Tokyo Metropolitan District Pass (Tokunai Pass) Guide

Rail pass for residents
Yamanote line is the busiest train service in Japan.
2014.06.02
JR's Yamanote line (left) and Tokyo Metro (right)
JR’s Yamanote line (left) and Tokyo Metro (right)

There are many transportation deals available in Tokyo, and the Tokyo Metropolitan District Pass is one of the most popular options.
In this post, I will explain how to use this pass, compare it with subway passes, and help you decide which one is best for your trip.

Price and Validity

  • Adult fare: 760 yen (one day)
  • Child fare: 380 yen (ages 6–11)
  • Children aged 5 and under: Free of charge

A “one day” pass is valid from the first train of the day until the last train around midnight.
Most JR trains in Tokyo start running around 5:00 a.m. and stop around 12:30 a.m. the following day.

Example:

  • If you purchase the pass on April 27, you can still use it on trains that depart after midnight, up until the last train early on April 28.
  • However, if you buy the pass at 0:01 a.m. on April 28, you cannot use it for trains that departed earlier that same morning.

Important note:

  • This pass is only valid on local and rapid JR trains.
  • If you ride a Shinkansen, only the base fare is covered—you must pay the limited express surcharge separately.
  • Since the distances within central Tokyo are short (e.g., Tokyo–Ueno or Tokyo–Shinagawa are about 10 minutes by local train), there is no practical reason to take a Shinkansen in this area.

How to Purchase and Use

The pass can be purchased at JR EAST reserved seat ticket vending machines in the usage area.

To use it, simply insert the ticket into the automatic ticket gate, then retrieve it after passing through.

Coverage Area

The map below shows the coverage area.
The green solid lines represent routes where the pass is valid.

Coverage area map (Click to enlarge)
Coverage area map (Click to enlarge)

Major stations covered include:

  • Tokyo
  • Akihabara
  • Ueno
  • Ikebukuro
  • Shinjuku
  • Shibuya
  • Shinagawa

Notes:

  • Harajuku is included, even though it may not be labeled on some maps.
  • Yurakucho is also included and is just one stop from Tokyo Station, making Ginza easily accessible on foot.

Popular spots NOT covered by this pass:

Tip:

  • Odaiba, Tokyo Disney Resort, and the Ghibli Museum are not accessible by subway passes either.
  • If you plan to visit Asakusa, Skytree, and Tsukiji all on the same day, a subway pass is your best (and only) option.
  • However, if you don’t plan to visit these spots, or only plan to visit one of them, the Tokyo Metropolitan District Pass (Tokyo Tokunai Pass) may be a better deal.

Important:
If you already have a Japan Rail Pass, JR East Pass, or Tokyo Wide Pass, this pass is unnecessary—those passes already cover this area.

Comparison with Subway Passes

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The Tokyo Subway Ticket is another popular option:

  • 24-hour pass: 800 yen
  • 48-hour(1,200 yen) and 72-hour (1,500 yen) passes are also available, with lower per-day costs.

The subway network covers more areas than JR trains, especially for tourist attractions.

Key difference in validity:

  • Tokyo Subway Ticket: Valid for 24 hours from first use.
    • Example: Start at 17:00 on March 24 → valid until 16:59 on March 25.
  • Tokyo Tokunai Pass: Valid only from midnight to midnight on the same calendar day.

Pros and Cons

  • Tokyo Subway Ticket
    • ✅ Great coverage, can reach almost anywhere
    • ❌ Complicated network with many lines—may be confusing for first-time visitors
  • Tokyo Tokunai Pass
    • ✅ Simple, fast, and direct routes, especially along the Yamanote Line
    • ❌ Limited coverage (JR lines only)

If your itinerary mostly includes Yamanote Line stations like Shinjuku, Shibuya, Ueno, Akihabara, or Ginza, the Tokyo Tokunai Pass is easier and more convenient.
If you need to visit places only accessible by subway, choose the Tokyo Subway Ticket instead.

How Much Travel You Need to Make It Worthwhile

Below are sample one-way fares between major stations (in yen):

stationTokyoShinjukuShinagawaAkihabaraUenoIkebukuro
Tokyo–200170140160200
Shinjuku200–200170200160
Shinagawa170200–170200260
Akihabara140170170–140200
Ueno160200200140–170
Ikebukuro200160260200170–

As you can see, JR fares in Tokyo are quite reasonable.
To make the pass worthwhile, you generally need to take 4–5 one-way trips in a single day.
If you only plan a couple of rides, buying single tickets will be cheaper.

Trips Outside the Coverage Area

You can travel beyond the coverage area by paying additional fares.

Example: Tokyo Disney Resort

  • Maihama Station (gateway to Tokyo Disneyland & DisneySea) is one stop beyond the coverage area boundary (Kasairinkaikoen Station).
  • Additional fare: 140 yen one-way.
  • Regular fare Shinjuku → Maihama: 390 yen one-way.
    • Total round trip: 780 yen
    • This may be cheaper than combining the pass (760 yen) with additional fares unless you plan extra JR trips before or after visiting Disney.

Example: Ghibli Museum (Mitaka)

  • Mitaka Station is two stops beyond the boundary (Nishi-Ogikubo Station).
  • Additional fare: 160 yen one-way.
  • From Ueno or Shinagawa to Mitaka: 390 yen one-way.
    • Same logic as above: If you will make many other JR trips that day, the pass may still be worthwhile.

My Itinerary Example

When I used this pass, I traveled the following segments:

RouteFare (yen)
Akihabara → Kinshicho160
Kinshicho → Akihabara160
Akihabara → Shinjuku170
Shinjuku → Shinagawa200
Shinagawa → Tokyo170
Tokyo → Akihabara140
Total900

Why I chose this pass:

  1. My hotel was near JR Akihabara Station.
  2. I needed direct transfers between Tokyo and Akihabara.
  3. Shinagawa does not have a subway station, so JR was the best option.
  4. The Tokyo Skytree was my only destination outside the coverage area.
    • Even though I paid 170 yen one-way on the Tokyo Metro Hanzomon Line, the total savings still made the pass the best choice.

Summary

  • The Tokyo Metropolitan District Pass is best for travelers whose itineraries focus on central Tokyo and Yamanote Line stations.
  • If you plan to visit places like Asakusa, Tsukiji, or Tokyo Skytree, consider a Tokyo Subway Ticket instead.
  • To make the pass worthwhile, aim for 4–5 rides per day or more.
  • For day trips slightly outside central Tokyo (like Disneyland or Mitaka), the pass can still be useful if you plan extra JR travel before or after.

Comments

  1. Jenny Ngu says:
    January 3, 2017 at 6:35 pm

    Dear Takeshi-san,
    The following is our 7-day plan in Feb.

    Day 1 – Arrive at Haneda in the early morning and travel to Fuji. Stay near Kawaguchiko station.
    Day 2 – Explore Hakone
    Day 3- Fujiten Snow Resort then depart to Tokyo. Stay near Nippori station.
    Day 4-6: Explore Tokyo -Yokohama, Shinjuku, Shibuya, Ueno, Tsujiki, Ginza, Asakusa, Harajuku, Odaiba, Tokyo Tower
    Day 7: Departure from Haneda Airport

    Hope you can advise on any passes worth buying for such a plan?

    Thanks.
    Jenny

  2. Amirah says:
    December 31, 2016 at 6:22 pm

    Hi! I will be staying in Musashi-Koganei. Is tokunai pass cover this area? If not, is there any other pass that I can buy?

    • Takeshi / JPRail.com says:
      December 31, 2016 at 11:25 pm

      Hi Amirah,

      Musashi-Koganei is outside of coverage area. You have to add single fare 170 yen one way for Musashi-Koganei to Nishi-Ogikubo if you want to use this pass. There is no local deals available that covers Musashi-Koganei.

      Cheers,

      Takeshi / JPRail.com

  3. Nuralim Bin Mohd Ali says:
    November 25, 2016 at 7:29 am

    Hi Takeshi-san,

    I will be going to Japan on the first week of May 2017, probably between 1-8 May. And that is during the Golden Week period. I’ve been to Japan before but only to Tokyo. This time, I will be heading to Tokyo again, as well as Osaka. And if there’s time, maybe I will go to Kyoto or Kobe as well. My question is if I should purchase a Japan Rail Pass. And should I get the ordinary or the green class pass? Thanks

    Thanks a lot for

  4. Syed says:
    October 26, 2016 at 7:31 pm

    Hello,

    I am staying in Yokohama by Shin Yokohama station. I will be visiting Tokyo frequently. Which pass should I buy? I am i Yokohama/Tokyo for 3 days

    I will be arriving to Narita from Canada.

    • Takeshi / JPRail.com says:
      October 26, 2016 at 8:56 pm

      Hi Syed,

      There is no deals available. You may use Suica.
      http://www.jreast.co.jp/e/pass/suica.html

      Cheers,

      Takeshi / JPRail.com

      • Jliverty says:
        November 19, 2016 at 11:32 am

        Hi There,

        I’m going to tokyo this january and I’m having a problem choosing whether I should get JR east rail pass 19000 yen or 9x tokyo metro 730 yen + NEX from narita to tokyo round trip for 4000 yen. Could you please help me out? I’ll be staying in tokyo for 9 nights.

        The problem is most of the time I know I’ll be around tokyo , and I wanted to go round trip same day from shibuya to osaka just visiting. Any idea ?

        • Takeshi / JPRail.com says:
          November 19, 2016 at 2:40 pm

          Hi Jliverty,

          You should have JR pass 7 days if you are sure to visit Osaka.
          https://jprail.com/travel-informations/other-rail-passes/rail-pass-for-visitors/japan-rail-pass-user-guide-how-to-use-jr-pass-to-its-maximum.html

          JR East Pass does not cover Osaka. Only JR Pass is your choice. It takes about 3 hours to get Osaka by Hikari on Shinkansen. There are a few trains running on Shinkansen (bullet train), such as Nozomi, Hikari and Kodama. Nozomi is the fastest train but not covered by JR pass. Hikari is the second fastest ant it’s covered. Please see the timetable in the links below and find “H”.
          http://english.jr-central.co.jp/info/timetable/_pdf/westbound.pdf
          http://english.jr-central.co.jp/info/timetable/_pdf/eastbound.pdf

          If you don’t go to Osaka, NEX round trip and subway pass is okay. JR East pass is your choice if you visit outside Tokyo.

          Cheers,

          Takeshi / JPRail.com

          • Jliverty says:
            December 20, 2016 at 4:19 pm

            Hi takeshi,

            How are you?

            Let say if you stay in Tokyo for 9 night’s not going outside Tokyo, is there any deal or value ticket for 9 nights instead of buying at the machine Everytime I need to use to save money ? Seems what I’m going to use most of the time is Yamanote line. Is there anyway I can purchase online for these ticket ? I have my pasmo card thou.

            • Takeshi / JPRail.com says:
              December 20, 2016 at 10:38 pm

              Hi Jliverty,

              If you use this deal, Tokyo Tokunai Pass, you have to purchase it on the day of use. You cannot purchase it online and in advance either. But please make sure how many trips you will make. As I wrote the fare table in the post, you have to make many trips a day to get the worth. If you don’t think you will make many trips, use Pasmo. This is wiser choice.

              Cheers,

              Takeshi / JPRail.com

              • jliverty says:
                December 20, 2016 at 10:46 pm

                I was thinking about using this fare from jr east website 1 day ticket :

                http://www.jreast.co.jp/e/pass/tokyo_free.html

                Since I’m just going to visit , harajuku, ueno, yoyogi, shinjuku. What do you think about this 1490 yen for 1 day ticket JR east ?

                for sure total trip in 1 day will be approximately 9 – 10x.

                Also do you mind to give me a reccomendation place similar like tsutaya bookstore daikanyanma ? any place that is not too much or many people go there, quiet , comfortable and quite famous? it can be like coffee shop, bookstore, commercial store, or a house residency alley where people can walk and appreciate the japanese style house there.

                And do you know any good all you can eat yakiniku japanese bbq around shibuya ?

                • Takeshi / JPRail.com says:
                  December 21, 2016 at 8:24 am

                  Hi jliverty,

                  This deal may work. But there are huge number of routes. I’m not 100% sure that you will get the worth or not.

                  I have no idea about other questions. Sorry but these are basically out of topics in my website.

                  Cheers,

                  Takeshi / JPRail.com

  5. Wong says:
    September 30, 2016 at 1:04 am

    Hi Takeshi,

    My friend and I will be visiting Japan end Oct and our hotel is nearby to Shin-Okubo Stn. We will cover most of the places that is accessible by either Yamanote Line or Chuo/Sobu Line hence we are thinking to get the Tokunai Pass. Just want to check if Tokunai Pass also covers for this route:-
    1) To Shinjuku from Shin-Okubo -> Yamanote Line
    2) To Kichijoji from Shinjuku ->JR Chuo /Sobu Line

    May I know what time is the last train runs on Yamanote Line, Tokyo Metro and Toei Line?

    Thank you.

    • Takeshi / JPRail.com says:
      September 30, 2016 at 6:28 am

      Hi Wong,

      Kichijoji is just one station away from border station, Nishi-Ogikubo. You have to pay extra fare 140 yen when you exit Kichijoji. Other parts of the trips are covered.

      Cheers,

      Takeshi / JPRail.com

      • Wong says:
        October 3, 2016 at 8:15 pm

        Hi Takeshi,

        Thank you for your reply. Does this mean I can use Tokunai Pass upon entry and when exiting Kichijoji, I would need to go to the counter to pay the extra fare of 140 yen or to exit Nishi-Ogikubo and buy another ticket to Kichijoji and board the train?
        What about upon return from Kichijoji to Shinjuku on the same day? Can I use the Tokunai Pass upon entry in Kichijoji station?

        Regards,
        Wong

        • Takeshi / JPRail.com says:
          October 3, 2016 at 11:02 pm

          Hi Wong,

          You can pay extra at man’s gate when you exit Kichijoji. You don’t need to exit Nishi-Ogikubo. When you take a train Kichijoji, you can purchase 140 yen ticket and go through at the machine gate. You can insert 140 yen ticket only. When you exit Shijuku, you can show your Tokunai pass and 140 yen ticket at mans gate.

          Cheers,

          Takeshi / JPRail.com

  6. andy says:
    May 13, 2016 at 12:09 am

    it’s mean that this pass cover all JR station in tokyo (incl. smal station). is it uguisudani station cover by tokunai pass?

  7. Scieszka says:
    May 9, 2016 at 12:50 am

    Hi Takeshi,

    Is Kami-Nakazato Station within the coverage area of Tokunai Pass? I’m planning the following trips but not sure if this pass covers everything:

    1) Ikebukuro > Tabata – Yamanote Line
    2) Tabata > Kami-Nakazato via Keijin tohoku/ Negishi Line
    3) Kami-Nakazato > Ueno via Keijin tohoku/ Negishi Line
    4) Okachimachi > Akibahara – Yamanote Line
    5) Akibahara > Ikebukuro – Yamanote Line

    For (2), I choose Kami-Nakazato becasue it is nearer to Kyu-Furukawa Gardens compares to Komagome as per Kyu-Furukawa’s website.
    In case Kami Nakazato is outside of Tokunai Pass coverage area, the other choice I have is Komagome Station. Komagome is within the coverage area right?

    Looking forward to your reply.
    Thank you!

    Regards,
    Scieszka

  8. David says:
    May 2, 2016 at 4:15 pm

    Hi Takeshi san,

    I have a question about the Tokunai Pass. I am staying at a hotel in Kawasaki but I can only buy use it starting at Kamata. I think the only way using this pass will work is to buy a ticket between Kawasaki and Kamato, then exit the station and buy the Tokunai Pass. Then repeat the procedure at the end of the day. Is there a way to avoid the additional transfer at Kamata? Thank you.

    David

    • Takeshi / JPRail.com says:
      May 2, 2016 at 5:49 pm

      Hi David san,

      Unfortunately you have to exit Kamata station whenever you use Tokunai Pass. It’s sold in the coverage area and you have to purchase on the day to use this pass. Actually I have tried to purchase it outside coverage area before but I couldn’t make it.

      Cheers,

      Takeshi / JPRail.com

  9. Felicia says:
    March 28, 2016 at 9:03 pm

    Hi Takeshi san,
    I’m going to travel in Tokyo for 4days. I have arranged my itineraries. But I’m not sure which pass should I buy or just use SUICA. I would be very glad if you can give your recommendation regarding the cheaper ticket pass and any cheaper train lines 🙂

    1) DAY 1 (total 910yen):
    -Arrive at Haneda and my hotel is near Asakusabashi st. -> use Keikyu kuko & Asakusa line (570yen).
    -to Shinjuku bus terminal for Kawaguchiko trip -> use JR chuo-sobu & JR chuo line toyoda (170yen)
    -back to hotel from shinjuku terminal -> JR chuo line& chuo sobu line (170yen)

    2)DAY 2 (total 2130yen)
    – to Ueno park -> still confuse whether take train or by walking
    -to museum Edo tokyo -> use JR Keihintohoku & Chuo-sobu (160yen)
    – Fujiko F. Fujio museum -> use JR chuo sobu + chuo line + odakyu line (470yen)
    -to Yokohama ramen museum -> use JR Nambu + tokyoden entoshi line + blue line shinyokohama (590yen)
    -to Minatomirai -> use blue line shonandai (270yen)
    -back to hotel -> use minatomirai line + keikyu line shinagawa + keikyu line aoto – asakusa line (640yen)

    *If I’m not wrong, any tokyo pass can’t use in yokohama (fujiko museum and minatomirai) right? Can I use SUICA in yokohama?

    3) DAY 3 (Total 510yen)
    – to east garden imperial palace -> use shinjuku line (180yen)
    – to shibuya-harajuku -> use hanzomon line (200yen)
    – to Tokyo Metropolitan Government building -> use yamanote line shinjuku (140yen)
    – back to hotel -> use JR chuo & chuo sobu line (170yen)

    4) DAY 4 (total 810yen)
    – to Asakusa -> walking
    – to Ginza -> use ginza line (200yen)
    – to Odaiba -> use JR yamaote line shibuya (160yen)
    – to tokyo sky tree -> use asakusa line to keisei (270yen)
    -back to hotel -> use asakusa line haneda (180yen)

    • Takeshi / JPRail.com says:
      March 28, 2016 at 10:38 pm

      Hi Felicia san,

      I think Suica is the best choice. Subway unlimited ride pass is most affordable choice. But it’s 800 yen and it covers only subway. But you will take JR, subway and other railways. And as you think, any passes do not cover Yokohama. But you can use Suica. Suica covers all trains.

      Cheers,

      Takeshi / JPRail.com

  10. cindy says:
    March 21, 2016 at 1:07 am

    hai Takeshi san,

    How about 3 days tokyo subway ticket for 1500 yen, is it cheaper than tokunai pass?

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