Tokyo: A Land Where You Don’t Need Google Maps
“Tokyo was an origami city folded over and over until something was made of virtually nothing” — Christopher Barzak (American Author)
Google Maps has become an essential app if you want to travel to some places for the first time. You just input the destination, and the algorithm will calculate how long it takes, what mode of transportation you can use, etc. It’s simple and straightforward, you just have to follow the navigator. Let’s think for a second and imagine a world without Google Maps. Would you still be able to visit the viral restaurant on TikTok by yourself just by knowing the address? 🤔 Maybe… maybe not 😂 Maybe you can, but it takes twice as much time compared if you use maps. But! What if I tell you… if you live in Tokyo (東京都), it might have been not much of a problem 😜
1. Color-coded
One of the major forms of transportation in Tokyo is the train system. Although it looks like an entangled web spun by a drunken spider, we can get around just fine. Like come on, look at this mess:
Nevertheless, getting around it is not as difficult as it seems. Cause if you look at the map, all the train lines are color-coded.
All the lines in Japan Rail East (JRE) train system have their own unique color-coded. This is not only limited to the map itself. Color-coded is also used for the train, the station, and even how they show information in the station. I mean, look at this navy blue surrounding the train station.
Do you notice all the colors? This is the Sugamo (巣鴨) train station. This station is being passed by the Toei Mita Line which has a navy blue as its color code.
There’s also a big station like Shinagawa (品川) station. It has this one track which is shared by 3 different train lines. They color-coded the queue lines so you can line up in the correct train lines. The trains that are coming are also colored the same way, so you can confidently choose whether or not to on board.
It’s so simple, it’s just colors. Yet it’s so effective. By giving colors context to the train system, the passengers could always confidently tell whether they were on the correct “track” (see what I did there?).
2. Numbers
There are a lot of numbers involved when you travel via public transportation in Japan. Each train station has a number attached to it, depending on what lines. For example, the most famous Yamanote (山手) line. Each station has a unique code JY-XX with XX representing a number.
A transit station will have more than 1 number. For example, Sugamo (巣鴨) station is JY11 in Yamanote (山手) line and I15 in Mita (三田) line.
You might be wondering, “Then why you’re so excited with numbers? It doesn’t make any difference?”. To that, I would say “You’re wrong!”. It makes a huge difference. Giving numbers to the train stations helps you to create a mental model in which you can quantify the stations better.
Firstly, you can count down how many stations between your departure and arrival stations. Say you get on the train at Ferzos station (this is just an example, this station never actually exists) which is F11. Then you want to get off at Ferudi station which is F30. So you thought to yourself, “It’s a 19-station difference! I might as well go to sleep then 😴”.
Secondly, you can also use the number to assess if you’re close to your destination station or not. If you know you will get off on F30 and you happen to be at station F28, I think it’s better to not fall asleep and stay awake for 10 minutes so you don’t miss your station. You can somehow “calculate” your current distance to your destination station by using these pseudo numbers, so you can prepare yourself for your offboarding.
Again… it’s simple yet, so effective. It’s the same principle when you use numbers to make a list. You can judge the size of the list better if you put numbers to it.
Other public transportation such as buses also have numbers. Every bus has a big number displayed on the front face.
Compared to trains, bus is more complicated since a bus shuttle can share 3–4 bus tracks. So distinguishing which bus to get on is a much harder challenge. Giving a number to the bus and showing it prominently is very helpful. This way, you don’t have to ask the driver every time what track this bus goes through.
3. Signs… signs everywhere
If you look to the left, or to your right — you will most likely see them. Yes… they are signs. There are signs in every corner in Tokyo, especially around public places such as train stations and parks. You will often see “You are here” signs in a park to help you navigate the area. I would say every 100 meters, there’s a high chance you’ll see this sign again. It shows you the interest points like cafes, bathrooms, or museums.
In train stations, as soon as you get off the train — you will be greeted by signs related to which exit you want to go to.
It also tells you where to go if you want to transit to a different line.
There are also arrow signs below your foot on the floor. This usually helps to distinguish which side you have to take if you want to go up or down, enter or exit. You can always look down and follow these signs without having to look up, and I guarantee you will still reach your destination 😂
4. Put Into Practice
Now… let’s use all of our knowledge and imagine that you live in Japan. You want to go from your home to Ueno Park in Tokyo. You go out of your house and cause you don’t live near a train station, you have to take a bus. You go to the bus shuttle and see the bus schedule:
Looks like you have to take bus number 37 (*this is just an example). After a while, comes a bus:
You’re confident cause there’s a big 37 in front of the bus, you get on and get off the bus. Then go straight to the train station.
At the train station, above the ticketing machine, you see a map (*this is a simplified version).
Turns out, if you want to go to Ueno, you have to take the Yamanote line which is the green line. You purchase the ticket and then walk in to find the Yamanote line’s platform. You go down the escalator and find yourself on a platform that looks like this:
You’re confident you’re on the right platform. Cause the notice board is green, the train is green, and the train gateway is also green. After waiting around 2 mins, the train comes and you get on board. Inside the train, you notice a screen above the train’s door:
You know the next station is Shibuya station, and you have knowledge prior that Ueno Station is JY05, so you thought to yourself, “Ah, I guess it’s about 15 stations then. It’s gonna take a while”. You also know if the train is approaching JY07 or JY06, that means you’re close to offboard (FYI: you’re going counterclockwise, that means the number is decrementing. i.e. JY20 > JY19 > … > JY06 > JY05).
You arrive at the Ueno station, you follow the steps then you see this sign so you follow them:
Congrats!!! Now you have arrived at Ueno Park.
But suddenly, your stomach hurts so you need to take a dump. Just about 1 meter from where you standing, there’s a sign. You walk towards it, and try to find where is the nearest bathroom:
There’s a “You Are Here” pinpoint so you know exactly where you are, where is the nearest bathroom, and where to go. You rushed to the bathroom, made a mess (sorry for the visuals 😂), and then continued enjoying the beautiful view of Ueno Park.
So…? It’s not bad, right?! We just travel long distances without a Google Map and it’s all only armed with reading signs and public transportation.
The beauty of this is that I think a lot of this approach is very simple yet effective. Color-coded to further distinguish train lines. Number system gives quantifiable context and acts like a unique identifier. Putting signs everywhere and exactly where it is supposed to be.
It almost feels like Japan has done this work by thinking about “what the customer needs if I’m in their shoes”. I was stunned by how thoughtful all of these approaches are. I can see some of these principles could be adopted for my home country as well and I hope so. I really wish that we can reach the same level as Japan for public transportation one day.
Hope you enjoy the story,
Thank you for reading.
Cheers 🍻 — ferzos
