The Tokyo subway system is massive but not challenging. Everything is surprisingly systematic and consistent (unlike NYC's MTA which is legacy with express/non-express trains and cars with doors that don't open in certain stations) and with Google Maps, I had no problems getting anywhere with no backtracking. Announcements and notices are bilingual Japanese/English. Staff don't speak English but I've never had to speak to anyone -- the system is just so intuitive. In most subway systems around the world, you really almost never have to speak to anyone. Don't have Google Maps? Look at the subway map. It's big, but all you have to do is locate your destination and know where you are -- easy. The Japanese are great at creating intuitive visuals.
The female-only cars are common around the world (Rio has them too), not sure why it is a cause for mortification. There's a reason why they exist, and that reason exists in North America too.
Tokyo is big but extremely navigable for a foreigner.
I went to Japan last in 2015 with my aging dad. Subway was hard since no escalators/elevators at most stations and that marble they use for stairs becomes slippery really quickly during a rain. I wouldn’t have noticed either of these problems if my dad wasn’t mobility impaired (I didn’t know he degraded so much before the trip, so it was a bit of a surprise).
The Tokyo subway system is massive but not challenging. Everything is surprisingly systematic and consistent (unlike NYC's MTA which is legacy with express/non-express trains and cars with doors that don't open in certain stations) and with Google Maps, I had no problems getting anywhere with no backtracking. Announcements and notices are bilingual Japanese/English. Staff don't speak English but I've never had to speak to anyone -- the system is just so intuitive. In most subway systems around the world, you really almost never have to speak to anyone. Don't have Google Maps? Look at the subway map. It's big, but all you have to do is locate your destination and know where you are -- easy. The Japanese are great at creating intuitive visuals.
The female-only cars are common around the world (Rio has them too), not sure why it is a cause for mortification. There's a reason why they exist, and that reason exists in North America too.
Tokyo is big but extremely navigable for a foreigner.