 (L.O.22: 00)
• Sunday
• 11: 30 ~ 16: 00 (L.O.15: 00)
• 17: 30 ~ 22: 00 (L.O.21: 00)
• L.O.—Last Order

Food Show at Shibuya Station

• Watch video below (ゑびす Daikoku —エビス ダイコク エクセル—looks good)

Japanese Department Store Food (YouTube link)