SW 7

I honestly don’t remember the last time I used a taxi in central Tokyo. The extensive subway network is clean and efficient, and not only is it far cheaper than a cab, a lot of the time, it’s faster, too.

As if public transportation didn’t already have enough going for it, next month things are about to get even better, as over 100 Tokyo subway stations are about to start offering free Wi-Fi to foreign travelers.

As part of the lead-up to Tokyo hosting the 2020 Olympics and Paralympics, the city has been putting renewed efforts into conveniences for overseas visitors. Starting December 1, the newest perk is free Wi-Fi at selected stations along the Toei and Tokyo Metro subway lines, as well as on certain city-operated busses.

The service will be offered at 143 stations, selected due to the large number of foreign passengers that pass through them, on the Asakusa, Mita, Shinjuku, Oedo, Ginza, Marunouchi, Hibiya, Tozai, Chiyoda, Yurakucho, Hanzomon, Namboku, and Fukutoshin Lines. Users will need to download the free Japan Connected Free Wi-Fi app before they can access the network. Each session is valid for three hours of service, and there’s no limit on the number of sessions for a single user.

The complete list of stations is as follows:

  • Asakusa Line

▼ Asakusa’s famous Kaminarimon or “Thunder Gate”

SW 1

Daimon, Shimbashi, Higashi Ginza, Ningyocho, Higashi Nihombashi, Asakusa, and Asakusabashi Stations

  • Mita Line

Hibiya, Otemachi, Jimbocho, Kasuga, and Sugamo Stations

  • Shinjuku Line

▼ Bustling Shinjuku

SW 2

Shinjuku Sanchome, Ichigaya, Kudanshita, Iwamotocho, and Bakuroyokoyama Stations

  • Oedo Line

Shinjuku, Tochomae, Shinjuku Nishiguchi, Higashi Shinjuku, Iidabashi, Kasuga, Ueno Okachimachi, Kiyosumi Shirakawa, Monzen-Nakacho, Tsukishima, Tsukijishijo, Shiodome, Daimon, Azabu Juban, Roppongi, and Aoyama-itchome Stations

  • Fukutoshin Line

Ikebukuro, Higashi Shinjuku, Shinjuku Sanchome, Kitasando, and Meiji Jingumae Stations

  • Ginza Line

▼ Ginza: you’ll want to save all your pocket money before coming here!

SW 3

Asakusa, Tawaramachi, Inaricho, Ueno, Ueno Hirokoji, Suehirocho, Kanda, Mitsukoshimae, Nihombashi, Kyobashi, Ginza, Shimbashi, Toranomon, Tameike Sanno, Akasake Mitsuke, Aoyama-itchome, Gaienmae, Omotesando, and Shibuya Stations

  • Marunouchi Line

Ikebukuro, Korakuen, Otemachi, Tokyo, Ginza, Kasumegaseki, KokkaiGijidomae, AkasakaMitsuke, Yotsuya, YotsuyaSanchome, Shinjuku-gyoenmae, Shinjuku Sanchome, Shinjuku, and Nishi Shinjuku Stations

  • Hibiya Line

▼ Beautiful Naka Meguro

SW 4

Ueno, Naka-Okachimachi, Akihabara, Ningyocho, Kayabacho, Hatchobori, Tsukiji, Higashi Ginza, Ginza, Hibiya, Kasumigaseki, Kamiyacho, Roppongi, Hiroo, Ebisu, and Naka Meguro Stations

  • Chiyoda Line

Otemachi, Nijubashimae, Hibiya, Kasumigaseki, KokkaiGijidomae, Akasaka, Nogizaka, Omotesando, Meiji Jingumae, and YoyogiUehara Stations

  • Tozai Line

▼ Takadanobaba

SW 5

Nakano, Takadanobaba, Iidabashi, Kudanshita, Takebashi, Otemachi, Nihombashi, Kayabacho, Monzen-Nakacho, Nishi Kasai, and Kasai Stations

  • Yurakucho Line

Ikebukuro, HigashiIkebukuro, Iidabashi, Ichigaya, Kojimachi, Nagatacho, Yurakucho, Ginza-itchome, Tsukishima, Toyosu, Tatsumi, and Shin Kiba Stations

  • Hanzomon Line

▼ Shibuya’s famous scramble intersection

SW 6

Shibuya, Omotesando, Aoyama-itchome, Nagatacho, Hanzomon, Kudanshita, Jinbocho, Otemachi, Mitsukoshimae, Suitengumae, Kiyosumi Shirakawa, and Oshiage Stations

  • Namboku Line

ShirokaneTakawa, AzabuJuban, Roppongi-itchome, TameikeSanno, Nagatacho, Yotsuya, Ichigaya, Iidabashi, and Korakuen Stations

The Japan Connected-free Wi-Fi app can be downloaded, free of charge, from Google Play and the Apple App Store, here and here, respectively. Happy sightseeing, folks!

Related: Japan Connected-free Wi-Fi
Sources: IT Media, NTT BP
Top image: NTT BP
Insert images: House Partner, Sina, Wikipedia/663highland, Seesaa, Sakura, KSD