Before my journey, I was warned by a couple of acquaintances who had visited Japan to beware of Tokyo's subway. They warned me that I was certain to get lost in a labyrinth of kanji signs and hurrying businessmen.
Nothing could be further from my experience.
It is true, many of the signs are kanji-only. However, there are multitudes of super-kind Japanese men and women, who will try to help a confused-looking gaijin before he even has time to open his mouth to ask. There are even a few white-gloved Enrish-speaking attendants waiting by the ticket machines to help out with buying whatever ticket you need. You just need to name your destination, or point your finger on the map.
And on the subway itself, there are pleasant female voices announcing all the stops, as well as these fancy signs pictured which light up to show the direction the train is going in and the current stop.
It's foolproof, really.
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