Asakusa is served by four different railway lines: the Tobu Skytree Line, the Toei Asakusa Subway Line, the Tokyo Metro Ginza Line, and the Tsukuba Express (TX) Line.
Tobu Asakusa Station is the only station in Asakusa which is above ground
Each line has its own station and each of these four stations is called “Asakusa Station”. Although they have the same name, these are four separate stations and they are operated by four separate companies. To avoid confusion, in the following explanation we will identify these stations by their company names: Tobu Asakusa Station, Toei Asakusa Station, Tokyo Metro Asakusa Station, and TX Asakusa Station.
The Tobu, Toei, and Tokyo Metro Asakusa stations are all located in the same area on the east side of Asakusa. These three stations are also connected to each other by underground passageways.
TX Asakusa Station is located in a separate location on the west side of Asakusa and it is not connected to any other stations. However, the distance between TX Asakusa Station and the other Asakusa stations is not far; only around 600 meters, or an 8 minute walk.
Of these four stations, only Tobu Asakusa Station is above ground, which makes it the easiest station to find. The Toei, Tokyo Metro, and TX Asakusa stations are all located underground. Tobu Asakusa Station also has more facilities than the other stations, as it includes a Tourist Information Center and has immediate access to a large shopping complex which has restaurants, ATM cash machines, and a luggage storage service. There are also taxi ranks and several bus stops located outside Tobu Asakusa Station.
Both the Toei and Tokyo Metro stations have multiple entry points. Although it is possible to move between these stations and Tobu Asakusa Station via underground passageways, you may find it easier to find your way above ground.
Which station should you use?
Tobu Asakusa Station has Tobu Skytree Line services bound for Tokyo Skytree, Higashi-Mukojima, Kita-Senju, and Tobu-Dobutsu-Koen. There are also limited express services bound for Nikko, Kinugawa Onsen, Aizu, and other destinations in Chiba, Gunma, and Tochigi prefectures.
Toei Asakusa Station has subway services bound for Nihombashi, Ginza and Shimbashi, in addition to through services bound for Shinagawa, and Tokyo’s major airports. Services bound for Haneda Airport take around 33 minutes and cost 620 yen. Services bound for Narita Airport take around 50 minutes and cost 1,290 yen.
Tokyo Metro Asakusa Station has subway services bound for some of Tokyo’s most popular districts such as Ueno, Ginza, Shimbashi, Omotesando, and Shibuya.
TX Asakusa Station on the Tsukuba Express Line provides a fast link to Akihabara, Tokyo’s famous center of cheap electronics stores and “otaku” culture. Trains between Asakusa and Akihabara take just 4 minutes and cost 210 yen. At the opposite end of the line, Tsukuba Science city with its parks, museums, and planetarium is 40 minutes away for a fare of 1,140.
The following articles have more details on each station and also information on which station exits to use to find your way easily in Asakusa.
Tobu Asakusa Station Orientation & Facilities (Tobu Skytree Line)
Toei Asakusa Station Orientation (Asakusa Line)
Tokyo Metro Asakusa Station Orientation (Ginza Line)
TX Asakusa Station Orientation (Tsukuba Express Line)
Article and original photos by Michael Lambe. All rights reserved.
